Good Stuff Maynard

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

2012-01-26T05:32:00.001-06:00

My love for donuts is rivaled only by my love for my children* so when I saw this recipe at Koko Cooks I knew I had to try them because I almost always forgo the donut section in the store. Self restraint is a virtue I like to pretend I have, but the reality is, behind closed doors I could pack away half a dozen donuts on my own. For real. I’ll be honest though, I didn’t think these came out tasting like a donut, but more like a snicker-doodle in muffin form. Lightly flavored & dusted with cinnamon sugar, these come in as a close second to a donut, paired with a cup of coffee in the morning.

I doubled the recipe below and came out with 20 muffins. Kept as is, you’ll get about a dozen, depending on how full you fill the tins.

*My husband read this and wondered aloud “So you love our kids AND donuts more than me, huh?” Quick on my toes, I replied, “Of course not! I love you more than donuts and our children.” He was satisfied with this. Carry on.

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Lightly coat a muffin tin with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and egg.
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
Pour dry mixture into the egg mixture and stir to combine. Add vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla, stirring until just combined.
Divide batter evenly into muffin tin, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes clean, about 17-18 minutes.
Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from tin.
In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. While the muffins are still warm, press and roll each one in the mixture, coating all sides with the cinnamon sugar.

Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

2012-01-23T14:00:00.000-06:00

Found at Eat at Home, these far exceeded my expectations of a simple and fast dinner. I thought I had a can of enchilada sauce on hand in the pantry but when I pulled everything out to make dinner, I found myself lacking! Not wanting to make a trip to the store for a one can, and with thoughts to call for pizza, I stuck to the budget for the week and didn’t want to disappoint my eleven year old who was eager to help make dinner. I Googled for an enchilada sauce substitute and found the recipe for it below. DE-LI-CIOUS is the only word to describe these. Full of robust flavor these were comfort food at it’s finest!
I also used a taco seasoning recipe that I’ve been using for several batches of tacos because there is so little sodium to it and it’s YUM to the extreme!
Ingredients

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoons. butter
15 oz can tomato sauce
1 recipe for taco seasoning (below) OR 1 packet of taco seasoning mix
1 recipe for enchilada sauce (below) OR 10 oz can enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack and cheddar)
18 flour tortillas

Directions
1. Put taco seasoning*, butter, beans and half the can of tomato sauce in a pan. Heat on medium, mash the beans and mix everything together.
2. Mix the enchilada sauce spices & water with the remaining tomato sauce. Pour a bit in the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan and spread it around. This will help keep the enchiladas from sticking.
4. Spread some mashed beans on each tortilla and top with shredded cheese. Roll up tightly and place in the pan. (Yes, I managed to get all 18 tortillas in the pan.)
5. Pour the sauce over the top and add more cheese to the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
……………………………………………………………………………………..
Enchilada Sauce – Food.com
Ingredients

2 teaspoons mild chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 water

Mix
Taco Seasoning – All Recipes
Ingredients

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix

Taco Seasoning

2012-01-23T13:58:00.001-06:00

About a year and a half ago, I made enchiladas and used home made enchilada sauce and taco seasoning that I found at All Recipes. I’ve gone back to that recipe again and again because I love the seasonings so much! Very low sodium, very easy to toss together and it costs pennies compared to the kind in the packet…not to mention it’s the perfect job to give one of the kids (or your significant other!) to do while you’re prepping the rest of the meal.

I like tons of flavor in my taco meat so I use all of this for a pound of ground beef. If it looks like a little too much for your taste, just use half and save the rest in an airtight container for next time.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix into your cooked and drained taco meat with 3/4 cup water, then simmer till liquid has reduced by about half.

Chicken & Edamame with Orange Ginger Dressing

2012-01-18T08:22:00.001-06:00

This recipe was chosen on impulse one morning while I was browsing for a new dinner to make. Found at Confections of a Foodie Bride, I modified as I cooked (something I almost never do) and it turned out so much better than I thought.

As for the chicken, I’d forgotten that the recipe called for chicken in the first place and I didn’t have any prepared so I put it all in my tiny crock pot with the salsa, turned it up to high and let it go for about 2 1/2 hours. It came out perfect and required almost no prep other than breaking it up before adding it to the main dish.If you have cooked chicken or prefer to cook it on the barbeque, omit the salsa. I opted to go for long grain brown rice, and started it cooking when there was about an hour to go on the chicken so it’d all come together at the same time.

The edamame came straight out of the freezer, then was tossed into a colander and run under hot water several times while the rice cooked. Then I salted them liberally with course sea salt and then set them aside until ready to combine with the main dish

Ingredients

1/2 cup salsa
1.25 lbs. chicken tenderloins, cooked and chopped
2 cups brown rice (1 cup if you want fewer leftovers)
4 cups chicken broth (2 cups if you only use 1 cup of rice)
1/4 cup orange juice
1 large lime, juiced
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
salt
16 oz. frozen shelled edamame, thawed and liberally salted
1 large red bell pepper diced
2 small avocados, sliced
Small handful of cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Directions

Cook chicken and salsa in small crockpot on high for 2 hours or until done.
Cook brown rice, according to package directions, in chicken broth.
In a large bowl, whisk together orange juice, lime juice, oil, and ginger.
Add thawed and salted edamame, red bell pepper, and chicken, tossing to coat.
Spoon mixture over brown rice and garnish with avocado slices and cilantro.

This made enough for the five of us with at least enough leftover for two full lunches…and then some.

Split Pea & Ham Soup

2012-01-02T16:49:00.001-06:00

So it’s winter here and I’m going to post another soup recipe because I can. Even though it doesn’t feel like winter. Or look like winter. And even though we’re still going outdoors to enjoy the sunshine without so much as a jacket, my brain tells me it’s winter so I’m making soup. I figure I have about two more good soup-months before it’s too warm to even consider the hot dinner until next November.

To date, except for The Exorcist, I have had zero experience with split pea soup. So I was excited when I saw that Our Best Bites offered a recipe that would allow me to not only use up our last bit of Christmas ham (it’s been waiting in our freezer), but would also give me a taste of the soup that was featured in one of the most disturbing movies of all time. What’s not to love?!

Ingredients

1 lb. dried split peas, rinsed and sorted
2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
1 lb. bone-in ham, diced into small pieces and trimmed of excessive fat (or that last bit of leftover ham, cut into bits)
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon malt vinegar

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. You can also cook it on high until it starts to boil and then turn the setting on low until you’re ready to serve the soup. Top with croutons.

Makes 8 1 1/2-cup servings.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup

2011-12-30T08:47:00.003-06:00

The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are always hectic trying to get a real meal on the table for me. We have so many goodies and snacks that it’s easy to forget to eat well. Then you add all the baking that’s done for friends and neighbors and at the end of the day I just don’t want to cook. Mel’s Kitchen Café offers up this soup as the perfect solution – it pulls together so fast and if you’re like me and have a lot of leftover turkey lying around in the freezer this would be the perfect place to use it up.

If you like things a little spicier, adjust the red pepper flakes to suit your tastes. The 1/4 teaspoon was perfect for us since the kids still haven’t adopted my love of spicy foods. It added plenty of flavor without much heat.

I tweaked this recipe slightly by pureeing the onions, peppers and tomatoes before adding them to the pot. My kids aren’t very picky eaters but these three things are triggers with them for some reason. Pureeing the vegetables first, led to zero questions about the ingredients in their dishes!

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 can (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, un-drained
3 ribs celery, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
7-8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or use about 3-4 cups of shredded, cooked chicken)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/- inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a food processor or blender, puree the onions, pepper and tomatoes until smooth.
In a large pot heat oil over medium heat and add the pureed vegetables. Add celery, and garlic. Cook 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the diced vegetables are tender.
Add remaining ingredients (don’t add the cooked chicken, if using, you’ll add it near the end), stir well, and bring to a low boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for about 40-45 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through.
If using cooked chicken, stir it in at this point and let it heat through. Discard bay leaves and serve.

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

2011-12-30T08:47:00.001-06:00

These are a tradition! at our house every year at Christmas. I always had them growing up, and when my kids came along, they adopted the love of these little addictions. Salty, crunchy, savory and warm they’re the perfect appetizer to throw on any holiday plate.

You can use regular bacon but I prefer the leaner, much less greasy texture of the turkey bacon.

Ingredients

2 cans water chestnuts, drained
1 package turkey bacon, cut into thirds
toothpicks
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cooking sherry

Directions

Preheat Oven 350 degrees

Cut each chestnut in half then wrap a slice of bacon (a third of a piece) around the chestnut, secure with a toothpick and place in a 13x9 inch baking dish.
Mix the Worcestershire Sauce and sherry then pour over the wrapped chestnuts.
Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the bacon has begun to brown and get a little crispy.

Egg Nog Cookies

2011-12-21T20:21:00.001-06:00

Kay, look. It’s four days before Christmas and while we are, in general, eating real food I’m also doing a lot of baking and since most of the food that we’re eating has been Good Stuff’d already you’re going to get a few more goodies before I jump back on the real food band-wagon. Just roll with it, have one of these cookies from The Girl Who Ate Everything and enjoy!

If your nutmeg doesn’t have a sprinkle-top lid, just use a flour sifter!

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup salted butter, room temp
1/2 cup eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon nutmeg for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined.
Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets, 1″ apart. Bake for 21-24 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown.
Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately with spatula. Makes about 36 cookies.

Eggnog Icing

3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 cup eggnog (might need more or less)

In small mixer bowl, beat the powdered sugar and butter until well blended. Gradually beat in eggnog until icing is smooth and the desired consistency. You may need less or more depending on the consistency you like.
Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg after you ice the cookies.

Cran-Stachio Cookies

2011-12-19T14:02:00.001-06:00

The Girl Who Ate Everything offered up this recipe last year and I’ve had it sitting in my “Cookies” folder ever since. This year, I wanted to send cookies to work with The Man for no other reason than to try out the recipe. My being “nice” has nothing to do with it. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! The original recipe says it makes about 2 dozen but I doubled the batch and it made 5 dozen.

The simple directions lead you to believe you can be slack when baking these cookies but the fact is, it’s a little bit of trial and error with this step. My first batch was baked for 8 minutes and came out doughy-looking even after letting them sit on the cookie sheet. The next batch was in for 9 minutes following the same directions. In the end I went with 8 minutes in the oven, 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and about 10 minutes on the cooling rack before I was happy with the soft, chewy, result. My point is, test the first & second batch and taste for texture. Cook ‘em how you like ‘em!

1 pouch Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1 box (4 serving size) pistachio instant pudding and pie filling mix
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup dry roasted salted pistachio nuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl stir cookie mix, pudding, and flour. Add melted butter and eggs and stir until incorporated.
Add pistachios and cranberries and mix well.
Drop by rounded spoonsful onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack. Freezer-bag up what you’re not going to immediately eat and store for up to four weeks in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat, take a couple out and eat frozen or let them sit for a few minutes to soften back up.

Sausage and Zucchini Lasagna

2011-11-15T13:55:00.001-06:00

I didn’t change a thing about this recipe that I found on All Recipes and I’m in love with everything about it! Lasagna is one of my favorite foods but I do not like the idea of taking all that time to prepare the dish. For some reason, this recipe seemed extremely simplistic an I was skeptical that it would turn out alright. I added yellow squash that we’d harvested, with our own hands, from a local farm which may or may not have added to this seriously, ridiculously tasty dish! No Stouffers required!

Ingredients

1/4 cup spaghetti sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound bulk pork sausage
2 zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 medium yellow squash
1 pound ricotta cheese
1 egg white
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 no-boil lasagna noodles, or more if needed
2 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Pour about 1/4 cup of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the sausage and zucchini until the meat is no longer pink and the zucchini pieces are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain excess fat from the skillet, and set the sausage mixture aside. While the sausage and zucchinis are cooking, mix together the ricotta cheese, egg white, mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese in a bowl until well combined.
Place 3 lasagna noodles into the bottom of the baking dish on top of the spaghetti sauce, overlapping noodles slightly if necessary. Spread half the sausage-zucchini mixture on top of the noodles. Spread half the cheese mixture over the meat and zucchini, and pour 1 cup of spaghetti sauce evenly over the cheese mixture. Spread the sauce over the cheese mixture with a spoon or spatula. Repeat layers, starting with 3 more noodles, the rest of the sausage mixture, the rest of the cheese mixture, and 1 more cup of spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle the top with 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven until the lasagna is bubbling and the Parmesan cheese has browned, about 45 minutes.

Fresh-Lime Turkey Chili

2011-11-05T18:16:00.001-06:00

This chili adapted from the recipe at Pink Parsley, is the perfect way to start cooking for the cooler season that has finally made it’s way here in South Texas. With a fresh hint of lime, this still plays at flavors of summer but the hearty, meaty chili definitely says fall! I shredded cheese on top and served with a big helping of corn bread.

Be sure to give yourself enough time to prepare this recipe; it takes about 30 minutes to prepare and two to three hours to cook.

Ingredients

1 slice sandwich bread, torn into pieces
2 Tablespoons milk
1 lb. ground turkey
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, minced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, minced
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 14.5-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
3 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoons grated lime zest
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus more for serving

Options for serving:

fresh cilantro
Pepper Jack cheese
sliced avocados

Directions

1. Mash the bread and milk into a paste in a large bowl using a fork. Mix in the ground turkey.

2. Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno, and cook until they are softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the chili powder, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook an additional 3-5 minutes.

3. Stir in the turkey and cook, breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, scraping up any browned bits.

4. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, beans, 3 tablespoons of water, soy sauce and honey. Cover and cook on low 2-3 hours.

5. Stir in the lime zest, lime juice, and (optional) cilantro.

Farmer’s Salad

2011-09-23T07:43:00.001-06:00

In an attempt to hold onto summer a little longer I wanted a salad for dinner that wasn’t the same salad we’ve had a hundred times over the last four months. For the Love of Cooking provided this recipe and it hit the spot with creamy textures, lots of dill and plenty of garlicky goodness.

Ingredients

1 lb. container of large curd cottage cheese
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 cup of grape tomatoes
1 cup of sugar snap peas, diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled & diced
4-5 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
Dash of garlic powder
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions

Dice all of the vegetables.
Combine the cottage cheese with the yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and cucumber in a large bowl.
Add the chopped dill and season with a dash of garlic powder, and sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Mix until evenly coated. Taste and re-season if needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ginger Snap Cookies

2011-09-23T07:35:00.001-06:00

I’ve become lazy. This picture does not do the cookies justice, and I didn’t snag it from some swanky blog. Just from always-reliable, Allrecipes. Please forgive me.

Since it’s September, despite the 100 degree temperatures that we’re still enduring here in the south, our house is outfitted in browns, oranges, pumpkins, and fall scented candles. These cookies were an instant hit with their chewy middles and crispy outer shell. They are the perfect treat to herald in the harvest season.

