iCook

Blueberry cupcakes

2009-08-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

I bookmark recipes from cooking blogs all the time. I have to make myself go through the bookmarks just to remind myself what I have bookmarked, so I won't forget to try all the yummy things out there. I got some fresh blueberries a while back, but didn't really have a plan for them, so I froze them to use later. Yesterday, we were at home (for the second day in a row) and my sweet angels :) were getting a little stir crazy, so we got in the kitchen together.

I found this recipe at How To Eat A Cupcake
Blueberry Cupcakes (plus her specific directions)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Insert liners into a regular muffin pan.
With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs (one at a time) to the creamed mixture and beat well.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Beat portions of the dry ingredients into the cream mixture alternating with the milk.

*Lick the beaters!!!!!!* Mix for 3 minutes (I don’t know why the recipe says this. It’s not a good idea. I only mixed until the flour was almost fully incorporated.). With a spatula, fold in the vanilla and blueberries.

Fill cupcake liners 1/2 to 3/4 full with batter.

Bake for 20-25 minutes (mine were done at 18) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.

I frosted them with a regular vanilla frosting. She made an awesome looking blueberry buttercream, but I was already out of blueberries. YUM! Not blueberry muffins, blueberry cupcakes!

Easy BBQ Chicken

2009-08-06T05:54:00.000-07:00

I love this recipe for so many reasons:
- it's in the crockpot, which makes things easier on me
- it uses chicken quarters or chicken thighs, which are cheaper
- it's barbeque!!

I never used to buy chicken on the bone- only boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Well, that is definitely NOT the cheapest option as far as chicken goes. When I started paying attention to my groceries and trying to buy 2 weeks of groceries under $175, buying a couple of packages of boneless, skinless chicken was not helping. My husband doesn't like eating chicken from the bone, but he does like dark meat. In the last year I realized how much I can cook with bone-in chicken, and you don't have to eat it off-the-bone. If you put bone-in chicken in the crockpot, it will get so tender, it falls off the bone. It's so moist and yummy! I have also started buying whole chickens and roasting them, then shredding them to pieces for at least 2 different meals.

I didn't find this recipe anywhere, but I'm sure someone else has done it before. Chicken, barbeque sauce and a crockpot. That's all you need!!
I used chicken quarters, the leg and thigh are connected. There were 3 in the package. Mine were even still frozen. I placed the chicken in the crockpot, seasoned it with salt and pepper. Then, pour your favorite sauce over the chicken (save some sauce for later). Turn on low. Mine was ready after 6-7 hours. It's not super pretty, and your hands get messy, but I think it's a great meal!

I drained the chicken from the crockpot and put in this dish.

I let it cool for a few minutes before I started shredding.
I used tongs and put all the meat in this bowl.
It literally falls off the bone, and comes off very easily.
I mix the shredded meat with a little more barbeque sauce. To serve, I put some chicken on a soft roll and more barbeque sauce, for me. My husband wanted a slice of cheese.

Gran's Mac and Cheese

2009-07-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

I am a mac and cheese lover, but not a mac and cheese snob. I am just as happy eating Kraft mac and cheese as I am eating homemade. I just love it, either way!!
My mom makes a cheese sauce first (which can also be used on top of broccoli), then adds it to cooked pasta and covers it in shredded sharp cheese. Bake it and you have some easy mac and cheese!!

Macaroni and Cheese
Cheese sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup whole milk
1 heaping cup of sharp cheddar cheese (sharp or extra sharp- anything less will be bland)
salt and pepper to taste
elbow macaroni or any small pasta
more shredded sharp cheddar cheese for top

Melt the butter in a saucepan.

Add the flour and stir to combineSlowly pour in the milk and stir until it thickens up. Add shredded cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
That's it!!!! Now you have a yummy cheese sauce to pour over vegetables,
or use it instead of Hollandaise for Eggs Benedict.
I cooked a package of medium shells and mix with the cheese sauce.
Pour into a baking dish and top generously with shredded sharp cheddar (Seriously. Use the sharp cheddar. Mild cheddar just does not have enough flavor for this dish)
Bake for 20-30 minutes, until cheese has melted.

Easy Cheesy Manicotti

2009-07-25T10:10:00.001-07:00

I used to make stuffed shells and manicotti and lasagna rolls- all kinds of stuffed pasta, but we got so tired of it!! For the first few years of our marriage, I didn't have a very big selection of recipes, and we loved Italian food so much, I made those kinds of dishes alot. But, we haven't had it in years- seriously!!
I saw a great recipe for easy manicotti stuffed with string cheese at Heidi's blog, and I thought that it would something fun for the kids to help me with, and it would be yummy!! I made a batch (12 manicotti) and split it into 2 dishes. I froze one for later, and served the other.

Easy Cheesy Manicotti
1 package manicotti shells
1 package string cheese
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
simple tomato sauce

First, I made the sauce and let it simmer. Then, I browned the beef. After draining the beef, I added it to the sauce. Then, I cooked the manicotti shells. After they cooled, it was assembly time. Here, my lovely assistant will show you how we stuffed and arranged the manicotti.

Top with shredded mozzarella and bake for 30 minutes at 375. YUM!!

**While we are on the subject of Heidi's blog, and ground beef recipes (I am always collecting new ground beef recipes), I made these meatballs last night and they were great!!! I highly recommend them :)

Cheesy Garlic Bread

2009-07-20T07:37:00.001-07:00

I saw this on another cooking blog, and bookmarked it immediately. Err, well, apparently I DIDN'T bookmark it because I can't find the bookmark nor can I remember which site I was at. I have found and started following several more cooking blogs recently, and so I don't know which one it was. Well, if it was your cooking blog, feel free to take the credit.

Cheesy Garlic Bread
one loaf of bread, sliced- but don't slice all the way through to the bottom
soft butter, mixed with dry or fresh herbs (whatever you have)
mozzarella cheese (the original post used swiss cheese)

I put almost a whole stick of softened butter in a bowl,
and mixed in garlic salt, and some herbs I had on hand.

Slice the bread, but don't slice all the way through. The bread should still be connected.
I used a small spautla, and spread some of the garlic herb butter in each little pocket, so there is butter on each side of the bread. Then, I stuck some shredded mozzarella in each pocket. The original recipe used Swiss cheese and she had a larger loaf of bread (which would definitely work better, but this was all I had. I used one of those small sourdough loaves) and put half a slice of Swiss in each pocket.
I spread the rest of the butter on top of the loaf and covered it with foil. The oven was at 350.
Cover with foil and I baked it for 15 minutes. Then, if you want, you can take the foil off, and bake for a few minutes more. The top will get crispy that way. This was good. I didn't put enough cheese in, but my pockets weren't very big. I will definitely use a regular size loaf of bread, and it will be even better next time.

Fish Tacos

2009-07-09T08:46:00.001-07:00

In the summer, more than any other time, I want fish. I love salmon, but I only get it when it's on sale. Tilapia is a great choice, because it's cheaper! I like to saute the tilapia, but it will fall apart a bit. So, I started serving it with corn tortillas and a creamy sauce and, voila- fish tacos!!

Season the tilapia with salt and pepper.
I added herbs, olive oil, chopped garlic for marinating.
Sauce: I like a creamy sauce. I mixed Green Goddess dressing, mayo and Parmesan cheese.
After the fish marinated for at least 30 minutes, I sauteed it with some sliced onions.
I heated up some corn tortillas, shredded some mozzarella cheese and I wished I would have had some avocado's and lettuce!!! It was yummy enough with the sauteed onions, fish, cheese and sauce. We will be having this more this summer, for sure.

Easy Omelets

2009-07-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

We love breakfast in our house, but my husband and I favor different items. I love french toast, blueberry muffins, and sausage biscuits. He loves omelets, scrambled eggs with all kinds of things in it and pancakes. I recently tried an omelet, and it worked out pretty good. The key I think is a nonstick pan. Mine is a 19.99 from Bed, Bath n Beyond one- nothing fancy, but it always makes great eggs and never sticks!!

nonstick pan
3-4 eggs
butter
mushrooms, onions (whatever you want in your omelet)
cheese

Beat eggs in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Saute your onions, mushrooms or whatever veggies you are using.
They need to be totally cooked before you add them to the omelet,
because you add them at the end.
Heat skillet to medium high and put a pat of butter in skillet.
Pour eggs to totally cover bottom of skillet
Move sides of eggs away from pan, then tip pan to let uncooked eggs tip over and fill in the pan.
When almost all the way set, add veggies to one side of omelet. Sprinkle cheese over whole thing.
My hubby likes cheese!!

Flip one side of eggs over onto the side with veggies on it.
Slide onto a plate. Sprinkle the top with more cheese :)

4th of July food fun- An Exchange program

2009-07-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

If there is one positive things to come out of this blogging, I have made friends I never would have "met" otherwise. I started my personal family blog in the fall of '07, and have loved reconnecting with old friends and getting to know some new ones.
Even though I am new to the cooking blog scene, there have been several people that found me and continue to check in and actually leave comments! One sweet friend is Sonya. She is an American living in The Netherlands, and has a cooking blog. She found me and started commenting, so I started reading her blog. She does a great job of learning and bringing in the Dutch culture, but she frequently laments how hard it is to get good American items. They are either not available or ridiculously overpriced. She drives to Germany just to get chocolate chips!!!!
So I proposed an exchange. I would send her items I could get here easily and cheaper, and she would send me fun Dutch treats. Let's be honest- I will more than likely never make it to The Netherlands, but now I feel like I have!!! I sent her a package last month, and I just got my package of Dutch treats a few days ago. I had my family over last night to do fireworks (we live outside city limits), and we opened the box and tried all the treats. It was so fun! We pretty muchly enjoyed everything, and it is interesting to see how other people eat.

Our package of goodies!!

Sonya's 2 favorite cookies from The Netherlands.
I loved the waffle cookies with a caramel-like filling.
Lots of yummy lollipops for the kiddos to eat. Even the brown salty caramel lollipops weren't that bad. Apparently, they are crazy about salty treats over there.
A cola flavored lollipop

My sister made the awesome brownie burgers that I saw on Bakerella. She did a GREAT job- they looked perfect and they were so yummy!! I want to do those myself, and the yummy sugar cookie fries.

Whole Roasted Chicken

2009-07-04T06:28:00.000-07:00

Before last week, I had never roasted a whole chicken before. My husband doesn't like eating chicken from the bone, so I never bought a whole chicken. Lately, though, I have been buying the rotisserie chickens when they are on sale at the store ($4.99), chopping them up and getting a few dinners out of the meat. So, this time, I did the roasting. The whole chicken was on sale and I got it for $3.81, cheaper than the rotisserie. Now, I know how to roast a chicken, so I can buy a whole chicken if it's cheaper than buying the pre-cooked one.

Whole Roasted Chicken
whole chicken (make sure you remove the what-not from the inside of the chicken)
fresh herbs, halved lemon (optional)
salt and pepper
butter

I made a paste with the butter, salt and pepper and rubbed that all over the chicken, and under the skin onto the breasts.I stuffed the chicken with 2 lemon halves, and a bundle of fresh herbs.I roasted it for 50 minutes at 450 on a cooling rack with a baking sheet underneath it.
Then, I let it cool and chopped it up. I made chicken salad for my husband to take to work and we had more of it last night in our avocado caesar salad* with chicken. We still have enough chicken for another meal. Pretty good for $3.81!!
*Just add mashed avocado to your regular caesar dressing and mix well, then add sliced avocado on top of the salad with the chicken. YUM! Great summer meal.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken

2009-06-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

We love pasta in our family. We were lucky enough to go to Italy a few years ago, and that only fueled our love for all things Italian. Giada de Laurentiis has always been one of my favorite chefs to watch and make her food. Everyday Italian is a great show- I have 3 of her cookbooks and I use every single one of them, although her Everyday Italian cookbook has been used the most. It is a great resource for basic Italian cooking. The Lemon Spaghetti page and the Fettuccine Alfredo page are splattered the most!

