Elliott's Excellent Eats

Chicken sausage and spinach penne alfredo

2012-01-07T21:36:00.000-08:00

Holy yumminess!! Got this recipe out of a Weight Watchers cookbook magazine and it's yummy! As usual, I made a few changes to sub for things I didn't have/like. I'll note those changes in the recipe. This makes six 1-cup servings with 387 calories each. (Of course there may be some changes with brands they tested but it's close...under 500, which is what we're going for).

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cup uncooked multigrain penne pasta (I used whole wheat linguine)
1 6-oz pkg fresh baby spinach
3 2.75-oz chicken sausage, sliced (there are lots of flavors...I used an italian one with mozzarella)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 8-oz pkg sliced cremini mushrooms (I don't like mushrooms and didn't have bell pepper, so I used about 2 cups chopped broccoli florets)
1 10-oz jar light Alfredo sauce (I made my own because I'm cheap!)
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp black pepper
Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, cover and set aside.

While pasta cooks, heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Saute sausage about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add peppers and mushrooms (or broccoli) and saute about five more minutes. Add spinach and cook just until wilted. Add alfredo sauce and cook just until heated through. Remove from heat.

Stir in pasta and Parmesan cheese, sprinkle with black pepper.

Best veggie dip ever

2011-11-28T22:11:00.000-08:00

YUM!!! My friend Leslie snagged this from a teacher appreciation event and it's yummy!! Makes a lot, you could easily half it (I'd still use the whole seasoning packet and let it be extra yummy!)

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sour cream
2 cups mayo
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 packet buttermilk ranch seasoning
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

Combine and chill at least 24 hours before serving. Serve with your favorite veggies.

Grandma Suds Granola

2011-04-17T16:34:00.000-07:00

Last year, one of my bffs threw me a surprise birthday party. Since she knows I'm a recipe junkie, she had all of my friends type up some of their favorite recipes and then put a binder together for me. I love it! Here's one of the recipes, courtesy of Tiffany Grimes. Enjoy. :)

Combine in large bowl:
10 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups wheat germ
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups raw sunflower seeds
2-3 cups chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup flax seed

Combine in sauce pan and heat until sugar dissolves:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp vanilla

Pour wet mixture over dry ingredients and stir well. Spread onto 2-3 rimmed cookie sheets. Bake at 325° for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cool and put in large bowl. Mix in dried fruit, if desired. Divide into gallon ziploc bags, freeze what you are not using right away. Makes about 20 cups.

Angel Noodles

2011-02-10T10:47:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from a friend and we used it for a church dinner awhile back. It's yummy!! You can substitute regular spaghetti for the angel hair pasta - but the thinner noodles taste better!

INGREDIENTS

1 - 1.5 lbs ground beef
26 oz jar/can spaghetti sauce
8 oz can tomato sauce
12 oz angel hair pasta
1.5 cups sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheese (CoJack, mozzarella, or both)

DIRECTIONS

Meat sauce: Cook and crumble ground beef. I season mine with salt, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce; let simmer.

Cook and drain pasta.

Soup: Combine sour cream with cream soup.

In greased 9x13 pan, layer meat sauce, pasta, soup mix and cheese. There should be enough to do each layer twice, ending with the shredded cheese.

Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes, till cheese is browned and bubbly. Enjoy!

White bean chicken chili

2011-02-09T22:51:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from one of my bffs and we love it!!! Here's my take on her recipe.

INGREDIENTS

3-5 chicken breasts
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1-2 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chiles
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
3 (15 oz) cans white beans, drained and rinsed (I prefer canellini/white kidney)
4-6 cups chicken broth
3-4 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Cook and shred chicken (I boil it with some bouillon in the water. Save that for your broth.)

In large pot, heat oil. Saute onion, garlic, chiles and seasonings till onions are soft.

Add shredded chicken, broth and beans. Simmer 30 minutes, till heated through.

Just before serving, stir in shredded cheese to melt.

Serve with sour cream, if desired.

Chocolate Chex Caramel Crunch

2010-09-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

This recipe can be found on the Chex website. I had it at this fall's Scrapbook Expo and it is SO STINKIN' GOOD!!!! Doesn't help my blood sugar, though, so it's definitely not something I'll be making very often. Super yummy, though!

INGREDIENTS
8 cups Chocolate Chex cereal
3/4 packed brown sugar
6 Tbsp butter or margarine
3 Tbsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup white vanilla baking chips

DIRECTIONS

Measure cereals into large microwaveable bowl; set aside. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper.

Microwave brown sugar, butter and corn syrup uncovered on High 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway thorough, until melted and smooth. Stir in baking soda until dissolved.

Pour melted brown sugar mix over cereal, stirring till evenly coated. Microwave on High 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Spread on cookie sheet and cool 10 minutes. Break into bite-size pieces.

In small bowl, microwave vanilla chips about 1 minute, till melted. Stir until smooth and drizzle over cereal mix. Refrigerate until set and store in tightly covered container.

YUUUUUUMMMMY!!!!!!

Fabulous baked beans

2010-07-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law gave me her 'sort of' recipe for baked beans and they're pretty awesome. As I do with most things, I messed with it a little. Here's my 'sort of' recipe that's pretty close to hers, with just a few changes.

INGREDIENTS

2 large cans Bush's Baked Beans, Original flavor
1/2 large onion (see note)
1/2 cup mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients. Pour into 9x13 glass dish.

Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes, till thickened.

**NOTE: My MIL purees the onion in her beans because my FIL doesn't do chunks of onions. While I like them that way, I'm too lazy to pull out the food processor. :) So I've done a few different things. Last time, I chopped the onion as fine as possible, then sauteed it in a little olive oil before adding to the beans. Softened them up and gave them a yummy flavor. I've also used a few tablespoons of dried minced onion that I soaked for about 20 minutes in a little water. (I love dried onion - so easy...). Or you can just chop up the onion and go with it - whatever suits your taste!!

Sarah's California Club pasta salad

2010-06-17T23:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight was our Relief Society activity - my first one as Enrichment leader. It was a great night, everyone seemed to really enjoy it. We had dinner - salads and desserts. I chose to take a pasta salad and went to one of my new favorite food bloggers for ideas. I'd made one of her yummy pasta salads before, for a Christmas activity at church. It got rave reviews, so I knew she was a trusted source. :) I wanted to change it up a bit for this activity and this recipe caught my eye. I loooove avocados, so I knew it was a good start. I'm not crazy about sprouts and was almost out of Italian seasoning. So, here's my version of this salad - as close as I can get, anyway. (I'm terrible about following recipes for things like this)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup (or a bit more) Ranch dressing
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 - 1 lb chicken breast, cooked and cubed (I used Italian seasoning on mine when I grilled it)
1/2 lb grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 lb pasta, cooked, rinsed in cold water and drained
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used closer to 1 lb...can't have too much bacon)
1-2 avocados, peeled and diced

DIRECTIONS

Combine mayo, sour cream, ranch, salt and pepper.

Put chicken, tomatoes, and pasta in large bowl. Toss with mayo mixture to coat. Refrigerate until serving, at least two hours to let flavors mingle. :)

Just before serving, stir in bacon and avocado.