Ingredients

2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2/3 cup white sugar for decoration

Directions

Preheat oven to 375*

In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oil, molasses, and eggs. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger; stir into the molasses mixture. Roll dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Roll each ball in white sugar before placing 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in preheated oven, or until center is firm. Cool on wire racks.

Makes approximately 5 dozen and they freeze amazingly well!

Crock Pot Beef Stew

2011-09-06T07:51:00.001-06:00

Taken from All Recipes this is an instant go-to Sunday night dinner. Served up in big bowls and rolls from the can, (because I’m classy like that) this couldn’t be simpler to pull together.

Ingredients

1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3 potatoes, diced small
4 large carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, chopped

Directions

Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.

Did you enjoy this recipe, the photos found here, or Good Stuff in general? Head over to Facebook and like the page! When you Share a recipe (using the social media buttons below each post) with friends and family you’re helping to make the world a better place. And it makes me happy. Mostly it makes me happy. It also helps me, and all the other food blogs used here, to keep doing what we love doing; sharing good food. Thanks for visiting! - Shanna

Miss Rachel’s Pineapple Cake

2011-09-01T11:07:00.001-06:00

Back in the day, when I lived in Utah, Miss Rachel used to whip up some of the best food for us! Besides the Crunchy Lime “scrimps”, she pulled this effortless cake together and until the other day, when I stumbled on it while browsing old recipes, I’d forgotten about it! It’s moist, sweet and completely worth making again and again!

Ingredients

2 eggs
2 cups sugar
20 oz. can of crushed pineapple
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla

Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter, softened

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Mix all cake ingredients in a large bowl and pour into a 13x9 cake dish.
Bake 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Mix frosting ingredients in a bowl, mix well then spread over cooled cake.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

2011-08-11T07:18:00.001-06:00

I’d never had a lettuce wrap and I was excited to give another new recipe a try. These, found at All Recipes, cooked up really fast, with very little prep and the kids had theirs half gone before I even sat down after taking the picture; the little guy’s WAS gone. They loved them! The husband didn’t like the idea of it being wrapped up in a lettuce leaf, but he went back for seconds so I’m going to take the liberty of saying he got over it. Next time, just to snob these up a little, I’ll try shredded beef rather than ground.

1 head of Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1/2 cup shredded carrots

Directions

Separate the lettuce leaves from the head, rinse the leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef. Drain, reserving about a tablespoon of the fat in the pan, then put the hamburger into a separate bowl and set aside to cool.
Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and vinegar to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
Put a spoonful of the beef mixture into a leaf of lettuce, sprinkle with the shredded carrot, then wrap the lettuce and enjoy!

Key Lime Cupcakes

2011-08-08T08:09:00.001-06:00

I was asked to make something to include in a raffle for my husband’s work so they could raise money for their Christmas party. From Betty Crocker, these not-too-sweet, very limey cupcakes were exactly as delicious as they sound. The kids loved them (I doubled the batch so they could decorate and eat some), the hubs said they’re the best he’s ever had and he raised $25 for the batch he took in to work. I’d say they were a success.

Cupcakes

1 box lemon cake mix
box lime-flavored gelatin
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup lime juice (about 6 limes)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
lime zest

Heat oven to 350°F

Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. In large bowl, beat cupcake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
Bake 19 to 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. With toothpick or wooden skewer, pierce tops of cupcakes in several places.
In small bowl, mix 1 cup powdered sugar and enough of the 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice until glaze is smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle and spread glaze over cupcakes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
In large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. On low speed, beat in vanilla and 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar until mixed; beat on medium speed until fluffy. Frost cupcakes, mounding and swirling frosting in center. Garnish with lime peel. Store covered in refrigerator.

Tex-Mex Catalina Salad

2011-08-03T09:35:00.001-06:00

I saw this recipe at Real Mom Kitchen and, given my love for Chili Cheese Fritos, I knew I had to try it. I did change a few things including making my own Catalina dressing since it’s fast, easy and I like knowing exactly what I’m eating. You know, like the what’s in the red and yellow bag of Fritos that I’m currently wolfing down now that dinner has come and gone.

The dressing, found at Food makes about a cup and a half of dressing and I didn’t use all of it in the salad because I don’t like a runny salad. I used about a half a cup but you can use as much as you like.

Salad Ingredients

14.5 oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
14.5 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
10.5 oz. container grape tomatoes, quartered
6 oz. can of chopped olives
1 yellow pepper, diced
4 green onions, diced
1 cup celery, chopped
1 10.5 oz. bag of Chili Cheese Fritos

Catalina Dressing Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup onion, minced

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions

Toss all the salad ingredients together in a big bowl except the Fritos.
In a large measuring/pour-easy dish mix all the dressing ingredients and whisk well.
Pour as much of the dressing as you like over the salad and toss well. Refrigerate until ready to eat, pour the Fritos over top of your salad and enjoy!

Blueberry Coffee Cake

2011-07-15T09:19:00.001-06:00

Nothing quite finishes off an afternoon like coffee cake straight from the oven. Too hot to go outdoors and bored out of our gourdes, my eldest girl-child helped pull this quick treat together that I found at Joy of Baking. It wasn’t overly sweet which we all enjoyed. Despite the coffee mug in the photo, I opted to make up a tall glass of iced coffee rather than a hot cuppa which was even better for a summer afternoon treat.

Streusel Topping:

1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Cake Batter:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter, or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray, an 8 x 8 inch square dish.

Streusel Topping

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and ground cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or fork until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside while you make the cake batter.

Cake

In a separate small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add the flour mixture, alternately with the milk, and beat only until combined.
Evenly spread the batter onto the bottom of an 8x8 cooking dish, coated with non-stick cooking spray or butter.
Evenly arrange the blueberries on top of the cake batter and then sprinkle with the streusel topping.
Bake for about 40 -50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tortellini Spinach Bake

2011-07-13T08:13:00.001-06:00

I’m short on time this morning so I’m going to whip through this one and just say the recipe from Our Best Bites is easy to prepare, cooks up quick and was a unanimous crowd pleaser. The pasta is found in the dry pasta aisle and despite the fact that I love bacon, I despise cooking it (and the mess it makes!) so I used pre-cooked bacon. If you don’t like pre-cooked, simply cook up your favorite kind of bacon, remove it from the pan, once cooked, reserving 2 tablespoons of the grease in your pan for the garlic etc. omitting the olive oil.

Ingredients

12 oz. bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortellini
8 strips pre-cooked bacon, chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dry basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 medium lemon
2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.
Heat two tablespoons olive oil in small skillet. Add garlic and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes then bring sauce to a simmer.
While sauce is heating, zest the lemon, then cut it in half and remove juice. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve about 2 strips of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine.
Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 baking dish and top with remaining cheeses and bacon.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Cake in a Mug

2011-07-07T13:11:00.001-06:00

I don’t keep many sweets in the house which means I don’t have chocolate on-hand most of the time but there are times when I’d be willing to sell one of my children for just one square of the good stuff. This “cake” comes out a little bigger than an average cupcake and hits the spot in just under five minutes!

Source: Instructables

Ingredients

coffee mug
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons whisked egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips
splash vanilla

Directions

Mix everything well in your mug (make sure you mix in the flour that likes to stick to the bottom)
Cook in the microwave, on high for between 3-5 minutes depending on the power of your microwave. A good indicator is, when you can smell it, it’s probably done!
Let this thing cool - it comes out very hot! Dollop on a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream if you need an extra sugar kick.

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts

2011-07-05T14:19:00.001-06:00

We all know The Pioneer Woman turns out some mean recipes so I don’t often use her site as a reference for Maynard. You know where she is and you’ve seen her recipes. But I decided to make an exception for this one because she said it was a good “week-day” meal and after realizing I had all the ingredients in my cupboard & fridge I decided to give it a go. Because it cooked up fast, was super filling and was an instant hit with the kids I couldn’t resist posting it!

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, finely diced
14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained & quartered
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound thin spaghetti
1 cup parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons chives (or other herbs) chopped

Directions

While water comes to a boil for the pasta, melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion then sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes, then stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
At this point the pasta water should be pretty close to boiling and ready to add the pasta.
Stir the cream and chicken broth into the artichokes and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.
Place cooked & drained pasta in a large bowl & pour sauce over the top. Add chives & nutmeg. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Fruit Pizza

2011-07-02T08:35:00.001-06:00

This is one of my all-time favorite desserts! I made and posted it to Maynard a couple years ago but couldn't keep my hands off of it so I haven’t made it since. This weekend though, I'll be making it again for our neighborhood 4th of July party and while tradition calls for red, white and blue colors for such desserts, I'm not much for following the rules and far prefer the variety of these pretty colors. I'm crazy like that.

The dough tends to be easier to work with when it's been opened and been allowed to sit out on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes or so before stretching over the cookie sheet.

The question here is are you a perfectionist or a get ‘er done kind of person? The perfectionist (or the person who wants the pretty picture) will cut this into squares then add the fruit to each square, individually. The get ‘er done’er will toss on the fruit and slice to serve. Either way will produce a delicious can’t-keep-your-hands-off-it-dessert. So this step, my friends, is up to you. I know you like options. You’re welcome.

Ingredients

16 oz. sugar cookie dough mix
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
fruits of your choice, chopped if needed

Directions

Spread cookie dough evenly over a greased cookie sheet, sprinkling a little flour as needed to help with stickiness. Puncture evenly with fork to avoid bubbling while cooking. Bake at 350* until golden brown (about 12 minutes).
Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cooled cookie crust.
Top with fruit.

Sausage Frittata

2011-06-30T15:09:00.001-06:00

I made this back in March and it was so good I knew I had to make it again for the picture I didn’t take the first time! Fresh, easy and full of protein, for me this is a perfect go-to dinner choice. I made steamed artichokes to go with it and the kids didn’t make a peep other than the sound of their chewing!

Ingredients

8 eggs
1/4 cup water
1 pound pork sausage
1 tablespoon basil, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small zucchini, sliced thin
1/2 white onion, diced fine
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350

Directions

1. Whisk eggs and water in a bowl and set aside.

2. Cook sausage through with basil, garlic and a dash of salt and pepper. Drain fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons of the oil in the pan to cook the vegetables in. Remove sausage from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the sliced zucchini and onions to the oil. Sauté for about 5-10 minutes until a little brown; salt and pepper.

4. Add the sausage & eggs into the pan. Cook over low heat until the edges begin to get firm.

5. Place entire pan into oven and cook at 350 for about 30 minutes.

After it is cooked, remove from oven and let sit for a couple minutes before cutting and serving!

Easy Crockpot Pork Carnitas

2011-06-28T06:26:00.001-06:00

I decided to try carnitas after Kate, a mom in the Meet-up group I joined when I moved to the Dallas area, convinced me I should try them. I’d never had them before and they sounded so good I was anxious to try my hand at them. Unfortunately, my first attempt was a sorrowful FAIL. Just “meh”, the recipe was deleted from my Menu folder and I was hesitant to try them again.

Then I saw this recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything. Easy? Check. Very few ingredients? Check. Something I can put throw together then go about my day until dinner-time? Check! These were juicy, tender, full of flavor and will definitely be made again soon!

Ingredients

2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
16 oz. jar salsa verde
10 oz. can diced fire roasted tomatoes
4 oz. can diced green chilies
1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
lime

Directions

1. Place all of the ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until pork easily forks apart. Short on time? Four hours on high will get the job done too!

2. Shred pork and squeeze lime juice over the meat.

3. Place pork (don’t forget the saucy goodness from the crock pot!!) on flour tortillas and top with your favorites: cheese, cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream and a squeeze of lime.

Italian Orange Cream

2011-06-23T13:33:00.001-06:00

The Man, aka my husband, made this. Sometimes he amazes me with his “throw together” skills. Other times, such as the time he thought putting a can of green beans, and pork & beans together with some creamed corn? Not so much.

This was creamy, cold and very refreshing. I’ll definitely be asking him to make it for us again!

Ingredients

1 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream
1.5 oz. DiSaronno Italian liquor
8 oz. orange juice

Pour over ice & mix. Enjoy responsibly!

Double Decker Veggie Grilled Cheese

2011-06-21T07:33:00.001-06:00

We are finally settled in our house, here in Houston, and despite the fact that I still don’t have pictures hung on the walls, I’m ready to start sharing recipes again!

When I started mixing the ingredients together for these sandwiches, found in Better Homes and Gardens magazine, January 2011, I had pizza in mind as a back-up plan; they did not look promising.

I wasn’t convinced they’d be would worth eating until one of the kids, after taking the first bite, mumbled “mmm” through a mouthful. They were right-on! With an inventive spin on the classic grilled cheese, these were an easy, no stove-top, meal this will definitely be a go to for summer dinners!

Ingredients

1 16 oz. jar pickled vegetables, rinsed, drained & chopped
3 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, chopped into cubes
2 tablespoons dried red tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
12 slices buttered toast

Directions

Place all ingredients, except toast, into a microwave safe bowl. Stirring every 30 seconds, cook uncovered for about 2 minutes or just until the mixture is warm, the spinach is wilted, and the cheese is beginning to melt.
Layer half the vegetable mixture onto four slices of the toast. Top each sandwich with a second slice of bread then add the remaining vegetable mixture. Place a third slice of toast on top, slice and enjoy!

Cowboy Dinner

2011-05-23T07:18:00.001-06:00

I was very skeptical about this recipe found at Mel’s Kitchen Café because ground beef casseroles generally all taste the same and offer very little flavor or variety. Seriously simple though, the recipe called for me to pull it together and give it a shot and I’m so glad I did. Surprisingly, there was a lot of different flavors throughout this dish and the corn bread topping pulled the entire thing together so well. It made a lot of food and could easily serve 6 adults.

Since we were given a huge portion of a grass-fed cow I don’t feel so bad eating all this ground beef…and we have a lot of it to get through!

Moo.

Ingredients

1.5 pounds lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup frozen corn kernels
12 oz. salsa
1 15 oz. can black, pinto or white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cornbread Topping

1/2 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup milk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and set aside.
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and onion, adding the salt and pepper, over medium-high heat until the beef is no longer pink. Drain the grease from the pan. Stir in the corn, salsa, and beans. Pour the beef mixture into the prepared 9X13-inch baking pan and set aside.
For the cornbread, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add the oil, beaten eggs and milk. Whisk together until just moistened and no dry spots remain.
Sprinkle the cheese over the beef mixture and pour the cornbread batter over the cheese and beef mixture. Gently spread the cornbread to the edges of the pan, evening it out over the top of the casserole.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until the edges are bubbly and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Berry Spinach Smoothie

2011-05-19T09:01:00.001-06:00

I’d heard before that putting spinach in a smoothie is a great way to incorporate more of it into the diet. I was skeptical because although I like spinach for a lot of things, the idea of putting it in my fruit-sweet smoothie didn’t appeal to me. After being sick all week, any little bit of extra help getting better is worth the try!

