Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup margarine, melted
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Ryan, this sounds complicated, but it really isn't. Hope they turn out well!

Baked Potato Soup

I jotted this recipe down years ago, but I don't quite remember where from. I love it since I usually have this stuff around, and it's easy to make a batch and a half if I want leftovers. And it's also very quick on weeknights. I just pop the potatoes in the microwave while I cook up the rest of the soup, then add the potato in. My nieces, who were here for dinner tonight, also loved it. I left out the dill for them. :)

2 large baking potatoes

3 Tbs sliced green onions (I substitute a shallot or regular onion, chopped really small)

1/3 cup butter (I usually just use 1/4 cup)

1/3 cup flour

2 tsp fresh dill or 1/4 tsp dried (optional)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

4 cups milk

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

4 slices cooked bacon

Bake potatoes. Scoop out insides and set aside.

In large pan, cook onion and butter. Stir in flour, dill, salt, pepper.

Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Add potato and 1/2 of the cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

Garnish with cheese and bacon.

Butternut Squash Soup with Herbs

I'm rather picky about my butternut squash soup. Most of the kinds I've tasted are either too sweet or too thick or taste like cream of chicken soup. But this one is the perfect amount of savory, with a hint of sweet from the squash and cream. It does take a little while to chop up all the butternut, but this is so much better than any kind you buy.

(fyi, 1 large butternut yielded a little over 6 cups, and I usually just make a half a batch for M and I)

4 Tbs. butter
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced (bottled is fine)
3 (14.5 oz) cans of chicken broth
8 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried rubbed sage
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup heavy cream

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic in butter until soft. Add chicken broth and squash, and simmer until squash is very tender. A fork should go through easily.
Let cool slightly. Use immersion blender and puree soup in the pot. Alternatively, puree soup in blender and return to pot. If soup seems too thick, add a little more chicken broth.
Add herbs, sugar, salt, and cream.
Can be made one day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.

Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

This may not interest all of you on the mainland because Cream of Chicken soup probably isn't as expensive as it is here ($2.00 a can). But I also thought the flavor of this was sooo good. Plus it doesn't have MSG and other additives/preservatives. Anyway I have a few casserole or chicken recipes that call for Cream of Chicken Soup and this was really easy to make.

Yield:
3 cups (about 2 cans)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (or less; taste to test)
1/4 teaspoon parsley
dash of paprika
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour

Instructions:
1. In medium-sized saucepan, boil chicken broth, 1/2 cup of the milk, and the seasonings for a minute or two (longer if using fresh onions or garlic).

2. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk and flour. Add to boiling mixture and continue whisking briskly until mixture boils and thickens.

Cheeseburger Soup

Hey Girls,

It's been awhile, but today is my last day working so I should have lots of time to post! Got any great money saving recipes?! I know there are lots on here and I'm ready to leaf through some of the oldies but goodies. This soup may not look like much, but I am telling you it is deliciouso. I've thought about swapping out the ground sirloin for chunks of ham or sausage so let me know if anyone tries it that way, I'd be curious to know how it turns out. Here it is:

1 lb. ground sirloin

1 tbsp plus 3 tbsp butter

1 stalk celery, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 sm. onion, diced

basil, parsley, salt and pepper (to taste)

32 oz. chicken broth

3 cups frozen cubed hashbrowns (walmart brand works great)

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

8 oz. Velveeta cheese, diced

garnish with sour cream and your favorite shredded cheese

Brown and drain ground sirloin. Saute 1 tbsp butter with diced veggies. Add fresh basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Add all veggies to cooked meat. Add broth and potatoes to mixture. Cook until potatoes are very soft. While potatoes are cooking, melt 3 tbsp butter. Whisk in flour until paste forms. Add to soup, stir and cook 5 more minutes. Once soup thickens a bit, add milk and Velveeta cheese. Cook on low heat until cheese melts. Remove from heat and it's ready to go. Enjoy!

French Onion Soup

Fall weather makes me want soup. We had this soup for lunch today and we really liked it. We didn't use a baguette though, we used portuguese rolls from the Fresh market. Yum.

• 4 onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 3 (10.5 ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 French baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1. In a large pot over medium heat, saute the onions in the butter or margarine for 10 minutes, or until onions are tender (I would suggest a little longer so the onions start to dissolve...our's were a little crunchy still). Stir in the flour, ground black pepper and the sugar to form a pasty mixture.
2. Now add the beef broth, water, parsley and thyme and simmer for 10 minutes, Then add the wine and simmer for 10 more minutes.
3. Preheat oven to broil.
4. Fill individual oven safe bowls 3/4 full with the soup. Place a slice of bread on top of the soup and cover with the cheese. Place bowls in the oven.
5. Broil in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly

Pumpkin-Spice Doughnuts

A friend of mine got me a subscription to Cuisine at Home and I saw this recipe in it. Since fall is my favorite season and there are no signs of it here, I like trying things like this that helps put me in the fall mode. These were so tasty! A little time consuming but so worth it. Plus if you're going to eat doughnuts, why not make them a little healthy.

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 cup canned pumpkin (I put the whole can in)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 T butter, melted

4 t. baking powder

2 t. pumpkin pie spice

1 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

3 cups all-purpose flour

vegetable oil

Whisk egg and yolk together in large bowl until frothy. Add pumpkin, sugar, buttermilk, brown sugar and butter; whisk until combined. Stir in baking powder, pie spice, salt and soda. Fold flour in gradually until sticky dough forms. Cover in plastic wrap and freeze 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in pan over medium heat. Pat out dough on floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out doughnuts, dipped in flour. Fry doughnuts and holes in oil until browned, about 3 minutes, turning once. Drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Finish with sugar or glaze (I did the glaze on the doughnuts and the cinnamon sugar on the holes).