Enjoy!! Yuuummmmy.......

Seasoning mixes

2010-06-17T00:04:00.001-07:00

For the last few years, I've been trying to make my own spice mixes; especially the ones I use all the time like taco and Italian seasoning. I also like being able to adjust the salt in the blends and keep it low. I usually have most of the ingredients in my pantry and so many spices cross over into other blends. Here are two basics...try them out!

Taco seasoning
2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp salt (or less, if you are watching your sodium)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp garlic (a little less if you don't love garlic)

Mix and store in an airtight container.

Italian seasoning
Combine equal parts:

Thyme
Oregano
Savory
Marjoram
Basil
Sage
Rosemary

Breakfast wrap

2010-02-22T14:43:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of breakfast wraps - scrambled eggs, cheese, turkey bacon all in a tortilla. Yummy. Since I'm not a huge fan of eggs by themselves, this makes them easier to eat. Today I decided to jazz it up a bit; we're trying to eat healthier, so I wanted to add some healthy 'bulk' to my wrap. Here's what I came up with...

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup sweet potato, shredded
1/2 cup spinach leaves, torn into bite-size pieces
3 eggs
1-2 Tbsp shredded cheese
4 slices turkey bacon, cooked
2 whole wheat tortillas
Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder

DIRECTIONS

Lightly spray a non-stick skillet with Pam spray. Over medium heat, saute sweet potato until soft. Add spinach and continue to saute until spinach wilts. Lightly season with onion powder and garlic powder. (If you're so inclined, you could saute some chopped onions with the sweet potato instead of the powder.)

In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a little salt and pepper. Pour into skillet. Scramble over medium heat. Just before eggs are done, sprinkle with cheese.

Put two strips of bacon in center of tortilla and top with half of the eggs. Roll up and enjoy!! (Serves two)

NOTE: Depending on the brands of tortilla and bacon, this breakfast will be between 400-500 calories per wrap. And very filling!

Crazy cake

2010-02-18T21:34:00.000-08:00

I love this yummy chocolate cake! It's super moist and dense - and also (mostly) allergen-free! Most of you know that Abby had soy and dairy allergies as a baby. Thankfully, she's outgrown them - but for her first birthday, I made this cake. To avoid soy, I used a palm-oil based shortening to make icing...but that's another story. :) Here's the recipe for crazy cake....

INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup canola oil
2 cups water

DIRECTIONS

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix to remove lumps.

Add liquid ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into 9x13 pan.

Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes, till toothpick comes out clean.

Roasted asparagus

2010-02-17T23:04:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for a new veggie, I have a recipe for you. I don't like soggy, boiled vegetables. I prefer steamed, grilled or sauteed veggies that have flavor and a little texture. When I planned our special Valentine's family dinner, I decided to serve asparagus on the side. Super easy, yummy recipe!

INGREDIENTS

Fresh asparagus
Olive oil
Minced garlic
Salt
Pepper

DIRECTIONS

Rinse and trim asparagus. (See note) Toss with olive oil and seasonings, to taste. Spread on baking sheet.

Bake at 400° for about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

NOTE: The bottoms of asparagus are tough and yucky. You only want the tops. An easy way to decide where to trim? Take on stalk and, holding both ends, snap it in two. Use that stalk as a guide to cut the remaining stalks. Group them together and chop off the ends. Easy!

Chocolate chip perfection

2009-12-27T13:24:00.001-08:00

I've been making chocolate chip cookies for the last two weeks. Seriously, I think I've made about five batches, each a different recipe; all in search of the perfect, chewy cookie. After two crispy batches, I turned to the only man I knew to turn to - Alton Brown. :) In his episode, Three Chips for Sister Marsha, AB discusses the different types of cookies: thin (crispy), puffy and what I wanted - the CHEWY!

Alton's recipe was really good and definitely pointed me in the right direction. But it still wasn't exactly what I wanted. So I turned to my Blogger and Facebook friends (special thanks to Frieda!). I got several comments and a few recipes. One of them (thanks, Morgan!) looked really close to what I wanted - except that it used less chocolate chips. So I adjusted that part. :) I took what I'd heard and learned, combined some recipes, and came up with this amazing cookie.

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
2 - 2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 (12 oz) bag chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Cream butter, shortening, and both sugars.

Add egg and vanilla. Beat till combined.

Sift flour, soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture in thirds, beating till combined after each addition.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop onto baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 7-9 minutes, until edges barely begin to brown. Let sit on cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.

A few notes...this dough may seem a little dry. But trust me, it makes yummy cookies! Start with 2 cups of flour and add a little bit more at a time until the dough holds together well. Bread flour contains more gluten. Gluten = chewiness. If all you have is all-purpose flour, that's ok. The cookies will still be good. If you happen to have all purpose flour and some wheat gluten...add a couple of teaspoons of gluten to the flour mix.

Ranch Chicken & Bacon Pasta Salad

2009-12-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

Holy cow, yumminess. I made this last night for our ward Christmas party at church - first time making it. I almost didn't need to clean the bowl, it had been scraped so empty! :) So apparently I wasn't the only one who thought it was wonderful!! Not to brag on my cooking - I'm not the one that came up with the recipe. I found it on one of my new favorite food blogs; she has tons of yummy recipes! You should definitely try this one out!!

INGREDIENTS

1 c. mayonnaise (I used light)
1 c. Ranch salad dressing
2 c. frozen sweet peas, thawed and drained (You could use other veggies, but the peas were good!)
1/2 lb. chicken breast, cooked and cubed/shredded (I cook mine with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder
1/2 lb. diced and cooked bacon
1 lb. pasta of your choice, cooked and rinsed with cold water
1 c. shredded cheese (I used Mozzarella and Swiss)
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Combine the mayo and Ranch. Pour over the other ingredients and stir to combine.

I say refrigerate it for a few hours before serving to let the flavors blend. Mmmmm.....

Chicken Chow Mein

2009-12-05T16:34:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe in one of my Parents magazines a few months back. They had an article on what famous, international chefs fed their kids; this recipe was from Ming Tsai. As with anything I cook, I never follow recipes exactly. So here's my version. :)

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pkg chow mein noodles (found in Asian aisle at Wal-Mart)
Canola oil
1 Tbsp. chopped ginger (I use 1 1/2 Tbsp pre-chopped, bottled ginger/garlic mix)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions/green onions, sliced 1/8-in thick, white and green parts separated
3 cups packed spinach
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix cornstarch and soy sauce in a bowl. Add chicken; marinate for 5 minutes.

Prepare noodles according to package directions. Rinse under cold water after draining. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. oil on high in a large pan. Stir-fry chicken until almost cooked through, about 6 minutes; remove. Add 1/2 Tbsp. more oil to pan; stir-fry ginger, scallion whites, and garlic until oil is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the noodles, chicken, and spinach and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. (If it starts to look a little dry, add a bit more oil).

Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with scallion greens if desired.

McAlister's Chicken Tortilla soup

2009-11-20T17:28:00.000-08:00

I LOVE McAlister's Deli. Zac doesn't feel quite the same way -- but that's ok. :) He said this soup was "awesome." I didn't think it was quite a perfect copycat recipe - a little more tomato and less cheesy than I remember McAlister's being. It's still really good...but I'll be playing with the recipe a little bit.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp water, divided
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded/cubed
2 cups tortilla chips
1 bunch green onions, sliced

DIRECTIONS

In a medium stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until soft.

Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes and their liquid, chicken broth and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water.

Stir together cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup water; stir into stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until broth is slightly thickened.

Stir in chiles, cheese, cilantro and cooked chicken. Stir until cheese melts, then let simmer for 10 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls; serve chips on the side (or crumble a few chips over each bowl of soup). Garnish with chopped green onions.

Dorito salad

2009-07-26T22:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know the technical name for this, but it's REALLY good. My friend Kristina made it for another friend's bachelorette party - it's yummy!!! It's kind of a loose recipe, as most of mine are. I never buy the already cooked chicken, I just cook/cut up a couple of chicken breasts.

INGREDIENTS

1 bag of lettuce - any kind

Chicken breast, cooked and chopped (Can use pre-cooked grilled Tyson chicken strips/fajita strips-not frozen)

1 bag of cheese (I use Co-Jack)

1-2 cans of Ranch Style Beans, drained and rinsed

1 bag Nacho Cheese Doritos (slightly crushed)

Catalina dressing

DIRECTIONS

In large bowl, mix lettuce, chicken, cheese and beans.

Just before serving, add Doritos and dressing. Use just enough dressing to cover, not soak the salad. Enjoy!

Yummy blueberry muffins

2009-07-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to try some homemade blueberry muffins for awhile, but I'm too cheap to pay much for fresh blueberries. But we got some tonight, so I searched for a recipe. I wanted one with a streusel topping and adjusted one that I found on AllRecipes. The muffins got rave reviews from Zac & Kirsten! Following others' suggestions, I filled the cups and got eight muffins. Get some blueberries and give 'em a try!

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup blueberries
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter

DIRECTIONS

Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in medium mixing bowl.

In another bowl, combine oil, egg, milk and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat well.

Gently fold in blueberries just until mixed. Drop into paper lined muffin cups.

Combine brown sugar, 2 Tbsp flour, cinnamon and butter with a fork. Sprinkle generously over muffin batter.

Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes, until just done. Let cool and remove from pan. Enjoy!

Aunt Donna's layered salad

2009-07-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

I made this for a friend's BBQ yesterday and the recipe was requested - I love it when that happens! :) I first had this when Zac's Aunt Donna made it for Christmas and I personally think it's pretty darn yummy!!

INGREDIENTS
1 head iceberg lettuce, cleaned/dried and chopped/torn into bite size pieces
1 can water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
Frozen sweet peas
Chopped onion (optional - I don't use them)
2 cups mayonaisse
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp sugar
1 pkg bacon, cooked and crumbled

DIRECTIONS

In a 9x13 pan, layer:
Lettuce (may not use entire head)
Water chestnuts
Onions (if using)
Frozen sweet peas

In a bowl, combine the mayo, mozzarella and sugar. Spread over the layered ingredients. Top with crumbled bacon.

Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours before serving. YUMMY!!!!

Corkscrews with chicken and zucchini

2009-07-11T21:03:00.000-07:00

Another yummy recipe from Cheap. Fast. Good. that we made for dinner tonight. I used frozen zucchini because it's what I had - but I totally recommend fresh, I think it would turn out better. I also used a small can of diced tomatoes because I didn't have fresh - that worked, but fresh tomatoes might give it a little brighter taste.

INGREDIENTS

8 oz rotini or other short pasta
1 lb chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
8 oz fresh button mushrooms (I didn't use these)
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped or 2 tsp jarred minced
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4" thick rounds
1 medium tomato, cored and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese (I used the kind in a can)

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta in salted water until just tender. Drain and put back into pot. Stir tomatoes into pasta, cover and set aside.

Heat oil in an extra-deep 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and let cook 2-3 minutes. Add chicken, mushrooms, garlic, Italian seasoning and zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally until chicken browns and is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

When chicken is cooked and zucchini is crisp-tender, remove skillet from heat. Combine with tomato/pasta mix and Parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese melts.

NOTE: The cookbook mentions that broccoli would be a good substitute for zucchini.

Mexi-chicken skillet

2009-07-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

Zac's sister, Kirsten, is staying with us for a few weeks (YEA!) and helping out. She's gotten into cooking lately and so she made dinner the other night. I plan menus for the week, so she made that day's recipe. It was goooood!! Since it was just us and Abby, we had too much left over; you could half the recipe (except the rice, maybe) and easily have enough for four people. I got this recipe from Cheap. Fast. Good., a cookbook I borrowed from the library. You will be seeing more recipes from it in the next few days! Oh, and I can't take credit for the picture - I borrowed it from $5 Dinners.

INGREDIENTS

1 jar (26 oz) chunky salsa, whatever spiciness you like
1 1/3 cups long grain rice
1 lb chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove fresh garlic, chopped or 1 tsp jarred minced garlic
2 cans (11 oz each) Mexi-corn, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
Sour cream, for serving
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Combine 2 2/3 cups water with 1/2 cup of the salsa in a covered pot and bring to boil. Add the rice, stir and reduce heat to low. Cover pan and simmer about 20 minutes, until rice is tender.

Heat oil in an extra-deep 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. After onion has begun to soften, add chicken breast and cook, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Once chicken has begun to brown, add the corn, beans and remaining salsa to the skillet. Stir to coat chicken and vegetables with salsa. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through.

To serve, spoon chicken mixture over a bed of hot rice. Top with cheese and sour cream as desired.

Punch lebanese - Our wedding punch

2009-06-14T19:52:00.001-07:00

After Zac and I got engaged, I started looking around for punch recipes. I am not a huge fan of Sprite (or ginger ale or any of those) and so the standard punch recipes wouldn't do me much good. This punch was served at a friend's wedding and I got the recipe from Martha Johnson, one of the ladies from church. It's soooo yummy and makes a lot of punch. (The whole recipe makes 34 8-oz servings. Half a recipe will fill a large punchbowl.) I've considered freezing batches of it just to keep around. Mmmm...

INGREDIENTS

2 large (46 oz) cans pineapple juice
1 can frozen orange juice (prepared with 3 cans water)
8 oz real lemon juice
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp almond flavoring
8 cups water
4 cups sugar

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together and add ice. (Or serve with an ice ring)

Creme brulee french toast

2009-06-14T17:42:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my friend, Leigh, and it has got to be one of the best breakfast foods ever! And perfect for a Saturday night - it has to sit in the fridge for 8+ hours, so it's perfect for popping in the oven on Sunday morning. YUM!!

A few notes:

Zac and I decided that next time, we're going to sprinkle chopped pecans in the pan before adding the sugar mix. I'll let you know how it turns out. :)

You can usually find challah or some sort of egg bread in the bakery section of the grocery store. I made my own, I'll post the recipe soon. I also think this would probably be good with one of the hawaiian breads you can buy.

UPDATE!! I made this today for Father's Day breakfast (at Zac's request) and added about 1 cup chopped pecans to the sugar mix. I also used a cinnamon swirl bread. It makes the taste different, but VERY yummy!! And the cinnamon bread might be easier to find at the grocery store...try it out! :)

INGREDIENTS

1 loaf challah/egg bread
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp corn syrup
5 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

In a small, heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, and vanilla.