Originally I left out the strawberries and I could taste enough of the spinach to know I wouldn’t finish the smoothie that way. So I tossed a few in the blender and voila! No more spinach flavor. Yay, me!

I say a small handful of spinach because that’s just what I did. Then I got worried that there may be some of you out there panicking right now at the idea of having to guess at the measurement. It’s ok, I do it too. So I went back to the bag of spinach, pulled out the same amount and counted the leaves. Just for you. Because I’m cool like that. I counted 18 leaves. So give or take, it’s a small handful.

Ingredients

1 medium orange, peeled
8-10 red seedless grapes
5 strawberries, hulled
4 heaping spoons full plain unsweetened yogurt
1/4 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup milk
small handful baby spinach
ice, as much or as little to get the texture you like

Directions (in case you’re uncertain how to make a smoothie)

1. Pour everything into the blender and blend.

Tarragon Egg Salad

2011-05-17T06:23:00.001-06:00

Adapted from Simply Recipes with what we had on hand; aka what I didn’t forget at the grocery store. We had this for dinner because I love to have sandwiches for dinner. They’re easy, fast clean-up and little or no cooking is required. I bought some “fancy” kettle potato chips, had some grapes waiting in the freezer and called this a yummy almost-summer dinner!

The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of fennel which I wanted to use, but misread when I wrote my grocery list for the week and came home with fennel seed instead so I left it out, unsure how that would turn out. I’ll give it a whirl next time!

Ingredients

12 hard boiled eggs*, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
1/2 cup chopped green onions, including the greens
1 Tablespoon dried tarragon leaves
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

* To hard boil eggs, put eggs in a large pot, cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Turn heat all the way down to low. Cover and cook for 12 minutes Drain, run under cold water to stop the cooking and to cool down the eggs.

Directions

Gently combine all of the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Brown Bag Popcorn

2011-05-12T13:09:00.000-06:00

Popcorn popped this way is so light and fluffy. Full of air instead of the chemicals the microwave varieties can have. Now I have to be honest, once I made this a few dozen times I went out and bought one of these little babies and haven’t looked back since, but the concept is the same!

There are countless things you can do with popcorn to add tons of flavor without all the additives.

We also tried cinnamon sugar and salt but don’t forget plain salt. There’s just something oddly satisfying about sitting down to watch a movie at home with a big bowl of warm, salted popcorn.

Ingredients

1/4 cup popping corn, un-popped
2 teaspoons olive oil, optional
1/4 teaspoon salt
brown paper lunch bag

Directions

1. IF you choose to use oil, toss the un-popped corn, olive oil and salt, in the paper bag. Otherwise, simply place un-popped corn in the bag, then fold the top of the bag over twice (tape it if you’re worried about spillage). I taped mine because I’m a worrier.

2. Place the bag in the microwave and microwave on high for 2 minutes to 3 minutes, or until there are about 5 seconds between pops.

3. Carefully remove bag from microwave and give it a good shake to coat the popcorn with any loose salt. If you didn’t use oil, pour the popcorn into a bowl and top with your favorite toppings like melted butter, seasonings (have you tried pepper on popcorn? YUM!) or eat it all by it’s gloriously low-calorie popped self.

Homemade Maple Syrup

2011-05-09T10:21:00.001-06:00

Sinzibuckwud, or ‘sweet water’ having come from the maple tree, was used by the Aborigines of North America for it’s sugar content long before European settlers arrived and began pouring it over their crumpets and porridge.* There wasn’t any high fructose corn syrup to speak of and the all natural sweetener was used in a variety of ways to sweeten foods. Tell me this; what’s the big deal with hfcs? Is it because it’s processed? I don’t get it. I’ve Googled it to death and don’t really understand why it’s worse for our bodies than pure sugar. This turned out very well, if just a little thinner than I’m used to – but no thinner than pure maple syrup purchased in a grocery store.

I’d say this syrup is between imitation syrup and real maple syrup in it’s consistency; which is to say I didn’t mind that it was slightly more runny than the fake junk I regularly consume on our waffles. Also, I don’t like how sweet real maple syrup is and this recipe didn’t turn out near as sweet as that. Happy!

The recipe, found at All Recipes, makes two cups and I stored it in a washed jam jar. I haven’t refrigerated it because it will likely all be consumed this week along with the double batch of waffles that were made this morning. Honestly I found conflicting ideas on how syrup should be stored so do a little research and do what you will with it.

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon maple extract

Directions

Bring the water, white sugar, and brown sugar to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium-low, and stir in the maple extract; simmer 10 minutes longer.

Source: Wikipedia

Chocolate Banana Bread

2011-05-05T10:31:00.001-06:00

Bananas are the one fruit that I wait, with enthusiasm, to go bad! Ok, maybe not bad, but real brown and soft. This bread, found at Savory Sweet Life hit the spot with just enough sweetness from the chocolate and the bananas kept it soft and moist. The perfect combo for a dessert bread, in my not so humble opinion. The recipe below makes two loaves; we broke into one and froze the other for another day.

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a 9×5 loaf pan, with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Stir in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla until well blended.
Add baking soda, cocoa, and flour. Mix everything until well incorporated. Add chocolate chips.
Pour batter into loaf pan(s) and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick, inserted into the center, comes out clean.
Remove from heat and allow bread to rest in the loaf pan for 10 minutes. Invert the loaf pans onto a cooling rack.

Pizza Pizzazz Salad

2011-05-02T13:55:00.001-06:00

I started receiving the Better Homes and Gardens magazine back in January, recycling the unworthy issues and dog-earing several pages in others. I’ve managed to keep only two on my shelf at a time and the 2011 BH&G Cookbook Supplement is where I found then adapted this little beauty. I’m determined not to clutter my shelves with these magazines so as soon as I’m done going through and testing the choicest recipes, I’ll be doing my earthly duty and recycling. Unless I decide to start gift-wrapping in magazine pages. Which isn’t entirely out of the realm of my reality.

I served this with baby red potatoes, and after the five of us had had our fill, there was still enough left over for two day’s of lunch for myself.

Ingredients

5 oz. Spring Mix salad
3 oz.baby spinach
10 oz. grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 15 oz. can white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
handful of pepperoni slices (about 24-ish pieces)
5 oz. crumbled blue cheese
1 recipe herb dressing, below

Dressing

1/2 cup evoo
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

For dressing: In a screw-top container or salad dressing jar with tight fitting lid, mix all ingredients and shake to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Directions

In a large salad bowl pour in tomatoes, beans, onion, red pepper salad and spinach.
Toss with dressing and top with blue cheese.

Oven-Roasted Veggies & Pasta

2011-04-28T07:41:00.001-06:00

The first time I made this, from Real Mom Kitchen, we had just finished doing circuits with the kids and a friend and I needed something that made bunches of food and would cook up fast – but it needed to be healthy and have protein to fuel our muscles. Because we’re cool like that. I was starving by the time it was ready so I didn’t take the time to take a picture, knowing I’d make it a second time the following week. And that's what I did.

This easily hit the yum-factor, spot-on and was full of flavors from the roasted vegetables and I felt good eating it and serving it knowing all the ingredients that went in were wholesome. Except for the sausage which came from Oscar Meyer but you can be even more awesome than me, and buy fresh turkey sausage or organic sausage & whole wheat pasta or whatever healthful stuff you want! Me? I went with white pasta because that’s what I had. The veggies? Probably sprayed with pesticides – but I closed my eyes and pretended it was all organic and it was good stuff, Maynard!

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini, sliced
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red or yellow pepper, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 (12 oz.) package turkey sausage of your choice
12 oz. linguine, uncooked

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper in a shallow baking pan. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly brown; stir occasionally.
In the meantime, cook linguine according to package directions and drain.
After vegetables are soft, sprinkle sausage on top of vegetables and bake 5 more minutes or until sausage is heated.
Toss cooked pasta with the vegetable/sausage mixture, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Ham & Cheese Sliders

2011-04-25T10:30:00.001-06:00

Do you have any idea why we eat ham for Easter? Neither did I. I thought I did it because my mom did, and my grandma, and her mother before her and so in the interest of tradition, I will generally buy a ham for Easter dinner. This year, I wondered where the tradition itself came from.

It seems it may have come from the Northern European Pagans who would slaughter and preserve their agricultural animals in the fall to feed themselves through the winter. Then to celebrate the vernal equinox, the emerging plants and wildlife and to ~~shed a few pounds for bikini season~~ gain the sought-after state of "altered consciousness" in time for the spring festivals, they would fast. Then in celebration of the end of their fasting they would eat the last of their cured meats from the winter which would, of course, include pork.*

My plan for these little sandwiches, found at Our Recipe Club, was to use up whatever ham was left over from our Easter dinner. I decided, however, not to spend a fortune on a huge ham and opted instead for black forest ham from the deli. Easy! These turned out as good as the picture makes them out to be with tons of flavor and gooey cheese and salty ham.

I halved the recipe from what’s shown below because I don’t need 24 to feed the five of us – but these would be SO perfect to take with you next time you’re called to bring something with you, they can be assembled a day ahead & kept in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them.

Ingredients

24 of your favorite rolls (I used a Sweet Multi-Grain)
24 pieces black forest ham
24 slices Swiss cheese
1/3 cup miracle whip

Poppy Seed Sauce

1 1/2 Tablespoon poppy seeds
1 1/2 Tablespoon yellow mustard
1 stick butter, melted
1 Tablespoon minced green onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*

Spread Miracle Whip onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham & a slice of Swiss inside on each roll. Close rolls & place into a baking dish, smooshing close together.
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients then pour (or brush) evenly over all of the sandwiches. Let sit 10 minutes, or until butter sets slightly.
Cover with foil & bake 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover & cook for 2 additional minutes. Serve warm.

*Source: Goddess Gift

Deviled Eggs

2011-04-24T09:34:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was our day to color eggs for the Easter bunny to hide. As usual, I took the opportunity to give a lesson on why we color eggs and where the story of the Easter bunny comes from.

I love the story of Ostara, goddess of spring and fertility. Arriving late for spring one year, she was saddened to find a tiny bird whose wings were frozen by the long winter’s snow. Ostara turned the bird into a snow hare, giving him the ability of speed to avoid hunters and survive the winter but she honored his past form by allowing him to lay eggs. His eggs were no ordinary eggs, as they were all the colors of the rainbow!

As the story goes, however, Ostara was angered by the hare’s wild ways with the lady hares and banished him to the skies to live out the rest of his life as the constellation Lepus, forever under the careful watch of the constellation, Orion, the hunter. Still favoring the animal, Ostara allows him one night of freedom each year, to come to earth and hide his colored eggs for the children.

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients

1 dozen hard boiled eggs, peeled
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon green onion,minced
1/4 teaspoon Cholula hot sauce
Salt
Paprika

Directions

Using a sharp knife, slice each egg in half, lengthwise. Gently remove the yolk halves and place in a small mixing bowl. Arrange the egg white halves on a serving platter.
Using a fork or potato masher, mash the yolks and add mustard, mayonnaise, onion, Cholula, and salt to taste. Spoon egg yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Sprinkle with paprika.

Kicked Up Ramen Noodles

2011-04-21T07:57:00.001-06:00

Ramen Noodles stir up memories of the days before I had kids. Back when sodium, preservatives and ingredients that are un-pronounceable in the English tongue were kind-of hip in a “I’m too young to care what I eat” kind of way.

This was delicious and I felt like I was cheating, eating all those sinfully curly noodles! The smells coming from the kitchen were heavenly; peanuts, garlic and, well, do I really even need to mention anything after that? Cooked up fast, the ingredients were inexpensive and I will definitely add this to my “go to” dinner file.

The only things I changed from Mel’s Kitchen, since I didn’t have hoisin sauce (forgot to pick it up at the store), was I substituted in soy sauce. It worked well, but I’ll definitely not want to miss out on the flavors of it next time I make this dish. I also did not have scallions. GRR! So it went scallion-less and I pulled out a frozen bag of edamame to green up dinner a little.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
8-10 chicken tenderloins
1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced thin
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts (I pulled mine from a package of trail mix since the kids leave those anyway)
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 (3-ounce) package ramen noodles, discard seasoning packets!
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
4 scallions (green onions), sliced thin

Directions

In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium to medium-high heat until it is hot. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Add it to the pan in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally. As it cooks, using a plastic spatula, begin cutting it into cubes – continue cooking until cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Add the last tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat until hot. Add the red bell pepper and the peanuts then cook until the pepper is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and set aside with the chicken.
Add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes to the remaining oil in the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds to 1 minutes.
Stir in the chicken broth. Add Ramen noodles to the pan (you can break them before adding, but we like them long and curly!). Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, tossing the ramen constantly with tongs to separate, until ramen is just tender but there is still a bit of liquid in the pan, about five minutes.
Stir in the hoisin sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil and continue to simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken, peppers and peanuts. Sprinkle with green onions before serving.

Banana Pudding Milkshake

2011-04-19T12:22:00.001-06:00

I won’t name names, but someone just had to go and mention the fact that they had bought, and fallen in love with, the new banana pudding milk shake Chic-Fil-A just came out with for spring. If you know me at all you know I’m extremely susceptible to the suggestion of food and I’ve been craving that shake since! I looked it up on their restaurant site and the list of ingredients is a mile long – some I couldn’t pronounce and others I’d have to look up in a dictionary to figure out what, exactly, it is.

I knew that I could come up with my own version and make it, while not healthy, definitely healthier. You could also use the fat free, sugar free Jell-O but honestly I don’t want to ingest aspartame any more than I want to ingest some of the restaurant ingredients.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 small package (3.4 oz.) Jell-O instant banana cream pudding, divided in half
8 vanilla wafer cookies
1 ripe banana
1 cup ice

Directions

Put milk, half the package of pudding mix, banana and vanilla wafers in blender and blend till smooth.
Add ice and blend till smooth.

This will make two smaller servings or, if you’re like me, one large serving!

Broiled Grapefruit

2011-04-18T10:43:00.001-06:00

If you haven’t noticed, Maynard is on Facebook with the rest of the human race! Take a minute to Like Maynard and get updates right on your wall!

When I saw this recipe at Fitter than Choc, I knew I had to try it. We all love grapefruit in my house and this is a tasty new way to enjoy it. Try it for breakfast with some granola, for dessert with some good vanilla ice cream or a late night snack when you’re craving something sweet.

Ingredients

1 large grapefruit
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Pre-heat the broiler

Cut the grapefruit around the edge, just inside the peel, then trace each individual membrane of the grapefruit into segments.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of brown sugar on each half, then sprinkle ground cinnamon and nutmeg on each half.
Broil the grapefruit, face up for 10-15 minutes, or until caramelized.