Giada's Fettuccine Alfredo
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 to 2 tsp. grated lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
pinch of nutmeg
salt
9 ounces fresh fettuccine (I used a bag of dried fresh fettuccine, it made a difference)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

I cooked the chicken first. I had chicken tenders. After thawing them, I put them in a ziploc bag with olive oil, lemon juice (not too much), garlic salt, and any herbs I had on hand. I let that marinate for a bit while I got everything else ready. I heated up a saute pan with olive oil and cooked the tenders through. I set them aside on a paper plate to start the sauce.

In the same pan, I added 1 cup of cream, lemon juice and butter-stirring occasionally until the butter melts. Add lemon zest and nutmeg. At this point, you can pull it off the heat, cook your pasta and then put it back on the heat to finish up. After your pasta is cooked, drain it and add to the pan with the cream. Add the remaining 1/2 cup cream, the Parmesan, and salt and pepper. Toss over low heat and sauce will thicken slightly, about 1-2 minutes. Serve with chicken.
*Sorry for not many pictures! I was in a hurry to get it on the table, and that is usually when I forget to take my pics.
This is great alfredo. It will thicken up at the end, so give it a few minutes. Manga!!

Father's Day Breakfast

2009-06-22T06:53:00.001-07:00

This should really be called Gramp's Breakfast. My Gramps ate this every Saturday, and most Saturdays I was with my Granny and Gramps eating with them. I used to think it was gross how the egg was runny, until I tried it!!!
This was what I made Sunday morning for my great hubby, an awesome father to our 2 crazy kids!!

Eggs, sunny side up

maple bacon

Granny toast

The bacon takes the longest, so get that going first. I placed the bacon on a cooling rack, with a baking sheet underneath it, to catch the grease.
Then, brush it with maple syrup. My hubby loves maple bacon, but we didn't have any and I remembered my Dad telling me about brushing the bacon with maple syrup for a more intense maple flavor.

Bake the bacon at 375 or 400 for about 30 minutes.
Put a pat of butter in a skillet at medium heat. Crack the egg, sprinkle with salt. Cook the egg white all the way through, but don't turn over- you don't want the yolk to cook through.
The Granny toast- My Granny always broiled her toast.
Butter the toast on one side, and turn the oven to broil.
Broil for just a minute or two. Don't forget about it and keep checking it!!!
It only takes a minute or two, really.
The buttered side gets toasty, and the other side stays soft. YUM!
The bacon was really good, very sweet. If you only want a hint of maple syrup, just brush it once. I brushed it 3 times, and it was sticky and sweet!! Really yummy, but maybe too sweet for some. I love making breakfast, and this is one of my favorites. It was a hit!!

Cutest thing EVER

2009-06-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

Bakerella is incredible!! This is literally the cutest thing I have ever seen. It's all edible- and sweet!!! I am seriously thinking of trying this. Cupcake buns, brownie burger with frosting condiments and sugar cookie french fries. She even has the links for the templates for the basket and paper. She is so thorough, too. In the post, she shows pictures and outlines every step. Have you ever seen anything so precious?

Weekly Menu

2009-06-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

I was out of commission (well, my computer was) last week, so I have a longer than usual menu list. These are some of the meals we have eaten in the last two weeks. I bought 2 rotisserie chickens last time I went to the grocery store, they were on sale 4.99 each. I came home and immediately chopped up the chicken. We used it for 3 dinners- barbeque chicken sandwiches, King Ranch Chicken and chicken salad sandwiches. I love it when the rotisserie chickens are on sale- it makes my evenings alot easier!!!

Barbeque chicken sandwiches, potato salad
(chopped rostisserie chicken with barbeque sauce, piled on a toasted bun)

Chicken fried steak sandwiches, fried potatoes and onions

Taco Salad

Breakfast for dinner
(pancaked, scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit salad)

Meatloaf, mac n cheese, spinach

King Ranch Chicken

Chicken Salad sandwiches on croissants, corn on the cob

Sauteed tilapia, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted squash and zucchini

Stuffed chicken breast, mashed potatoes, broccoli with lemon butter

Carrot and Cream Cheese Muffins

2009-06-11T08:12:00.001-07:00

I think I have said this before, but I should probably have a "cream cheese" label. Anytime I see cream cheese in a recipe, it is hard for me to pass it up!! I saw this recipe on Full Bellies, Happy Kids and got the ingredients I was missing to make this immediately. These muffins are moist, with that line of cream cheese goodness running through the middle- OH!!! They are really great, and easy to make.
Carrot and Cream Cheese Muffins

1- 15 oz. can sliced carrots, drained
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon each ground allspice, cloves and nutmeg
egg
1/3 cup canola oil
FILLING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar

Puree the carrots in a food processor. Whisk carrots, egg and oil in bowl.Mix dry ingredients- flour, sugar, spices, salt and baking sodaAdd dry ingredients to carrot mixture.
Fill muffin tin 1/3 of the way full with carrot muffin batter.Mix filling ingredients- cream cheese, egg and sugar.

Drop tablespoon size spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture on top of carrot batter.Top with a dollup of carrot batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350.
Mine baked for 24 minutes.

Weekly Menu

2009-05-30T06:26:00.000-07:00

Tuesday:
Chicken piccata with creamy lemon sauce
(the pics for this one got lost... I guess I'll have to make it again so I can post it- Darn!! :)

Wednesday:
Spaghetti and meatball bake
cheesey bread sticks (you really don't want to try these...they are TOO good)Thursday:
grilled chicken (hubby was off and grilled outside!)
baked potatoes
roasted carrots

Friday:
fried pork chops
roasted potatoes, zucchini and squash

Fried Pork Chops with Potatoes and Onions

2009-05-30T05:48:00.000-07:00

This is some comfort food for you!! My best friend's mom made the best pork chops growing up, and I had lunch with that best friend recently and she told me exactly how her mom made those great pork chops!! I've made them twice since I let with her a few weeks ago :)
It's a simple dish, but they are full of flavor. Marinate the pork chops in Italian dressing for at least 30 minutes, then dredge them in seasoned flour. Fry 'em up and you have some yummy chops!!!

Fried Pork Chops
pork chops (I used boneless, but you can use bone-in. You need to butterfly them if they are too thick)
Italian dressing
flour
salt and pepper

I butterflied the chops, and seasoned them with salt and pepperMarinating in the Italian dressingI seasoned the flour with Lawry's season salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Dredge the chops well in the flourFry up in the hot oil, about medium heatGet nice and golden
Pork Chops, Part 2:
I made these again last night. For my husband's chop, I stuffed his with ham and Gruyere cheese after they had marinated in the dressing. Then, I dredged them and fried them like the others.
I cut up potatoes and onions, and cooked them in the same pan that I cooked the pork chops in.
I told you this was comfort food for you!Sooo yummy! Crispy on the outside, with all the yummy flavor from the pork chops. Don't forget to season the potaoes and onions with salt and pepper.

Roasted Garlic

2009-05-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

I love garlic. One of my favorite smells, not just food smells- any smells, is garlic sauteeing in the pan. It smells SO good!! Roasted garlic is really yummy. Garlic gets sweeter as it cooks, and when you roast it, it gets soft and sweet. It's really good to simply spread on bread, or add it to your mashed potatoes. You could absolutely set it out as part of your appetizer tray with bread or crackers.

Roasted Garlic
head of garlic
olive oil
salt

Cut the end of the garlic head, so it is exposed.

Place garlic head(s) on a piece of foil. Sprinkle with salt and olive oil.

Wrap and place in hot oven- 400 degrees. Roast for 45 minutes.
Open and let cool. Squeeze out the garlic.
Spread on bread or add to mashed potatoes.

Weekly Menu

2009-05-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

Monday
Orange chicken, sauteed zucchini, chow mein noodles

Tuesday
mini meatloaf sandwiches, carrots, mac n cheese
I made the mini meatloaves, cut them in half and put them in a roll. It was something different! We have meatloaf a lot, so I have 3 different varieties, and am always looking for ways to mix it up a little bit. The sandwiches were great!

Wednesday
Brisket sandwiches, Red, Hot and Blue potato salad
This potato salad rocks!! No mustard, no mushy potatoes- just YUM!

Thursday
chicken Caesar salad with quick homemade Caesar dressing

Friday
Hubby taking me out!!

Potato Salad

2009-05-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

I am not a potato salad fan. I always thought it would be something I would like, so I have continued to try every potato salad passed my way. My uncle brought some potato salad to a family get-together from a barbeque restaurant- Red, Hot and Blue. I tried it, because I always try it, and it looked different. It was not yellow and mushy. AND, I saw hard-boiled eggs in it. I LOVE hard-boiled eggs. Well, it was just about one of the best side dishes, not to mention the absolute BEST potato salad, I had ever had.
I had brisket sandwiches on the menu for this week, and was trying to think of a side dish. I thought, "you know what I really want?? That totally awesome potato salad from Red, Hot and Blue" (a restaurant I have never actually been to)
I went to the internet and up came several posts and forums from foodie sites about this exact salad!! I was so excited! I looked at almost every recipe, and came up with a consensus recipe.
This is easy, and oh-so-good. No mustard, not mushy and served at room temperature.

Red, Hot and Blue Potato Salad
8 new potatoes, steamed
4 hard-boiled eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
1/4 tsp. celery salt
salt and pepper to taste

I set 4 large red potatoes in the steamer basket. They took about 30 minutes.

Hard boiled 4 eggs
(I only used 2 for the salad. I made deviled eggs with the other 2. I know- I have a problem.)

Let potatoes cool a bit. Cut into large, bite-size pieces.
Chop boiled egg (whites only) into chunks.
Put chunked potatoes and eggs in bowl.
Season with salt and pepper. Add mayo, chives and celery salt.
Mix well.
IT'S SO GOOD!!! I am bringing it to a get together this weekend, and my husband is demanding it become a staple (and not many things get "staple status"). MAKE THIS!! It's really great and different from most potato salads- I really loved it and I hope you will try it!

Easy Cheese Balls

2009-05-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

We had my grandmother's 80th birthday party at our house this weekend. We were smart and did in between mealtimes, so we just had a few snacks, cake and punch. I made my mother-in-laws cheese balls, which are super easy!!

Cheese Balls
2 lb. Velveeta
8-oz cream cheese

toppings for cheese ball- your choice!!
Some favorites are: bacon bits, chopped pecans, paprika, garlic salt, dried herbs

Put softened cream cheese and chunks of Velveeta is large bowl.Beat until combined.Separate into 2 balls (or 4 smaller logs). Cover and refrigerate.
Before party, bring balls (or logs) back out and roll in toppings. I did one in paprika, and one in dried herbs. I did a combo of dried herbs- just what I had on hand.
Thyme, Herbs de Provence and oregano. Refrigerate again until ready to set out. Serve with crackers.

This is a side view of the bar where we had all the food. We purchased the cake (I am NOT a cake decorator). The punch was great! Two 2-liters of ginger ale (or 7-UP), 2 quarts of lime sherbet and one large can of pineapple juice. Easy, but yummy! My kids had about 10 cups and were asking for more this morning when they woke up!!!

Our Menu this Week

2009-05-16T06:07:00.001-07:00

Monday:
Roasted chicken tenders and white rice
(this was just for the kids. The hubby and I had an unexpected date night!!!)

Tuesday:
grilled salmon, chow mein noodles, broccoli

Wednesday:
Chicken fried rice (with leftover roasted chicken and rice from Mon.)
pot stickers

Thursday:
Taco Salad

Friday:
Cheeseburgers on Hawaiian bread buns
french fries

These rolls are SO good. Each package is 4 rolls, that are stuck together, and that is your bun.
Put the patty and cheese on, then you can slice it into 4 little mini burgers.

Weekly Menu

2009-05-09T06:38:00.000-07:00

Monday:
Roasted chicken and veggies

Tuesday:
beef burritos and quesadillas

Wednesday:
chicken salad sandwiches and deviled eggs
My fav chicken salad:
chopped cooked chicken (a rotisserie chicken is my favorite)
red grapes, cut in half
celery, chopped fine
mayo (or miracle whip)
salt and pepper

I was thrilled rotisserie chickens were on sale for 4.99 this week at the store.