Slice bread in thick slices, and remove the crust.

Pour the sugar mixture in a greased 9x13 pan. Arrange the bread slices, over sugar mix, in one layer inside the baking dish, squeezing slightly to fit.

Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Bake at 350° F for 35-40 minutes or until puffed and pale golden. Serve immediately.

NOTE: Remove ALL pieces from pan and turn them sugar side up onto a plate. The sugar solidifies when it cools and is next to impossible to remove at that point.

Delicious strawberry shortcake

2009-06-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

Yum!! I live with two strawberry junkies so I was trying to find a yummy recipe that would be perfect for all the summer strawberry goodness! (Christine, I will make this for you whenever you come to visit!) I found this recipe on All Recipes and messed with it just a tad, based on some of the comments. Super yummy!!

Couple of things: when you make pastry dough (biscuit, pie, etc) you have to blend the butter/shortening into the flour. What this lady did instead of cutting it in was to freeze the butter, grate it and then stir it into the flour. I would never have thought of that, but it worked really well! So, the directions will call for that. But if you want to go old school with a pastry cutter/fork, feel free.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
5 Tbsp sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, frozen
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup cold half-and-half
1/2 tsp vanilla
Beaten egg white or melted butter (optional)
Strawberries, macerated with sugar/Splenda
Cool Whip or whipped cream

DIRECTIONS

Combine flour, salt, baking powder and 3 Tbsp of sugar.

A little at a time, grate the butter into the flour mix. Toss gently to combine after each butter addition.

Combine egg, half-and-half, and vanilla. Stir into flour/butter mix until combined.

Shape dough into six biscuits and place on greased cookie sheet. Brush tops with an egg wash/butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar. (If you're lazy like me, just spray them with Pam spray and then sprinkle on the sugar - it works!)

Bake at 425° for 12-14 minutes, till barely browned. Let cool 5-10 minutes. Top with macerated strawberries and Cool Whip or whipped cream. YUM!!!

Baked Oatmeal

2009-05-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

Yum!! Found this recipe here on $5 dinners. She served it with scrambled eggs for dinner, with planned leftovers for breakfast. I halved the recipe and baked it in an 8x8 pan for breakfast with some turkey bacon. Either way - it's good. Her recipe calls for fresh blueberries; I used chopped, frozen strawberries. You could also use apples, raisins, bananas, whatever. I think next time I might add some real maple flavor and just serve fruit on the side? Lots of options here...

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
3/4 cup sugar (Splenda at our house)
1 cup milk
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cup fresh/frozen fruit
Vanilla or plain yogurt, or cream, or milk (optional)

DIRECTIONS

In large mixing bowl, whisk 2 eggs, applesauce, sugar and milk. Once creamy, add oats, salt and baking powder and mix through.

Pour batter into greased 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle top with brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. (Don’t wait too long, as you want to serve it warm!) If desired, top with yogurt, cream, or milk.

Homemade pizza crust

2009-05-03T10:58:00.000-07:00

Yum! This recipe is from Betty Crocker's Big Red Cookbook; the greatest cookbook ever, in my opinion! Our favorite basic pizza is, of course, pepperoni. My personal fave is Honey Mustard Chicken pizza, made with homemade honey mustard. Zac made a Hot Wing pizza last time and loved it, but he also likes my Barbecue Chicken pizza. You really can't go wrong here....

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 - 3 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) quick/rapid-rise yeast
3 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 cup warm water (120°-130°)

DIRECTIONS

Mix 1 cup of flour, the sugar, salt and yeast in large bowl. Add oil and warm water. Beat with mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes, scraping bowl frequently.

Stir in enough remaining flour until dough is soft and leaves sides of bowl. Knead (by hand or dough hook) for 5-8 minutes, till dough is soft and springy.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest/rise for 30 minutes. Pat into pans to form two crusts, thick or thin.

THIN CRUST: After shaping, pre-bake crust at 425° for 7-8 minutes. Top as desired and bake at 425° for 8-10 minutes, till cheese is browned.

THICK CRUST: After shaping, pre-bake crust at 375° on lower rack for 20-22 minutes. Top as desired and bake at 375° for about 20 minutes, till cheese is browned.

Culinary tip

2009-04-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

The other day, I was making cookies to take to a lady I visit teach. My brown sugar canister was empty, so I went digging in the pantry for food storage brown sugar. I found one box and it was ROCK HARD! So I had Zac do some Google-ing and here are the solutions:

IMMEDIATE: Put what you need in a bowl and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave in brief intervals till softened. Try not to melt it, although mine was a little melty and still worked.

LONG TERM: Put the brown sugar brick in your canister with a piece of bread. Give it a couple of days and you will have normal brown sugar! I shook the canister around each day just to break it up. Take the bread out after a few days - it'll be a brick now, but your brown sugar will be nice and fluffy!!

Cream cheese sugar cookies

2009-04-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

Holy smokes, these cookies are good! I was looking for a recipe similar to the Lofthouse sugar cookies - the super soft, yummy ones sold at Wal-Mart. This isn't them; but if anything, it's a million times better!! My plan was to do cutout cookies, but I got lazy and dropped them instead.

INGREDIENTS

1½ cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp almond extract (I didn't have this and used total 1 1/2 tsp vanilla instead)
3½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder

DIRECTIONS

In a mixing bowl cream sugar, butter and cream cheese until fluffy.

Add egg and flavorings; beat till smooth.

Stir together the flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture and mix thoroughly.

Shape as desired (drop or cutout). Place on ungreased cookie sheet (parchment paper is great to use) and bake in a 375° oven 8-10 minutes. Watch for the edges to just barely begin to brown if you like a moist cookie. Cool and frost.

FOR DROP COOKIES

No need to chill dough. Drop by the tablespoon and flattened them. You can use a fork (as with peanut butter cookies) or the bottom of a glass that has been buttered and dipped in granulated sugar. It made them about the size of store bought cookies and I got right at two dozen.

FOR CUT-OUT COOKIES

Chill dough for a few hours/overnight. Dust surface with a mixture of ½ powered sugar and ½ flour. Roll dough ¼ to ½ inch thick depending on your preference, then cut into desired shapes.

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

ICING

4 cups powered sugar, sifted
4 Tbsp softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg white
¼ cup milk/cream

Combine egg white and milk, set aside.

Beat together powered sugar, butter and flavorings.

Add small amounts of the milk mixture until icing is spreading consistency. Tint with desired colors.

Yummy honey mustard

2009-04-04T22:00:00.001-07:00

I'm a honey mustard junkie. It's soooo good. I've found a yummy recipe that tastes good on everything - chicken fingers, salads, sandwiches, etc. Super easy. If you use a lot, store it in a squeeze bottle or just mix a little at a time in a bowl.

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp honey

DIRECTIONS

Mix. Enjoy. My favorite kind of recipe. :)

Tortilla pizzas

2009-04-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

Here's an easy one for ya. I've used this one a few times this week since I haven't been feeling up to par.