Kale & Lemon Pasta Salad

2011-04-14T10:43:00.000-06:00

First of all? I’ve never eaten kale. It sounded like a nasty bitter green stuff that was not making it’s way into my mouth. This? Was phenomenal. The kids ate it without question, went back for seconds and even took leftovers to school for lunch. Really. The original recipe, found at Annie’s Eats, called for penne, but I chose tri-colored pasta just because color is good, and it makes me happy.

Ingredients

Dressing

2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Pasta

1 pound pasta
1 large bunch kale, rinsed and dried, stems removed
lemon slices, for garnish
shredded Parmesan, for serving

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.

Mince the garlic cloves. Sprinkle the minced garlic with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and smash the garlic into a paste with a fork. Transfer the garlic paste to a small bowl & add in the Parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Whisk together until well combined.
Cook pasta according to directions.
Chop the kale into 1/2 ribbons. Add chopped kale to a large bowl and toss with dressing to coat.
When pasta is done, quickly cool it with cold water, in a colander, draining well.
Toss pasta in the bowl with dressing until well coated. Serve with sliced lemon and additional Parmesan as desired.

Orange & Oats Cookies

2011-04-12T09:12:00.001-06:00

Laura, at Real Mom Kitchen, posted these way back in December and they’ve been sitting in my “to make” cookies folder since. The kids have been begging for cookies but the temperatures here in Texas have not been bake-friendly, already reaching the 90-degree mark. However, a spring storm blew through here a couple nights ago, dropping the temperature for the day, allowing the windows to be open and the oven to be on! Adapted for our tastes, these cookies are chewy, sweet and delicious, these whipped up fast and easy.

My favorite trick with cookies is to eat ~~a dozen or so~~ one or two while the rest bake, then put the rest in freezer bags. Not only does it keep the flavor better longer, they also tend to last longer out of sight, out of mind!

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3 Tablespoons orange juice
orange zest from 2 oranges
2 eggs
1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and oats.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar, butter, shortening, orange juice, orange zest and eggs.
Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and blend.
Fold in the coconut.
Spoon dough onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes until edges are golden brown.
Cool on a cookie rack.

Pizza Dip

2011-04-06T18:13:00.001-06:00

I love to find a new appetizer recipe and make it for dinner. Not only is it usually pretty easy, but the kids love having something different and I like to try out the recipe before I’m asked to bring a little something with me anywhere. This pizza dip, found at Closet Cooking didn’t disappoint.

Ooey gooey, cheesy goodness popping with flavor from the pepperoni, served on top of garlic-rubbed French bread. And hey! With the green peppers, I can say we had a vegetable with dinner, too!

Ingredients

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
1 cup tomato & basil pasta sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
handful pepperoni, sliced
1/4 cup green pepper, sliced
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms

Directions

Preheat oven to 350

In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, sour cream mayonnaise, 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup parmesan then spread it across the bottom of a pie plate.
Spread the tomato basil sauce on top then sprinkle on the remaining cheeses, green pepper, mushrooms, olives & pepperoni.
Bake about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Corned Beef & Hash

2011-04-06T13:35:00.001-06:00

Adapted from All Recipes

The key to getting nicely browned potatoes is a HOT pan (as in high-heat), minimal stirring, and using your spatula to press down, eliminating air pockets and increasing the amount of potato touching the pan. Until now? I didn’t’ know this either. Welcome to cooking 101, my friends!

I made Rueben Sandwiches the other night for dinner and had enough corned beef left over that I knew I wanted to try something I’ve never made before. It did take some cook-time, but prep was a snap. It turned out so good and the way it made the house smell took me back to my childhood, waiting for mom to get dinner ready after a long day at school.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 potatoes, peeled and chopped to small bite size
about 1/2 lb. cooked corned beef, chopped bite size
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
5 tablespoons cider vinegar

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Sauté onions and potatoes until slightly browned, then stir in corned beef.
Season with pepper and add vinegar 1 tablespoon at a time, cooking for 3 minutes between each addition.
Partially cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Strawberry Mango & Avocado Salad

2011-04-01T17:21:00.001-06:00

Recipe adapted from Pink Parsley

It’s definitely spring here in Texas and the thermostat hitting 80 degrees in my house today proves it! No, I’m not ready yet to turn on the air conditioner so I threw together this spring salad instead of heating up the kitchen by cooking! I paired it with grilled chipotle pork chops and dinner was done in less than 30 minutes. Even my nine year old middle-child, who insists she hates mango, gobbled this up, admitting that this mango tasted better than her school’s. I’ll take that as a compliment!

In case you’re not in the know, this is what I used to cut the mango, then I just scored both halves with a knife, both length and cross wise and scooped squares away from the skin and set the skin aside.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons orange juice
juice of 1/2 lime
pinch cayenne
4 mangos, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup chopped strawberries
5 avocados, pitted and cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, vinegar, orange juice, lime juice and cayenne.
Toss with the avocado, strawberries and mango, then allow to sit for at least 15 minutes.
Serve in the mango or avocado shells to be just a little less boring. Top with a sprig of mint if you want to get real fancy!

Some Other Mom’s Goulash

2011-03-29T11:59:00.003-06:00

A nickel's worth of goulash beats a five dollar can of vitamins. Martin H. Fischer

My dad was the one who introduced me to goulash and, only getting to visit him in the summers, I didn’t want to hurt his feelings by telling him it was the worst tasting thing I think I’d ever eaten in my young life. It had hot dogs and macaroni noodles and lots of too-runny tomatoey sauce and, if I remember right, beer. Nasty. Just nasty. This, found at Annie’s Eats, is nothing like dad’s goulash. This doesn’t really say goulash to me, more of an Italian weeknight meal, but call it what you want, it’s fast, simple and tasty!

You can easily substitute the sausage with beef, turkey, chicken, whatever you have on hand. I should have used the leftover beef from the Shredded Beef and Caramelized Onion Enchiladas we had the other night, but opted to use the sausage that desperately needed to be used.

Ingredients:

1 lb. beef sausage link
6 oz. can tomato paste
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
salt
1/3 cup water
1 lb. penne
1 cup sour cream
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
½ cup chopped green onions
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13″ baking dish.

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.

2. Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat & drain off the excess fat. Stir in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, sugar, basil, oregano, and salt to taste. Stir in the 1/3 cup of water. Reduce the heat and simmer on low for 5 minutes.

3. Add pasta to the boiling pot of water and cook according to directions.

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the sour cream, cream cheese, and egg. Mix well to blend. Stir in the green onions.

5. Spread a very thin layer of the tomato sauce mixture over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the cooked, drained pasta. Spread half of the sour cream mixture over the pasta, then top with half of the remaining tomato sauce mixture. Repeat layers with the remaining pasta, sour cream mixture and tomato sauce mixture. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella evenly over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

Saltine Cracker Toffee

2011-03-29T11:59:00.001-06:00

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

This stuff reminds me of all the things my friends always had at their houses that my mom and I never had at ours. I was a jealous child. Other kids had things like cheesy quesadillas, grilled cheese with Velveeta and white bread. We had things like whole grain bread, real cheese, vegetables and fruit. I just couldn’t comprehend why my mom tortured me so!

I get it now, and enjoy torturing my own children with such things as organic vegetables, whole grains and 100% juice, but once in a while, I like to break out the “poor folks” junk food and get a little old school!

Ingredients

40 salted saltine crackers or enough to line your pan
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and

Line a cookie sheet or jelly with saltine crackers in a single layer.
In a small pot combine sugar and butter then bring to a boil. Continue to boil for three minutes. It should be a deep caramel color. Immediately pour over saltines then spread to cover crackers completely.
Bake 5 to 6 minutes – it’ll be bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and let them sit a couple of minutes to melt.
Spread melted chocolate with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon. Cool completely and break into pieces.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

2011-03-24T08:23:00.001-06:00

I had a friend over and needed to whip up something sweet, in a hurry, and this recipe from Our Best Bites had been sitting in my “snacks” favorite folder for quite some time – perfect excuse to get them made!

Ingredients

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. table salt
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. grated orange or lemon peel
1 large egg
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. canola oil
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar

Streusel Topping

1/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and citrus peel in a large bowl . Make a well in the center of the mixture.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and oil. Add to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.
In another small bowl, combine the remaining flour and sugar then toss the blueberries in this mixture until they are well-coated. Gently fold the blueberry mixture into the batter. Spoon the batter into lined muffin tins, filling 2/3 full.

For streusel topping:

Combine the topping ingredients.
Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
Sprinkle over the batter and bake for 18 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.
Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

Strawberry Scones

2011-03-19T16:58:00.001-06:00

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens April 2011

Somehow, in making these, I managed to miss the part where I was supposed to add the basil and strawberries so when I went to cut the wedges and all that was left was to bake, I wondered just when the strawberries came into play. I hate to blame my six year old but, I do. He was helping me make these and is just too cute for me to pay close attention the recipe.

I gathered the cream-slathered wedges of dough, re-kneaded with the strawberries and basil and hoped they’d turn out alright. Thankfully all was not lost as these turned out very good! They have a biscuit like texture and aren’t too sweet but have a very summery flavor with the sweet strawberries and herby basil.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 cup fresh strawberries
2 Tablespoons fresh basil
2 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
heavy cream
sugar

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400*

In a large bowl stir together flour, 2 Tablespoons fugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives cut in the butter until it looks like coarse crumbs. Gently toss in strawberries and basil.
In a medium bowl stir together eggs and cream. Add egg mixture to flour mixture all at once, then gently stir just till combined.
Turn dough out onto a generously floured surface and knead the dough until several times until it’s well incorporated. Transfer to a parchment lined cooking sheet and pat into a 3/4 inch-thick circle. Cut into 8 equal wedges and pull slightly apart.
Brush each wedge with additional cream then sprinkle with sugar.
Bake 16 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm and refrigerate any leftovers; reheat 15 seconds in the microwave.

Fish Tacos with Lime Sauce

2011-03-18T18:27:00.001-06:00

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens April 2011

I doubled the original measurements (below) because the recipe said it serves four. It guess it’s talking some big, hungry adults because I had a ton of fish left over. Which is fine because that means we can have them for lunch tomorrow and not Kraft Mac ‘N Cheese. These were fabulous! Light and relatively healthy despite being “fried”, it was a perfect spring evening dinner.

Ingredients

1 lb. tilapia fillets
3 limes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/3 cup flour
8 small flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cabbage
olive oil
salt

Directions

Cut tilapia into bite size pieces.
Juice 2 of the limes into a small bowl then add mayonnaise and chili powder. Whisk till combined.
Pour 1/3 cup of the sauce into a medium bowl and toss fish pieces until combined.
In large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
In a shallow bowl combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Working with half the fish at at time, lightly toss in flour mixture and add to hot oil. Cook 3-5 minutes, browning on all sides by flipping with large plastic spatula and careful to keep in a single layer. Remove fish to paper towel to drain. Move onto second batch and repeat.
Wrap tortillas in a towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Top each tortilla with fish and cabbage then drizzle with reserved lime sauce.
Quarter the last lime and squeeze over each tortilla.

Grilled Artichokes

2011-03-17T20:16:00.001-06:00

I made the Paleo Girls frittata a few nights ago (forgive my laziness at not posting that recipe – I’ll get to it, but my picture was BAD so I’ll snap it and post next time I prepare it) and served these grilled beauties with it. Kids love them, The Man love them, I loved them.

The last time I made artichokes, I steamed them and they were good but then I saw this recipe for grilled ‘chokes at Paleo Girls and I couldn’t wait to try them out! Despite the many steps to getting these ready, the steps are simple and quick to follow.

To eat an artichoke, you just pull off a petal, grasp it between your teeth and scrape the ‘meat’ off to enjoy – the deeper you get into the artichoke, the more tender the meat will be and the easier it will come off.

1. cut the stem off, leaving about 1/2 an inch

2. cut off the top inch or so, revealing all the layers.

3. using kitchen shears, cut the thorns off each leaf tip

4. turn upside down on cutting board and slice in half, lengthwise

5. with a spoon, scoop out all the hairy, purpley stuff

6. as you work, and before you move onto the next artichoke, drop each half of prepared ‘choke into a large bowl of water that’s been doused with the juice of one lemon. This’ll keep them fresh looking and they won’t brown.

Ingredients

2 lemons, halved
6 large artichokes
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 cup extra -virgin olive oil

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup lemon juice, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk in the oil till mixed.

2. Brush the artichokes with the marinade.

3. Grill immediately for about 5 minutes on each side, or they can be refrigerated for a few hours until you’re ready to grill. Any left over marinade can be used for dipping, but I didn’t think it needed any extra zing, they were perfect!

Mexican Cherry Tomato Salad

2011-03-16T19:49:00.001-06:00

Source, Pink Parsley. Simple, fast and healthy, this makes a refreshing meal that has plenty of protein without the meat.

Ingredients

2 pints cherry tomatoes, rinsed and quartered
kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
1 small white onion, minced
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1/2 lime
black pepper
1 can (about 2 cups) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14 oz. can corn
2 scallions, sliced thinly
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese

Directions

1. Toss the tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and sugar in a medium bowl; let stand for up to 30 minutes.

2. Transfer to a colander and toss with rubber spatula until excess liquids have been removed. Some seeds may sneak into the liquid – that’s ok. You could use a salad spinner for this part to remove most of the juice and seeds. I didn’t, and had a lot of seeds in the liquid and still in the tomatoes. No big. You should have between 1/4 to 1/2 cup of liquid reserved, discard any excess.

3. Return tomatoes to the bowl and set aside.

4. Add the liquid to a small saucepan with the garlic, red pepper flakes, shallot, and vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced to 3 Tablespoons, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to a small bowl, and allow to cool about 5 minutes. Whisk in the oil and lime juice, and season with salt and pepper.

7. To the bowl with the tomatoes, add the black beans, corn, scallions, cilantro, and Pepper Jack. Toss with the dressing and serve.

Greek Chicken and Sausage

2011-03-08T19:48:00.001-06:00

With oven roasted potatoes! I just couldn’t bring myself to post all that as the title, but this was just yummy. No way around it! When I was in Florida back in January, this was made for me by a very gracious host who had a few cooking pointers which I brought back with me, this recipe being one of them. When I ate it the first time, I’d had a “few” drinks so I wondered if it was really as good as I remembered, and while it seems food never quite tastes the same when you cook it for yourself, this was just as good! I made a few changes from his instructions because I wanted it as simple and quick as possible.

As a side note I cooked this for the recommended 25 minutes, uncovered, and it wasn’t cooked through and the potatoes were drying out so I covered the dish with foil at that point and cooked it for another 20 minutes. So…just go with me on this and try it with foil for the entire baking time and we’ll hope it decreases the cooking time just a little!

I served this with a side salad tossed with a 1/4 cup evoo, teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a clove garlic, chopped, and a healthy sprinkle of garlic salt. Recipe also courtesy of said Floridian friend.