Apple Cider Glaze

1/4 cup apple cider (or juice)

pinch of salt

3 cups powdered sugar

Heat juice and salt in small saucepan over low until hot. Whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Dip one side of cooled doughnut in glaze and let stand about 5 minutes on wire rack.

Cinnamon Sugar

1 cup sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

Toss doughnuts in bag with cinnamon sugar to coat (when they are still hot).

Shanna's Greek Chicken Pita

This is actually a recipe from Shanna. A long time ago we all came up with about 5 recipes to share with each other. Actually, I think it was to make a recipe book for Tabitha before she moved away. Anyways, I was looking through some of those recipes and found this one. Shanna, hope you don't mind if I share it. They were really good, tasted healthy, and we had enough for leftovers - all of these things are essential in our house these days!

1 rotisserie chicken
bell peppers (I used orange, green, red...but yellow would be great too)
shredded lettuce
feta cheese
chopped tomato
Greek salad dressing
cucumber
pita (I used white b/c of a picky husband - but they do have a wheat variety)

Just pick all the chicken off the bone add salad dressing and heat. I also heated up the pita pockets. Then fill with whatever toppings! I even made a couple for lunch the next day - they were really good cold too!

Chicken Enchiladas

This is one of those great recipes with few ingredients but lots of flavor (and very easy to make). Even my boys gobbled these down. (the picture is from the recipe card because they were eaten up before I could get a picture of mine)

1 jar or can of enchilada sauce

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided (I used cheddar and mozzarella because that's what I had and it still tasted great)

1/3 cup sliced ripe olives

1 1/3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, divided

1/4 cup chopped green pepper (I left it out because of a picky husband)

2 T chopped green onion (I used dried onion and still really yummy)

8-10 flour tortillas (6 inch) - I used whole wheat tortillas

2 cups shredded lettuce

In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup sauce, chicken, 1 cup of cheese, olives, 1/3 cup of tomatoes, green pepper and onion. Place a rounded 1/4 cupful of chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in greased 13x9 baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Top with lettuce and remaining tomatoes.

Overnight French Toast

A friend of mine made this one time and I had to find a recipe for it. So my mom's church cookbook had it. It's great because you can make it the night before and pop it in the oven the next morning.

1/2 stick butter (room temperature)

12 (3/4 in. thick) French bread slices

6 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. sugar

1 T cinnamon (or less)

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. salt

Spread butter over bottom of heavy large baking pan with sides. Arrange bread slices in pan. Beat eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Pour mixture over bread. Turn bread slices to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake French bread 10 minutes (uncovered). Turn over and bake until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.

Italian Pork Sandwiches

I'm always looking for ways to use up the tomatoes and peppers from our garden.  And this one is just about my favorite. And it's low-fat too. Of course, it's one that my mom passed along to me.

1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced on diagonal, into 1/2" slices

1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 medium plum tomatoes, diced

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

1 yellow or red pepper, thinly sliced 

Seasoning:  3/4 tsp each of oregano, rosemary, salt

     1/4 tsp each of black pepper and crushed red pepper

Mix together the seasoning.  Sprinkle slices of pork with 2 tsp of the seasoning and press into meat.

Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium and cook the pork slices 2-3 minutes per side until slightly brown and barely pink in center.  Place on a plate and set aside.

Add the onions and peppers and the rest of the seasoning to the skillet and cook for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and let cook for 3 more minutes, or until the tomatoes have broken down.  

Add pork and juices back to the skillet and let cook over low until ready to use.

Toast some crusty Italian bread (it's really good if you rub it with garlic...) and top with the meat and veggies.

*I often just use 1 red pepper instead of two peppers.  And I will add extra tomatoes if I want more moisture.  

*The crushed red pepper in the seasoning is kinda spicy, so leave it out or reduce it if you don't like so much heat.

Emmie's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here it is, I think. I just found this in my recipe book and I hope it's the original. I asked Emmie, but she's had a ton going on and hasn't had time to get it to me, so here is what I have. She did say that she was never able to make them as good as she did at your apartment, Erin, so maybe it was the oven or you being there! Anyway, hope this helps...

8 oz. chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in one bowl. In another large bowl, mix butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Easy Cheesy Stuffed Chicken

This is actually from a Kraft Foods magazine that I would get free in the mail (not sure if they still send these). But these magazines usually had some good easy recipes. If you want to check it out and see if they still send the magazines by mail for free, check out their website kraftfoods.com. Anyway I hadn't made these in a while and forgot how easy and yummy these were...plus they look fancy. The picture is actually from the magazine...my chicken didn't look as pretty.

2 T butter

2 medium zucchini, shredded (about 2 cups)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pkg. stuffing mix for chicken

1 cup shredded cheese blend (I use cheddar or whatever cheese is in the frig.)

2 pkg. chicken quarters (about 2 1/2 lb. each)

3/4 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter over medium heat in saucepan. Add zucchini and onion; cook and stir for 2 min. or until tender. Remove from heat. Stir in stuffing mix and cheese until well blended. Carefully insert fingers between meat and skin of each chicken quarter to form a pocket. Fill pockets evenly with stuffing mixture. Place, skin side up, in roasting pan. Bake 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Brush with barbecue sauce and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.

Emmie's chocolate chip cookies

Lisa, would you happen to know a recipe for chocolate chip cookies that Emmie has made before? I think they were Martha Stewart or something. She made them in college when Jason and I were RD's. She came down to our apartment to use our kitchen. They were so yummy and wanted to see if you knew the recipe or could get it from her. I remember they were really big cookies too. Anyway, just wanted to see.