I bought one and tore it apart!! We used it for 2 different dinner this week.
Thursday:
fried pork chopes
potatoes and onions
chopped spinach
(post coming soon)

Friday:
chicken spaghetti (used the rest of the rotisserie chicken for this recipe)

Roasted Chicken and Veggies

2009-05-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

My favorite thing to do with potatoes and carrots are to roast them, and that has been well documented on this blog. But, last summer- I did a whole meal roasted. It's a favorite summer meal of mine- and I will repeat it often this season. One of the foods I get the most excited about this season is corn on the cob. I LOVE corn on the cob. I could eat it everyday. I always wrapped mine up in foil with butter and salt and cooked it in the oven- it's great, but it takes about 40 minutes. My mother-in-law showed me how she does hers...in about 6 minutes. She puts her ears in a gallon baggie and closes it, then cooks it in the microwave. After the bag pops and the corn is hot- it's ready. It is so crisp!!! I am so excited now to have a quick way to do corn.

Roasted Chicken and Veggies
chicken tenders or chicken breast cut into large chunks (I just marinated the chicken in a little olive oil and a dry herb blend)
corn on the cob, shucked and cleaned
carrots, peeled and sliced thick
potatoes (preferable gold or new, but I used russet because that's all I had), chopped
*Use whatever veggies you like- these are our favs

The veggies are clean and chopped, the oven is preheated to 375
You will need 2 baking sheetsOn one baking sheet, toss the carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper
Place the chicken on the other end of the baking sheetPotatoes on the other baking sheet- also tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper

Put a pat of butter and sprinkle salt on the corn, wrap up nice and tight in foil
Place them in oven, no need for a baking sheet

The potatoes and corn go in first- they will each take about 40 minutes. Then after 20 minutes, put in the carrots and chicken. They only take about 20 minutes. And- you're done!!!!

Beef Brisket

2009-05-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

I love BBQ. I really, really love barbeque. I regularly crave barbeque and kept seeing brisket on sale at the grocery store. I thought- surely I can figure this thing out. I have made a brisket twice now- in the oven. The grill is my husband's, not mine. So, I cook it low and slow. Basically, my 3 pound brisket cooked for 10 hours. I will tell you how I like my brisket. I like it falling apart, and "wet". "Wet" means the sauce is brushed on the brisket. Here is how I did my brisket. This is not the only way to cook it- this is just how I do it.

I rubbed the thawed brisket with a dry rub I had on hand. It was Emeril's Rib Rub.
Then wrap it in foil. I used this roasting pan (or whatever it's official name is). I filled the bottom halfway up with water- this will put moisture in the air in the oven, and help with not drying the brisket out. The brisket is well covered in foil. The oven is on 285. I left it alone for 9 hours.
Yes, seriously.
After nine hours, I started basting the brisket with barbeque sauce. There are alot of juices that have collected in the foil, and I let that out and it goes down into the pan. I tent the foil, so the brisket can breathe a bit. I turn up the heat to 300 (mainly because I will be opening the oven door alot to baste during this hour, and I don't want the oven to lose all it's heat), and baste with sauce every 15-20 minutes for one hour. Take the brisket out of the oven, off of the foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before you start slicing.

Slice at a 45 degree angle.

This was my favorite brisket I have made. I like it low and slow for sure. I have tried it before where I cranked up the temp at the end, and the brisket got scorched on the outside. I always serve it with kicked up baked beans.

Peanut Butter Rice Kripsie Treats

2009-05-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

My friend made these for a playdate we had a few weeks ago. I love Rice Krispie treats and love recipes that they kiddos can help me with. These are sweet, and yummy! They were absolutely incredible the first day, but a little stale tasting the next day. Not sure if that was the store brand Rice Krispies I used, or that just happens to these. I did make the chocolate topping, but my daughter requested some without chocolate topping, so we had it both ways. I really liked the chocolate, personally, but they were good either way. Get in the kitchen with your kiddos and have fun!!

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
1 cup sugar
1 cup KARO syrup
1 cup Peanut Butter (I used creamy)
5-6 cups Rice Krispies

Chocolate topping (optional)
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup semi sweet chips
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. milk

Measure 5-6 cups of Rice Krispies, and grease a 13x9 dish.

Put sugar and KARO syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil.Add peanut butter and stir to combine. Take off heat.

Combine Rice Krispies and peanut butter mixture in 13x9 dish and stir together. Spread evenly

Make chocolate topping. Melt chocolate chips in microwave at 30 second intervals. When melted, add vanilla and milk to chocolate. Pour over Rice Krispie treats, and let cool and set up. I didn't put mine in the fridge because I really don't like cold Rice Krispie treats, but you definitely could do that to get a firmer bar.

GG's Deviled Eggs

2009-04-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

I never really knew how much I liked Deviled Eggs, until I had GG's. My stepmom- who my kids call GG- makes fabulous deviled eggs. I requested them for our Easter get together, and told her that I was going to take pictures of her doing it and post it. I have never attempted deviled eggs before- OK, that's a lie. I did one time, and they were almost unedible... So I needed to watch her do it- I'm a visual learner.

The prep:
boiled eggs, yolks removed and cut in halfyolks smashed with fork, seasoned with salt and pepper
The filling:
mayo (Or miracle whip), mustard, chopped sweet pickles, finely chopped onion
salt and pepper, and vinegar (not pictured)Miracle whip (about 1/2 cup for 14 eggs- 28 halves), mustard (1 tsp.), vinegar (JUST a splash)
Mix wellAdd mayo mixture to yolks
Add chopped sweet pickles (1/4 cup), and onion (just a tsp or 2)
Season with salt and pepper, mix well
Fill in egg halvesThere you have it!!!
I had always heard of adding sweet relish, and then after thinking about it, I like the sweet pickles by themselves better. The relish is very runny, and would make the filling more liquid, which makes it harder to fill and work with. I think the sweet pickles is the way to go!
THANKS, GG!!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Buns

2009-04-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

I love my Google Reader. It's so much easier to check that for all my blog updates, rather than actually going to each blog. It's really a great time saver, especially since I love to check up on so many food blogs. It's a time saver, and who doesn't love those??!! I learned a great tip yesterday. I was at a dinner for moms and they had an organizing expert come and talk to us. One thing I love, besides fruit and cream cheese together, is organizing. I am not a great cleaner, but I love organizing!! She had plenty of great tips, but one I liked was to turn on a timer when you get on the computer and get off when your timer goes off. So you don't end up wasting your whole day on the computer when there are pressing issues to get to. Like these babies....

This recipe is from Bake or Break

Strawberry Cream Cheese Buns
1 cup + 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup milk
1/4- 1/3 cup preserves ( I used strawberry in some, and blackberry in some- you could also use raspberry)

Mix 1 cup flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.

Beat cream cheese, butter and sugar together.Add one egg at a time.Add flour mixture, alternately...with milk.Add last 3/4 cup flour and mix until combined.
Scoop batter into muffin tins. I used a small ice cream scoop.I got 18 regular sized muffins out of the batter. Put 2 small dollups of strawberry (or raspberry, or blackberry)
preserves on each scoop of batter.Swirl the preserves into the batter with a knife.
Bake at 350 for 16-19 minutes.
These are a little dark, they went a minute or two long. Just one of the many side effects of having two preschoolers around the house- you don't always get to oven in time...
These were lovely. They are a little sweeter than muffins, more cake-like. The preserves are a nice touch. They are not wow-y, but they are easy and yummy. My kids LOVE them.

Spaghetti and Meatball Bake

2009-04-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

I didn't have a recipe for this- but I'm sure I'm not the first one to do something like this. I love baked dishes, though. I had spaghetti and meatballs on the menu, but I really didn't want to do my meatballs. They are time consuming and messy. So I thought I would just make smaller meatballs and bake them (usually I brown them on the stove and then bake the rest of way in my sauce). Then I thought, wouldn't it be great to just throw all the parts for spaghetti and meatballs together and bake that? Yes, yes it would.

Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
bread crumbs
milk
Italian seasoning
spaghetti
tomato sauce
heavy cream (or ricotta cheese)
mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

Form the meatballs. I made them small, so they would cook fast and
they wouldn't be too big for the baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes at 375.

Set meatballs on a paper towel to drain.
In a large, deep baking dish, put in cooked spaghetti, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and some cream. I wanted to use ricotta, but mine was a bit fuzzy so I threw it out and poured some cream in. No real measurements, sorry friends.
Add the meatballs (I didn't use all my meatballs)
Stir together well. Add more cream or cheese or sauce to your liking.
*I'm adding cream for 2 reasons. First, sometimes casseroles dry up in the oven, and I thought the cream would help keep it moist. Second, my husband loves creamy tomato sauce.
Top with more mozzarella. Bake for 20-30 minutes on 375.
YUMMY!!
I really liked this- alot. The cream was a nice touch, the dish didn't dry up in the oven. It was creamy and cheesy. This would be a great dish for freezing.

Amish Friendship Bread

2009-03-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

This has been the most fun!!! I got a "starter" from one of my husband's co-workers several weeks ago, and have been baking delicious bread every 10 days ever since!!! After I made my first batch, I kept a bag for myself, so I could make more 10 days later. The first batch, I made the original Friendship bread from the recipe, with the cinnamon sugar topping. It's moist, sweet and oh-so good!! Then, I saw a post on How To Eat A Cupcake- she had gotten a starter, too!! She made hers, but did some variations on her bread. She made a lemon blueberry that is SO good, I made that one on my second go 'round. I found a very informative s ite that gives the instructions, LOTS of variations, and you can purchase a starter from them if you can't find anyone to give you one.

I HAVE A STARTER TO GIVE YOU!!!
(precious 3-year old NOT included!)If you want one, I have 2 right now, and will have 3 more in 10 days. Email me at icooktexasATgmailDOTCOM with your address and I will send you one.
On Day 10, you bake the bread and separate it out to give to 3
(or 4 if you don't keep one for yourself) of your friends.
Add milk, flour and sugar to the batter from your bag. Put it in a glass bowl. No metal.
Using one gallon bags, label each bag with the days so your friend will know what day they are on. I label mine with Day 1, Day 6, and Day 10.
Day 6 you add ingredients, and Day 10 you bake it.
Take one cup of the batter,
and pour it in the bag. I keep one for myself, so I can make more bread,
and give the other 3 away.
With the batter that is left after dividing it into 4 bags, add the ingredients per your instructions.
This is where it gets fun. The original recipe calls for box of vanilla pudding and cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top. We made it that way the first time, then we have been mixing it up since then! I used lemon pudding and a carton of blueberries for the lemon blueberry bread,
and today, my daughter suggested chocolate chips. I tossed them in flour, so they won't sink to the bottom of the bread,
and added them to the batter.

You can use one bundt pan or two loaf pans.
Bake for 1 hour- 1 hour and 15 min. at 325.

It's so good, y'all! A nice, moist, sweet bread that is great for a snack or for breakfast! I got it out of the pan a little early, so I could get pictures for you. I even spread a little butter on a warm piece and ate it for you. Just so I could tell you that-it's heaven, people.

Cupcake Pops!!

2009-03-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

I ventured into the world of cake balls, cake pops, cupcake pops- whatever you want to call them- this weekend. My husband had a pot luck deal at his work, and signed up to bring dessert. Then, last weekend, my sister made cake balls and he politely requested that I make them for his pot luck. Arrrgh!!! These are a presentation dish, they are supposed to look cute. I am no good at the presentation side of things. I can make things taste good, but not look good.
So, I went to Bakerella. She seems to have cornered the market on the cake pops, and has great tutorials on how to do it. I thought the cupcake pops looked cute, and she said to try those if you are a first-timer, so I did.

First, let me say that I followed her recipe and tutorial to a T, the pictures and instructions were great and detailed. Use her directions and pictures if you are going to attempt this.

She knows what she's talking about. I am just sharing my experience! Here is my first attempt at cupcake pops- in pictures!!!