Ingredients

10 chicken tenders
1 pound turkey sausage (link), chopped bite size
8-10 fingerling potatoes, cut bite size
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
oregano
3-4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
salt & pepper
olive oil
juice from one lemon
feta cheese

Directions

1. Place chicken in oiled 13x9 inch dish and sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and pepper. Now sprinkle with oregano.

2. Add sausage and lemon juice. Drizzle with olive oil.

3. Add garlic, olives and potatoes.

4. Cover with foil and cook for about 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

5. Sprinkle with feta just before serving (oops I forgot this for the picture!)

Smoked Salmon & Linguine

2011-03-02T20:04:00.001-06:00

Bored, and looking for something new to make, I found this recipe on Antics of a Cycling Cook. His recipe calls for milliliters and “rocket leaves”. Having all but failed math, I had to Google the measurement conversions and found out rocket leaves is another way of saying arugula (which I’d never tried). I made a few small changes, but the recipe whipped up surprisingly fast and far surpassed my expectations of taste! The sauce was light and lemony and coated all the pasta perfectly.

I bought the individually wrapped salmon, frozen. I tossed them, wrap and all in a sink of hot water to defrost for about 5 minutes, removed the wrapper, then generously coated each side of each fillet with McCormick Grill Mates Sweet and Smoky dry Rub (next time I’ll just coat one side – it was plenty of flavor for the mild salmon). I put each fillet on a sheet of heavy duty foil and barbequed for about 5 minutes each side and them set them aside while the pasta and sauce came together. If you don’t have the McCormick Rub, you could easily toss something like this together instead.

Ingredients

1/2 onion, finely chopped.
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
12 oz. linguine
1 cup heavy cream
5 salmon fillets, cooked
juice of one lemon
Black pepper (optional)
1/2 cup arugula, roughly chopped

Directions

Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small pan then add onions and garlic stirring frequently to keep garlic from browning.
Once water boils, add pasta and while it cooks; by this time the onions should be softened. Add the cream, lemon juice and black pepper to the onions.
Once the pasta has cooked, drain then stir in sauce and toss to coat. At this point you can add the salmon in pieces, or you can slice it and place on top of your pasta just before serving.
Toss the arugula over your prepared plate and enjoy!

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

2011-02-27T10:33:00.001-06:00

source: All Recipes

I didn’t change a thing about this recipe, except adding in the blueberries. I love LOVE buttermilk pancakes. I love the texture, the flavor and the smell. It’s just a homey, comfort-food kind of thing that you can’t go wrong with on a Sunday morning. If you want to make this the night before, just keep the dry ingredients separate from the wet, until you’re ready to cook; and not that you need me to tell you but keep the wet stuff refrigerated if you’re storing it over night.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup un-salted butter

3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 cup blueberries

Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate medium bowl, melt the butter in the microwave, then add buttermilk, milk and eggs and whisk together.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. You can flick water across the surface and if it beads up and sizzles, it's ready!
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk together until it's just blended together. Do not over whisk! Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Makes approximately 24 pancakes

Eggplant Parmesan

2011-02-25T16:53:00.001-06:00

Our weekly meal plans usually includes at least one night of chicken, either a beef or a pork dish for the week that generally gives us a night of leftovers, and an egg night. So with at least three nights of meat, I try to round out our meals with some vegetarian dishes as well. I found this highly reviewed recipe on All Recipes. I’ve only cooked with eggplant once before so I was ready to give it another go!

Though easy, this was a little time consuming because of the baking of the eggplant. I had to do it in two batches to make sure they cooked up crispy in a single layer. If you have a large oven you could do both batches at once.

I followed several users advice and sweat(ed?) out the eggplant before dipping and baking. This eliminates the bitter taste eggplant can have. To sweat, just toss the slices into a colander, a handful at a time, then salt liberally tossing to coat. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, rinse well, and pat dry - I laid mine all out on a clean dish towel and pulled them off one at a time to dip in egg.

Ingredients

3 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
6 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, turn each slice with tongs and bake for another 10 minutes.
In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place the first layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Dip and dunk your second batch of eggplant, get them in the oven for 10 minutes, turn, and bake for another 10 minutes.
Repeat step two, making sure to end the layers with another layer of cheese. Sprinkle basil on top.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Baked Oatmeal

2011-02-23T11:00:00.001-06:00

Last night after dinner I asked the girls if they wanted to make breakfast for the next morning. They love any opportunity to cook and prepare food in the kitchen so they jumped at my offer. They prepped the dry in one bowl, the wet in a second then we stored the wet ingredients in the fridge until this morning.

I woke up half an hour early, combined the two bowls, poured it all into the baking dish and enjoyed a quiet 25 minutes to myself with a hot cup of coffee.

I’m going to be honest, it wasn’t my absolute favorite. It was a little too wet, (I imagined more of a dry granola texture and this was more of a soft texture) and a lot too sweet. I first saw this recipe on Our Best Bites but realized they’d adapted it from All Recipes so I headed over there to see what they’d changed and realized, not much was different. Then I read over several of the reviews, knowing how I expected it to turn out, and I’ve adapted it for next time. I’m certain it’ll come out crispier, and much less sweet.

Ingredients

3 cups old fashioned oats (not quick-cooking)
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup fruit (I used dried “mixed berries”. Blueberries, apples, raisins etc. would be tasty too.)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup applesauce
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

1. In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and fruit of choice.

2. In a smaller bowl, mix the milk, applesauce, vanilla, and eggs.

3. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and stir to combine.

4. Pour into a 13x9 inch baking dish and spread out evenly. Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve immediately with a splash of warmed milk (optional). Serves 8.

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

2011-02-04T20:00:00.001-06:00

These cupcakes are another winner from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. The kids each helped to taste test this for texture, flavor, sweetness and whether or not they could taste the vegetables. I only told my oldest that the cupcakes have beets and squash in them because telling my nine and six year old would have been the end of the line for these cupcakes. The vegetables are undetectable to me and the kids.

To make the beet puree the book suggests leaving the fresh beet whole and unpeeled, trimming the stem to one inch. Wrap each beet in tin foil and roast at 400 degrees for about an hour or until the tip of a sharp knife can easily pierce the beet. Once cooled, peel the beet (I forgot this step and tossed the whole beet in, peel and all) and puree for about 2 minutes in a blender or food processor. Then in 1/2 cup portions, freeze the puree in freezer bags. I bought 4 beets and had about 3/4 cup to show for it. I’ll be making the ‘Pink Pancakes’* in the morning with the rest of the beets that didn’t go into these cupcakes.

Filling

1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
2 Tablespoons beet puree
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

Batter

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup yellow squash puree
1/3 cup canola oil
2 egg whites
2 Tablespoons lemon juice (1 large lemon will do)
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting

1 (8 oz.) package reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
food coloring (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper baking cups.

In a small bowl, mash the raspberries, beet puree and butter. Set aside
In a large bowl beat the sugar, milk, yellow squash puree, oil, egg whites, lemon juice and lemon extract until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt then mix until well incorporated.
Using about half the batter, fill each muffin cup about half full. Dot each with the raspberry filling, then cover each cup with the rest of the batter.
Bake for 20-25. Turn the cupcakes out onto a cooking rack.
For the frosting, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon extract and food coloring (if desired), then spread over each cupcake.

*update – I made the Pink Pancakes this morning and we each took a bite. Then threw the rest of the uncooked batter and on-the-skillet pancakes out. They were bad. The taste of the beets was very obvious and no one wants that in a morning flap-jack. Yuck

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

2011-02-04T19:33:00.001-06:00

While at the library this week, Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld called out to me again. I’ve always walked past it before because to be perfectly honest, I don’t need to hide the vegetables from my kids. They like them. But then I thought it couldn’t hurt to get some extra veggies in when they’re not looking and if I can sneak ‘em into our snacks and goodies, even better! I bought (read: bribed with $5 in change) the rest of the kids’ Christmas candy from them, bagging it up to be pulled out for movie theater candy.

To make the yellow squash puree, the book suggests cutting the squash in cubes and steaming it for 6-8 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor for about 2 minutes. Then in 1/2 cup portions, freeze the puree in freezer bags. I bought 3 yellow squash and had 2 cups to show for it. Plenty for me to start and try some of these recipes.

I’ve heard great things about this book, but after reading reviews on-line I wasn’t so sure. So far? I’m impressed! I adapted the recipe only slightly and these turned out hearty and filling and sweet, without being sugary; perfect for after school & afternoon snacks!

Ingredients

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
6 oz. lemon yogurt
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup yellow squash puree (one squash should be plenty)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup flax seed flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees & line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper baking cups.

In a large bowl, cream the sugar and the butter with a large spoon. Add in the yogurt, squash puree, egg, lemon extract & lemon zest and mix well. Fold in the blueberries.
Add flour, flaxseed flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt then stir just to combine; do not over-mix – the batter should be a little lumpy.
Divide the batter among the muffin cups and bake 13-16 minutes. The tops should begin to brown and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.

Turn the muffins out onto a rack to cool. Store in freezer bags and enjoy cold from the freezer or warmed up in the microwave!

Soft Pretzel Bites

2011-02-01T12:41:00.001-06:00

The kids were just asking about making pretzels the other day so when I saw this recipe at Mel’s Kitchen Café I knew today, a snow day here in Texas, would be the perfect day to get some made! The recipe makes about 2 dozen (I managed to get 32 out of it) but I made it twice (I didn’t double it, just made one batch of dough then made a second batch) so there’d be plenty of the chewy snacks to last. Very easy and only a little time consuming. I used a cake frosting spreader to cut the dough directly on the buttered counter, without slicing the counter itself. I did not have to double the warm water/baking soda solution or the butter for topping; there was plenty for all the batches of pretzels. I changed very little about this recipe because, frankly, bread scares me and I didn’t want to mess it up!

Ingredients

Dough:

2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (I used one envelope Fleishmann’s ActiveDry Yeast)
1 cup (8 ounces) very warm water

Topping:

1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Coarse salt (optional)
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine. Add the water and mix well, adding more flour, as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth and quite slack. The goal is to get a really soft dough that isn’t overly sticky. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes.

2. Preheat your oven to 500°F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or lightly greasing them.

3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface (I rubbed a tablespoon of butter around where I was going to lay the dough), and divide it into about four strips of equal length. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda in a liquid measuring cup (deep enough to dip the pretzel bites into). Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved. Sometimes I have a hard time getting the baking soda completely dissolved, so I just lightly stir up the mixture right before adding each pretzel.

Cut each strip of dough into about 6-8 pieces, about 1 to 1 ½ inches in width. You don’t have to be completely exact, just eyeball it. Dip each pretzel bite in the baking soda solution (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 7-8 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time – it won’t hurt the other pretzels to chill out for a little longer.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you’ve used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that’s what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave on low heat.

Southwest Pasta Salad

2011-02-01T09:42:00.001-06:00

I didn’t have chicken prepared for this dish, found at Our Best Bites, so I pulled out eight chicken tenders from the freezer, put them in a large skillet and added all the ingredients for Taco Chicken. I let it simmer, covered, until cooked through, about 15 minutes. I had the pasta water set to boil while the chicken cooked, chopped the veggies while my oldest daughter grated the zest off the limes and had everything ready to eat in under 45 minutes. This salad makes a TON. Definitely something you could make to share or take. Serves at least 6 adults as a main dish and 12 as a side dish.

Ingredients

14.5 oz. bowtie pasta
1 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Roma tomatoes, diced or about 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup frozen fresh corn
zest from 3 limes
optional: 8 oz. cooked chicken, diced (this is fantastic)
1/2 cup grated Pepper Jack cheese

Dressing:

6 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 3 juicy limes)
1/4 cup white wine or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Zest the limes over a large salad bowl then add the beans, tomatoes, peppers, onions, & corn and set aside.

2. Boil pasta in salted water until cooked.

3. While the pasta cooks, prepare dressing: Place the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar in a blender. (Basically everything except the cilantro and oil) Process until smooth. With the motor running slowly, add the oil in a steady stream until incorporated. Add the cilantro and pulse so it gets broken up, but some pieces still remain in tact.

4. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse immediately with cold water to cool.

5. Place the pasta & chicken in the large bowl with the lime and vegetables. Toss with dressing.

For best results, chill for 1 hour before serving. Right before serving, sprinkle cheese on top.

Monte Cristo Casserole

2011-01-30T15:45:00.001-06:00

All I have to say is when I found this recipe at Real Mom Kitchen I knew I’d found another perfect breakfast for dinner recipe! Eaten for dinner and breakfast the next morning, I can’t find a single thing wrong with this dish! I used Simply Fruit strawberry jam to cut down on the processed sugars, since I’m guessing the French toast has more than I care to know about.

Ingredients

2 packages (12.5 ounces each) frozen French toast slices, thawed
1 cup milk
6 eggs
1 cup of thick sliced deli baked ham, diced
1 cup thick sliced deli roast turkey, diced
8 ounces or 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
24 oz. container of frozen strawberries slices, thawed and drained (see note below)
1/2 cup strawberry jam
powdered sugar (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375

Cut the slices of thawed French toast into 3/4 inch cubes.
In a small bowl, whisk together milk and eggs.
In a large bowl, place half of the French toast cubes. Pour half of the egg mixture over the cubes and toss gently with a spoon or spatula. Toss until cubes are well coated.
Place the coated French toast cubes in a 9 x 13 baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
Next layer half of the ham, turkey, parsley and cheese on the coated French toast cubes.
Using your same large bowl, toss together the remaining French toast cubes and egg mixture to coat. Place the coated French toast cubes in an even layer in the baking dish followed by layers of the remaining ham, turkey, parsley, and cheese.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and set in center. Remove to cooling rack; cool 10 minutes. While the casserole bakes, combine the sliced strawberries with the jam or ice cream topping.
Cut into 8-12 squares. Sprinkle the top of each square with a dusting of powdered sugar followed by a spoonful of the strawberry mixture.

Chocolate Choco-Mint Chip Cookies

2011-01-25T14:40:00.001-06:00

How about Brownies for Dinner? I don’t make much chocolate in our house because no one else eats enough of it, then I’m stuck eating all of it. And I do eat it. Which tastes good but undoes everything I try to do with my running and lets face it, just because I’m older and wiser, doesn’t mean it gets any easier to keep that junk off my hips! I like to store fresh-baked cookies in freezer bags. They last longer, and believe it or not, I tend to forget they’re in there, which helps with portions. These, however, didn’t last long enough! Even my girl who doesn’t much care for chocolate, packed a couple for herself in her school lunch and I heard an “awwww” when they were gone. I used Andes mints because I didn’t want a mouthful of mint chip, but neither did I want just chocolate. Just the perfect blend of mint with each bite without being nauseating. Chewy to nth degree, these pack a powerful chocolate punch without being over sweet.

The dough also freezes well! Scoop the dough as you would when baking it and line up as many of the dough balls on a baking sheet that will fit. Then place the baking sheet in the freezer until all of the dough balls are completely frozen. At that point, you can put all of the dough balls into a freezer bag.To bake from frozen, extend the baking time to 10-12 minutes.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 10 ounce bag of mint chips (I used Andes)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla.
Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir into butter mixture until well blended.
Mix in the chips. Drop by a rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or just until set. Cool on pan for about 2 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack.

