This is a potato recipe I don't get any complaints about at our house. The two oldest children LOVE them and the youngest one just doesn't eat. I'm sure if he'd actually TRY them he'd love them, too. Not exactly the healthiest potatoes considering the amount of olive oil, but they're still better than being deep fried, right? I usually double this recipe for our family of five. They're not that great reheated, still thoroughly edible, just not great. We rarely have leftovers, though, so reheating is generally not an issue at our house with this recipe.
Easy Roasted New Potatoes
Better Homes and Gardens website
1 lb red or white potatoes, cut in 1/8ths (or smaller)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper (black)
1/8 teaspoon paprika (you can use even less if you want, it adds a little quick, though)
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
Preheat oven to 325 - 350 degrees. Place potatoes in a greased 9x9 baking pan (I use an 8x11 pan when I double it or you can also use a 9x13 pan). In a small bowl combine the other ingredients. Drizzle this mixture over the potatoes and toss to coat. Roast, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Stir the potatoes; bake for another 10-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and brown on the edges. Makes 4 servings.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Whole Wheat Bread
I got this recipe from a friend. She gave me a loaf of the BEST wheat bread one day and I begged her for the recipe. I've never been that great at bread baking, or doing anything with yeast really, but this recipe works for me every time. The kids love it, too!
Whole Wheat Bread
By Rebecca
2 ¾ cup of hot water
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey
1 Tablespoon salt
½ Tablespoon vinegar
2 cup whole wheat flour
Combine ingredients and mix for one minute.
Add:
1 ½ Tablespoons dry yeast
Mix for one minute.
Add:
1/8 cup gluten flour w/ vitamin C
Mix for one minute.
Gradually add 4 or more cups of whole wheat flour.
Knead for 10 minutes.
Let rise until doubled, in oiled bowl.
Punch down and form into 2 loaves. Loosely cover with plastic.
Rise for 30 or more minutes.
Bake at 350ยบ for 35 minutes (or less).
From Rebecca:
"When I make it I often do about half of the flour white. Also I only add gluten flour not the vitamin C. I have been told the gluten is added because it helps hold the bread together."
** I learned a trick to help bread raise faster. Our house does not get hot, especially in the winter and with the AC in the summer, and we don't have one place where I can put the bread to make it raise. So, I learned a trick that works for me. Turn your oven on to bake and set it at the lowest setting. That's "warm" for my oven. Let the oven heat up to that point and then turn it off. I put my metal mixing bowl in there with a damp dish towel over it and let it raise that way. Then I do the same when it's time to let the bread raise in the bread pans, except take the towel off before the bread gets to the top of the pan or else the towel will stick to the dough. It raises much faster using this method. I do the same when I make rolls, too.
Whole Wheat Bread
By Rebecca
2 ¾ cup of hot water
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey
1 Tablespoon salt
½ Tablespoon vinegar
2 cup whole wheat flour
Combine ingredients and mix for one minute.
Add:
1 ½ Tablespoons dry yeast
Mix for one minute.
Add:
1/8 cup gluten flour w/ vitamin C
Mix for one minute.
Gradually add 4 or more cups of whole wheat flour.
Knead for 10 minutes.
Let rise until doubled, in oiled bowl.
Punch down and form into 2 loaves. Loosely cover with plastic.
Rise for 30 or more minutes.
Bake at 350ยบ for 35 minutes (or less).
From Rebecca:
"When I make it I often do about half of the flour white. Also I only add gluten flour not the vitamin C. I have been told the gluten is added because it helps hold the bread together."
** I learned a trick to help bread raise faster. Our house does not get hot, especially in the winter and with the AC in the summer, and we don't have one place where I can put the bread to make it raise. So, I learned a trick that works for me. Turn your oven on to bake and set it at the lowest setting. That's "warm" for my oven. Let the oven heat up to that point and then turn it off. I put my metal mixing bowl in there with a damp dish towel over it and let it raise that way. Then I do the same when it's time to let the bread raise in the bread pans, except take the towel off before the bread gets to the top of the pan or else the towel will stick to the dough. It raises much faster using this method. I do the same when I make rolls, too.