Barefoot Contessa's Asian Grilled Salmon

Wow, I haven't done this in a while! Here's a great recipe I saw Ina make on her show over this last month that I haven't had to cook (since we've had meals brought to us every other night!). I was collecting ideas of things I wanted to make once I had to start cooking again...and this one was a hit! It's so easy and SO good!

1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)
2 tbs. Dijon mustard
3 tbs. good soy sauce
6 tbs. good olive oil (I hope Great Value brand counts as "good"!)
1/2 tsp. minced garlic

Light grill and brush the grilling rack with oil to keep the salmon from sticking.

While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4-5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in teh center, but don't worry; it will keep cooking as it sits.

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Classic Pot Pie

This recipe is actually from the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust box. It was one that my mom used and now I use with my own family. It is really easy and oh so yummy! But because I'm trying to stay away from hydrogenated oils, I did make my own crust (which I hate doing but this was a fairly easy recipe and actually really tasty). So I will include that recipe at the end.

Filling

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup flour

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2 1/2 to 3 shredded cooked chicken or turkey

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

Heat oven to 425 F. Prepare pie crusts. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes or until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper; stir until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened. Add chicken and mixed vegetables; mix well. Remove from heat. Spoon mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edges and flute. Cut slits in several places in top of crust. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Pie Crust

2 cups flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 cup oil

5 T cold water

Mix flour and salt. Add water to oil. Don't stir, add oil mixture to flour all at once, then mix with fork. Roll out between waxed papers. This crust can be made in 3 to 5 minutes, including rolling it out.

Schreur's Canned Salsa

This is Barb Schreur's salsa recipe. She used to bring over a bunch of fresh veggies from her garden and we would make this yummy salsa. She also taught me how to can it too. I love this salsa and haven't had it since we lived in Chattanooga because I haven't had a garden full of these fresh veggies. It's a fairly mild salsa but I'm sure you could kick up the spice by adding a little more jalapeno peppers or decrease the sugar. I think the quantity depends on the size of your produce but it's kind of a flexible recipe, so add as much fresh veggies as you want.

Barb's Salsa

2-4 green peppers chopped (I used 3)

3 qts. chopped tomatoes

3-4 chopped jalapeno peppers (I used 3)

2-4 onions chopped (I used 2)

1 T. salt

1/2 c. sugar

1 c vinegar

3 small cans of tomato paste

1/2 t. cumin

2 t. dried cilantro

Cook for 45 min. to 1 hour. Put in jars and seal. I think it made about 8 pint size jars.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

If you've ever had the cheddar biscuits at Red Lobster...these are pretty close to it and yummy. I always like recipes that have ingredients that I would have around the house. One, because it's expensive to always get random ingredients here in Hawaii and, two, because I'm not very good at planning ahead.

INGREDIENTS
4 cups baking mix (Waffle/Pancake mix from a box)
3 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 1/3 cups water

1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I just sprayed Pam).
In a mixing bowl, combine the baking mix, cheese, and water. Mix until dough is firm. Using a small scoop, place dough on the prepared pan.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
Combine the melted butter, garlic powder, salt, onion powder and parsley. Brush over baked biscuits immediately upon removing from oven.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

I love using seasonal ingredients, and since blueberries are in season right now, I thought I'd share this yummy recipe.  It's from Cooking Light.  And it's very, very good.  I actually ate it as dessert, but I bet it'd be good any morning too.

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cups sugar

6 Tbs softened butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1 1/3 cups lowfat buttermilk

2 cups bluberries

1 Tbs turbinado

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat together sugar and butter about 2 minutes or until well blended.  Add vanilla and eggs and beat well.

Add buttermilk and dry ingredients to sugar mixture alternately until well combined.

Spread half of the batter into a 9" (square or round or whatever) greased pan.  Add 1 cup of the blueberries on top.  Spread the remaining half batter, then the other cup of blueberries.  Sprinkle the turbinado on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes.

It's very good warm.  And sprinkle some powdered sugar on top to make it look pretty.  Then eat the whole pan. And sigh at the goodness of it all. :)

Tomato-Avocado Bruschetta

I actually got this recipe from Erin, so we'll give her the credit. :)  I've made this oodles of times now, and my man particularly loves it.  It's also great to use up all the millions of cherry tomatoes that are ripe right now!

Ingredients:

3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbs white balsamic or white wine vinegar (or I use regular balsamic)

1/2 tsp salt

10 oz grape tomatoes, quartered (about 1.5 cups chopped tom. well drained)

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, diced

1-2 cloves garlic

2 Tbs fresh slivered basil

4 oz chevre cheese

4 oz cream cheese

1 loaf french bread, or rosemary and olive oil bread, sliced  1/4" thick

In medium bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, and salt.  Add tomatoes, avocado, garlic, basil. Toss gently.

In small bowl, combine cheese until evenly blended. Chill until ready to assemble. (I often just use cream cheese cause, well, it's just simpler...)

Brush bread slices with olive oil and grill (or toast) on both sides.

Spread cheese mixture on bread and top with tomato mixture. 

It's divine!

Did you know?

Did you know you can cook a whole chicken in a crock pot and get the same kind of goodness that a store bought rotisserie chicken offers? Well... it's true! My mom said that many of her friends in New Zealand cook their chicken this way and I thought I'd give it a shot.