Chipotle Mac & Cheese

2011-01-23T08:47:00.001-06:00

This was one of those rare meals where I had no intention of eating it because I had plans to go out with a friend. As I prepared it though, I knew there was no way I’d be able to resist at least trying the cheesy spicy mac! The original recipe, from Smells Like Home, called for 1/4 cup of the adobo chilies but after making the Spiced Chipotle Honey Chicken, and realizing just how little my family appreciates spicy foods, I decided to use just half of one chili. It lent the dish a spicy undertone but not enough for anyone to complain about. Yes, I had a small bowl just to say I’ve tried it before posting here; I would have enjoyed all the chilies this called for, so depending on who you’re serving, adjust those babies accordingly!

Ingredients

14.5 oz. elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
One half of a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped
2 teaspoon adobo sauce
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped, plus extra for garnish
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, divided
4 oz. pepper Jack, divided
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, as needed
1/2 cup Japanese panko breadcrumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water for 7 minutes. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid before draining.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until the two become a smooth mixture. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Slowly whisk in milk, making sure there are no lumps in the mixture. Add chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and cilantro to the milk mixture and stir to combine.

4. Bring the heat up to medium-high and continue to stir frequently until the mixture thickens (it should coat the back of a spoon) and begins to simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer for 2 minutes and remove from the heat.

5. Slowly stir in most of the cheeses, reserving some to sprinkle on top before baking. The cheeses should melt into the milk mixture and become slightly stringy. If the mixture starts to become a mass of cheese, add in some of the hot pasta water to help thin it out.

6. Pour the drained pasta into the pot you cooked it in and stir in milk-cheese mixture so that it completely coats all of the pasta. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and Japanese panko breadcrumbs. Bake uncovered for 20 - 25 minutes or until the sides begin to bubble and top is nicely browned. Allow the mac and cheese to set for 5 minutes and garnish with extra cilantro (if desired) before serving.

Spiced Chipotle Honey Chicken

2011-01-19T19:06:00.001-06:00

I’m not sure how I found Pink Parsley, but after last night’s dinner I’m sure glad I did! Seems like I’m always saying how dinner turned out better than expected but it’s true, because this was fantastic! The original recipe called for four chilies in adobo, but I halved that knowing how spicy it’d turn out and even with two, it was just a little too much for the kids. Next time I’ll just use one to avoid their burned lips and tongue. I happened to think it was just the right amount of spicy, not needing milk to extinguish the heat, but plenty to get the point across.

I added water to the bottom of the pan while the sweet potatoes cooked to help keep them from drying out, then poured the excess water out before adding the chicken. Served this with some open bags of mixed veggies and a spare head of broccoli that needed to be eaten. Gobbled up by everyone, despite it’s spiciness!

Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons honey, plus more for drizzling
1 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
11 chicken tenders cut in half
chopped Italian parsley or cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

1. Place the sweet potatoes in a medium bowl. Pour two tablespoons of the olive oil and stir.

2. In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, chipotles, garlic, honey, vinegar, salt, cumin, and cinnamon. Pour two teaspoons of the chipotle mixture over oiled sweet potatoes. Toss to coat.

4. Scatter the potatoes on the bottom of a roasting pan, adding about 1/4 cup of water to avoid drying out and bake 40-45 minutes.

5. Put chicken pieces in the bowl that had the potatoes, and pour in remaining paste. Toss to coat.

6. When potatoes are nearly done, drain any remaining water, stir, then carefully place the chicken on top of the sweet potatoes, and continue to roast until the chicken is just cooked through (registers 165 on an instant read thermometer), about 15-20 minutes longer.

7. Drizzle with remaining honey and garnish with parsley or cilantro.

Sausage Apple (Overnight) Breakfast Casserole

2010-12-25T13:18:00.001-06:00

I found this a week or so over at Real Mom Kitchen and knew I wanted to try it this (Christmas) morning! I’ve never really been a big fan of morning casseroles because they have a strange texture and they’re just…well? Icky. So after I completely insulted my mom (I love you mom!!) and told her I never really liked the Christmas casserole she makes I made this and cooked it up this morning. It baked while we opened presents and beeped just as we were opening the last of the gifts. It smelled like Christmas morning should smell with the cinnamon apples and the verdict? YUM! The flavors melded together well and when I warmed up a plate of it for lunch a few hours later it was even better. I couldn’t have asked for an easier morning/afternoon meal!

Ingredients

1 pkg. Jimmy Dean® Maple Flavor Pork Sausage Roll
6 cups bread cubed into ¾-inch pieces
10 eggs
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
maple syrup, if desired

Directions

Brown sausage in a skillet until cooked; drain.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla until well blended.
In another bowl, mix apples, sugar and cinnamon together until well coated.
In a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish, place half of the bread cubes followed by half the sausage, half the apples, and and 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.
Pour egg mixture over the layers making sure to evenly coat it all with the egg mixture.
Place in fridge and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, remove the casserole from the fridge and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake uncovered for 55-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cut and serve topped with a drizzle of maple syrup if desired. Mimosas and coffee optional!!

Eggnog Cupcakes

2010-12-24T20:05:00.001-06:00

It’s been a week since the kids were released from the confines of school for the holiday break, and since then I think I’ve eaten only one healthy meal. I’ve had more than my fair share of cordial cherries, ginger snap cookies, death-by-chocolate birthday cake, cookies from neighbors, more cookies from friends, candy from the kids’ stash, candy from our twelve days of Christmas extravaganza, and now? If I never eat another cookie it may be too soon. That is, until tonight when my sugar level dips dangerously low and I feel the need to gorge again. I told the kids that Santa would probably leave “extra” gifts if we were more original with our offering tonight and left something other than cookies. These eggnog jollies were first on the list after I Googled for a recipe and since I’m already a fan of Annie’s Eats, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed! These are a perfect blend of flavors, tease the senses with the scent of rum and are (surprisingly) not terribly sweet! The tops cooked up almost chewy, leaving the centers with a cakey softness. My stocking will definitely not be empty in the morning!

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

¼ cup dark rum or bourbon
1 cup low-fat eggnog
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt

Frosting

¼ cup butter, softened
3 tbsp. low fat eggnog
1 tbsp. rum
generous pinch of nutmeg
2 (or more) cups powdered sugar
ground cinnamon
cinnamon sticks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°

1. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a small bowl, mix together the rum, eggnog, vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the nutmeg, sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.

4. Divide evenly between prepared muffin wells.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, cream together the butter, eggnog, rum, nutmeg and powdered sugar. Add in more confectioners’ sugar if needed to make the frosting stiff, but spreadable. Frost the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Baked Pears

2010-12-13T14:17:00.004-06:00

I wanted to start the 12 days of Christmas off with something fun for the kids, especially since “the gig” is up for my twelve year old daughter. She’s had a hard time getting into the spirit this year and I knew this would set her in the mood for the holiday.

I wrapped each pear with gold ribbon and a Christmas tag, then set them inside a ramekin and put them at the kids’ places to be found this morning. The tag read, “On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree. Since we don’t have a partridge OR a pear tree, how about baked pears for breakfast instead?”. Then “baked” the pears up quickly in the microwave.
You could easily place several in a baking dish and cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes, more if you want the pears even softer. I used a melon baller to get the core out without massacring the pear.
Ingredients

1 pear, halved & cored
1/2 a lime
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, cut in half
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon orange marmalade
handful of blueberries
handful of granola

Directions
1. Place pears in ramekins and squeeze a little lime juice on each half.
2. Put half the teaspoon of butter in each half of pear, then top with brown sugar, cinnamon, marmalade and blueberries.
3. Cook on high between 2-4 minutes depending on how soft you want your pears. Check after each minute, and drizzle the juices from the bottom of the dish over the pears to keep them from drying out.
4. Remove from microwave (careful they’re HOT!) and drizzle juices again, the sprinkle granola over top and enjoy.

Jerk Turkey Chili

2010-12-13T14:09:00.001-06:00

When I found this recipe for jerked chicken at Smells Like Home I knew I wanted to try it out with the turkey breasts I had leftover from Thanksgiving. I wasn’t even sure what jerked meat was, but it sounded too good not to try and I couldn’t pass up having access to another chili recipe. Not only did it cook up quick, but the ingredients were inexpensive and easy to find. Except one. Pickled jalapenos. Seriously? I’ve never heard of them and I didn’t see them in the grocery store so I improvised and bought a single, lonely, jalapeno which worked out great in the recipe. I only used half which, turned out to have enough flavor of the spiciness, but no actual heat on the tongue. Add the entire thing if you like it hot, like me, minus the kids!

As a side note, the original recipe called for a rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded (about six cups worth). As fabulous as that must be, saying Jerk Turkey is just kind of fun.

Ok, as much as I dislike rambling on and on before I get to the actual recipe I felt very strongly that I had to tell you a secret that I kept from the kids. I put the onion, bell pepper and diced tomatoes in the food processor before cooking. Why? Because they like to think they don’t like these things when they’ve been cooked and I get tired of the “what’s this?” face.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 large turkey breasts, cooked and shredded
4 cups chicken broth
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes (I bought the no salt added)
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, un-drained (reduced sodium please)
1 can (15 oz.) great northern white beans, un-drained
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 oz. semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoon cornmeal or 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (optional for thickening)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

2. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add chili powder, thyme, cinnamon, and allspice. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Add chicken and stir to coat with spices. Add broth, tomatoes, beans, and jalapenos, bring to a boil, cover partially, reduce heat, and simmer to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.

5. Stir in garlic, cilantro, chocolate, and either cornmeal or cornstarch/water slurry if desired. If you add the cornstarch slurry, bring the heat up to medium-high and allow the chili to thicken. Turn off the heat and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Apple Cider French Toast

2010-12-02T19:00:00.001-06:00

The Man is out of town, fixin’ to bring home a little extra bacon and since breakfast isn’t his favorite at dinner time, I took the opportunity to make French toast for the kids and myself. I grabbed the orange juice from the fridge, planning to make orange toast but the apple cider was begging me, instead, to use it! So, with a little of this and a little of that, these came out de-li-cious, if I do say so myself – and it was with 100% success rate which, if you’re keeping track, is 34% better than my last recipe! I threw in a hard boiled egg for protein so dinner would qualify as healthy.

Ingredients

12 slices Texas toast
3/4 cup apple cider (not apple juice, if you please)
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
pat or two of butter

Directions

1. Combine cider, milk, eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large shallow dish and whisk together until combined.

2. Melt the butter on a hot skillet, at about medium heat.

3. Dip both sides of each slice of bread, one at a time, into the cider mixture then place on the skillet and cook till it’s browned and crispy, about 5 minutes. You want to make sure the outside doesn’t cook too quickly before the inside gets cooked through too or you’ll end up with mushy toast!

4. Flip the bread and repeat, till crispy on the bottom.

5. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over top and serve!

Artichoke Sesame Dipping Sauce

2010-11-28T09:04:00.001-06:00

One of my spawn requested artichokes as a snack and since I love my little demons, I was quick to agree. Plus? They’re a vegetable full of anti-oxidants, ranking as the number one vegetable in anti-oxidant count. This thorny leaved vegetable has also been reputed to help in the cure of liver disease. Let’s not forget fiber; one medium artichoke has more fiber than a cup of prunes, and lets face it an artichoke is a lot more fun to eat than a cup of prunes! I wasn’t sure what to serve with these beauties and tested this recipe I found at Epicurious and was instantly hooked.

Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt

Mix well and enjoy

………………………………………………………………………………….

Not sure how to prepare an artichoke? I read how at Simply Recipes:

1. Cut the stem off the bottom end, leaving up to an inch attached to the artichoke. Then cut off about 3/4 inch off the tip. Using kitchen shears trim off the thorny ends of each leaf.

2. Put a couple inches of water in a large pot with a slice or two of lemon, a bay leaf and a clove of garlic. Insert a steaming basket and add the artichokes to the basket.

3. Cover, bring to a boil then reduce to simmer.

4. Depending on the size of your artichoke, cook between 20-45 minutes or until the outer leaves can be pulled off easily.

I’ve only eaten whole artichokes one other time and I couldn’t’ remember just how to eat one so the fact that the cooking instructions also came with eating instructions was immensely helpful!

1. Pull off one leaf at a time and dip the white fleshy end into your sauce. Gripping the other end of the leaf, pull through your teeth to remove the soft pulpy portion. Discard the remaining leaf and continue until all the leaves have been eaten.

2. Once you’ve reached the heart of your artichoke, you’ll see a “pod” of fur. Using a knife cut all the way around the furry part, much like you’d cut a grapefruit. Then, using a spoon scoop the furry section out. Cut the remaining soft stem part into pieces, dip and enjoy.

Pecan Pie Bars

2010-11-27T08:25:00.001-06:00

Found at The Girl Who Ate Everything; seriously, that’s the coolest name for a blog! I really wanted pecan pie for Thanksgiving this year, but with the banana cream pie request (and a pumpkin pie that never made it past the request stage) I knew we’d have way too much pie in the house. I figured these bars would be perfect to have a bite or two of, then I could cut them up and freeze to last way past the turkey leftovers! They were exactly how I imagined them, and I’ll have to update here when I try them from the freezer…I have no idea how they’ll freeze, but I have high hopes!

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter (10 2/3 Tablespoons)

Filling:
3 eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt. Cut in 2/3 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can use a pastry blender or just two knives. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the prepared pan, and press in firmly.

3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven.

4. While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl mix together the eggs, corn syrup, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons margarine, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the chopped pecans. Spread the filling evenly over the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until set. You’ll want these cooked all the way through so make sure the middle is set. If the top starts getting to browned cover with aluminum foil.

6. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into bars with a sharp knife.

Individual Turkey Pot Pies

2010-11-27T08:17:00.001-06:00

What to do with that leftover Thanksgiving turkey? Everyone has their favorite go to recipe (or sandwich) they make every year that probably tops the big bird, itself. This would definitely be true about these freaking cute individual pot pies!

A couple months ago, I watched an episode of Down Home With the Neelys where they let their daughter help make these pot pies for a sleepover with her friends and I thought what a perfect way to use up our turkey this year! So I found it on-line, book marked it and remembered to use it the day after Thanksgiving! I found the ramekins at Wal-Mart for $2.50ish a piece which is a lot cheaper than the four-piece, over-priced, Paula Deen set that was also available.

The Man and I each ate one which was plenty, and one was definitely too big even for my biggest kid, which is perfect because we just topped each dish with tin foil and put it in the fridge to be rewarmed in the oven for lunch the next day.