INGREDIENTS

Tortillas
Sauce
Toppings
Cheese

DIRECTIONS

I like to double layer my tortillas to make the pizza a little more substantial. Layer a little sauce and cheese between two tortillas. Top with more sauce, toppings and cheese.

Bake at 350° for 7-9 minutes. I like to broil mine for about 1 minute at the end to get the cheese good and brown.

Cut up and enjoy!!

You can go traditional - tomato sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella....or get a little more creative and go with whatever you're feeling. Here are some of our fave combinations:

**Honey mustard, cut up cooked chicken, bacon bits, mozzarella cheese.
**BBQ sauce, cut up cooked chicken, cheddar cheese

Onion Lover's Bread

2009-01-05T21:30:00.000-08:00

I'd never met anyone I'd consider an Onion Lover.....until I met Zac's sister, Kirsten. I made her a loaf of this bread for one of her birthdays. It's another recipe from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads. It's a yeast bread that makes two really pretty, braided loaves! Zac says it tastes kind of like pizza. The first group of ingredients is for the dough, the second group is for the filling. The filling is prepared while the dough is set aside to rise. Typing this is a labor of love - it'll take awhile! :)

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg dry yeast
4 cups flour, bread or all-purpose
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg, room temperature, lightly beaten

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp paprika

DIRECTIONS

Combine yeast and 2 cups of flour in mixer bowl.

Heat water, sugar, salt, milk and butter until warm (about 125°). When butter is very soft (not necessarily melted), add egg and pour all the liquid into the flour. Blend at low speed until moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for two minutes.

Attach dough hooke and add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, to make a soft dough that forms a ball and cleans the sides of the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. (Yes, it rises before you knead it!)

While dough is rising, make the filling. Melt butter in medium saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in remaining filling ingredients. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Using the dough hook or by hand, knead dough for about 10 minutes, adding extra sprinkles of flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Allow dough to relax for 5 minutes.

Roll dough into a 12" x 18" rectangle. Cut into six strips, 9" x 4" each. If strips start to pull back and shrink, let rest for a few minutes, then roll to size.

Carefully spread filling on the pieces, leaving a 1/2" margin around the edge. Roll each piece from the long side. Don't roll all the way to the edge - stop about 1" from edge and lift the edge to the roll and pinch together. This will give a firm seal and keep the filling from spilling out. Lift the rolls onto the baking sheets and braid three rolls together, pinching the ends together tightly.

Cover with wax paper and let rise at room temperature until braids have doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake on middle shelf of a preheated 350° oven for 30-35 minutes, until loaves are a golden brown.

Carefully slide from baking sheet to cooling rack and admire your work!

Simplicity

2009-01-01T18:06:00.001-08:00

What started off as a healthy year ended up as a fatty 2008. And so we start again this year! Hopefully we won't have any moves or anything like that to throw us off.

I've been craving veggies lately and broccoli is always my favorite. I wanted to share with you the wonderful-ness of bottled Italian dressing. I don't care for it on salads - but it is great for seasoning and marinating. Here are the steps for my healthy Italian-style stir fry.

INGREDIENTS

Chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
Italian dressing
Broccoli florets (I prefer fresh, but frozen will work)
Seasonings (Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder)
Angel hair pasta (I use whole wheat)

DIRECTIONS

Prepare pasta according to package directions. :) Toss lightly with EVOO, cover, and set aside.

Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes in Italian dressing. Saute in skillet (with dressing) until cooked through.

Turn heat to low and add broccoli. Season as desired and toss with chicken. Let it steam, covered, on low heat for 3-5 minutes, until broccoli is as tender as you like it.

Serve chicken and broccoli over the pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.

YUMMY!!

Puppy Chow

2008-12-19T23:34:00.000-08:00

The technical name for this is Chex Muddy Buddies - but we always called it puppy chow. I only make it at Christmas and it's sooooo good!!!

INGREDIENTS

9 cups Chex cereal (I use Rice - you could also use Wheat or Corn)
1 cup semi-seweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter/margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

Measure cereal into large bowl and set aside.

Place chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter into microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring between, until melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Pour chocolate mix over cereal and stir until thoroughly coated. Pour into two gallon resealable bag. (I didn't have one of these, so I just used a double layer Wal-Mart bag)

Add powdered sugar. Seal bag and shake well. Spread cereal onto waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container.

You can put this in cute little Christmas baggies to take to neighbors/friends. Yummy!!

Creamy Spinach Pasta

2008-12-16T22:30:00.000-08:00

I couldn't think of a better name for this. It's yummy, a recipe that I got off a couple that invited us over for dinner.

INGREDIENTS

1 box (1 lb) rigatoni pasta

1 lb ground beef

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 small can tomato sauce (optional)

6-8 oz fresh spinach, stems removed

1 pkg cream cheese
Shredded cheese (I used cheddar/mont jack mix)

DIRECTIONS

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Brown beef in skillet and drain fat. Stir in spaghetti sauce.

Mix pasta with sauce mixture. If pasta looks a little dry, stir in the extra tomato sauce. (I did!) Pour into greased casserole dish.

Drizzle medium skillet with oil. Saute spinach until it wilts. Drain slightly on paper towels and spread over pasta in the dish.

Pull cream cheese apart and dot all over the top of the casserole. I used about 1/2 the package, but Zac would have preferred I use the whole thing. Do what makes you happy! :)

Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes, till cheese is browned.

Roasted Chicken

2008-12-11T08:50:00.000-08:00

Awhile back, I saw Cristina Ferrare on Oprah. She was doing some money saving recipes by showing a recipe for roasted chicken that could be used in multiple recipes. I did the roasted chicken recipe and it turned out to be pretty yummy. I didn't make all of her other recipes (not yet, anyway!) but I was pretty pleased with the chicken. As she suggested, I did two chickens because it goes with my cooking philosphy: If I'm making something time consuming (lasagna, etc.) I might as well make two and have leftovers! If you didn't want to do the whole chicken thing, I think this would also work well with split chicken breasts, then you could pull the meat off those....try it out!

INGREDIENTS

2 whole chickens, about 5 lbs each
6 lemons
A poultry herb mix (I used dried poultry seasoning - Cristine suggests fresh herbs, including rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley and oregano)
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice (from the lemons - save the rinds!)

DIRECTIONS

Rinse chickens well and pat dry. Remove any inside stuff that might be left. Place each chicken in its own baking dish.

Stuff cavities with lemon rinds and herbs. If using dried herbs, sprinkle liberally inside.

Pour marinade over chickens and rub it in. Top with black pepper and remaining herbs.

Cover with foil and bake in preheated 425° oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil and bake until internal temperature registers 180° and juices are clear.

Isn't it pretty? :)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Delights

2008-12-10T13:39:00.000-08:00

If you ever wondered who the world's greatest cookie maker is.....

It's my dad. I did not inherit his cookie making ability - mine never turn out as chewy and soft as I want them to. But then I found this amazingly wonderful cookie recipe...