Bake a cake- can be from scratch or the box.
Let it cool completelyCrumble up the cake
Add frosting. I used my leftover vanilla frosting from the banana cake the other night.
It was probably 1 1/2 cups. Mix together with the back of the spoonRoll into balls, about 1 1/2" ballsI got 46 balls out of mine. Let refrigerate for several hours.Roll the balls into more of an oval shape. Fit it in the bottom part of the cookie cutter, but let the top still stick out. When it comes out, It will look like a mini cupcake. (well, it's supposed to!!!!)
Put these in the freezer for 15 minutes or so. Get your dipping and decorating supplies ready.Dip the bottom halves in melted chocolate barkLet it sit and dry for 15 minutes before you dip the top halves.
Dipping the top half of the pop in the melted white chocolate barkYou can use a toothpick to help cover all the areas with the white chocolateI sprinkled them with green sprinkles, and pressed a green M&M on top

My St. Patrick Day Cupcake Pops!

These taste like a very moist chunk of cake. The size is precious, and although mine are not perfect, I still think the cupcake pop idea is super cute. And, I will do them again. I think that is the real test. If you will attempt something like this again, then obviously it wasn't that bad- and then end result is yummy!!!! Thanks, Bakerella!

Banana Cake

2009-03-15T05:46:00.000-07:00

I buy my groceries to get us through 2 weeks at a time. I had a friend ask me one time, What about fruit? Meaning, fresh fruit doesn't last that long, so what do you do about feeding your family fruit? This is my fruit plan- we eat the fresh fruit first, and then we start eating canned fruit until it's time to go to the grocery store. I get the store brand, in juice (not syrup), canned fruit which is cheap and still pretty healthy.
Bananas are my nemesis, though. My family loves bananas. If I buy one bunch of bananas, they are gone in 2-3 days. But, if I go all out and buy a few bunches, we never get through them all and I end up having to throw some out. NO!!! Money...being wasted...can't take it...

So, I am mean and just buy 2 small bunches and when the bananas are gone, they are gone. Wait until the next grocery trip. One more banana thought, and I will get to the recipe. I buy my bananas at Sam's- they are 1.77 a bunch. Yes!!!

This recipe was found for this reason. The bananas were on their way to "I'm not gonna eat that one", and I refused to throw them out. Then, I had a thought. Don't most recipes ask for ripe, super soft bananas? So, I looked in my favorite baking cookbook, Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book. It is an exact replica of the original Betty Crocker cook book published in 1950. The photos and tips are pretty humorous, but everything I've made has turned out great. This is my go-to recipe when I have a few bananas that need to be used, but nobody wants to eat.

Betty Crocker's Banana Cake
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 lg. eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup mashed ripe bananas, about 3
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350.

First off, I hardly ever have buttermilk. I use a substitution
Regular milk with a splash of vinegar (or lemon juice)- let it sit

Mash the bananas. I got my little monkeys to help.
Cream the shortening and sugar together first. Then add in eggs.
Sift together the dry ingredients. Mix the buttermilk and bananas.
Add the dry ingredients in alternately with the banana mixture
Let monkey #1 lick the beater.
This recipe is for a 13x9 pan, or 2-9" layer pans
bake for 35 minutes I frosted it with my vanilla frosting

Tamale Pie

2009-03-14T06:33:00.000-07:00

I have posted this recipe before, but it was in the crockpot. This time I did it in the oven.
We still have the rain/cold going here in Forks..I mean, Texas- so I wanted to do another cold weather favorite. I have made this several times before, but always in the crockpot. Yesterday was grocery shopping day, with a little gymnastics class thrown in, so I wasn't home early to get the tamale pie going in the crockpot. We finally got home at 3, after a fun day of errands- did I mention it was 40 degrees and raining all day?- so I made this dish in the oven, instead of the crockpot. It was originally meant for the oven, but got adapted to the crockpot, so I figured it would turn out ok. We were cold, tired and had wet feet. This dish was perfect!! It's easy to throw together, so I wasn't in the kitchen all evening, and it warmed us up!

Tamale Pie
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can hominy, drained ( I love hominy- you can totally use corn)
1 can diced tomatoes (I drain them slightly- I don't like the filling to be too juicy)
1 can chili (totally optional. I like how it thickens up the filling, and makes it heartier)
paprika
chili powder
salt and pepper

Cornbread crust:
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tsp. baking powder

Mix cornbread ingredients in a separate bowl, set aside.

Mix browned beef, canned goods (remember to drain!) and season well. I was pretty liberal with the paprika and chili powder- those are not spicy spices, but they add good flavor. I used a deep baking dish for this, I couldn't remember how much the cornbread rose, and I didn't want it spilling over the edge.

Mix well, and smooth the meat mixture to an even layer.

Pour cornbread topping over meat mixture. Bake for 40 minutes at 400.

The thing I love about this recipe, and I say this about alot of my recipes, is the flexibility. You could make this a vegetarian dish, and just add more canned beans and veggies. You could use any kinds of bean you want- whatever you have on hand. It's very flexible, this is simply the way we like it.

Roasted Carrots

2009-03-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

Another easy side dish!! Last week, it was roasted potatoes- and that even invoked a comment from a REAL food blogger. Sweet!!!
As you can tell, I love roasting...well, anything. It's a quick way (read:easy) to prepare foods, and pretty much everything I have tried is great. But, carrots. Now THAT is something that surprised even me. It took me seeing it in a magazine before I got the idea to roast carrots, and in the magazine it was those miniature carrots (see picture below)- which I have never actually seen, but would love to try. Where do you get those? Do I need to go to my fancy grocery store?
When you roast the carrots, they get a little sweet, and soft- but not mushy. My husband absolutely LOVES these, and I serve them often- any way that I can get him to eat veggies...

Roasted Carrots
carrots
salt and pepper
olive oil

Peel carrots, and chop in large chunks. Sprinkle with salt, a little pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat (I usually use my hands- messy, but easy!)
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. You can flip them around halfway through,
and I drizzled mine with more olive oil.

Chicken Fried Steak and Cream Gravy

2009-03-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

It has been cold this week, and raining for the last 3 days straight. I don't live in Forks, Washington people (if you understand this reference, then you and I are kindred spirits:)- it's Texas. My poor Golden Retriever is going CRAZY inside. Not to mention, my active 4 and 3 year old. I have enjoyed the cold weather for one reason. I have been able to do some of my "cold weather" recipes one more time, before the 7-month long season of summer hits.
Chicken Fried Steak is a southern staple, and very easy. The gravy is not hard- but can be intimidating if you have never done it or seen it done. I watched my Dad and Granny make it for years before I attempted it. I hope my pictures can give you the confidence to try it because- oh, man!! Nothin' like chicken fried steak and cream gravy to warm your tummy and leave you feeling comforted. Plus, I had a good friend ask me how to make it, and it was on sale last time I went to the store- it was meant to be!!

Chicken Fried Steak

cube steak
salt and pepper
flour for dredging steaks
butter (I used about 3-4 Tbsp)
flour (start with 1/2 cup)
milk, preferably whole or 2%

Cube steak, not an expensive cut of meat! Season with salt and pepper

Dredge in flour that has also been seasoned with salt and pepper
Heat a few teaspoons of oil at medium in a pan.
Brown the steaks on both sides, 4-6 minutes each.
Nice and brown.
Set the steaks aside. DO NOT DRAIN THE PAN. You need the fat and "bits" to make the gravy. Add the butter to the pan that you cooked the steaks in and DID NOT DRAIN. Turn heat on low.
Add flour and stir together. This will get the bits from the pan, and you will have a paste.
Paste, but really called a rue.
Add milk (or half and half or cream- it has to have some fat in it,
that is why skim milk will NOT work)
Stir milk and rue together, on LOW heat.
The gravy will start to thicken and come together quickly. Season with salt and pepper. If you need more gravy or it's too thick for your liking, add more milk and stir until it get the consistency that you like. If it is too thin, add more flour.
Pour gravy over the steaks, and serve along side mashed potatoes. You HAVE to serve mashed potatoes with your chicken fried steak!!

I was given the coolest gift a while back- an Amish Friendship Bread starter!! It is batter that comes in a bag with instructions on how to make the bread. The bread takes 10 days, and when you are ready to make it, you divide up some of the batter in 4 bags and give to friends. There is no way to make the bread unless you are given a starter. That's why it's called Friendship Bread!! I am on Day 7, and will be baking the bread on Monday. I will also have 3 starters to give away (I always keep one for myself, so I can keep making the bread!!) If you are interested in getting a starter, email me your address (icooktexasATgmailDOTCOM) and I will send the starter and instructions to you. It's a sweet bread, that is dense and very yummy. We like it for breakfast or a snack. I have also been making variations of the original, but now I have said too much. Look for the Amish Friendship Bread post on Monday!

Adaptations

2009-03-06T13:49:00.001-08:00

This week I have been making things that I have already posted the recipe for, but I have also been changing them up a bit.
One night we had breakfast for dinner. I made a breakfast hash, fruit salad and monkey muffins. Instead of doing monkey bread in the loaf or bundt pan, I made the bread in muffin tins.

I still cut the biscuit into quarters, but put three pieces in each cup. Then I poured the butter and brown sugar mixture over each one. It baked for 15 minutes at 375.
I made the stuffed chicken breasts with bernaise sauce this week, too. Instead of the original dried pesto/cream cheese stuffing, I did a chopped spinach, garlic and cream cheese stuffing. Oh, and I crumbled up Lay's potato chips for the coating on the outside. They weren't as crunchy as I thought they would be. I think I will stick with the crackers. I liked the spinach stuffing, though. I thought it was a good alternative.

Last night, I did brown sugar chicken in the crockpot. I got the original recipe from the talented (and so funny! and also so nice about emailing you back when you email her recipes to try in her crockpot) Crockpot Lady, but when I first made it, it was too sweet for me. The original recipe calls for:
7-Up
brown sugar
garlic
vinegar
soy sauce

Last night I used:
chicken broth
brown sugar
garlic
vinegar
soy sauce
It still had a nice sweetness to it, without being too sweet. I bought a package of drumsticks at the store- they were $1.33. I couldn't resist!!! My husband doesn't like eating chicken off the bone, so that is why this crockpot meal is perfect. The meat falls off the bone!!

Roasted Potatoes

2009-03-05T11:13:00.000-08:00

Simple, simple- but really great. I love using yellow butter potatoes the best, but regular old baking potatoes will work fine.

Roasted Potatoes
butter potatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper

Prehat oven to 400.

Cut the potatoes into chunks. Not too big, or they will take forever to cook. Sprinkle liberally (that means alot!) with salt and pepper, and olive oil. Toss to coat.
This time I added Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning. I LOVE THIS STUFF. Usually I only do salt and pepper, but I sprinkled the potatoes with this as well- yum!
Bake for 40 minutes- halfway through the cooking time, use a spatula and turn the potatoes.
Mmmm, crispy and salty on the outside, soft on the inside. This is my favorite way to have potatoes- of course it doesn't hurt that it is the easiest!!!!

Green Bean Casserole

2009-02-28T14:06:00.000-08:00

I have seen green bean casserole at every holiday meal on my Dad's side of the family for as long as I can remember, and until October '07, I had no idea that I LOVED it. My sister-in-law brought it to a family dinner, and I was watching her make it. I thought, I would probably like that, I'm going to finally try it. I think I had 3 helpings that night. Oh, man!!! I love this stuff. Then, at Thanksgiving that year, my mother-in-law made a version of it that is her mother-in-laws recipe. I just love getting family recipes from my husbands' side of the family, and since I had a new found love of green bean casserole- I was so excited!! I know, it doesn't take much...

Granny's Green Bean Casserole
*multiply by 2 to serve 3 adults or more, or by 4 for a large group

1 can cut green beans, drained
1 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup (I doubled mine, and used one can of cream of chicken, and one can of cream of mushroom)
1/2 soup can of milk
8 saltine crackers, crushed
1 Tbsp. dry Italian dressing (Granny used Good Seasons brand. I did not have this, so I used Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning blend)
1 can french fried onions, divided

Mix all ingredients, saving half of the onions.
This is the beans, soups, and milk. Don't forget to season with some salt and pepper.
I mixed that together, and then added in the 1/2 can on onions,
crushed saltines, and Mrs. Dash seasoning.Mix well. Pour rest of the onions on top. Bake for 30 minutes for a smaller batch, or 45-1 hour for the larger batches.

Butter and Jam Thumbprints

2009-02-28T06:14:00.001-08:00

I really love these cookies. I love fruity flavors, though. My mom has a rule- no hot fruit. No fruit with meat, either. I do not follow these rules. Bring on the pineapple ham! Bring on the cherries jubilee! Bring on the apple pancakes!! So, these buttery lovelies are right up my alley.