If you’re all into saving every last bit of food that comes into your home you’d definitely want to save the turkey carcass and make turkey stock, then use it instead of chicken broth and bouillon cube. But after carving the bird on Thanksgiving I had a hard time even putting the turkey in my mouth at dinner so I did not save the carcass to use. But I should have. There’s always next year.

Ingredients

4 cups chicken broth
1 bouillon cube
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 rib celery, sliced
3 tablespoons chopped chives
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons cooking sherry
2 Lbs. turkey OR rotisserie chicken, shredded
9 oz. frozen peas
2 boxes 9 inch pie crusts (four crusts), room temperature for easy unrolling
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Directions

Preheat oven to 375*

1. In a large saucepan heat chicken broth and bouillon cube over medium heat until hot.

2. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, chives and garlic, and sauté until tender.

3. Add the flour and stir together until it becomes pasty and lump-free, about 2 minutes.

4. Add onion mixture to the hot broth, then add heavy cream, sherry, turkey and peas. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

5. With a ladle, fill 6 oven-proof ramekins or bowls with the filling. Place on baking sheet. 6. Unroll each crust and lightly press a ramekin into the crust to make an impression. Using a butter knife trace around the impression, slightly larger than the trace mark. This doesn’t need to be perfect! Place a cut-out on the top of each ramekin and pinch down, careful not to tear the crust. If desired, use the extra crust to make designs, initials or cutouts for the tops of each pot pie.

7. Brush with the egg wash and make 4 small slits on the top. Sprinkle with salt and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

Banana Cream Pie

2010-11-27T08:16:00.003-06:00

Adapted from All Recipes

We each put in a request for pie this year for Thanksgiving and banana cream was what The Man just had to have. This was easy and creamy and smooth. I topped with homemade whipped cream. I think I must have grown up with the Jell-O banana pudding version because it was strange to eat this and not taste a mouthful of banana flavored goo…but it was a change for the better that let the layer of bananas at the bottom, shine through!

Ingredients

1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
4 bananas, sliced

Directions

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Add milk in gradually while stirring gently. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbly. Keep stirring and cook for about 2 more minutes, and then remove from the burner.
Stir a small quantity of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add egg yolk mixture to the rest of the hot mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes; remember to keep stirring. Remove the mixture from the stove, and add butter and vanilla. Stir until the whole thing has a smooth consistency.
Slice bananas into the cooled baked pastry shell. Top with pudding mixture.
Chill for an hour.

Whipped Cream

2010-11-27T08:16:00.001-06:00

Found at All Recipes, this was simple, not too sweet and easy. My kids’ eyes widened as they watched the creamy stuff turn to fluffy cream, which was cool; I remember watching my Grams whip this stuff up with the hand held beater and wanting so badly to try it myself, then giving up when my small arms were too tired to keep it going till the peaks formed.

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, cream will then become lumpy and butter-like.

Cream Cheese Chicken & Vegetable Soup

2010-11-06T12:29:00.001-06:00

This was phenomenal! Creamy, flavorful, and hearty! This almost stew-thick soup, found at My Kitchen Café, was filling and is definitely a new favorite at my house!

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 stalks celery, diced (I like to include the inner stalks and leaves for added flavor)
1/2 cup diced or shredded carrots
32 oz. chicken broth
3 medium red potatoes, chopped bite size
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons flour
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
10 chicken tenders, cooked and diced

Directions

1. In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Sauté, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent. Add the broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

2. In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn.

3. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft. (I put the unwrapped cream cheese on a plate and microwaved it for one minute at 30% power.)

4. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces, stirring after each addition to avoid lumps.

5. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

Orchard Harvest Pear Salad with Cherry Balsamic Vinaigrette

2010-11-03T17:54:00.002-06:00

I recently came across the Sisters Running the Kitchen blog and they have some really great stuff on there! This salad practically screamed out to me because I’ve ordered a similar salad at Potbelly’s many times and fall in love with it more every time. Despite some people’s (you know who you are) beliefs that a salad can’t be a meal on it’s own, the chicken could easily be left off with an extra handful of salad on your plate.
Ingredients – Salad

5oz. Spring Mix salad
D’Anjou pears, sliced (or whatever kind you have)
toasted pecans, diced
cooked/grilled chicken breast
dried cherries
pomegranate
Gorgonzola Cheese

Ingredients - Cherry Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/4 C balsamic vinegar
1 T sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 C cherry preserves
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1/8 C olive oil
salt
ground black pepper

Directions for Cherry Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinaigrette ingredients and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar.
2. Simmer the mixture, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
5. Pile salad on your plate & pour the vinaigrette on. Top with pears, pecans, chicken, cherries, pomagranate & cheese on top. I served this with Asiago cheese bread and butter. YUM!

Garlic Pumpkin Seeds

2010-10-31T10:28:00.003-06:00

I have Kelly to thank for telling me about this recipe from All Recipes. I’ve never done it because, frankly, I’m too lazy to do all the prep work but the eldest girl-child had a sleepover last night so I took advantage of the girls’ excitement to carve pumpkins and convinced them to collect the seeds, minus (most of) the guts, from their carved creations. I rinsed the seeds in a colander and removed all the remaining guts, then spread the seeds out on a large cookie sheet to dry over night. This morning they weren’t completely dry, but close enough to bake. These were flavored nicely and probably won’t give anyone a heart attack from sodium intake.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 275*.
Combine the oil, salt, garlic salt, Worcestershire sauce and pumpkin seeds. Mix thoroughly and place on cookie sheet
Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the seeds are dry and crunchy.

Sweet Potato Potato Salad

2010-10-26T11:59:00.003-06:00

I wanted a potato salad for the barbequed turkey my mom made for us while she visited but, since it’s October, having a potato salad seemed a little too summery. Like we should be having stew or chili instead. Here in Texas though, the temperatures are still well into the upper 80s so I figured I could get away with a salad for a while longer. What better way to celebrate a warm fall day with this sweet potato salad I found at All Recipes? It far exceeded my expectations in flavor and the colors are warm enough to compete with the more traditional Autumn fare!

Ingredients

2 potatoes
1 sweet potato
4 eggs
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 30 minutes. Drain, cool, peel and chop. (I was tempted to peel them before cooking but this was SO easy!)
Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water; cool, peel and chop.
Combine the potatoes, eggs, celery and onion.
Whisk together the mayonnaise, and mustard. Add to potato mixture, toss well to coat. Refrigerate and serve chilled.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Brown Sugar Spiced Pork

2010-10-14T18:32:00.001-06:00

I love cooking pork tenderloin and generally only cook it in the crock pot or barbeque. I was pretty skeptical about how moist this would cook up but needed some new ideas so when I found this on My Kitchen Cafe, I figured I had nothing to lose. I followed the simple directions exactly and it was very, very, easy to cook up in my cast iron skillet, going straight from stove-top to oven. When it was ready to cut I was shocked at how it fell apart! Super tender, juicy and perfectly seasoned! Instant favorite!

Rub Ingredients:
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 pork tenderloins (2 1/2 lb. total), each tenderloin cut into two chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil

Glaze ingredients:
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 6-8 cloves)
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat the pork with the spice rub. Heat the oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet that is ovenproof (I used my cast iron skillet) over medium high heat until the oil is hot and rippling. Brown the pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in the skillet. If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, brown the pork in a skillet and transfer it to a foil-lined baking pan (like a 9X13-inch). I’ve done both and either method works great.

Stir together the brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco and pat on top of each tenderloin. Roast in the middle of the oven until a thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 160, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, then transfer pork to the center center of a piece of tin foil and bring both ends to the center and fold them tightly together, leaving air space between the folded foil and the meat (like a tent). Let it sit for about 10 minutes to reabsorb the sauce, making it extra tender.

Slice on the diagonal and serve, spooning the sauce from the skillet on top of the pork. I served this with sweet potatoes and a handful of raw sugar snap peas.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-10-14T17:56:00.001-06:00

You guys? I’m. so. sick! I have a huge Tupperware of leftover spaghetti in the fridge and all I wanted to do was dump a little of that on everyone’s plate tonight and call it dinner. But I have a nighttime race on Saturday, and afterwards I get to have a super yummy post race dinner at the restaurant of my choice and the kids “get” to eat leftovers at home. So you see, if I use up the spaghetti tonight, there’ll be nothing in the fridge for Saturday night. Yes it’s an issue, OK? So instead of taking the easy way out now and then having to cook dinner for everyone but me on Saturday, I figured I’d pull this soup together, because seriously? There are three steps to follow and I figured if I can manage those three tiny steps, not only will the family be fat and happy on spaghetti at home Saturday night, I’ll also have enough of this soup, courtesy of All Recipes, leftover for lunch Saturday afternoon!

1/2 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
handful fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1 (15 oz) can corn
1 (15 oz) can white hominy
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chili peppers
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons cup chopped fresh cilantro (more or less depending on preference)
12 chicken tenders cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
sliced avocado
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
chopped green onions
crushed tortilla chips

Directions

In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion until tender. Add garlic and stir for about a minute. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir in corn, hominy, chilies, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, and chopped green onion.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

2010-10-08T18:16:00.001-06:00

How could I not try another pumpkin soup recipe? It’s October and All Recipes gave me a perfect excuse to try something new, again! I really wanted to try making this with fresh pumpkin but I didn’t feel like hunting down a farmer’s market that sold the right kind of pumpkins. I know, shame on me! As it was, it was full of flavor, creamy and rich! The toast, too, was perfect for dipping! I doubled the recipe to what it shows below. It made enough for at least 8 good sized bowls.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons margarine, softened
2 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 slices whole wheat bread
1 small chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter, melted
64 oz vegetable broth
29 oz can pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons salt
1/2teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Combine 6 tablespoons softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Spread butter mixture evenly over one side of each bread slice. Place bread, buttered side up, on a baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until bread is crisp and topping is bubbly. Cut each slice of bread into 8 small triangles or squares.
Sauté onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot until tender. Add half the vegetable broth; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
Transfer broth mixture into the container of a blender or processor. Process until smooth.
Return mixture to saucepan. Add remaining broth, pumpkin, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground pepper; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally..
Stir in whipping cream and heat through. Do not boil. Ladle into individual soup bowls. Serve with cinnamon croutons.

Peanut Butter & Banana Cookies

2010-10-05T13:55:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Pam at For the Love of Cooking who, yet again, brought a new recipe to my kitchen! These could just have easily been called peanut butter & banana bread slash muffin top cookies, since they’re so soft and bread-like but that title was too long and let’s face it, a little obnoxious. I’m obnoxious enough without bringing it to the recipes, don’t you think? I doubled the recipe to what it shows below because with five people, the original just wasn’t going to cut it. I like the whole wheat flour mixed in to make them a little heartier. The cloves are my favorite part of the cookie (yes, even more so than the peanut butter chips)!

Ingredients

1 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups bananas, mashed (about 3 small bananas)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups of white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoons ground cloves
10 oz bag peanut butter chips, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla then continue to beat until the mixture is well combined.

Mash the bananas in a bowl with the baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.

Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture, add peanut butter chips, then mix until just combined. Drop by the spoonful onto sprayed cookie sheet.

Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2010-10-01T18:05:00.001-06:00

Found at All Recipes, I mixed all the dry goods together last night and left it, covered, on the counter along with all the rest of the ingredients then woke up a few minutes early this morning to surprise the kiddos with pancakes! They were lightly sweet, spicy and fluffy. The pancakes, not the kids. Because I know you get confused. They were a perfect combo for a cool, dark, October first morning!

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
mini chocolate chips (optional. Unless you’re me, then they’re required)

Directions

In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Using the 1/4 cup, this made 17 pancakes.

Shredded Beef and Caramelized Onion Enchiladas

2010-10-01T18:00:00.002-06:00

Recipe adapted for the way I cook (read: somewhat lazily and without much effort) from For the Love of Cooking. I have a friend, who has a husband (who’s probably also my friend but I won’t take such liberties to assume such *ahem*), who says putting sour cream on anything that resembles Mexican food is, like, sacrilege! However, since I’m not going for authentic and instead trying for just plain good, these enchiladas featured a big fat dollop of the creamy white goodness!
Ingredients
(meat)

1 1/2 lbs of chuck roast (round roast can also be used)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 small can of diced green chilies
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 cups of beef broth

(enchiladas)

10-12 corn tortillas
2 large red onion, sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 oz can of red enchilada sauce
1 10 oz can of black olives, roughly chopped
16 oz of Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions
1. Place roast in crock pot, pour broth over it then toss the rest of the (meat) ingredients in, lightly mixing to coat the meat. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. If you refrigerate your tortillas, remove them from the refrigerator early in the day so they have time to soften up and make wrapping the enchiladas easier.
2. Remove roast from crock pot and shred.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat, add onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Pour enough enchilada sauce over the bottom of a large baking dish to coat and help prevent the tortillas from sticking.
5. Spoon shredded beef, onions, beans and cheese (save a little cheese to top with) into each tortilla then wrap tightly and place side by side in the baking dish. Cover with remaining enchilada sauce, cheese and olives.
Bake covered in tinfoil (spray top of foil with cooking spray to keep the cheese from sticking) for 30 minutes.

Sweet Couscous

2010-09-22T13:15:00.001-06:00

Adapted from Food Network (Giada)

After seeing this on T.V. and acknowledging my love for couscous, I knew I had to try it! Full of sweet energy-packed fruit, protein-laden nuts, and chewy grains this is a perfect after school snack, pre-run carb load or a late night indulgence that won’t leave you feeling guilty the next morning! I reduced the sugar by half (the original recipe called for 1/2 cup), and left out the suggested use of evoo. You could use any kind of your favorite nuts, the original recipe called for hazelnuts but since I couldn’t find them anywhere, I used Macadamias instead. And? Dried cherries are a pain in the ever-lovin’ butt to chop because (I assume) of their high (added) sugar content. I used kitchen shears to cut them into thirds which took a few extra minutes but saved my sanity.

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped
2 1/2 cups (about 1 pound) couscous
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, cranberries, apricots, and cherries. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in the couscous and remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid until the couscous has absorbed all of the cooking liquid, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Using a fork, fluff the couscous to break up any lumps. Add the nuts and toss. Spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet until completely cooled, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the couscous to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

Cafe Deep Dish Pizza

2010-09-20T18:12:00.001-06:00

found at All Recipes

1 can pizza dough
1 pound Italian sausage
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
black olives, sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, very well drained (I opened these first and drained them in the sink while I prepped the rest)
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
Crumble the sausage into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon, and sprinkle over the dough crust. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the sausage.
Add mushrooms and onion to the skillet; cook and stir until the onion is tender. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, salt, fennel seed and garlic powder. Spoon over the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top, then toss the olives over that.
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crust is golden brown.

Vegetable Soup with Cheese Tortellini

2010-09-20T18:09:00.001-06:00

Recipe found at For the Love of Cooking. I didn’t change much of anything on this recipe. Simple, filling, colorful and just plain good (even the kids commended this one!) this was very fast to whip up and have on the table in just about an hour.