It was SO EASY! All I did was buy a whole chicken, put it in the crock pot, sprinkled on some salt and dried basil, added 1/8 of a cup of water (which I'm not sure was really needed) and turned it on HIGH. Three hours later I had a completely cooked chicken that I can make several meals from. It was SO moist and had soaked up the flavor of the salt & basil perfectly! And a plus for the summer time ... there was no heat pouring from my oven! Hooray for crock pots!

My mom also suggested dividing the chicken pieces up into measured amounts (2 cups, 4 cups, etc) and freezing them for later casseroles/recipes that call for cooked chicken.

Thanks to my mom for a money-saver, time-saver, heat-free tip! :)

Spring greens and Rotissiere Chicken

OK...so I went digging for salad recipes and this is one I made last night. I know some of you don't like nuts and some of you don't like fruit in your salad...but I thought I would share anyways.
ingredients:
1 Rotisserie chicken (I bought it in the deli for convenience)
Spring greens
strawberries
blue cheese
honey roasted cashews (or peanuts)

All I did was pull all the chicken off the bone. Next I laid out the spring greens and put all the ingredients on top (just as much or little as I wanted). The recipe called for lemon juice as the salad dressing but I used a light raspberry vinaigrette and it was really good.
We even have enough chicken leftover to make chicken salad sandwiches or whatever else and the best part - it was easy!

Help!

I guess I have the summer time blues with cooking...nothing I usually make sounds good or I feel too hot to even turn on the oven. The only thing that really sounds good is eating out - but since that isn't an option every night - I was wondering...does anyone have any great summer time meals they make? I am trying to get more into salads too. I welcome any and all ideas!

Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce

With Jason gone this week I couldn't get to the grocery store (because of nap time) to get Alfredo sauce in a jar, so I found this recipe on-line that had ingredients that I had around the house. It was really easy and really yummy! I cut the recipe in half because it was just me and the boys and we still had leftovers. I then added some spaghetti noodles (because I didn't have fettuccine noodles) with chicken and broccoli.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups milk
6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.

chocolate blender pie

I've made this pie for girls' night before. It's super easy, and it's a favorite around our house. Oh, wait--do I say that about every dessert I post? Probably. Well, on the night I make it, it tends to be the current favorite.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

1 small can evaporated milk
3 1/2 tbs cocoa
1/2 stick butter, melted
2 eggs
1 1/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 pie crust
Cool Whip

Put first 6 ingredients in the blender and mix until ingredients are combined. Pour mixture in pie crust and bake for 40 minutes or until center doesn't jiggle. Serve warm and top with Cool Whip.
I've made this with the light evaporated milk and light butter, and you can't tell.

peanut butter pie

I got this recipe from a girl in my class. She made this one night when we all brought stuff for dinner, and her pies were the talk of the class. Everyone was raving about the peanut butter pies. And the best part is, they're so easy to make. I've made them w/ low fat peanut butter and light Cool Whip, and they still turn out great.

1 1/2 c powdered sugar

8 oz cream cheese

1 c peanut butter

16 oz tub Cool Whip

2 graham cracker crusts

Mix cream cheese and peanut butter with a mixer. Gradually add powdered sugar. Then gradually mix in Cool Whip and beat on high until mixture reaches a moosy consistency. Add to crusts. Her recipe says to freeze them over night, but I've found they're actually better just chilled an not frozen.

I've also made them with a chocolate crust and drizzled melted chocolate chips on the crust before adding the peanut butter mixture, and it's really good that way too (as I'm sure you can imagine).

homemade hummus

I love this stuff and could eat it every meal. I get a loaf of fresh french bread and cut it up into bite size pieces and then dip it in the hummus. Yum! This is my friend Julie's recipe:

• 1 can of chick peas (save liquid or I just use water)
• 1/4 c.-1/3 c. sesame tahini (I found this in our health food store but it may be in the grocery stores there since mainland stores tend to carry random things like that. But this is the key ingredient)
• juice from 1/2 lemon (sometimes I omit this because it definitely changes the flavor, so you can experiment)
• salt or soy sauce to taste (I use about a dash of soy sauce)
• 1-2 T. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic (crushed)
  

Mix in a blender. Add water to thin it out just a little bit. Serve right away or can be refrigerated for a few days. Fresh is best though.

French Onion Steak

This is a Rachael Ray recipe.  It is probably one of Matthew's favorite things that I've ever made.  It calls for London Broil, but I used flank steak when I made it, and we actually grilled it instead of broiling it.   And yes, this is a pretty involved recipe, so I've only made it once, and will probably only make it for special occasions. But it was so good!

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided plus additional
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 softball-size yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon ground dry thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 London Broil (about 2 to 3 pounds, one that is large enough for 4 people)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to broil.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO and 2 tablespoons butter. When the butter is melted, add the sliced onions, bay leaf, thyme, salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until caramelized, about 15 minutes, or until melted down, brown and sweet.

While the onions are cooking, place steak on a broiler pan and generously coat it with EVOO, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Broil under the broiler for 10 minutes or until cooked to desired doneness. When done, remove and let the steak rest to let the juices return to the center of the meat, about 5 minutes.

In a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add flour to the melted butter and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock and milk and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let it come up to a bubble and thicken then turn off the heat. Add the cheese and stir in a figure-eight motion until mixed.

Slice the steak and place on a platter. Pile the onions on top and pour the cheese sauce over the top.

Green beans are a great side dish for this!

Fresh Corn Salad

My hubby found this in a farm magazine we get. I tried it over the weekend and it was SO good. You can change the proportions however you want (and K, you can leave out the onion...).

5 ears fresh corn

4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

3 Tbs apple cider vinegar

4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

6 Tbs fresh basil, finely chopped

salt

pepper

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes or until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse the corn in ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob.