Chocolate Crinkles II
The kids love these cookies and they always get good reviews from wherever we take them. Enjoy!
Chocolate Crinkles II
by Ingrid (allrecipes.com)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 4 hours. (In the winter I cover these well and stick them outside for a while. I don't always let these sit for four hours or more since they warm up quickly anyway and still get sticky.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. (If you grease the pan, the cookies will still work but they get more crunchy on the bottom.) Roll dough into one inch balls. Coat each ball in confectioners' sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.
Chocolate Crinkles II
by Ingrid (allrecipes.com)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 4 hours. (In the winter I cover these well and stick them outside for a while. I don't always let these sit for four hours or more since they warm up quickly anyway and still get sticky.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. (If you grease the pan, the cookies will still work but they get more crunchy on the bottom.) Roll dough into one inch balls. Coat each ball in confectioners' sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Sour Cream Lasagna
This is a recipe that my grandma used to make. When she passed away my aunt gathered a bunch of her regular recipes and put together a cookbook for all the children and grandchildren. I use it fairly often, but mostly for two or three of our favorites. This one doesn't really appeal to the kids too much because it has hamburger in it. Hamburger to my kids is akin to liver and onions for most everyone else. I have yet to figure out why.
Sour Cream Lasagna
by Grandma W
8-oz uncooked egg noodles
1 lb ground beef
16-oz tomato sauce (or 2 8-oz cans)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
(or season to your tastes)
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup green onions, chopped (about six onions)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cook noodles and drain. While noodles are cooking, brown the meat. Stir tomato sauce, salt, pepper and garlic salt into cooked meat. Simmer 5 minutes. While meat mixture is simmering, combine the noodles, sour cream, cottage cheese and green onions. In a 2-quart casserole, alternate layers of noodle mixture and meat mixture, starting with noodles. (Or you can simply mix it all together but that's not as "pretty".) Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Sour Cream Lasagna
by Grandma W
8-oz uncooked egg noodles
1 lb ground beef
16-oz tomato sauce (or 2 8-oz cans)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
(or season to your tastes)
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup green onions, chopped (about six onions)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cook noodles and drain. While noodles are cooking, brown the meat. Stir tomato sauce, salt, pepper and garlic salt into cooked meat. Simmer 5 minutes. While meat mixture is simmering, combine the noodles, sour cream, cottage cheese and green onions. In a 2-quart casserole, alternate layers of noodle mixture and meat mixture, starting with noodles. (Or you can simply mix it all together but that's not as "pretty".) Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Trout Chowder
I am generally not a big fan of fish. I tolerate salmon because my kids like it but that's usually about the only fish we have in our diet on an irregular basis. We rarely even do fish sticks here. Occasionally I'll get fish at a restaurant, but as a general rule I don't like to eat fish. HOWEVER, this chowder is really very good, with very little of a fish taste, and has recently been added to our "box" of favorite recipes.
Trout Chowder
by Fran Hopper, Wild Game Cookbook
2 - 3 lbs trout (We don't have trout readily available in our stores here, and we don't catch trout when we fish, so we use Tilapia for this recipe. Other fresh, white fish can be used, too.)
Bay leaf
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 - 3 medium russet potatoes (This is to your liking, we usually use 4 or 5.)
1 large carrot
3 stalks celery
2 medium onions (We usually only use one small onion.)
1 pint half-and-half
2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon flour, stirred into the milk
Grated cheddar cheese (Optional)
Paprika (Optional)
Boil trout in large kettle of boiling water with the bay leaf, lemon juice and salt until the fish flakes, approximately 10 minutes. (Or less if you use already cut fillets like us.) Remove from the kettle; skin and debone trout and break into bite-size pieces. Peel potatoes, carrots and onions; clean celery. Chop vegetables into bite-size pieces and boil in a small amount of water until barely tender. Drain and season to taste. Combine half-and-half and milk. Season to taste. Combine fish, vegetable and white sauce. Heat through, but do not boil. Serve in soup mugs and sprinkle with grated cheese (my family doesn't like it with the cheese) and a small amount of paprika. (My husband is the only one who likes paprika.)