I found this recipe while blog-stalking a friend of Natalie's. Her name is Stephanie and this cookie recipe is the most amazing thing I've ever found. To quote her post: "One thing I really love about this recipe is how beautifully consistent it is. The dough always looks and feels the same - and the finished product is the same every time. I really appreciate the dependability." Took the words right out of my mouth...which leaves room for another cookie. :)

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves (I've never used this because I never have it)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 pkg chocoalte chips (or raisins, nuts, whatever....about 12 oz of something!)

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium high speed for thirty (30) seconds.

Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.

Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.

Beat in the flour. If it gets to be too much for the mixer, then stir it in by hand. (It seems like a lot - just go with it!)

Beat/stir in the rolled oats and chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 7-8 minutes. Cool on the sheet for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack or waxed paper. ENJOY!!!

I usually get right at 4 dozen cookies from this recipe.

Oh, yummy....

Forgot to take a picture of the full bowl of dough. Oh, well. It's yummy either way!!

Quick Fix Skillet Burrito

2008-12-09T17:17:00.000-08:00

I saw this recipe on a few different blogs, but it originated at Kraft Kitchens, an awesome recipe website!! (That's where the picture came from, too) It's yummy and potentially very economical!! I served it with corn on the side and Zac pointed out that the corn would be good stirred in with the beans.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground beef

1 packet Taco Seasoning

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup salsa

1 cup water

4 flour tortillas, cut in 1 1/2 inch squares

1 cup shredded cheese

Sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, tomato (optional garnishes)

DIRECTIONS

Brown meat and drain. Add taco season, beans, salsa and water.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 5- 10 minutes, till it starts to thicken.

Stir in tortillas, top with cheese. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes or until cheese in melted.

TIP: Stir the tortillas in a few at a time, to avoid them clumping together.

Garnish with sour cream, tomato, lettuce and guacamole - whatever you wish. We didn't have any of these and it tasted great without!

Homemade chicken pot pie

2008-12-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from a lady at church's blog and adapted it a little. She adapted it from a Better Homes & Gardens recipe. It's yuuuuuummmmy!!! This was my first time making a totally from scratch pot pie and we were all very pleased with the results!!

Chicken Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS

Pastry for 2 pie crusts (recipe below)
1-2 small potatoes, cubed (optional, but recommended)
10 oz. frozen mixed veggies (or the equivalent of fresh veggies)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
3 cup cooked chicken, cubed (2 boneless chicken breasts)
1 Tbsp dried parsley

DIRECTIONS

Prepare pastry for double crust pie; chill in refrigerator.

Cook veggies to fork tender. If frozen, microwave to thawed. For the potato and any other fresh veggies, cook till fork tender (saute, microwave, boil, whatever).

In a medium saucepan, cook onion and butter till onion is tender.

Stir in flour, salt, thyme and pepper. Add chicken broth and milk all at once. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.

Stir in drained veggies, chicken, and parsley. Cook till bubbly.

Assemble 1 pie crust in a 2 qt. pie pan or baking dish.

Pour mixture onto pie crust. Place 2nd pie crust on top and flute edges of pastry and cut slits in top for steam. Brush top crust with melted butter.

Bake at 450° oven for 12-15 minute or till golden.

Pie Crust Double

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
6-7 Tbsp ice cold water

DIRECTIONS

Stir together flour and salt.

Using a pastry blender or food processor, cut in shortening till pieces are pea-sized.

Pastry blender:
Sprinkle 1 T. of water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork.
Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 T. of water at a time, till dough is moistened.

Food Processor:
Turn on to low setting.
Through feed tube, add water until pastry forms a ball. Turn off immediately.

Divide dough in half. Form each half into a ball.

Flatten into a 6" disc and wrap in plastic wrap.

Put dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill. (At least an hour would be better)

On a lightly floured surface, dust the top of the dough and rolling pin with flour. Roll from center to edges into a 12" circle.

To transfer pastry, wrap it round the rolling pin; unroll into a 9" pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. With a table knife, trim pastry even with pie plate.

Put filling in pie crust.

Roll remaining dough into a 12" circle. Cut slits in the center to allow steam to escape while baking.

Place pastry on top of filling; trim to 1/2" beyond edge of plate. Fold top pastry under edge of bottom pastry and slightly flatten. Crimp edge of pastry as desired. Brush top with melted butter or egg wash.

Bake as directed in the individual recipe. Cover crust edge with foil during last 10 minutes to prevent over browning.

Asian Stir Fry Sauce

2008-11-30T22:25:00.000-08:00

I found this sauce recipe on the back of a bag of Great Value frozen stir fry veggies. And it's gooood and easy! We like asian flavors, so I use these ingredients a lot. If you have never made asian type foods, you should start! If you don't have some of these ingredients, buy the smallest container to try it out. I think you'll find that you like them and will use them frequently - and the shelf life is pretty good on them.

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp ground ginger (you can buy this in little jars; refrigerate after opening)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 tsp sugar (optional)
Pinch cayenne (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients and saute with stir fry ingredients. I usually saute some chicken or other meat till cooked, then add some type of veggie and either pasta or rice. Toss it all with this sauce until heated through. If you make a big batch of stir fry, or if you like sauce, you can always double the recipe.

I know this is kind of a vague recipe, but it's so versatile! If you have rice, use rice. If you have pasta, use pasta. If my directions don't make sense or if I was too vague, ask questions! I love talking about my recipes!!

Pumpkin Muffins

2008-11-25T20:03:00.000-08:00

I've never been a huge fan of pumpkin/spice stuff, but I'm kinda starting to get into it. My sister-in-law gave me the recipe for these muffins and they're pretty yummy!!

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg spice cake mix
1 can (about 15 oz) pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 egg
A splash of water, if needed
1/2 cup (total) optional additions: Raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips or any combo

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Don't add too much water - batter should be thick.

Spoon into greased 12-cup muffin tin. The cups will be pretty full, but don't worry - the batter doesn't rise a lot.

Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes. Don't overcook, muffins are always better a little moist in the middle!

Beef Noodle Bowl

2008-11-03T22:16:00.000-08:00

This recipe came from a Kraft Foods magazine that I get. You can also check out their website for some super easy recipes. Zac absolutely LOVES the Beef Noodle Bowl. If you have an aversion to beef, go ahead and use chicken. Shrimp might be good, too...ooh, there's an idea...

INGREDIENTS

8 oz. linguine, uncooked
3 cups broccoli florets
2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced (about 3 medium)
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
¼ cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame dressing
2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli and carrots to the cooking water for the last two minutes of pasta cooking time. Drain mixture, cover, and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, heat oil and teriyaki sauce in large nonstick skillet. Add meat and cook until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing; cook until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.

Toss pasta and meat mixtures in large serving bowl.

I'm really enjoying posting some of my recipes. I wish I could put pictures with them, but I'm not necessarily making them as I post. They are just yummy favorites. Let me know if you try or have any thoughts about any of them.

Lori's Wine Sauce Chicken

2008-11-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

Lori made this scrumptious dish for us one night at her house - back when we all lived in Arkansas. hehe She serves it over rice, but it would also be yummy over noodles. It calls for white wine - I keep a bottle of white cooking wine and marsala cooking wine that I use for few different recipes.