Toss the kernels in a large bowl with tomatoes, onions, vinegar and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Just before serving, toss in fresh basil. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Pizza Dough (Whole Wheat if you want)

1 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup warm water

2 T oil
2 1/4 cups flour (1 cup whole wheat and 1 1/4 cup white)

Put yeast, sugar and warm water in mixing bowl. Let foam for about 10 minutes. Then add rest of ingredients and mix with dough hook (I have a KitchenAid mixer so I don't know if all mixers have a dough hook. But you can just knead it by hand too) Mix until a dough ball forms that doesn't stick to the side. Let rise 30 minutes to 1 hour. Take dough out. Roll into whatever shape you want for you crust and put on pizza sheet. Add toppings and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*I found it better to bake the crust for about 5 minutes first and then add the toppings and bake. That way it didn't get soggy.

becker barbequed shrimp

This is the recipe I mentioned in the post I did about shrimp being on sale. The recipe says that you should use 16-20 medium-to-large shrimp, but I used 2 lbs, and I didn't double any of the other ingredients. There was still plenty of sauce/broth for the shrimp.

2 tsp dried rosemary (I only use 1 b/c I'm not big on rosemary)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp sweet paprika (I used regular--not sure if it was sweet)
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
shrimp (however much you want to make)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup beer
2 tbs minced parsley (I didn't add this)
2 tbs fresh lemon juice

Grind the first 6 ingredients in a spice mill or coffee grinder. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add spice mixture and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove shrimp from pan and add chicken broth and beer. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and return the shrimp to the pan to heat through. Season with parsley and lemon juice. Serve. (Be forewarned that this recipe packs a bit of heat. We don't like really spicy foods, and we don't think it's too bad though. It just might make your nose run just a bit.)
Now I'm off to make Erin's Mexican Polenta Pie. Mmm....

grilled bananas

This recipe is a new-found personal favorite of mine. I'm not sure when this started, but I now have this very bad habit of needing something sweet after dinner. I have found that I often end up making a dessert when I'm home to cook, especially during the school year since homemade meals were somewhat rare, and I wanted to go all out. So I've been on a hunt for healthy-ish dessert options. My work friend Yvonne introduced me to this little gem. So good, so easy, and not too bad for you....

4 bananas (or however many you want to make)
1 tbs veggie oil
1 tbs butter
3 tbs honey (the recipe calls for molasses, but I'm just not a fan)

Slice bananas length-wise in the peel. Brush both sides w/ oil to prevent them from sticking to the grill. Place on grill banana-side-down first for 3-4 minutes. Turn over and grill for another 4-5 minutes. (My grill said the heat was about 350 degrees.) Melt butter and honey together in the microwave. Remove bananas from the grill and drizzle honey mixture over them. I served them in the peel, and we just scooped them out as we went. This will sound weird, but they were so juicy!

chicken pesto pizza

I made some yummy pesto (Jocelyn's recipe) and was trying to figure out what I could make with it besides my Pesto Ravioli with Chicken recipe. So this is what I came up with...Chicken Pesto Pizza.

ingredients:

• one whole wheat homemade pizza crust (if you're interested in the recipe I can post it)
• pesto
• grilled chicken cut into thin slices
• chopped fresh mushroom
• chopped fresh tomato
• mozzarella cheese

Just top the crust with a thin layer of pesto. Add chicken, mushrooms and tomato. Then top with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

7-Layer Mexican dip

The Deans had us over for a Cinco de Mayo celebration last night. I brought this dip, cause it's one of my favorite fiesta-type indulgences. I'm sure that all of you foodies have made the 7-layer dip before, but mine is a little tweaked for more flavor... and I'm also just posting it here so I can be reminded of it, if I need an idea!

Layer in a dish:

1 can Refried beans- mixed w/half a packet of taco seasoning
1 can Green chilis
1 can chopped black olives (I always leave these out... cause I just don't like 'em)
Sour cream- enough to cover
Guacamole - enough to cover (sometimes I just chop up avocado if I don't feel like making it...)
Chopped tomato - mixed with salsa and/or taco sauce. I always add a bunch of salsa cause I really don't like a dry dip!
Grated cheddar cheese- enough to cover

Refrigerate and serve w/chips.

Sorry I forgot to take a picture...

Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad

This is a salad at O'Charley's that I just love...so I decided to try and make it at home.

1 bag mixed greens
3-4 pcs. of skinless, boneless chicken
1 small can mandarin oranges
craisins (however many you want)
1 (4 oz.) container feta cheese
candied pecans
chopped pecans
buttermilk
flour
balsamic vinaigrette

First I cut the chicken up and dredged in the buttermilk and then the flour with the chopped pecans. I cooked the chicken in oil on the stove in a large non-stick skillet. Then you pretty much toss everything into a bowl - toss some more and serve. This would make about 3-4 servings.

To make the candied pecans I used a large non-stick skillet
first line a baking sheet with tin foil and butter the foil.
Put the following ingredients into the skillet
1 1/2 cups of pecans
1/2 tsp. of vanilla
2 tbls. butter
1/2 cup sugar
Cook over med-high heat, shake skillet occasionally, until sugar begins to melt. Do not stir.
Reduce heat to low. Continue cooking until sugar is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat. Pour nut mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Cool completely. Break into clusters. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

This turned out so yummy! I do wish that I had a fryer - I think that would have made the chicken taste more like O'Charleys...mine turned out pretty good.

Appetizer Ideas

Hey girls,
Been awhile....It was wonderful to see everyone on Saturday (Erin, we missed you!)!