** One thing to note is that when it says "season to taste" in this recipe it really means "season to taste and then add more". It doesn't seem to matter how much salt or pepper I add during the cooking process, we always seem to need more after we've put the chowder in our bowls.
** Another thing to note is that this makes a lot. The first time I made it, following the recipe exactly, we (a family of five) ate it for dinner twice and then I still had it for lunch for another two days. Unless you have a really big family, you might want to half the recipe.
Trout Chowder
by Fran Hopper, Wild Game Cookbook
2 - 3 lbs trout (We don't have trout readily available in our stores here, and we don't catch trout when we fish, so we use Tilapia for this recipe. Other fresh, white fish can be used, too.)
Bay leaf
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 - 3 medium russet potatoes (This is to your liking, we usually use 4 or 5.)
1 large carrot
3 stalks celery
2 medium onions (We usually only use one small onion.)
1 pint half-and-half
2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon flour, stirred into the milk
Grated cheddar cheese (Optional)
Paprika (Optional)
Boil trout in large kettle of boiling water with the bay leaf, lemon juice and salt until the fish flakes, approximately 10 minutes. (Or less if you use already cut fillets like us.) Remove from the kettle; skin and debone trout and break into bite-size pieces. Peel potatoes, carrots and onions; clean celery. Chop vegetables into bite-size pieces and boil in a small amount of water until barely tender. Drain and season to taste. Combine half-and-half and milk. Season to taste. Combine fish, vegetable and white sauce. Heat through, but do not boil. Serve in soup mugs and sprinkle with grated cheese (my family doesn't like it with the cheese) and a small amount of paprika. (My husband is the only one who likes paprika.)
** One thing to note is that when it says "season to taste" in this recipe it really means "season to taste and then add more". It doesn't seem to matter how much salt or pepper I add during the cooking process, we always seem to need more after we've put the chowder in our bowls.
** Another thing to note is that this makes a lot. The first time I made it, following the recipe exactly, we (a family of five) ate it for dinner twice and then I still had it for lunch for another two days. Unless you have a really big family, you might want to half the recipe.
Shish-Kabobs
This yummy recipe is one that I remember loving as a child. It was a special treat to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house in the summer because Grandpa would often make these kabobs and cook them on his big charcoal grill. He'd place large chunks of meat on these giant skewers that looked like swords and cook them until they were juicy and oh so good. Grandpa is long since gone, but the recipe is not, plus I have the added bonus of having received those long swords after both Grandma and Grandpa passed away. They hold good memories for me.
Shish-Kabobs
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup red wine
(Since we don't drink alcohol, and therefore don't buy it, I usually combine these two and use about 1/2 - 3/4 cup red wine vinegar, dependent on how much of the vinegar-like taste you want.)
1/2 cup salad oil (I use vegetable or canola oil)
1 teaspoon Seasonall or savor salt
1/4 teaspoon barbecue spice
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 lb beef, tender cut of roast or steak
Mix all marinade ingredients. May also include chopped fresh onions if desired. (I don't usually do that.) Cut meat into 1-inch cubes. (For the interest of time, I've been known to just buy stew meat at the store since it's already cut up. It works fine on regular size skewers.) Add meat to the marinade and marinate for several hours at room temperature. Put meat onto skewers and cook over hot coals to desired doneness.
** I will often prepare this either the night before or that morning and then stick it in the fridge until the afternoon. I then let it sit on the counter for three hours or so before cooking.
Shish-Kabobs
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup red wine
(Since we don't drink alcohol, and therefore don't buy it, I usually combine these two and use about 1/2 - 3/4 cup red wine vinegar, dependent on how much of the vinegar-like taste you want.)