Butter and Jam Thumbprints
recipe from Food Network Kitchens

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
2/3 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup raspberry, cherry or strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the butter and sugar until fluffy, for a few minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients in 2 additions.

Scoop the dough into 1 inch balls (I use my tablespoon) with a scoop or spoon

and roll in sugar.
Place on the baking sheets. Press your thumb down in the center of the cookie. Make an indent, but don't go all the way through the cookie. Then, your jam will fall out when you try to pick up the cookie.
Trust me, not fun.

Fill indent with about a 3/4 teaspoon of jam.

Bake for 15 minutes, until edges are golden. It says to cool them on the baking sheets, but I only leave them there for a minute and then move them to a cooling rack, the cookies keep cooking on the baking sheet and got to crunchy for me. The first batch I made that were removed from the baking sheet were soft and chewy. These cookies are easy, and oh-so yummy. I have only tried the raspberry, and it was just so perfect, I am going to have a hard time getting another flavor of jam. I would like to try blackberry, though.
Hope you have a restful Saturday!! I am off to the store. The menu has been written, the list has been made and the coupons have been compiled.

Kicked up Baked Beans

2009-02-27T11:59:00.000-08:00

I remember seeing Paula Deen make these beans on an episode of her show a few years ago. Someone had sent in the recipe to her, and said these were the beans they always brought to get-togethers, and now they weren't allowed NOT to bring them. When I was watching her put all this mess into the beans, I thought, "No way. That is too much mess- those are just weird." Well, fast forward a year or two, and I stumble upon this recipe. My husband LOVES baked beans, and I definitely prefer them to ranch style or pinto. Looking at it this time, it sounds yummy. So, I try it- and now, I am not allowed to make any other baked bean than this one.
If any part of you thinks that this sounds good, please try it. The flavors really go well together, and they are a great side dish.

Sue and Gloria's Baked Beans
*as seen on Paula's Home Cooking
4 (16-ounce) cans baked beans
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup molasses
1 cup BBQ sauce
2 Tbsp. yellow or brown mustard
5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 (6-ounce) can french-fried onions, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

I halved my recipe. I just pour everything into the pan and mix it in there. One less bowl to clean!! I used a square 8x8 pan for a halved recipe.
Mix together everything, SAVE 2/3 can of onions. Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the rest of the onions on top of the beans. Cook in oven for 1 hour,
or until beans are brown and bubbly.

Homemade Pizza Dough

2009-02-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe my mom has been using for 10+ years, and it always turns out. It is, in my opinion, very easy and can be made ahead and refrigerated or even frozen. One recipe of the dough makes 2 medium size pizzas, or 3 individual pizzas.

Homemade Pizza Dough
1 package rapid rise yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 cups flour
3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt (I like to add more)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
*1/2 cup water (you can add this if needed)

Pour 1/2 cup of warm water in measuring cup. Add yeast packet and sugar.
Stir and set aside. It needs a good 5 minutes to activate the yeast, and start foaming.
Meanwhile, add flour, parmesan, and salt to mixing bowl and make sure you
have your dough hook attachment on there.
When yeast is foaming, add to the flour mixture. Add olive oil as well.
This is the only thing you need to be sure of to get the dough to come out right. KEEP MIXING!! I used to just mix for a minute or so and be so upset, because my dough wasn't together. Well, no!! It needs a few minutes for the dough to come together, not 45 seconds...
As you can see, the dough has come together. See? All you needed was a little patience. It happened on accident for me. I kept it mixing while I was getting the bowl ready for the next step, and came back to the mixing bowl to see that it had finally come together!!! I had an a-ha moment. A-ha! I have to leave the dough alone, and it will come together.
Take the dough out and put in an aluminum bowl that you have greased with olive oil. Wet a towel with warm water and place over the bowl. Set in a warm place (I take it to my laundry room) and let rise (for at least an hour).The dough has risen (compare with picture above).
Set it on a floured surface and cut into 2 or 3 sections. You can wrap and refrigerate each section and it will rise more in the refrigerator. However, you can also roll out the dough without that and it will be fine. I roll mine with a roller, but I also stretch it over my hands, and pull it to really get it stretched out.

Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. I use my simple tomato sauce as the pizza sauce, and then add cheese and whatever ingredients we want that night. When my sister makes this dough, she adds dried herbs to the flour to make an herbed dough. It's really good!! I also brush olive oil on the crust. It gets rid of the dry, flour-y taste and gives a pretty color, too.

Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel

2009-02-27T09:03:00.000-08:00

Another pasta dish from Giada that my husband and I just love. The pasta is mixed with a creamy sauce and then baked. It comes together easily, and you could make ahead and bake when ready. Gotta love that!!

Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel

Bechamel Sauce
5 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c all-purpose flour
4 cups warm milk
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of ground pepper
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (I didn't have any fresh, just used ground nutmeg)

Recipe:
1 tsp. olive oil
4 cups Bechamel sauce
1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto
1 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
1/2 tsp. salt, and pinch of pepper
1 pound dried rigatoni
3 Tbsp. butter, diced

Heat the oven to 425. Lightly coat a 13x9 glass baking dish with the oil.

For Bechamel sauce:
Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour

Whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes
Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly
Simmer over medium heat, until sauce is thick and creamy, about 10 minutes
Remove from heat, and stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg
For recipe:
Heat bechamel sauce over medium heat. Do not boil. Stir in the prosciutto, 1/2 cup of the fontina cheese, salt and pepper. Set the sauce aside.
Cook the rigatoni until almost tender, but still firm. The pasta will keep cooking in the oven, so it doesn't have to be done all the way. Drain the pasta, return to pot, and stir in cheese sauce. Season with salt and pepper, if you like.
*I added some sausage because I happened to have some leftover. I won't do it again, but feel free to substitute prosciutto or add more meats.
Spoon the pasta mixture into the dish, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup fontina cheese and dot with the butter. (Can be prepared up to this point up to 8 hours ahead, and refrigerated). Bake the pasta until the top is golden, about 25 minutes.

Taco Soup

2009-02-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

t

I overheard a friend of mine saying, We're having taco soup tonight. Mmmm, I thought. Taco soup. Sounds interesting. Now, I have NO idea what is the deal with soup attraction recently, but I asked her what she put in her taco soup.
This is her taco soup:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 package taco seasoning
one can kidney beans (with juice)
one can corn (with juice)
one can Rotel (with juice)
one can V8

I thought it sounded interesting, and waited for a cool night to make the soup. It has been ridiculously warm here recently.

My taco soup:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 package taco seasoning
one can condensed tomato soup, and one canful of water
one can hominy
one can Rotel
*I would have added pinto beans, but I didn't have any*
chicken broth
rice (just stay with me)

Brown the beef with the taco seasoning

Pour hominy (with most of the juice), Rotel (not drained), tomato soup,
one canful of water in soup pot. Turn on medium low.

Drain beef and add to soup.

I served my kids a small bowl of this soup, as well as a side of white rice. My daughter added some of her rice to the soup, and I thought, Mmmm- that's actually a good idea!! So, I added rice to my bowl, and poured the soup over it. I really enjoyed this soup, even more than I thought I would. And you can see how easy it was!!

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!! Are you cooking or going out? My sweet hubby's taking me out, and my kids are having a sleepover at my sweet parents'. Whoo-hoo!

Pasta with Mini Chicken Meatballs

2009-02-09T16:12:00.000-08:00

I have been looking forward to making this dish again, so I could share it here. It is a great, one-meal dish that is simply delicious. It calls for several ingredients that are just for this meal, and that doesn't help my grocery budget, but we really enjoy this meal and it reheats great, so my husband gets some lunches out of the leftovers.

*from Giada's Kitchen cookbook*
Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs
1 l.b orecchiette pasta (I used medium shells)
1/4 c plain bread crumbs
1/4 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. whole milk
1 Tbsp. ketchup
3/4 c freshly grated Romano cheese (I used Parmesan)
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. ground chicken (I used ground turkey)
1/4 c olive oil
1 1/2 c chicken broth
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), halved
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Boil the pasta according to the instructions. Set aside

In a medium bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, milk, ketchup,
Romano cheese, salt, and pepper. Add the ground meat and combine well.

Scoop up the mixture, I used a tablespoon, and roll into small meatballs.
Cook the meatballs in olive oil in a skillet on medium- high heat.
Cook for 2 minutes, then turn the meatballs, and cook 2-3 minutes longer.
Add the tomatoes and chicken broth, bring to a boil. Using a wooden spoon, scrape all the bits on the bottom of the pan (yum!)
Reduce the heat, and simmer until the tomatoes are soft and the meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Drain the pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl, add 1/2 c of parmesan and toss to coat.Add the meatball and tomatoes,

then add the mozzarella and 1/2 c of the basil. CombineTop with rest of parmesan and basil leaves. Serve immediately

I hope you try this! This is a really fresh tasting dish, thanks to all the fresh herbs and mozzarella. I really like the how the heat of the pasta and meatballs melts the mozzarella and you get strings of mozzarella when you pull a bite away with your fork. YUM!!!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

2009-02-08T08:32:00.000-08:00

I really love cheesecake. Well, honestly- I really love cream cheese. I mean, really. Cream cheese fillings are the best things ever. I am a sucker for anything cream cheese. Ok, I think you get it. I got this great little cookbook, Nestle Toll House Best-Loved Recipes. It's actually a board book, like a kid's book. Anyway, I have really enjoyed trying some yummies from it. This cheesecake is great, and easy. Oh, and if you happen to forget about it and not hear the oven go off and let it cook for who-knows-how-many extra minutes, it will still taste great. Yeah, it happened.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Crust
1 1/2 cups (about 15) crushed Oreos
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 cups NESTLE' TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels, divided

Filling
2 packages (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
3/4 c evaporated milk
1/2 c sour cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine cookie crumbs and butter in bowl.

Press into a 9-inch springform pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup morsels.
Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Beat in eggs and flour. Gradually beat in evaporated milk and sour cream.
Pour over crust.
Sprinkle with remaining morsels.
Bake for 25 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for an
additional 30-40 minutes. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CHEESECAKE.
Edges should be set, but center still will move slightly.
Place in refrigerator immediately; refrigerate 2 hours.Remove sides of springform pan, slice.

Even though I cooked it who-knows-how-long, it was still creamy, and delicious. Not too chocolate-y. It was gone after 2 days. I will definitely be making this again.

Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2009-02-07T05:53:00.000-08:00

My dad used to make me this yummy chicken dish, and I felt so grown up eating it. I was under 10, but this was one of my favorite meals!! Chicken, pounded thin, filled with a pesto- cream cheese spread and baked, then topped with bernaise sauce. It's divine!!! I was worried, though. I hoped it would still be as good as I remembered. Good news- It was!!! My husband and I were talking during dinner of the endless possibilities you could fill the chicken with- you could pretty much put anything you want in them. Try it this way first- then let your imagination have some fun!

Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breast
boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded thin
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 package dried pesto sauce mix
3/4 c cornflakes (I used Ritz crackers)
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. paprika

Mix pesto and cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper

mix bread crumbs, ritz cracker crumbs and paprika
Chicken breast pounded thin. I seasoned with salt and pepper
Spread the pesto cream cheese
Roll them up, secure with toothpicks and cover in cracker mixture
REFRIGERATE for at least one hour
I cheated. Sorry! I'm so cheap. When I looked up the recipe for bernaise sauce, I would have to buy 3 or 4 special ingredients just for the sauce. I knew the packaged sauce was good, and the dinner was just for us, so I just bought the package.
Bake the chicken for 25 minutes at 325.
Let cool for a minute, then slice. Cover with bernaise sauce.
I am thinking of a garlic-cream cheese spread next time.
What kind of filling would you like to use?