Okay, so Laura's graduation party is on Sunday and I wanted to make some fun appetizers for her. Problem: she doesn't like anything that's white. Yeah, and some people think my onion aversion is annoying. So, no sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, ranch dressing, or anything like that. Any ideas? The only thing I've come up with so far are sausage balls (technically she doesn't like sausage, but she did try these one time and liked them...). All ideas are welcome, but I am in a bit of a time crunch. I'm leaving to stay up at the cabin tomorrow night (G's going out of town this weekend to O-town with work) and may not have internet. Let me know. Thanks girls!

Minted Melon Grilled Chicken

One of my friends here just had surgery and I took her family a meal. She asked for meals that were light, low-fat & with chicken. Hmmmm... I was going to have to search online. I found this one on Better Recipes (betterrecipes.com). It was a hit at her house & here in ours too! We really thought it was a great summer recipe because it was really refreshing with the relish. Hope you enjoy too!

Minted Melon Grilled Chicken
(by roxiechan submitted on Betterrecipes.com)

• Rub:
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 pound total
• Glaze:
• 1/4 cup mint jelly, melted
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• Melon Relish:
• 1 cup small dice cantalope melon
• 1 cup small dice honeydew melon
• 2 Tbsp minced red onion
• 2 Tbsp snipped mint leaves
• 2 Tbsp minced crystallized ginger
• 1 small stalk celery, finely diced
• 1/2 tsp grated lime peel
• garnish- mint sprigs

Method

Combine the ingredients for the rub and coat the chicken. Combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl. Put 1 Tbsp of the glaze into a medium bowl along with the ingredients for the relish. Mix well and place on a serving platter. Place the chicken breasts on an oiled grill rack over medium high heat 4-6 inches from the heat source. Cook 5-7 minutes per side or till the chicken tests done (165 degrees). During the last 2 minutes of cooking brush each side of the breasts with glaze and cook 1 more minute per side. Arrange the glazed chicken on top of the relish. Garnish wit mint sprigs.

Notes:

Number of servings: Serves 4

Leftover Goodies

I just had a fabulous lunch with some leftovers just now. And it was something that hadn't occured to me before, so I thought I'd pass it along in case you all need some new quick ideas!

We had taco salad for supper two nights ago, complete with meat, black beans, corn, and all the regular veggies. After supper I combined the leftover corn and beans and stirred in some store-bought salsa and taco sauce. Today for lunch I heated it up with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top. It was SO good. It was easy, and pretty healthy too! (although I'm sure it'd be fabulous with chips too- like a good corn & black bean salsa). So simple-I just wish I'd thought of this before!

shrimp on sale

Last night on my way home from work, I stopped by BiLo to pick up something to make for dinner. I was pleasantly surprised to find that bags of shrimp were on sale for $5.25 each. The sign said 2 for $10.49, and my receipt said they were each marked down $7.00 each! So I bought two and cooked them both last night (yes, two lbs of shrimp for dinner--as you can imagine, my man was in heaven). One bag just isn't enough for his liking, and two leaves some for him for leftovers since I won't be home tonight. Anyway, I just thought I'd share the tip that they're on sale in case anyone else is interested.

Oh, and I'm planning to post the recipe I used to fix them. They were so good! If you have The Joy of Cooking cookbook, it's in there. It's called something like "Becker's Barbeque Shrimp"--if you know me, you know I don't like barbeque, but this wasn't your typical barbeque. It's a bunch of spices all ground up together, some butter (I used low-fat), and some beer. I'll post the whole thing soon--just wanted to give you a little taste of what's to come. : )

starter question

Ok, I think I messed up! Yesterday on day 10, I was all ready to make my bread, and in keeping with how I usually do things, I sat down to print out the recipe and realized I didn't have the pudding! So, my question is, can I still make the bread on day 11? Or do I have to toss it out?

Brown Sugar Meatloaf ... dee-lish!

I got this recipe from the Easy Recipe link (thanks to who ever put that link on!) and made it tonight for dinner. Yummy! Josh really liked it ... he is a meatloaf lover. It has simple ingredients but a great taste.

Brown Sugar Meatloaf:

1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C ketchup
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
3/4 C milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt (it was a little salty so I think next time I'll use only 1 tsp)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 C finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs (about 10-15 crackers)

Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly grease a 5 x 9 loaf pan.
Press the brown sugar into the bottom of pan and spread with ketchup.
In a mixing bowl thoroughly mix all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf.
Place loaf on top of ketchup.
Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hr or until juices run clear.

Question

How do you all freeze bread? Since I have my little "starter," I want to freeze one of the loaves, but I'm not sure about the best way to do that - wrap it in plastic and foil? or a zip-lock bag? Then, how do you thaw it - in the fridge or just on the counter? Thanks guys!

New recipes ...

I finally posted a new menu ... truly I did cook in the month of March! ... the menu making just didn't really come together very well and I had nothing to post. But it's the beginning of April and I feel like I have a fresh start on this springy Monday morning!

I plan to make a couple new recipes I found ... after this week I'll let you know how they were and if they're worth posting.

Website for amish bread directions

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,194,159178-231205,00.html

Basil Pesto

This makes about 3/4 cup of pesto.

3 garlic cloves (I sometimes toast it!)

2 cups packed fresh basil

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Blend first 5 ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

(You can substitute walnuts or almonds for the pine nuts if you can't find them.  And to toast the nuts, just place them in a stainless skillet over med heat just until they start to brown. Usually just a few minutes.  Be very careful not to burn them. But it IS an important step!)