1/2 cup salad oil (I use vegetable or canola oil)
1 teaspoon Seasonall or savor salt
1/4 teaspoon barbecue spice
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 lb beef, tender cut of roast or steak
Mix all marinade ingredients. May also include chopped fresh onions if desired. (I don't usually do that.) Cut meat into 1-inch cubes. (For the interest of time, I've been known to just buy stew meat at the store since it's already cut up. It works fine on regular size skewers.) Add meat to the marinade and marinate for several hours at room temperature. Put meat onto skewers and cook over hot coals to desired doneness.
** I will often prepare this either the night before or that morning and then stick it in the fridge until the afternoon. I then let it sit on the counter for three hours or so before cooking.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie
This pie is a bit time consuming, since you have to bring it to a boil over low heat, but it is SO worth it!
Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie
by Carol H at Allrecipes.com
3 cups half-and-half
2 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 9-inch pie shell, baked
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
In a medium saucepan, combine half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the coconut and the vanilla extract. Pour into the pie shell and chill for 2 to 4 hours, or until firm.
Before serving, top with whipped topping and with the remaining 1/4 cup of coconut.
Note: To toast coconut, spread it in an ungreased pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. (But watching CONSTANTLY! It can burn very easily!)
Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie
by Carol H at Allrecipes.com
3 cups half-and-half
2 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 9-inch pie shell, baked
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
In a medium saucepan, combine half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the coconut and the vanilla extract. Pour into the pie shell and chill for 2 to 4 hours, or until firm.
Before serving, top with whipped topping and with the remaining 1/4 cup of coconut.
Note: To toast coconut, spread it in an ungreased pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. (But watching CONSTANTLY! It can burn very easily!)
Chocolate Cheesecake
Not being an overly huge fan of chocolate myself, I do have to say that this cheesecake is AWFULLY good. Although a little bit goes a long, long way with me.
Chocolate Cheesecake II
by Diane Young at Allrecipes.com
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
2 Tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping (if you choose to use it - which I don't):
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
**These tips are not part of the recipe but they're good tips to keep in mind when making cheesecake. Found at allrecipes.com.**
Cheesecake Tips - Cream Cheese:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C) and lightly grease a 9 inch springform pan.
In a small bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar, and the melted butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 1/2 inch up the sides of the prepared 9 inch springform pan.
Bake crust at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes then allow it to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
To Make Filling: In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup whipping cream and 1/4 cup chocolate chips, stirring constantly, until chips are melted. Remove from heat.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth and then add 1 cup of sugar, beating again until smooth. Add cocoa and beat well. Add eggs and beat on low until just blended. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and reserved chocolate mixture until blended. Pour over crust.
Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is almost set.
To Make Topping: In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla until just before boiling. Stir constantly and be careful not to boil over. Have 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips ready in a small bowl. Pour in the hot cream and stir with a spoon until smooth. Spread over baked cheesecake and refrigerate overnight.
Chocolate Cheesecake II
by Diane Young at Allrecipes.com
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
2 Tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping (if you choose to use it - which I don't):
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
**These tips are not part of the recipe but they're good tips to keep in mind when making cheesecake. Found at allrecipes.com.**
Cheesecake Tips - Cream Cheese:
- The cream cheese should be at room temperature before you begin mixing, or you'll end up with lumps in your cheesecake.
- Using cold cream cheese also leads to overbeating--whipping too much air into the batter--which forms unattractive air bubbles on the surface of the cake.
- Unless the recipe instructions specifically note otherwise, you should beat the cream cheese by itself until it's smooth and light, before adding any other ingredients.
- If you end up with lumps in your batter, run the mixture through a sieve or give it a quick spin in the food processor and you'll have silky smooth results.
- Cheesecake tends to get over-baked because, while they look underdone, they are actually done when the center is still wobbly. At this stage the residual heat of the baking process will "carry over" and the center will continue to cook.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool on a rack, or you can simply leave the oven door closed, turn off the heat and let the cheesecake cool for at least an hour. This helps prevent the cheesecake from sinking in the center.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C) and lightly grease a 9 inch springform pan.