INGREDIENTS

6 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups sauteed mushrooms
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Place the butter or margarine in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place the chicken pieces on top and add the sauteed mushrooms.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine and heat the soup, milk, Cheddar cheese and garlic powder. Remove from heat and add the white wine and mayonnaise.

Pour mixture over the chicken and mushrooms. Top with slivered almonds and grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Serve over cooked rice or noodles.

Super easy rolls

2008-11-02T22:05:00.000-08:00

These easy, yummy rolls are from a Paula Deen recipe. They are the easiest things ever - a little more biscuit-y than normal rolls, but a very easy way to have homemade bread with dinner.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups self-rising flour (this is in your normal grocery store, right next to the all purpose. You can also make your own.)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Optional seasonings (ex: garlic powder, cinnamon/sugar, whatever goes with your meal)

DIRECTIONS

Combine flour and milk. Stir in mayo, until just combined.

Spoon into greased 12-cup muffin tin. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes.

Enjoy!!

LOW CAL Zucchini Muffins

2008-11-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

I altered this recipe from one that I found on AllRecipes to make it healthier. I'll type the recipe the way I made it, with the original ingredients in parentheses. I scraped the bowl and made exactly two dozen cupcakes....these are sooooo yummy!!!

UPDATE: I figured it up - if you make it my healthy way with walnuts, each muffin is 105 calories. Omit the walnuts and each muffin is 72 calories. Just FYI. :)

INGREDIENTS

3 cups whole wheat flour (original: 3 cups flour)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (original: 1 cup oil)
1 3/4 cup Splenda (original: 1 3/4 cup sugar)
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini, about 3 medium (DO NOT DRAIN - you'll need the moisture)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, but highly recommended!)

DIRECTIONS

Sift together flour(s), salt, soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.

Cream together eggs, oil, applesauce, sugar, Splenda and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well.

Stir in zucchini and walnuts until well blended. Spoon into greased muffin tin. (I use muffin liners and lightly spray those.)

Bake at 325° for about 15 minutes. DO NOT overbake or you will lose the wonderful moist texture. Remember: if you use any whole wheat flour, your muffins will already be kind of brown - so you can't just look for the 'golden brown' on top.

These are so good. If you think your batter looks a little dry before baking, stir in an extra dollop of applesauce. Some people stir in chocolate chips, but I kinda like them without it. You can also bake this in an 8x4 loaf pan for about 40 minutes. So good.

Mamaw's buttermilk poundcake with vanilla sauce

2008-10-23T21:36:00.001-07:00

Everybody has one of those dishes that grandma always made. And you loved it. For me, it's my Mamaw's poundcake. She used to make a chocolate sauce, too, but the vanilla is my favorite and the one she makes most often. It's super yummy....

CAKE INGREDIENTS

1 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
6 eggs, separated
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

DIRECTIONS
In mixer, blend shortening and sugar.

Add egg yolks, one at a time.

Mix in vanilla.

Combine flour, salt and soda. Add to shortening mix, alternating with buttermilk.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into shortening mixture.

Bake in tube pan (I think this is old lady-speak for bundt pan) at 350° for about an hour, till pick comes out clean. Let cool, serve with vanilla sauce. YUM!

VANILLA SAUCE INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Pet milk
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in saucepan. Remove from heat.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Simmer over low heat, stirring, about five minutes. Serve over poundcake.

Poor Man Tacos

2008-09-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe out of a book I got from Christine (I think I still owe her $10 for it...need to ask about that). When she still lived in Arkansas, she worked at Helping Hand as one of their Occupational Therapists; they sold these cookbooks as a fundraiser. Of course, I don't have the cookbook right now because it's in a box somewhere in our storage unit, but I covered the basics and they turned out pretty yummy. This would be a great way to stretch your hamburger meat into two meals and save a little money.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground beef (I use 90/10 ground sirloin, but use whatever your tastes/budget allows)
Taco seasoning
1 can chili beans (do not drain!)
5-6 slices Velveeta
Flour tortillas
Shredded cheddar cheese (if you're a cheese junkie like us)
Lettuce, etc. (as desired)

DIRECTIONS

Brown your ground beef with the taco seasoning. If necessary, drain some of the fat and put beef back in pan.

Pour chili beans over taco meat and cook on low until beans are heated through. Top with Velveeta slices and stir until cheese melts.

Serve in tortillas with cheese and whatever other taco toppings you might like.

We had them with just the meat/bean filling and a sprinkle of cheddar. But you can top them however you like. And then have leftovers to do it all again in a couple of days.

Dad's Banana Muffins

2008-09-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

My dad got this awesome banana bread recipe from a friend when he was in college finishing his bachelor's degree at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. The recipe is technically for muffins, but we sometimes just make loaf bread instead. It's super yummy!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup mashed banana (about 3)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup nuts (walnuts or pecans)

DIRECTIONS

Cream shortening with sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Combine dry ingredients. Add to shortening mix, alternating with buttermilk.

Stir in mashed banana and vanilla. Add nuts, if using.

Pour into muffin tin or loan pan(s). Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes (muffins or mini-loaves) or about 45 minutes (regular loaf). Let cool on rack.

ENJOY!!

Popcorn from Lori

2008-09-13T21:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some more recipes from Lori's blog. One night I saw on her Facebook that she'd made a Popcorn Cake and I asked about it. She posted that recipe and two others that sounded yummy. Let me know if you decide to try them!

Grandma Clever's Popcorn Cake

4 qts. popped popcorn
1 lb small gumdrops (sometimes we have to use the bigger ones and cut them. That’s pain.)
½ lb salted peanuts
½ c butter
½ c oil (my gma has ‘salad oil’…. I think that I normally use canola or something like that. Also, you can get away with not using that much - maybe between 1/4 c. to 1/2 c.)
1 lb marshmallows
Buttered angel food cake pan

Add popcorn, candy, and nuts in large bowl.

Melt oil and butter in large saucepan. Add marshmallows. Bring to boil. Pour over popcorn mixture and mix.

Press into pan. Let cool.

Red Hot Popcorn

I also thought I'd post another popcorn recipe. I can't take credit for this one - Kristi found this one and it's so yummy and different. The young women especially liked it! :) I wish that I had a picture for you. It turns out bright red, just like the red hots, and tastes so yummy!

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 c. unpopped popcorn
1/2 c. butter
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
2 (2.25 oz) packages cinnamon red hot candies

Pop popcorn and place in large brown bag (or large Ziploc).

Combine the butter, corn syrup and red hots in a microwave safe bowl or saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the candies have melted. Pour the hot syrup over the popped corn, and shake bag for 1 minute, until completely coated. Cool and serve.

Caramel Popcorn

This is not your normal crunchy caramel popcorn. It's got real, gooey caramel on top of the popcorn. We used to make this a lot growing up when 'the family' would sit down and watch a movie. SO good. SO easy.

1 c. unpopped popcorn
½ c. butter or margarine
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. white Karo syrup

Pop popcorn with an air popper. (You can also pop it in the microwave in a brown paper bag.) Try to take out the seeds that don’t pop.

Mix butter, sugar, and Karo into small saucepan. Boil 2 minutes and then pour over popped corn.