To freeze: I usually add a little bit less oil, and put it into my containers, then cover with a thin layer of oil and then plastic wrap.  Then straight to the freezer. When I want to use it, I'll add a little bit more olive oil just to loosen it up.  

I have some friends who make tons of pesto every summer, and she freezes it in ice cube trays, then when they're hard, puts them into a ziploc bag.  I just put mine in small disposable tupperware containers.

I've heard people say not to freeze it with the parmesan cheese in it, but I've never had any issues.  

Does anyone want a starter for cinnamon amish bread?

I have three of these babies, ready to be mashed by you. Anyone interested? It makes two loaves of pretty tasty bread every ten days or so.

Basic Scones

I posted this on my blog at one point but I just made them again recently and thought I would post the recipe here. I found this recipe online after I tried two others...this one was my favorite by far. In fact, I think I'll go make another batch since I have some cream left over.

Blue Goose Inn - Basic Scones

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2-1 cup filler of your choice
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut butter into dry ingredients with pastry blender. Do not allow the butter to melt or form a paste with the flour. Stir in chips/filler of your choice. In a separate bowl, mix together egg and cream. Add all at once to dry ingredients. Mix lightly until just combined.

Gather dough into a ball and knead it gently against the sides and bottom of bowl 5-10 times. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and pat dough into an 8-inch round about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 8 to 12 wedges and place at least 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheet. Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425 degrees until the tops are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

• My favorite combos are Chocolate Cherry Scones, White Chocolate Cranberry and just Plain with fresh whipped cream on top....yum, yum!

Sourdough Bread

Starter:

3/4 cups sugar

3 Tbs instant potato flakes

1 pkg active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (120-130 degrees)

Mix first 3 ingredients together, then stir in warm water.  Cover with plastic wrap; pierce wrap 4 or 5 times with point of sharp knife. Refrigerate 3 to 5 days.

Starter food:

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tbs instant potato flakes

1 cup warm water (120-130 degrees)

To make bread:

Remove starter from fridge and let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Stir well. Remove 1 cup starter to make bread, 'feed' the remaining starter -let stand 8-12 hours. Cover with pierced plastic wrap, refrigerate 3 to 5 days.  Repeat up to 3 times.

Bread:

1 cup starter

6 cups bread flour

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 Tbs salt

1- 1 1/2 cups warm water

Combine all ingredients together. Cover and let rise 6-12 hours.  

Shape and place into greased pans.  (3 loaves)  Cover and let rise 6-12 hours.

Bake at 375, 30-40 minutes.  

Tips: 

*When I make the starter like this, it rises the best for the first batch of bread. If you want to make it 2 more times, add 1 tsp yeast to the warm water when mixing the bread.  (let it sit in the water a few minutes to let it start reacting)

*When I cover it to let it rise, I spray Pam on some plastic wrap, and put it on the dough,  just to prevent sticking, then cover it with a towel

*I usually let it rise longer than 6 hours each time.  I'll mix up the dough in the morning, shape it in the evening, bake it the next morning.  

*I cover the bread loosely with foil for the first 20 minutes of baking to avoid too much browning on top.

Request for Jocelyn

Joc, is your sourdough bread recipe a secret family recipe (I mean, I'm like family, aren't i)? Gerald's parents are coming in this weekend and I wanted to make it with shells for Sunday lunch. Thanks!

Pesto Ravioli with Chicken

Jason announced last night that this is his favorite meal that I make...and if you knew how picky Jason is about food, you would know that really means a lot. People always ask for this recipe when I make it...so thanks to Betty Crocker Easy Weeknight Meals. And it's quick and easy to make...another plus.

• 2 t olive oil
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast strips (about 2 chicken breasts)
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 package refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli (I use spinach or mushroom)
• 2 small zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired (I think this ingredient is necessary unless you just don't like Parmesan)
• *it also calls for a sliced red bell pepper but because we aren't fans I have never put one in.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken about 4 minutes until brown. Remove chicken from skillet. Add broth and ravioli and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 4 minutes or until ravioli is tender. Stir in zucchini (and bell pepper if you are adding it) and chicken into ravioli. Cook over medium-high heat about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Toss with pesto. Sprinkle with cheese. About 4 servings.

quick pan-fried catfish

I got this recipe back in the day when I used to get Southern Living magazine. It's one of Ken's favorites. I usually get my catfish from Walmart, and I think we've decided that we like the nuggets better than the fillets (probably b/c they are smaller pieces and there's more breading).

3/4 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tbs Old Bay seasoning
1 to 1 1/2 lb catfish fillets or nuggets
1/2 cup Ranch dressing (I use light)
3 tbs veggie oil (I use 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 Enova)

Combine Bisquick, cornmeal, and Old Bay in a shallow bowl. Pat catfish dry with paper towels; brush both sides of each piece evenly with Ranch dressing. Dredge in cornmeal mixture; lightly press cornmeal mixture onto catfish pieces.
Cook catfish in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3-5 minutes on each side or until fish just flakes with a fork. Serve immediately.

Peanut Butter Pie

I got this recipe from a girl in my class. She made it one night when we all brought stuff to have dinner together. And then I made it a couple weekends ago for the sweetheart dinner at church only to find out that the email requesting desserts meant to bring them for the next weekend's lady's retreat--it just didn't specify which event was needing desserts donated. So I ended up sending those pies w/ Ken to work and making another two for the lady's retreat the next weekend. I'm sure you can imagine that the guys at the station weren't too upset about my mistake. : )

This recipe is really good and so easy to make. I've made it w/ low fat cream cheese and light Cool Whip a few times, and it still tastes good. I have to say though that of course, the full-fat version is best. The light version has a little different taste--I can't figure out if it's the cream cheese or the Cool Whip though. Oh, and FYI--this recipe makes 2 pies.