In a small bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar, and the melted butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 1/2 inch up the sides of the prepared 9 inch springform pan.
Bake crust at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes then allow it to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
To Make Filling: In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup whipping cream and 1/4 cup chocolate chips, stirring constantly, until chips are melted. Remove from heat.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth and then add 1 cup of sugar, beating again until smooth. Add cocoa and beat well. Add eggs and beat on low until just blended. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and reserved chocolate mixture until blended. Pour over crust.
Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is almost set.
To Make Topping: In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla until just before boiling. Stir constantly and be careful not to boil over. Have 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips ready in a small bowl. Pour in the hot cream and stir with a spoon until smooth. Spread over baked cheesecake and refrigerate overnight.
The Best Unbaked Cherry Cheesecake Ever
Unless you don't like flavors/fruits on top of your cheesecake -like me- and then it's just the Best Unbaked Cheesecake Ever.
The Best Unbaked Cherry Cheesecake Ever
by LuCynda at Allrecipes.com
Graham Cracker Crust:
(You can always just buy a crust if you don't want to make it. Store bought graham cracker crumbs make it easier, too. I'm all about easy/simple helps!)
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1/4 cup sugar (or 1/3 cup, dependent on your preference)
Filling:
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 can cherry pie filling or other filling of your choice
**These tips are not part of the recipe but they're good tips to keep in mind when making cheesecake.**
Cheesecake Tips:
Mix together graham cracker crumbs, margarine and sugar in a bowl until well incorporated and crumbly. Press into a pie plate, going up the sides as much as possible.
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth again and to a spreadable stage. Add the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and whisk/beat until smooth. Pour cream cheese into the prepared crust. Smooth the top with a spatula and refrigerate until firm, about 2 to 3 hours.
Spread the cherry pie filling over the top and refrigerate until ready to serve.
The Best Unbaked Cherry Cheesecake Ever
by LuCynda at Allrecipes.com
Graham Cracker Crust:
(You can always just buy a crust if you don't want to make it. Store bought graham cracker crumbs make it easier, too. I'm all about easy/simple helps!)
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1/4 cup sugar (or 1/3 cup, dependent on your preference)
Filling:
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 can cherry pie filling or other filling of your choice
**These tips are not part of the recipe but they're good tips to keep in mind when making cheesecake.**
Cheesecake Tips:
- The cream cheese should be at room temperature before you begin mixing, or you'll end up with lumps in your cheesecake.
- Using cold cream cheese also leads to overbeating--whipping too much air into the batter--which forms unattractive air bubbles on the surface of the cake.
- Unless the recipe instructions specifically note otherwise, you should beat the cream cheese by itself until it's smooth and light, before adding any other ingredients.
- If you end up with lumps in your batter, run the mixture through a sieve or give it a quick spin in the food processor and you'll have silky smooth results.
Mix together graham cracker crumbs, margarine and sugar in a bowl until well incorporated and crumbly. Press into a pie plate, going up the sides as much as possible.
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth again and to a spreadable stage. Add the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and whisk/beat until smooth. Pour cream cheese into the prepared crust. Smooth the top with a spatula and refrigerate until firm, about 2 to 3 hours.
Spread the cherry pie filling over the top and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The Best Banana Bread
I've tried a LOT of banana bread recipes. I've found many that we like, some that we really like and then this one. The kids LOVE this recipe and prefer it over all others I've used. There are suggestions from reviewers about changes they've made to this recipe but I haven't used them so far since we like the recipe just as it is right now. I haven't really paid attention to the suggestions before since I like to try recipes "as is" before I make changes to it. I AM going to finally try them with the suggested changes, though. I'm just waiting for my current supply of bananas to get more ripe. That's if Boy 2 lets that happen. He's currently on a banana kick, usually eating two at a time!
The Best Banana Bread
by Libby at Allrecipes.com
1/2 cup margarine, softened (I usually prefer to use butter but margarine's still good)
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (Use 325 if you use a glass pan.) Grease and flour (I never flour it) a 9x5-inch pan.