Creamy Tomato Soup

2009-01-30T12:27:00.000-08:00

My tastes have really changed in the last few years. I would never even tasted a tomato soup, even 3 years ago. Once I really started cooking everyday, I realized I needed to branch out a bit. And, through cooking, I realized how many great flavors there are out there. They always say, if you want your kids to eat better, have them help you in the kitchen. First, they will take pride and ownership in what they are cooking and want to eat it. Second, in preparing it, they will see it come together and smell it, and it will be more appetizing to them. I think that is totally true.
Now, I could still use some branching-out. It's not like I cook all types of food. But, cooking has helped me to learn and appreciate more flavors. It's- what? you mean, you don't want to hear about my foodie pilgrimage from cheeseburger pie to creamy tomato soup?
Alright, here's the recipe.
This soup is creamy (as the title promises) and not too rich. My kids even liked it!! Of course, they crunched up half a sleeve of Saltines in there's, but who cares. They ate tomato soup!!! We have been enjoying this all week. It makes quite a bit.

Creamy Tomato Soup
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 slice bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
5 Tbsp. flour
4 1/2 c chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
3 parsley springs
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 cup heavy cream

Heat the butter in a large pot on medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook,
stirring, until crisp and the fat has rendered. Remove the bacon. Lower the heat.

Chop your veggies (they don't have to be perfect- you will be blending it all later
in your blender or immersion blender, if your a fancy pants.)
Add the onions, carrots, garlic and celery and cook,
stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes.Stir in the flour, and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
Pour in the broth,
and crush the tomatoes through your fingers into the pan. Bring to a boil while whisking.
Tie the parsley, thyme and bay leaf together with string and add to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
Remove and discard the herb bundle. Transfer the mixture in batches to your blender until it is all pureed. Or, just stick your fancy pants immersion blender in the pot and puree away. *I need another kitchen gadget like I need 5 more pounds, but an immersion blender is just so neat.

Reheat puree over medium heat. Whisk in cream, salt and pepper, to taste. Divide among bowls and serve. I topped mine with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

This was perfect this week, when we had ice and no school on Wednesday. Nothing better than a middle of the week "snow" day!!

Pumpkin Yeast Rolls

2009-01-28T08:38:00.000-08:00

Make these rolls. Just trust me- you want to make these rolls. Let's see- first off, they are easy. They aren't quick, but they are easy. And second- let's see, how do I put this- they are AMAZING. Buttery, dense yeast rolls- with pumpkin. Oh, I love these rolls.

Pumpkin Yeast Rolls
3 3/4 cup flour
1 package yeast
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c milk
1/4 c honey
1/2 c canned pumpkin
1 egg
1/2 cup warm water
1 stick butter

In a large bowl, mix flour, yeast and salt

(I add more salt, maybe 1.2 tsp.)

Pour the milk into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds.
Whisk in the honey, squash, egg and water.

With a fork, blend the squash mixture into the flour mixture until you have a soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. (You can go longer than this. When I made them for Thanksgiving, I did this part the day before and they refrigerated all night.)

Two hours before baking, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly. Melt the butter and set aside in a small bowl. Divide the dough in half.

Divide each half into 6 sections.
Divide each section into 3 pieces.Roll each section in the melted butter and place in a muffin cup.

There are 3 buttered pieces per cup.

Pour the rest of the butter over each roll.

Let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Bake for 15-17 minutes in a 350 oven.

Seriously- these are good rolls. I meant to freeze half of the dough to see how that would work, if they would thaw and still rise a second time, but I forgot. Oh, darn. I guess I will just have to make them again. The sacrifices I make for having a cooking blog.
We are at home today. School's closed!! No snow, just ice. The kids have already been outside sliding around on the driveway and sliding down my dad's driveway in a box (he lives next door). It's not stuff you get to do every winter in Texas, so we are enjoying this "real winter weather" while we have it. It's will be 70 by this weekend.

Twice Baked Potatoes

2009-01-26T12:55:00.000-08:00

Mmmm, just typing twice baked potatoes makes me lick my lips. Extra creamy, cheesy potatoes and they are great for company. They are the perfect make-ahead side item.
It is raining today and cold (for Texas). There is supposedly freezing rain on the way and all the schools are posting their information about possible late starts tomorrow. We are such wimps in Texas. If it ices just a little bit, we have NO IDEA what to do and everything gets cancelled. Not that I'm complaining- at all. Who doesn't love a snow day in the middle of the week? So, come on ice. We will happily awaiting your arrival.

Twice Baked Potatoes
baking potatoes
grated cheddar cheese
1 egg
butter
sour cream
bacon, cooked and crumbled
salt and pepper
*These are what I like to put in my potatoes. This is very versatile. Use what you like.

Bake the potatoes as usual. Let cool slightly, so you can handle them.
There are two ways to cut your potato. If you have large potatoes,
I cut them in half and serve one half to each person.
If you have smaller potatoes, or just want to serve one potato per person, cut an oval out of the top of your potato. You need a big enough opening to spoon out the insides and fill it back up.
Spoon out the insides and place in a large bowl.
To the potato insides, add an egg. If you are doing more than 4 potatoes, add another egg. Add shredded cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, butter and season liberally with salt and pepper.
Mix well.
Fill potatoes with mixed filling. At this point, you can wrap these and freeze them or top with shredded cheese and bake at 400 for 15 minutes. You want the cheese to melt (and you have that egg in there- you want to make sure and cook it for at least 15 minutes)
One of my favorite potato dishes- definitely top three.
And, yes, I am the type of person that would think about and rank potato dishes.

A great blog with lots of giveaways

2009-01-26T12:47:00.000-08:00

I have already mentioned this great site, Southern Plate. She is holding several giveaways in the month of February, and if I mention it on my site, I get extra entries for each giveaway. I made her M&M Oatmeal Bars last week, and they were awesome. I loved them, and they got rave reviews from the friend I made them for.
Wish me luck and go over there yourself to check out her goodies. Happy Monday!!!

Fried Turkey

2009-01-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

Have you tried fried turkey?? If you have, you know what I'm talking about. Yeah, it's good- right?? If you haven't, I am sorry. Truly sorry. Fried turkey is juicy, flavorful and just YUM! It's a 2-day process, because we brine our turkey the day before. Brining tenderizes the meat and makes it more flavorful. You can brine it is pretty much anything, but it needs to have salt (to tenderize) and be completely immersed in liquid.

Oh, yeah!! He ate the WHOLE leg by himself.

Our Turkey Brine
1 orange, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup salt
herbs
water

*Do this the day before you are cooking the turkey. Keep refrigerated.

In a large pot (remember, the turkey has to be immersed in liquid), add sugar and salt. Fill 1/3 way with warm water, and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar.

Add lemons and oranges, squeezing the juice as you drop them in.

Add herbs, whatever you have on hand. I added rosemary and thyme.

Place turkey in and fill with water until turkey is immersed.
Pull turkey out of pot, discard brine. Pat dry.
Apply with dry rub (we actually used a pork rub because we had it on hand-
I am BIG on use what you got- and alot of it)
Place in basket. Oil needs to be at 350
(it takes about 45 minutes for oil to heat up to temperature)
Cook the turkey 3 minutes/lb plus 5 minutes. Our turkey was 9.65 lbs and we cooked it 34 minutes. It needs to reach an internal temperature of 165. We pull it out
when it is within 5 degrees of that. It drains in the basket, out of the oil for 10
minutes and will achieve that temperature.

Let drain in basket and then let cool for at least 5 minutes before you begin slicing.
Mmmm, let's just take a second and wipe that little bit of drool coming out
of our mouths before we move on, shall we?

The skin is so good. It's not fatty, it's crispy and incredibly flavorful

Green Bean Casserole

2009-01-24T20:20:00.000-08:00

This is based on the "original" green bean casserole, with a few additions. It is a family recipe on my husband's side- I really covet any recipes from his side of the family. They are excellent cooks, and I like knowing I am keeping a tradition alive. There were no daughters to pass recipes down to, so I am grateful my mother-in-law shares them with me.
Our dinner tonight was so yummy!! Jason did a great job on the fried turkey and everything tasted great together. It was some work, but it is fun to do a big meal like this every once in a while. We have leftovers that will be another dinner this week, and lunches for Jason at work.

Granny's Green Bean Casserole
1 can green beans
1 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup
1/2 soup can milk
8 saltine crackers, crushed
1 can french fried onions
1 Tbsp. dry Italian seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning)
*This is easily doubled or quadrupled for a large crowd

Mix green beans, soup, milk, crackers, 1/2 can onions and Italian seasoning in large baking dish.

Top with remaining onions and bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes (45- 1 hour if quadrupled)

Chicken Pot Pie

2009-01-24T09:39:00.000-08:00

Chicken Pot Pie??? But that isn't even on the menu for the rest of the month... Yes, you're right. Most of the time, I stick to what is written because I have all the ingredients for those recipes. However, my mom sent me home on Sunday with leftover roasted chicken and twice baked potato casserole. Yes, I know- aren't mothers great?!
Those leftovers will go bad before the frozen meat I have in my freezer, so I decided to make something with the chicken first. My inclination was furthered by a post on Sunday Baker. She did a post on mini chicken pot pies that looked divine!!! I just knew that was the perfect thing for my leftover roasted chicken and mashed potatoes.
I used Pillsbury crust, because I had it on hand and I'll be perfectly honest, I really like it. Her crust does look really good, and I will be trying it...eventually.
Chicken Pot Pies
Filling:
1 whole chicken, pulled from bone and cut into chunks (I had 3 thighs, and 1/2 a breast)
1/3 c butter
1/3 c flour
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
2/3 c milk
1 1/2 c warm water
3 chicken bouillon cubes (Instead of water and bouillon cubes, I used chicken stock)
1 c frozen veggies
*My amount of filling made 3 mini pies

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour, garlic, salt and pepper.

*I also added fresh rosemary
Slowly stir in the milk, water and bouillon cubes (or stock)Roasted chicken, chunked

Bring it to a soft boil and stir constantly for 2 minutes until thickened.
Remove from heat and add chicken and frozen veggies.

I used the mini tins to trace the circle shape for the bottom crust.

Fill with filling, and put top crust on
Bake at 425 for 20 minutes (my smaller ones only needed 15 minutes)

I already had a great chicken pot pie recipe. Notice I said had. That is because this is my new chicken pot pie recipe. The only things that bothered me about my old recipe was the filling was to liquid-y and never got thick enough. That is exactly what I love about this filling. It is thick and creamy and oh-so delicious!!
I'm very excited about dinner tonight. Fried turkey, green bean casserole, stuffing balls (what?? I know, sounds weird- just trust me:), pumpkin yeast rolls, twice baked potatoes. I bought two turkey's before Thanksgiving. If you spent $20 on groceries, you got a turkey for 19 cents a pound. Whoo-hoo!!! I did two grocery trips that week, and broke up my list, just so I could get 2 turkey's at this great price. We used one turkey on Thanksgiving, and saved the other. I got both turkeys for less than $4 each.
Today is the day!! My husband is home and frying a turkey! I will be posting all the recipes and the whole process for the fried turkey. *Side note- I ALWAYS type fired when I am trying to type fried- it drives me crazy!!! OK, rant over. Thanks!*
Enjoy your weekend- we will be curled up inside with a fire, eating a great meal and playing dominoes. I just love family time!!!

M&M Oatmeal Bars

2009-01-23T05:38:00.000-08:00

I recently found another great foodie blog, Southern Plate. She is the real deal. Her site is huge, with lots of recipes- she even has her own cookbook out!! I really like her recipes, and her southern charm, of course!! I have to love another southern gal! So, I recently subscribed to her blog and when I got this recipe, I knew I'd be making these soon.
They were so easy, I made them in the morning, while I was getting myself and the kiddos ready for school. Usually, I barely have extra time to brush my own teeth in the morning, but these were a snap!!
M&M Oatmeal Bars
1 stick butter, melted
I cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup M&Ms
2 cups baking mix (she recommends Pioneer, I only had Bisquik)
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine everything but the candies in a bowl. Mix until well blended.
Add in most of the candies, then press down in greased 8x8 pan.
(I didn't have 1/2 cup candies, I had about 1/4 cup, so I saved all mine for the top.)
Press the rest of the candies on top of the batter.
Bake for 20 minutes (mine needed 23) at 350.
The edges will get brown, mine took 23 minutes.
Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then cut into squares.
These are yummy, and not too sweet. I like the oatmeal flavor, they actually remind me of a shortbread. They did need more M&Ms, but next time I will make sure I have 1/2 cup.