1/2 cup sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
6 cups of vegetable or chicken broth (I used reduced sodium chicken broth)
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes (I used the no salt added variety)
handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped (1-2 teaspoons dried)
1 teaspoon of oregano
salt and pepper, to taste
2 small zucchini, chopped into bite size pieces
1 small yellow squash, chopped into bite size pieces
13 oz frozen cheese tortellini
3 cups sliced fresh spinach (about 3 ounces)
Asiago cheese, shredded
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Place the olive oil in a large pot oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery then cook 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the seasonings and garlic then stir constantly for 60 seconds before adding the tomatoes and broth. Cover and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high, then add the tortellini, zucchini and squash. Cook for 10 minutes or until the tortellini is cooked through. Stir in spinach and simmer, uncovered, until spinach is wilted and all vegetables are tender, about 1 minute longer. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Asiago cheese.

Note: If not serving immediately, add the spinach just before serving to retain the bright color and prevent overcooking.

Nectarine Raspberry Cobbler

2010-09-20T18:04:00.001-06:00

Found on Cooks.com

My mom was in town and we headed out to a local farmers market where they had fresh peach preserves that whispered my name with promises of sweetly topped hot toast, perfectly paired peanut butter and jelly and when we found this recipe, ironically calling for peach preserves, we knew it had to be tried. The topping was some of the best topping I’ve tried, resembling the taste and texture of sugar cookies. Seriously, you can’t go wrong with that!

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
6-7 large nectarines, cut into bite size pieces
2/3 cups peach preserves
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 pints raspberries
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cups milk
2 tablespoon brown sugar
Whipped cream for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.

2. In an 9x13 inch baking dish, toss the nectarines with the peach preserves and 2 teaspoon of the vanilla. Fold in the raspberries.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the milk, melted butter, and the remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla. Stir with a fork until a thick batter forms.

4. Using a tablespoon, drop the batter over the fruit. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

Chipotle Chicken Salad

2010-09-08T18:11:00.001-06:00

Adapted from Our Best Bites

Salad

4 cups chopped Romaine Lettuce
2 cups chopped grilled chicken (I used Taco Chicken*)
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
1/3 cup red onions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, cubed
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 8 3/4 oz. can corn, rinsed and drained

Dressing

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup sour cream (can also substitute Greek yogurt)
1 tsp. chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoons salt

Optional: Crunchy tortillas

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix dressing ingredients, reserving a little lime juice to toss over salad to help keep the avocado from browning. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

2. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, chicken, beans, corn, onion, avocado and tomatoes. Sprinkle lightly with lime juice to keep avocados from browning, and gently mix. Set aside.

3. When you're ready to serve, gently toss salad and dressing. Place the tortillas on the bottom of each bowl then top with mixed salad.

*Taco Chicken – also from Our Best Bites

1 lb. chicken tenders
Juice of 2 limes
1 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

In large Ziploc bag combine all ingredients and let marinate at least 30 minutes. Cook chicken on grill, or you know, whatever you have and there you have it! Yummy taco-y chicken!

Tomato Basil Soup

2010-09-08T17:44:00.001-06:00

Adapted from All Recipes

This was really, very good and I liked that it was (semi) homemade. Reduced or no-sodium tomatoes could be used, even organic if you want to be super healthy! I used a generic canned brand because I’ve recently discovered that if you can’t find a lower sodium canned good, the generic will almost always have significantly less sodium than the name brand. It’s probably, at least partially, why generic costs less!

Now, having said that reduced or zero sodium tomatoes can be used, I did add quite a bit of salt to my bowl once it was dished up. Why? Because the soup was very sweet from the tomatoes. I didn’t want to leave out the sugar because it cuts down on the acidity! So with that in mind, my preference is not to add the salt while cooking, and just add it each bowl if desired.

Also, next time I’ll be tossing the tomatoes around in the food processor before I cook them, because the kids didn’t like the texture very much, but since I”m super mean, I made them eat it anyway!

Ingredients

2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
18 fresh basil leaves, minced (I tossed mine in the food processor)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup heavy cream
6 Tablespoons butter

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring the tomatoes and broth to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add basil and sugar. Reduce heat to low; stir in cream and butter. Cook until butter is melted.

Chicken Rice Noodle Salad & Spicy Lime Vinaigrette

2010-08-26T15:10:00.001-06:00

Adapted from: For the Love of Cooking

I didn’t leave enough time to let this sit and “marinate” after I’d mixed everything together but I think it would benefit the flavor of the salad a lot to do so. I’d say an hour in the fridge would be perfect!

Spicy Lime Vinaigrette:

juice of three limes
1/4 cup of seasoned rice vinegar (you can use plain too)
1/4 cup of sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Salad:

6 ounces of Rice noodles, prepared per instructions
1 1/2 cups of roasted chicken, shredded (I used rotisserie chicken)
1 cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup of carrots, shredded
1/2 cup of peanuts
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup of green onions, chopped
1/4 cup of red onion, thinly sliced

Prepare the rice noodles per instructions; once cooked, rinse with cold water and drain well. Combine all ingredients, mix well and serve!

This made enough for my family of five and then enough for at least two more adult lunches.

Peach & Blackberry Pie

2010-08-23T12:38:00.001-06:00

My mom was coming to town for a visit and I wanted something summery, fresh & colorful as a dessert to supplement the birthday cake we’d be celebrating my newly-turned nine year olds birthday. I found this recipe at Eat at Home and then adapted it just a smidge; it fulfilled all my requirements and then some! Sweet and tangy all on it’s own, I added a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make it a “well-rounded” treat!

2 pie crusts
6 peaches, peeled and sliced
1-1 1/2 cups blackberries
1 1/4 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant tapioca

Put the first pie crust in a pie plate. Stir the peaches, blackberries, ginger, nutmeg and sugar together in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the tapioca and let the fruit sit for about 15 minutes.

Pour the fruit into the pie crust. Lay to top crust over the fruit. Crimp the edges and cut slits in the top. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

I recommend putting a cookie sheet on the rack below the pie or directly under the pie plate. Fruit pies are notorious for running over in the oven.

Lemon-Herb Zucchini Fettuccine

2010-08-20T21:33:00.001-06:00

Modified and simplified from Our Best Bites, this rustic looking dish was really easy to prepare and full of intense flavors with all the herbs as promised

10 chicken tenders
2 lemons (you’ll be zesting these so put zest in a small bowl before slicing it for the juice)
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 lb Fettuccine
3 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 cup shredded Italian cheese (or mozzarella etc)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup basil, roughly chopped
1/4 cup oregano, roughly chopped
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

1. Place chicken in a zip-lock bag with the juice of one (already zested) lemon, a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Mix, then set bag aside while you get your other things ready (or refrigerate till you’re ready to cook).

2. Boil water for the pasta and while that’s heating, drizzle each zucchini half with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper then sprinkle minced garlic on each half.

3. Place chicken and zucchini (cut-side down) on grill.

4. Prepare pasta according to directions on package.

5. Zest the second lemon then juice it and add the juice to the zest from the first lemon.

6. When zucchini and chicken are done take them off the grill and roughly chop.

7. Drain pasta reserving about 1/2 cup of the water. Add lemon juice & zest, chopped chicken, chopped zucchini and chopped herbs. Give it a toss to coat the pasta in the juices.

Dish this gorgeous pasta into a bowl and sprinkle liberally with the shredded cheese! Yuumm!! This served 3 kiddos, myself and hubby with enough left over for two huge bowls of pasta the next day for lunch!

Zucchini Blueberry Muffins

2010-08-11T18:58:00.001-06:00

I haven’t baked in weeks and I was seriously craving some kind of sweet bread, so after a little searching I found these luscious little stud muffins, in bread form, on Closet Cooking and knew I couldn’t live without trying them! Very moist, full of flavor and bursting with blueberries, the kids gobbled them up … even after I told them there was zucchini in them!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini) grated, squeezed and drained
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup blueberries

Directions
1. Mix the zucchini, sugar, oil, sour cream and egg in a bowl.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix.
4. Fold in the blueberries.
5. Pour the batter into muffin tins. I managed 18 medium sized muffins; you may be able to get 12 filled-to-the-brim muffins
6. Bake in a preheated 350* oven until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Garden Frittata

2010-08-09T06:35:00.001-06:00

Found at Eat at Home, this was super easy, and is really very tasty egg-y goodness!

3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
a palm full of fresh herbs, chopped – I used basil & rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Melt the butter in an oven safe skillet. Sauté the onions and peppers until tender crisp.

Whisk the eggs, milk, herbs and salt and pepper together. Pour over the veggies in the skillet. Let cook over medium heat, without stirring until the middle is set, about 15 minutes.

Chicken Pasta Primavera

2010-07-05T06:00:00.003-06:00

Adapted from Cheat Day Cafe

Ingredients
12 chicken tenders
1 bag of Wacky Mac pasta
Italian dressing mix packet
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
15 oz bottle Alfredo sauce (I used Newman’s Own)
1 zucchini, diced
1 red pepper, diced
broccoli (I used about 4 small heads)

Directions
1. Begin water boiling for pasta; meanwhile, cook chicken in large pan with red wine vinegar, olive oil and Italian dressing mix until cooked through.
2. Once cooked, break chicken apart (I used a plastic spatula) into bite-sized pieces directly in pan, then add all the chopped vegetables to your pan. No need to mix. Cover and simmer on medium for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
3. By this time the water should be boiling and ready to add pasta – cook according to package directions.
4. Pour Alfredo sauce into a large bowl.
5. When the vegetables are tender, add them and the chicken to the Alfredo sauce bowl and mix thoroughly.
6. Drain pasta then add to chicken and vegetables. Mix gently and serve.

Cranberry Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-06-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks, again, All Recipes!
It’s another rainy day here in Texas and to honor the much needed precipitation, the kids and I are making a batch of ooey gooey chocolaty, cranberry-ish, oatmeal-ish goodness!

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla for 5 minutes. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time.
Mix in raisins and dried cranberries.
Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). These freeze very well. Enjoy!!

Ranch Chicken Salad

2010-06-28T06:00:00.001-06:00

Adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients

12 chicken tenders
3/4 cup steak sauce
1 cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds spooned out, then sliced again into bite sized chunks
1 lb. (16 oz.) mini bowtie pasta
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
3 avocados, split, pitted and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 packet Ranch Dip mix (you’ll only use 1 1/2 cups of the dip)

2 cups sour cream

Directions

Marinate chicken in steak sauce for at least 30 minutes. The longer the better, up to a day.

1. In a large bowl, mix Ranch packet with sour cream. To about 1 1/2 cups of the dip, add sliced tomatoes & cucumber; set aside.
2. Grill chicken until no longer pink and the juices run clear. Remove from grill, and chop into bite-size pieces.
3. Add bouillon to a large pot of boiling water then add pasta. Cook according to package directions. Drain, and rinse under cold water.
4. Add chicken and pasta to bowl with Ranch, tomatoes and cucumber. Add avocados last or to each individual bowl to prevent mashing it up in the salad (and also avoids allowing the avocado to brown in the salad). Cover, and refrigerate until chilled – or if you’re like me, just eat it up! This made enough for my family of five with enough left over for at least two more adult servings.

Loaded Stuffed Zucchini

2010-06-23T19:11:00.001-06:00

Found at My Kitchen Cafe, this was posted as a side dish, but with the potatoes it was filling enough for us as a main course dinner. Each of my kids ate half a zucchini and I had two halves.

Ingredients

5 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise with pulp & seeds spooned out
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium yellow or red onion, chopped fine
4 large cloves garlic, finely minced
3 medium tomatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), seeded and chopped
1/3 cup shredded fresh basil leaves or 1 tablespoon dried
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)

Directions

Adjust one oven rack to upper-middle position and second oven rack to lowest position, then place a rimmed baking sheet on each rack and heat oven to 400 degrees.

Brush the inside of each zucchini half with 1 tablespoon of oil then season with salt and pepper. Lie each half, cut-side down, on one of the hot baking sheets. Toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste, in a small bowl and spread in a single layer on the other hot baking sheet.

Roast the zucchini until slightly softened, about 20 minutes while simultaneously roasting the potatoes until they are tender and lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

While the zucchini and potatoes are roasting, heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

When the zucchini has finished baking, remove it from the oven, turn each half over and set aside. Remove potatoes when cooked through.

Add the tomatoes and cooked potatoes to onions and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the basil, 1 cup cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

Divide filling evenly among the zucchini halves on the baking sheet, packing each lightly; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return to the oven, this time to the upper rack, and bake until heated through and cheese is melty.

Good Stuff Maynard

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

Taco Seasoning

Chicken & Edamame with Orange Ginger Dressing

Ingredients

Directions

Split Pea & Ham Soup

Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Egg Nog Cookies

Cran-Stachio Cookies

Sausage and Zucchini Lasagna

Directions

Fresh-Lime Turkey Chili

Farmer’s Salad

Ginger Snap Cookies

Directions

Preheat oven to 375*

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Directions

Miss Rachel’s Pineapple Cake

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Directions

Key Lime Cupcakes

Tex-Mex Catalina Salad

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Tortellini Spinach Bake

Cake in a Mug

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts

Fruit Pizza

Sausage Frittata

Easy Crockpot Pork Carnitas

Italian Orange Cream

Double Decker Veggie Grilled Cheese

Cowboy Dinner

Berry Spinach Smoothie

Tarragon Egg Salad

Ingredients

12 hard boiled eggs*, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

1/2 cup chopped green onions, including the greens

1 Tablespoon dried tarragon leaves

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Gently combine all of the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Brown Bag Popcorn

1. IF you choose to use oil, toss the un-popped corn, olive oil and salt, in the paper bag. Otherwise, simply place un-popped corn in the bag, then fold the top of the bag over twice (tape it if you’re worried about spillage). I taped mine because I’m a worrier.

2. Place the bag in the microwave and microwave on high for 2 minutes to 3 minutes, or until there are about 5 seconds between pops.

Homemade Maple Syrup

Chocolate Banana Bread

Pizza Pizzazz Salad

Oven-Roasted Veggies & Pasta

Ham & Cheese Sliders

Deviled Eggs

Kicked Up Ramen Noodles

Banana Pudding Milkshake

Broiled Grapefruit

Kale & Lemon Pasta Salad

Orange & Oats Cookies

Pizza Dip

Corned Beef & Hash

Directions

Strawberry Mango & Avocado Salad

Some Other Mom’s Goulash

Saltine Cracker Toffee

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Strawberry Scones

Fish Tacos with Lime Sauce

Grilled Artichokes

Mexican Cherry Tomato Salad

Greek Chicken and Sausage

Smoked Salmon & Linguine

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Directions

Eggplant Parmesan

Though easy, this was a little time consuming because of the baking of the eggplant. I had to do it in two batches to make sure they cooked up crispy in a single layer. If you have a large oven you could do both batches at once.

Ingredients