Cream margarine and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, then bananas. Add flour and soda, stirring just until combined. (Don't overmix.)
Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. (Start watching after 45 minutes so it doesn't get too well baked and therefore dry.)
Remove from pan and let cool, store in refrigerator or freeze.
(Careful removing it from the pan. I often have some of the bottom stick to the pan, which would probably be fixed if I floured the pan but I'm too lazy to do it.)
The suggested changes:
Use 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Add a pinch salt (or about 1/4 teaspoon salt if you don't have a "pinch" on hand)
Add vanilla - suggestions ranged from 1/2 tsp to one tablespoon, so I guess this is preference
As is, the recipe comes out pretty flat on top. It would probably be a good idea to add the salt so that it works with the baking soda to help it rise more. When I make it again with the changes I'll put an addendum on this post to let you know how it turns out.
The Best Banana Bread
by Libby at Allrecipes.com
1/2 cup margarine, softened (I usually prefer to use butter but margarine's still good)
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (Use 325 if you use a glass pan.) Grease and flour (I never flour it) a 9x5-inch pan.
Cream margarine and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, then bananas. Add flour and soda, stirring just until combined. (Don't overmix.)
Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. (Start watching after 45 minutes so it doesn't get too well baked and therefore dry.)
Remove from pan and let cool, store in refrigerator or freeze.
(Careful removing it from the pan. I often have some of the bottom stick to the pan, which would probably be fixed if I floured the pan but I'm too lazy to do it.)
The suggested changes:
Use 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Add a pinch salt (or about 1/4 teaspoon salt if you don't have a "pinch" on hand)
Add vanilla - suggestions ranged from 1/2 tsp to one tablespoon, so I guess this is preference
As is, the recipe comes out pretty flat on top. It would probably be a good idea to add the salt so that it works with the baking soda to help it rise more. When I make it again with the changes I'll put an addendum on this post to let you know how it turns out.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Buttercream Dream Icing
This buttercream icing recipe isn't too different from the Wilton recipe but it tastes so much better! I highly recommend using this recipe instead of Wilton's for decorating. The almond extract (although I can't stand the smell) adds so much to the recipe!
Buttercream Dream
Agentcakebaker (with a couple of minor alterations with flavoring)
15 minutes – 5 minutes prep
Yields: 4 cups
I got this recipe from a cake site and can't stop making it. It is the best buttercream recipe that I have found. I modified my recipe to include Almond Extract, but you can use just about any extract. I've done clear vanilla and raspberry with rave reviews. I use this recipe for all my cakes and cupcakes. It colors nicely. If you want a stiffer buttercream for roses and such, omit or add very little milk. If you want a thinner buttercream, add more than 6 tbs of milk.
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup butter, salted
1 cup Crisco shortening
2 lbs powdered sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract, clear
2 teaspoons vanilla, clear
5 Tablespoons milk
(If you have it and want a stiffer icing, use about 1 Tbsp of meringue powder and mix in with the powdered sugar)
Bring butter to room temperature.
In a mixing bowl, whip butter and Crisco together.
Add the extract and whip.
Slowly add the powdered sugar (and meringue powder) and one tablespoon of milk and mix well.
Continue adding one tablespoon of milk at a time until you get your desired stiffness.
Whip for 5-10 minutes, until fluffy.
Buttercream Dream
Agentcakebaker (with a couple of minor alterations with flavoring)
15 minutes – 5 minutes prep
Yields: 4 cups
I got this recipe from a cake site and can't stop making it. It is the best buttercream recipe that I have found. I modified my recipe to include Almond Extract, but you can use just about any extract. I've done clear vanilla and raspberry with rave reviews. I use this recipe for all my cakes and cupcakes. It colors nicely. If you want a stiffer buttercream for roses and such, omit or add very little milk. If you want a thinner buttercream, add more than 6 tbs of milk.