Cashew chicken

2008-09-13T21:54:00.000-07:00

My friend Lori made this for me after I had Abby. I was able to figure out most of the ingredients and made it several times after. Zac had to tell me not to make it again for a long time, if that tells you how many times I made it...

And so I am copying her blog post with the recipe. I don't use bean sprouts, because they kind of freak me out. And I'm lazy, so I usually use spices instead of celery and onion. But what she brought me was amazing, so following the recipe would definitely not hurt. Although part of cooking is making things to fit your taste and your style. So....make some cashew chicken!!

Mom's Cashew Chicken

1 chicken (I use chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken)
12 oz can of bean sprouts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
large can (or 2/3 of a bag) chow mein noodles
1 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. milk
1/4 lb salted cashews
1/2 c. chopped onions

1. Set aside some chow mein noodles (about 1/3 of what you're using). Mix all ingredients together in a medium to large bowl.
2. Spoon ingredients from bowl into a greased casserole dish. Top with the remaining chow mein noodles. Don't worry if they don't fully cover the dish.
3. Bake uncovered for 1 hr at 350 degrees

World-famous green chile enchiladas

2008-09-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

I came up with this recipe a couple of years ago when I needed to use up some pantry ingredients. They freeze well and, in my experience, make a great meal to take to new moms or other people who need dinner. Amounts will differ, depending on the size of your pan(s). But here are the basics for a 9x13 pan:

INGREDIENTS

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed/shredded (I cook mine with salt, pepper, and garlic powder)
Taco seasoning
2 cans green chile enchilada sauce
1 can cheddar cheese soup
Flour tortillas
Shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

In a medium mixing bowl, toss chicken with a liberal amount of taco seasoning to coat. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine the enchilada sauce with the cheddar soup. Add enough of this to the chicken so that it holds together. Set aside the remaining sauce mix.

Lightly fill the tortillas with the chicken mixture. Line up in greased 9x13 pan, seam side down, until pan is full.

Pour the remaining sauce mix over enchiladas, spreading out to cover ends of tortillas. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Bake in a 350° oven for 20-30 minutes, until cheese is golden brown and sauce is bubbly.

Enjoy. Yum!

Fresh strawberry bread

2008-07-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

I tried this recipe because I had some strawberries that I REALLY needed to do something with. They were a little too ripe to be eaten plain and I didn't have any Cool Whip to make a fun dessert. So, I got this recipe from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads that my Dad got me a few years ago. Holy cow, it's yummy!! Zac is a huge fan of strawberries, so of course he loved it and wants me to double the strawberries!! It's a veeeerrry simple bread recipe, so those of you who say bread is too hard - try it!!

INGREDIENTS

1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
1 3/4 cups flour (bread or all-purpose)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or shortening
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional - recommend walnuts or pecans)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350.

Crush enough of the strawberries to fill 1 cup. Pour into a small saucepan and heat on medium. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Cool. Slice remaining strawberries and chill.

In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients, except the sugar.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter; then add the eggs and water, mixing until light and fluffy.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in the crushed strawberries and nuts, if using. Pour into greased medium (8 1/2" x 4 1/2") loaf pan.

Bake for 55-60 minutes, till pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then turn onto a cooling rack/towel.

Now, Zac and I are just eating it like it is and it's darn tasty. Mr. Clayton's idea also sounds great - top the slices with softened cream cheese and the reserved, chilled strawberries. Either way, it's definitely "Good Eats." :)

Taco ring

2008-07-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

I originally got this recipe from a Pampered Chef party. They use it as an advertisement for their pizza stones, but I just use a regular pizza pan. I can't take credit for the above picture, I found it on RecipeZaar. I tried this recipe after the PC party I attended and Zac FREAKED out over how good it was. It's pretty darn scrumptious.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground beef
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I like to add more!)
1 pkg taco seasoning
2 pkg crescent rolls
Sour cream
Salsa
Taco toppings of your choice (lettuce, tomato, olives)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375.

Brown ground beef in skillet, drain. Mix in taco seasoning. Stir in shredded cheese and set aside.

On pizza stone/pan lay out crescents rolls in circular/spoked shape with pointed end pointing to outside of stone. You should have an empty circle in the middle; it will look kind of like sunrays.

Spoon beef mixture onto crescent rolls. Pull the points toward the center and tuck into the fat edge of the crescent roll. (Looking at the picture might help this make more sense).

Bake for 20-25 minutes, till crescent rolls are browned.

Put a bowl (or hollowed out bell pepper) in the middle and fill with salsa or sour cream. Mound lettuce, tomatoes, etc. on top of the taco ring.

I suppose you could mix black beans or something in with the meat - but this one is pretty darn good on its own.

Easy red beans & rice

2008-07-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

I edited this recipe from my Betty Crocker's "Big Red" cookbook - the greatest cookbook ever! I've just recently started eating beans, since I'm trying to get over my pickiness with food. This recipe is easy and yummy...add some Jiffy cornbread muffins to round it out - YUM!!

INGREDIENTS

1 can (15-16 oz) red kidney beans, rinsed
1/2 pkg of smoked turkey sausage, cut into half-circles
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 cup uncooked regular long-grain rice
1 tsp. salt
2 cups chicken broth (I use water & chicken bouillon)

DIRECTIONS

Cook turkey sausage with garlic & onion powders, till lightly browned. Remove from heat.

Add beans, rice, salt and broth. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Cover and turn heat to very low.

Simmer 14 minutes without removing lid. Remove from heat.

Fluff with fork. Cover and let steam 5 - 10 minutes.

NOTE: Most bean recipes call for using the bean liquid because it has a lot of flavor. However, as Betty Crocker notes, the bean liquid is also what causes the most flatulence (sorry, I had to tell you - it's good info). So, that's why I changed the recipe and used broth instead of water/bean liquid. But, if you want to use it, just add enough water to the bean liquid so that you have 2 cups of cooking liquid.

Enchilada casserole

2008-07-17T20:55:00.001-07:00

I found this recipe on All Recipes last week and Zac made it for lunch today. Of course, he changed a few things - wouldn't be a Zac recipe if he didn't!! It was pretty darn tasty...

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Taco seasoning (to your taste)

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

salt to taste

4 (10 inch) flour tortillas, torn into strips

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350 and lightly grease a deep dish pie pan or casserole dish.

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Drain fat and stir in taco seasoning. (Remember you will be adding more spices in a minute!)

Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder and salt. Mix well and allow to thicken slightly.

Spoon a thin layer of tomato mix in bottom of pan. Layer tortilla strips, tomato mixture and cheese until pan is full, ending with cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Yummy options:
**Zac added about 1/2 a can of drained black beans and 1/2 a can of sweet corn to the tomato mixture. Very good!!
**Next time we make it, I am going to add a layer of refried beans between the tortilla strips and the tomato mixture. (I'll omit Zac's beans and corn). I'll let you know how that turns out!

Welcome to the blog!

2008-07-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy trying things in the kitchen. I don't think cooking is really hard, you just have to be a little creative! Since I've gotten married and had a child, I have also learned the benefit of making kitchen time easier with quick recipes or with recipes that can easily be doubled and one half frozen for next week's dinner! I hope you enjoy my blog and try some of the recipes. PLEASE share any good ones that you have, too!!!