King Ranch Chicken

2009-01-22T10:58:00.000-08:00

This is one of those things I used to not like as a kid, but now that I am older, it's so yummy!! Also, I saute my onions and pepper to death, so that they are super soft and you never get a crunchy bite of onion or pepper. I love the taste that onions add, I just don't want to bite into one.
This recipe is for a 13x9 size pan. I divide it into two smaller pans, cook one, and freeze the other for when we need a meal.

King Ranch Chicken
2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup butter
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles)
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
12 tortillas, torn

Saute onion and green pepper in butter until soft. Let cool slightly.
Mix soups, Rotel, chicken and onion mixture in a bowl.

In a 13x9 pan (or 2 smaller pans, if dividing), spread a layer of tortillas
Top with the chicken mixture
Top with cheese
Repeat with tortillas, chicken mixture and cheese.
Bake for 20-30 minutes in a 325 degree oven.

Ham and Cheese Paninis

2009-01-18T19:43:00.000-08:00

There is something about Sunday nights- I just don't want to cook. I'm not sure why, but I never have any inspiration or desire on Sunday nights. Enter panini press. Now, I can make a decent dinner, without a lot of exertion. It's not just a sandwich, it's a panini. I don't feel like I am selling my family short, but I also don't have to put a whole lot of work in. :) I am looking forward to playing around with panini ideas this year.
We had ham and cheese paninis and salad with homemade Thousand Island dressing.

I spread Dijon mustard on both sides of the panini bread

I used Provolone cheese. My mom made these for me a while back and used fontina. They were way better with fontina. I'm saving my fontina cheese for another recipe this month.
Ham
I butter the bread on both sides. You can do olive oil, too. Cook for a few minutes.

Sprinkles Chocolate Cupcakes

2009-01-18T05:48:00.000-08:00

There is a bakery in Beverly Hills called Sprinkles Cupcakes. They make cupcakes, and that is it. They have become very popular, and have since started opening bakeries around the country. I have never been to one, I just heard about the famous bakery from cooking blogs and I read and cooking shows I watch. Anyway, moving along to why all this is relevant to you...
I got a really cool gift for Christmas. My mom got me a terra cotta pot and filled it with kitchen and cooking stuff. It was the funnest gift to get and go through!! Gourmet cooking mixes, fancy utensils, gift cards to the nice grocery stores (that I never let myself go to anymore :( It was great!!! Well, in the basket was Sprinkles Cupcake mix, actual Sprinkles Cupcakes mix. They sell it at Williams-Sonoma.
I got two mixes- dark chocolate and red velvet. I know!!! I was very excited, especially about the Red Velvet. This is what comes in the container. A package of cupcake mix, instructions for make the cupcakes AND for instructions for making the icing that they make with that cupcake at their bakery. It also comes with their signature candy that they put on all their cupcakes.
So cute!!!
I made the chocolate cupcakes a few days ago. Mmmm
All you need is the mix, butter, milk and ingredients for frosting.

Line your 12 cup muffin tin with liners.

Cream the butterAdd in the mix Pour in the milk
Give your son a beater because he is NUTS about batter Bake for 20-22 minutes at 350
I frosted them with my vanilla icing. I knew it would be too rich for me with the chocolate frosting they give you a recipe for on the sheet.

YUM!! The chocolate cupcakes are rich, moist and decadent. I can't eat more than one. One for breakfast, one after lunch, well, you get the idea.
What a great gift idea for a baker! The mixes are $14, which is way more than you would spend at the grocery store, but also the cupcakes are so much better than what you would get at the frocery store.

Poor Man's Steak

2009-01-16T21:14:00.000-08:00

I got this from one of the cooking blogs I look at frequently (I want to say it was Sunday Baker, but I'm not 100% sure) and I tried it because I am always looking for new ground beef recipes/ideas. We have now had it twice, and it is pretty good.

Poor Man's Steak
1 lb ground beef
1 cup crushed Saltine crackers
1 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk

***This meal takes two days. Or an early morning start. You prepare the meat, and then it needs to refrigerate overnight or all day- several hours.

Mix the beef, water, salt and saltines and form into a loaf. Refrigerate overnight
Slice the loaf.
Dredge in flour.
Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a skillet. Brown the beef slices on both sides.
Make the sauce. Mix the soup and milk and stir well.
Place the beef in a baking dish, pour the sauce over the meat.
Bake for 35-45 minutes at 350.

Last time, instead of forming into a loaf shape, I formed it into a square shape and then divided it into 4 smaller squares to brown and bake. I liked that much better. This time the meat fell apart on me. I also think it is too much sauce. I don't know what you do with a half a can of cream of mushroom soup, but personally, it's too much sauce for me. I still like this recipe, mainly because it's not meatloaf or hamburgers, and will make it again- eventually.

Tip for Today

2009-01-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

Since I go to the grocery store twice a month, I buy alot of meat at one time and freeze it until we need it. It used to drive me crazy, because I always got ice on my meat, and I would swear it tasted different. I finally found a good way to freeze the meat, no ice and it still tastes the same. This is a simple tip, but it saved me from icy, yucky meat so I think it is worth mentioning.

This is the meat I bought today for the rest of January meals.

I cut the beef into 3 parts (it is a 3 lb. package)

Put one section, press it down and wrap in plastic wrap

Put all 3 sections in ziploc bag, and into the freezer

I separated the chicken into 2 sections, wrapped them, and put them in a freezer bag, too

**I put all the meals for the rest of the month on the sidebar over there. If I have already done a post on them, you can click and see it. As I cook the other things, I will post them. I think I like this better than the weekly menu posts. Those were just too long. Tonight is Poor Man's Steak and broccoli.

Gruyere Puff Pastry Muffins

2009-01-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

I made these little lovelies to go with the Pasta Fagioli soup (see post below). I didn't just want to have bread (although it would be great, too) and I had puff pastry. So, I used Allrecipes and their Ingredient search tool. I put in puff pastry, and I found this recipe.

Gruyere Puff Pastry Muffins
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 pinch nutmeg
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (you could also use Swiss)

*I halved this, I only had one sheet of puff pastry left

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out the puff pastry to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 3 inch squares. Press the squares into 12 cup muffin tin
Make filling. Mix egg, milk, flour, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in cheese.
Fill cups evenly with filling.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

I liked these very much as did the fam. I wanted more filling in it, though. They totally deflated after that picture above, and it didn't seem like their was enough filling. I made the kids grilled cheese sandwiches to go with the soup, so they would keep their paws off our puff pastries. Of course, they wanted to try one, and they liked them, too.

Pasta Fagioli Soup

2009-01-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

This soup is a copycat version of Olive Garden's Pasta Fagioli soup. I hope you have had the pleasure of trying this soup, because it is delightful. Hearty, tasty, and also healthy! When I found this recipe, and saw that it didn't have any crazy, expensive ingredients- I knew I needed to try it. I am not a big soup lover, but this is one of my favorites (this, broccoli cheese soup from Black Eyed Pea and baked potato soup). I was so excited this turned out well. It tasted great and very similar to the soup at Olive Garden. I hope you enjoy this on a cold, drizzly day like we did.

Pasta Fagioli soup
*this makes a TON. I halved it- it fed us, and filled 4 tupperware bowls*
3 tsp. oil
2 lbs. ground beef (I used 1 lb.)
14 ounces carrots, slivered (I did 2 carrots)
12 ounces onions, chopped (I used one large onion)
14 ounces celery, diced (I used 5 or 6 ribs)
48 ounces diced canned tomatoes (I used one large can)
2 cups red kidney beans (I do not care for red kidney beans, so I used one can pinto)
2 cups white kidney beans (I used one can northern beans)
88 ounces beef stock (I used up all the beef stock I had in the house, about 40 ounces. It wasn't enough, it was more stew-like than soup-like.)
3 tsp. oregano
2 1/2 tsp. pepper
5 Tbsp. parsley, chopped (didn't have any)
1 1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
48 ounces spaghetti sauce (didn't have much, used the rest of my homemade sauce, maybe 12 ounces?)
8 ounces dry pasta shell macaroni (I used this much pasta, even though I halved evreything else, I like my soups with lots of pasta)

Brown the hamburger meat in large stock pot

Chopped onions, slivered carrots and diced celeryAdd onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes to meat and simmer for about 10 minutesDrain and rinse beans. Add to pot.Add beef stock, oregano, pepper, Tabasco, spaghetti sauce and noodles.These are the small noodles I used.
Simmer for about 45 minutes.
Enjoy!
I served this with some gruyere puff pastry muffins that I will post separately.
This post is long enough...

Monte Cristo Paninis

2009-01-06T15:49:00.000-08:00

My husband LOVES Monte Cristo sandwiches. When I first met him, he could clear his plate at Bennigan's, an entire deep-fried monte cristo and a plate of fries, extra raspberry preserves for dipping. I recently saw a recipe for a lighter version of the deep-fried sandwich, and after opening my panini press at Christmas (yeah!!), thought this was the perfect time.

Monte Cristo Sandwich
recipe from Cook's Country magazine

1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (just did a tiny, tiny pinch)
4 Tbsp. raspberry jam
1/4 tsp dry mustard (didn't have this, omitted it)
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread (I used Italian bread), lightly toasted
6 slices Swiss or Gruyere cheese
4 slices deli ham
4 slices turkey
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Toast sandwich bread

Mix raspeberry jam and Dijon mustard in small bowl
Spread on both sides of toasted bread
Layer cheese, ham, turkey, cheese, ham, turkey, cheese-
then top with other bread slice
Whisk egg, cream, sugar, salt, dry mustard, and cayenne in shallow dish until combined.
Dredge both sides of sandiwch in egg mixture.
Here's where I veered off the recipe. It calls for heating oil on a baking sheet in a 450 degree oven for 7 minutes. Put sandwiches on the baking sheet and bake for 4 to 5 minutes.
Then flip to the other side and bake for 4 to 5 minutes.

I used my panini grill because I had just gotten it for Christmas and
really wanted to use it. It worked fine, but the
sandwich wasn't as crispy as I imagine it would be if you did the oil in the oven.

This was awesome!! My husband enjoyed it, and I did, too. Very yummy and something different. I am very excited to use my panini grill more! You can see from the list of dinners on the right, I have more paninis on the menu for this month.

*Instead of doing a weekly menu post, I will list my dinners twice a month, which is how I plan them. I will link the meals to a recipe post, if they have one. Also, I am proud to say that iCook was approved by Foodie Blogroll to be a part of their food blog database, so that is why I have their widget.

Creamy Chicken with Cheddar Biscuits

2009-01-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

This is a great hearty, warming meal for a cold, drizzly day just like we are having in Texas today. Unless you have an aversion to chicken like a sweet, pregnant friend of mine. Then this recipe probably doesn't sound very good.
I'm very excited about what I am making tonight for our cold, drizzly day- I hope it turns out great so I can share it!!
These are the best biscuits, and you can tell I love them because I have used them in several other recipes just since I started this blog. This recipe, however, is where the biscuits actually came from.

Creamy Chicken with Cheddar Biscuits
1/2 large onion
2 Tbsp. butter
4 cups chopped chicken, or 2 large cans canned chicken (drained)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk

Cheddar Biscuits
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 Tbsp. butter (cold, not super soft)
1/2 cup milk
In large bowl, combine flour and baking powder and a tsp. salt. Using your fingertips, blend in the butter and cheese, it will be like coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir quickly with a fork to form a shaggy dough. Gather the dough together and knead lightly in the bowl. Turn onto a floured work surface and pat into a large round. Using a biscuit cutter (or a small glass), cut out 8 biscuits. You can gather the scraps and re-roll until you have enough biscuits or use all the dough.

Saute onion with butter until soft, at least 5 minutes.
I did not have chicken already cooked and chopped, so I cooked my chicken with my onions.
You can use canned chicken, it works beautifully.

Meanwhile, make biscuit dough. I have NEVER had this dough not come together. Yes, that was two negatives. This dough always works. It's easy, and they are very moist. I use these alot.

Mix the onion, chicken, soup, sour cream, milk and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon into a greased dish (smaller than a 13x9)
Place biscuits on top and bake for 35 minutes at 375.