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup butter, salted
1 cup Crisco shortening
2 lbs powdered sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract, clear
2 teaspoons vanilla, clear
5 Tablespoons milk
(If you have it and want a stiffer icing, use about 1 Tbsp of meringue powder and mix in with the powdered sugar)
Bring butter to room temperature.
In a mixing bowl, whip butter and Crisco together.
Add the extract and whip.
Slowly add the powdered sugar (and meringue powder) and one tablespoon of milk and mix well.
Continue adding one tablespoon of milk at a time until you get your desired stiffness.
Whip for 5-10 minutes, until fluffy.
Chocolate Buttercream Icing
This is just the icing recipe from Wilton, but as chocolate it's really good!
Chocolate Buttercream Icing
Wilton - Makes about 3 cups of icing
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
3-4 Tablespoons milk
Stiff Consistency: In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.
For Thin (Spreading) Consistency Icing: Add 3-4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.
Darker Chocolate Icing: Add an additional 1/4 cup cocoa (or one additional 1 oz. square unsweetened chocolate, melted) and 1 additional tablespoon milk to Chocolate Buttercream Icing. (This would absolutely kill me off, the regular chocolate icing is more than enough for me!)
Chocolate Buttercream Icing
Wilton - Makes about 3 cups of icing
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
3-4 Tablespoons milk
Stiff Consistency: In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.
For Thin (Spreading) Consistency Icing: Add 3-4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.
Darker Chocolate Icing: Add an additional 1/4 cup cocoa (or one additional 1 oz. square unsweetened chocolate, melted) and 1 additional tablespoon milk to Chocolate Buttercream Icing. (This would absolutely kill me off, the regular chocolate icing is more than enough for me!)
Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling with Ganache
This little lovely was found at a friend's food blog called A Table for 7. I've made two chocolate cakes so far with this yummy filling and I think they turned out very well. I just use box chocolate cake mixes, pipe a ring around the top edge of the bottom layer and fill it in with this frosting before adding the top layer of cake. I suppose you could do three layers, but this is a LOT of chocolate already in my opinion! It's really good, though, along with the chocolate buttercream icing I frost the cake with in the end. Yummy!
Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling with Ganache
Table for 7
1 brick of softened cream cheese
½ cup of ganache frosting (recipe below)
¾ cup powdered sugar
Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and ganache together and use as a filling between chocolate cake layers.
(I doubled this recipe for the 10-inch double layer cake I made last time)
Ganache
2 parts chocolate to 1 part cream
Example:
2 cups of Hershey's chocolate chips (milk chocolate)
and
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Stir with a whisk on medium heat until chocolate starts to get shiny. Remove from heat and set aside.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling with Ganache
Table for 7
1 brick of softened cream cheese
½ cup of ganache frosting (recipe below)
¾ cup powdered sugar
Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and ganache together and use as a filling between chocolate cake layers.
(I doubled this recipe for the 10-inch double layer cake I made last time)
Ganache
2 parts chocolate to 1 part cream
Example:
2 cups of Hershey's chocolate chips (milk chocolate)
and
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Stir with a whisk on medium heat until chocolate starts to get shiny. Remove from heat and set aside.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Strawberry Muffins
This is a recipe for strawberry muffins that everyone except the youngest girl in the family likes. She has an aversion to chunks of fruit in her food, which she declares completely ruins the food. Anyway, I've tried various alterations to this recipe including: adding a 1/2 cup of wheat flour which was okay but I didn't ever do it again, I added a few raspberries once since I didn't have quite enough strawberries and I had raspberries that needed to be used and this turned out pretty well, I've varied the strength of the vanilla because I like vanilla in my food, and I've also added a little bit of sugar and cinnamon to the tops before baking. It's a fairly versatile recipe.
Strawberry Muffins
¼ cup canola oil (or vegetable oil or applesauce)
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla (up to 1 teaspoon if desired)
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped strawberries
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and grease muffin tins, or use paper liners.
In a small bowl, combine oil, milk, and egg. Beat lightly.
In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Toss in chopped strawberries and stir to coat with flour. Pour in milk mixture and stir together.