8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
16 oz tub Cool Whip (that's the large one)
2 graham cracker crusts

Mix cream cheese and peanut butter w/ a mixer until combined. Gradually add powdered sugar. Mix in Cool Whip one large spoonful at a time beating on high until mixture reaches a moosy consistency. Add to crusts. Chill until served.

finally made it

It's about time! I have finally posted a week of meals at our house. Granted I only cooked 3 out of 7 of the meals, but this gives you all an idea of what our weeks look like. And this past week I was home on Thursday instead of either being at girls' night w/ you all or taking a test. I'm really looking forward to this summer, when I can fix meals for us on a more regular basis!

Mexican Polenta Pie

This is great as a meal or an appetizer and chips. It is a favorite in our house.

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 T olive oil

1 lb. uncooked ground turkey

3 T chili powder (I use 2 because we are wimps)

1 T ground cumin

1/4 t cayenne pepper or less

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup bottled salsa

2 tubes refrigerated, cooked polenta (I use only one)

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2/3 cup chopped fresh tomato

1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro

Cook onion and garlic in 1 T hot oil until tender. Add turkey, chili powder, cumin and cayenne. Cook until turkey is no longer pink. Add beans, undrained tomatoes and salsa. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer gently 15 minutes. Meanwhile, grease a 3-quart baking dish with the remaining 1 T oil. Cut tube of polenta into 1/4 slices; press half of the slices into prepared dish. Set the other slices aside. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese over polenta in dish. Top with meat mixture. Arrange other slices of polenta over meat; sprinkle with remaining cheese and fresh tomato. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes (or until bubbly) at 375 degrees. Sprinkle with cilantro. Let stand for 15 or 20 minutes before serving.

Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread

I found a Banana Nut bread recipe that my sister gave me that doesn't have shortening. It has a few extra steps than my grandma's recipe but it is oh, so yummy. Maybe I can substitute shortening for cream cheese in my grandma's recipe?

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

3 cups flour (1 1/4 cup white flour, 1 1/4 cup wheat and 1/2 cup ground flax seed is my version)

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4)

1/2 t. vanilla extract

Beat together butter and cream cheese. Add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured loafpans. (I did one loaf pan and 24 muffins) Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (15-20 for muffins) or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool bread for 30 minutes before slicing.

*some topping suggestions for this recipe were orange-pecan, toasted-coconut, cinnamon-crisp and peanut butter streusel. If you're interested let me know and I'll put the recipe here.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Sorry it took a while for me to get this on here...we've had a lot going on around here! Here is the recipe, Erin:

4 or 5 chicken breasts, cooked (and I cut them up into bite-sized pieces)
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
1 stick of butter, melted
1 tube of Ritz crackers (I break them up in a zip-lock bag)
poppy seeds

I mix the cut up chicken in a bowl with the soup and sour cream and pour it in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle the crackers over the mixture. Pour the butter over the crackers. (Sometimes I don't use a WHOLE stick of butter.) Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Serves 4-6, but serving with rice makes this spread even farther.

fruit salsa

This is a recipe I got from Erin back when she lived in Chattanooga. It is so good! It's rather labor intensive b/c of all the chopping, but it's well worth it. She may have the exact proportions, but it's one of those recipes that I end up just doing a little of this, and a little of that. So Erin, feel free to correct the measurements if I'm way off base. The recipe below is typically what I do when I make it just for me:

Fruit Salsa:
1/2-3/4 pkg of strawberries
1 small apple, pealed--I usually use Rome or Gala
1-2 kiwis
spoonful of jelly--I think the recipe calls for apple, but I use whatever's in my fridge
spoonful of honey

Chop fruit in very, very small pieces. Stir in jelly and honey. (When I visited Erin in Hawaii, we made this a few times. As it turns out, the recipe calls for brown sugar instead of honey, but for some reason when I got the recipe from Erin the first time, I had it in my head that it was made w/ honey. It seems like it might be a little heathier w/ honey, so that how I've kept making it.)

Cinnamon/sugar chips:
3-4 medium sized flour tortillas
Pam cooking spray
cinnamon/sugar mix

Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Spray tortilla with Pam. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture. I usually go back and spray the areas where the cinnamon/sugar is not wet so it will stick to the chip better once it's cooked. Use a pizza cutter to cut the tortilla into wedges before cooking. Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes. Ken likes them a little chewy, so I put his in for less time than mine. When it's for me, I usually cook them the whole time, but you may want to check after 8 minutes to see if they look done.

And then just use the chips to scoop up the salsa, and enjoy!

recipe request from Lisa

Lisa can you post your Poppy Seed Chicken recipe. It somehow was misplaced with all of our moves over the past 3 years.

in need of suggestions...

I know you all know that Ken and I have a weird schedule these days, and we're often not home on the same nights. Either he's at work when I'm home or I'm in class while he's home. Well I'm wondering what you all fix for dinner when you find yourself at home alone. I just don't feel like fixing a meal when it's just me, and I'm trying to get more ideas of things I can make for myself or even things I can keep on hand for Ken to fix.

A few of the things I usually end up doing are either that fruit salsa with the homemade cinnamon/sugar chips that Erin showed me (a personal favorite, by the way) or some kind of bruschetta. Lately I've been making a grilled brie and turkey sandwich when it's just me. And that's pretty good too. It seems to me it's harder to eat healthy when I'm making dinner for one, or maybe it's that I'm just not motivated to steam up some veggies when I'm alone. I was wondering if you all had any suggestions. Thanks!