Spiced Tea

2009-01-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

This is a family recipe, from my husband's family. We really love drinking this when it's cold, or when your throat is sore- it feels so good. It has an orange-y, cinnamon-y taste to it. This is also great to give as a gift (a little late for that, though, aren't I???)

Spiced Tea
2 c Tang
1/2 c Instant Tea
2 1/2 c Sugar
2 T cinnamon
2 pkg. lemonade (Kool-Aid size packages)
1 tsp. cloves

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.To serve:
Heat one cup water in Pyrex measuring cup or coffee cup. Add 4 tsp. of spiced tea mix; stir well (for at least 20 seconds). You want all the ingredients to get dissolved, for the best flavor.

Fried Ham

2009-01-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

The fried turkey went so well on Thanksgiving, when we saw Paula Deen doing a fried ham, my husband just had to try it for Christmas Eve. He ordered a fresh 10 lb. ham (it had never been frozen), we brined it the whole day before, and Christmas Eve, he dried it off, and put a dry rub on it. We fried it for 7 minutes a pound, at 375. This was all per Paula Deen's instructions.
*Next time, (and there will be a next time, this was yummy!) we will lower the temperature to 350. The outside was scorched, and couldn't be eaten. There were also little pockets of the very inside that weren't quite done to my liking, it should read 160 degrees with your meat thermometer. We will get a smaller ham, cook it for 8-9 minutes per pound at 350.
The Brine: (from Paula Deen on Food Network)
It is a liquid seasoning that the meat sits in to season it and tenderize it. Just pour everything in a big pot or bucket, cover it and refrigerate. This is done the day before you are going to cook it. The meat should be thawed for this.
1 gallon water
1 gallon apple cider
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
Stir all ingredients. Place ham in the brine and refrigerate overnight. The following day, take the ham out of the brine and dry well. At this point, we rubbed ours down with some pork rub that was a mixture of brown sugar, chili powder and lot of spices.
The meat was tasty and tender. We will be doing this again!

Incredibly Easy Fudge

2008-12-21T22:09:00.000-08:00

I am not a candy person. Well, I am an inexperienced candy person. I do own a candy thermometer, but I have never used it. I am trying...but I am starting off slowly, and easily. I did the peppermint bark (scroll down to previous posts), which was just melting chocolate on a baking sheet. I found this fudge recipe last year, but never got around to trying it. This is my second time to make it this year, it is easy, fast and YUM! Seriously, make this. You are not going to believe how easy this is, and that these ingredients are all that is needed to make actual fudge.

JELL-O Chocolate Pudding Fudge
1 package (8 oz.) semi-sweet baking chocolate, divided
1 stick butter, divided
1/3 cup water
1 package Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding and Pie Filling
3 cups powdered sugar

Melt 4 oz. chocolate, 6 Tbsp. butter and water in microwave for 2 minutes

Stir
Add pudding mix
Add powdered sugar; one cup at a time (It WILL all mix in, just keep stirring)
Press into foil-lined square pan
Melt remaining chocolate (4 oz.) and remaining butter (2 Tbsp.)
Stir
Spread over fudge
Refrigerate at lest 2 hours or until firm.
Cut into squares

Sweet Treats for Sweet People

2008-12-20T05:37:00.001-08:00

I made treats for my kids' teachers, and some other sweet friends I know this year. I don't have a set menu that I do every year, it differs each year so far. This year I made mini lemon pound cakes, 7 layer bars, and peppermint bark. Each thing was pretty easy, and they keep well. The lemon pound cakes are fragile, but other than that, these are all great food items to give.7 Layer Bars
5 Tbsp. butter
1 ½ c graham cracker crumbs
1 c coconut
1 c chocolate chips
1 c butterscotch chips
1 c chopped pecans
1 15-oz. can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

Put butter in a 9-inch square pan, and put in a 325 degree oven. When butter has melted, pour graham cracker crumbs over it evenly.
Spread coconut, then chocolate chips, then butterscotch chips, then nuts. Pour Eagle Brand milk (I don’t quite use the whole can) over the layers and bake for 30 minutes. Let sit and cool (so the milk can set up and keep all the ingredients together) before cutting into squares.*You can double this recipe and use a 13x9 dish.

Peppermint Bark
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
6 oz. white chocolate
1/2 cup crushed candy canes

Melt semi-sweet chocolate and spread on a buttered pan. (Not sure why I didn't think to use my silpat liner, but it never occured to me. It wasn't super hard to get out of the pan, but it took a minute. Use your silicone liner, if you have one.) Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Melt white chocolate and spread over semi-sweet. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over white chocolate and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Break apart and store in refrigerator.
*Thanks to my sister-in-law, the candy queen, for the awesome bark recipe!!
Lemon Pound Cake
Another family recipe. My mom has made these for as long as I can remember, and when I moved into my own house, I took her idea of making these for the neighbors at Christmas time. In fact, we are going to deliver ours today! This recipe makes 2 loaves, or you can put all the batter in a bundt pan. These freeze great!!!
*I doubled the recipe, and made 3 loaves and 12 minis in my holiday muffin

1 box white cake mix
¾ c vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 pkg lemon jello (NOT pudding and pie filling) dissolved into 1 c HOT water
1 tsp. lemon extract
juice of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350. Line one bundt pan or two loaf pans with parchment paper. Spray sides of pan with Pam.
Heat 1 c water in measuring cup until boiling. Add jello and stir until dissolved. Set aside.
In mixing bowl, pour white cake mix, and add vegetable oil. Mix on low speed, and add eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition. Pour in lemon jello mixture. When blended, add lemon extract and juice of one lemon. Pour into pans and bake for 25-30 minutes.
When cake is done, stick the cake with a fork and pour as much or as little glaze as you like on the cake. Let cool completely before trying to remove from the pan.

Glaze
Juice of 2 lemons
1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp. lemon extract
Mix well (don’t worry about lumps). Pour over cake.* This cake freezes great! Wrap well in plastic wrap and put in a freezer bag.

Chili

2008-12-20T05:15:00.001-08:00

This is my Grandmother's recipe, that my mom has since given to me. I really like it, it is not a super spicy chili (although you could make it that way on your own), and there is not a lot of extra ingredients in it, it is a simple, meaty chili. We also use this is as the topping for cheese enchiladas- YUM!
* The recipe calls for ground chili meat, which they only have this time of year. It is a thicker beef that has not been ground down as much as ground beef. I have never done this before, but this time I used roast. I cut it up into chunks (like for stew) and then continued the same directions. I used a crockpot because I wanted the chili to simmer for longer than usual, since I had the roast meat and I wanted to make sure it got tender.

Chili

I large can tomatoes (or 2 small)
I brick chili
1-1 1/2 lb. ground chili meat or roast meat, cut into chunks
5 slices bacon
1-2 onions, chopped
1 whole green pepper, insides removed
1 pod of garlic
beef broth

Brown the bacon in a large skillet pan.

Discard bacon (eat it, crumble it for the top of the chili, whatever you want!) and saute the onions in the bacon oil.

Dredge the chili meat in flour, season with salt and pepper
Add chili meat to onions, cook until browned
Meanwhile, in the crockpot (or dutch oven if you are not using the crockpot), add tomatoes, whole green pepper, garlic, beef broth (about 1 cup), and chili brick. Mix well.
Add chili meat mixture, stir.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours or in the oven at 350 for at least 1 1/2 hrs.
Discard the pepper and garlic, add chili powder to taste and serve.
We like crumbled crackers and lots of cheese on ours!!

Sugar Babies

2008-12-16T05:47:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you do this or not, but we have a special treat that we make with extra crust. When you make homemade crust, there is always a little bit left over, and in my family that meant sugar babies!!

All you need for sugar babies is:
- leftover pie crust dough
- melted butter
- cinnamon sugar

Roll out the dough.

Slice the dough.

Brush melted butter on the slices.

Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.
Bake for about 5 minutes, it doesn't need too long.
My kids loved helping me with this, and I love passing down a family tradition. I can remember being excited my mom was making dough for peach cobbler, because it meant sugar babies!! She always let me brush the butter on and do the cinnamon sugar, even when I was pretty young, and then I would have to fend off my stepdad to get any!!

Holiday Party Treats

2008-12-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

My husband had a work party and they asked that I bring some desserts to the party. I made 3 things: holiday cupcakes, cookies and fudge.

Holiday Cookie Muffins
I will admit- I used refrigerated cookie dough.

Get about a tablespoon of the dough, and drop in a mini muffin tin.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375.
I placed a M&M in the middle of each cookie muffin, red or green of course!!!

Holiday Cupcakes

I used my favorite vanilla cake recipe and my favorite vanilla icing recipe.
* Don't forget to add a package of vanilla pudding. It will make it more moist. Try it with your favorite scratch cake recipe or try the one I have linked there.

Quick and Rich Vanilla Frosting
(this is THE BEST vanilla frosting I have ever made. This has now become my new staple vanilla frosting)

2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt

Stir these 3 ingredients in a bowl until the salt dissolves.

Beat in until smooth: 2 1/2 sticks butter, softened

Reduce speed and slowly add in 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar.

This is the trick, beat this for at least 3 minutes. I literally watched it transform in front of my eyes. After 1 minute, I thought, "Ok, this looks like frosting, I can stop." But the recipe said to beat it for 4 minutes, so I kept going. It just got fluffier, and prettier as I kept going.

My sweet husband and dad bought me these silicone baking trays in holiday themes. I sprayed them with Pam even though they are silicone, I don't want to take my chances.
Fill these only 2/3 way full, maximum. Bake for 15-20 minutes, keep your eye on them.
Let cool in the pans, don't try to take them out of there when they are still warm, they will break on you. I iced this side of them, because the other side had all the pretty snowflake detail on it.
I did say I made fudge. I made fudge the weekend before and sent the leftovers to the party. I was in a hurry the day I originally made the fudge, so I didn't take pictures. It was a recipe for "easy fudge" and it was definitely easy, so I will make it again.

Chicken Pot Pie

2008-12-12T12:31:00.001-08:00

Our schedule is hectic and filled with even more family functions that normal-we are so blessed to have all our family live close by. Alot of my dinners have been leftovers, or just quick, light items recently. Not a lot of time to try new recipes or make a big dinner. Whenever I make something I haven't posted already, I will post that, but I probably won't have a weekly menu post until after the holidays.

Chicken Pot Pie
I usually use Pillsbury Pie Crust, but this time I made the pastry dough from the Pizza Rustica for the crust. It was good- I think that is my go-to pastry crust for savory dishes. For this dish, I cut the dough into 3 sections, and used two. Check back for a post about a yummy treat with leftover pie dough!!

1-1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast or tenders, cut to bite size
2 cups frozen veggies
2 cups chicken broth
flour
garlic powder
dried herbs (your preference)

Mix a few Tbsp. of flour with 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder (I use more garlic powder, it's your choice) Toss the chicken pieces in flour and garlic powder, and saute in pan with 2 Tbsp. butter, until browned, 5-7 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and frozen veggies. Season with salt, pepper, and dried
(or fresh if you have it- good for you!) herbs of your choice.
(I start with a cup of broth and add more as needed.
I don't like it too soupy, since it's going in the crust)
I like a double crust, so I put a third of the dough in the deep dish pie plate.
Pour the chicken mixture (I thickened it with some corn starch and water) in to the pie pan.

Top with second dough

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350. Let sit for 5 minutes to cool!

Chicken Spaghetti

2008-12-11T20:14:00.001-08:00

I got this recipe from a friend this summer, and it quickly became a family favorite. I used the rest of our turkey, so it's also a great way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey!!

Chicken Spaghetti
2 cans cream of chicken and mushroom
1 cup chicken broth
12 oz. spaghetti, cooked
3 cups cheddar, shredded
4 cups chopped chicken (or turkey!!)
one small onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped

Saute onion and celery in 2 Tbsp. butter for at least 5 minutes, until softened.
Mix cooked spaghetti, soups, broth, chicken, veggies, and 2 cups of cheddar. Put spaghetti mixture in baking dish. Sprinkle extra cup of cheddar on top of spaghetti.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350
YUM!
It's creamy, hearty, and makes great leftovers. It heats up wonderfully.