Fill muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 minutes, or until the tops bounce back from the touch. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.
Strawberry Muffins
¼ cup canola oil (or vegetable oil or applesauce)
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla (up to 1 teaspoon if desired)
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped strawberries
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and grease muffin tins, or use paper liners.
In a small bowl, combine oil, milk, and egg. Beat lightly.
In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Toss in chopped strawberries and stir to coat with flour. Pour in milk mixture and stir together.
Fill muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 minutes, or until the tops bounce back from the touch. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wisconsin Five-Cheese Bake
Sorry it's been a while! Things get hectic and unfortunately this blog isn't at the top of the priority list. Anyway, I thought I would add a recent recipe we tried. Boy 1 complained about the look and smell while I was putting it together. Then he complained about the smell while it was baking. Then he sat and pouted about having to eat it when we sat down to dinner, but he knows the rule of the house (just like many other families) and that is, YOU HAVE TO AT LEAST TRY IT. He finally gave in and tried a bite, chewed it up, swallowed and then graced us with a sheepish grin. "Okay. I admit it. It tastes pretty good."
Below is the link to the original recipe. Five-cheese bake, not KFC.
Wisconsin Five-Cheese Bake
by Kim B at allrecipes.com
1 16-ounce package elbow macaroni
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded provolone cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (I didn't have sour cream so I used plain yogurt - it worked)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain.
In a large bowl, toss together the mozzarella cheese, Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese and Provolone cheese. Remove about 1/2 cup for topping and set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, sour cream and heavy cream. Season with parsley, Italian seasoning and garlic salt.
Pour the ricotta cheese mixture and drained macaroni into the bowl with the cheeses and toss lightly. Do not mix too thoroughly, it's better left messy. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes, then turn the oven to broil. Broil for about 5 minutes to brown the top.
**************
I didn't measure anything. I usually just guesstimate at what I'm putting in, unless it's something that's really important to measure. This turned out really well, but in my personal opinion it needed a little more flavoring. I had to add some salt and pepper to what was on my plate and I hardly ever use extra salt on my food. Next time I will probably add more seasoning than what it calls for and add a little extra salt for good measure.
Below is the link to the original recipe. Five-cheese bake, not KFC.
Wisconsin Five-Cheese Bake
by Kim B at allrecipes.com
1 16-ounce package elbow macaroni
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded provolone cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (I didn't have sour cream so I used plain yogurt - it worked)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain.
In a large bowl, toss together the mozzarella cheese, Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese and Provolone cheese. Remove about 1/2 cup for topping and set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, sour cream and heavy cream. Season with parsley, Italian seasoning and garlic salt.
Pour the ricotta cheese mixture and drained macaroni into the bowl with the cheeses and toss lightly. Do not mix too thoroughly, it's better left messy. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes, then turn the oven to broil. Broil for about 5 minutes to brown the top.
**************
I didn't measure anything. I usually just guesstimate at what I'm putting in, unless it's something that's really important to measure. This turned out really well, but in my personal opinion it needed a little more flavoring. I had to add some salt and pepper to what was on my plate and I hardly ever use extra salt on my food. Next time I will probably add more seasoning than what it calls for and add a little extra salt for good measure.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are our absolute favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They came from our Mankato ward cookbook.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
by Rosemary Madsen
1½ cups shortening (Crisco)
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
6½ cups quick oats
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips -12 oz bag (They're also good with milk chocolate)
Beat shortening, sugars, egg, water and vanilla together until creamy. Add flour, salt and soda. Blend well. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Form into balls, flatten a little, and place on slightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 350ยบ oven for about 10 minutes or until they just barely begin to brown – don’t overbake!!! These cookies freeze really well. Just take a few out of the freezer and microwave for about three or four seconds and they taste “hot out of the oven” fresh. Yummy!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
by Rosemary Madsen
1½ cups shortening (Crisco)
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
6½ cups quick oats
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips -12 oz bag (They're also good with milk chocolate)
Beat shortening, sugars, egg, water and vanilla together until creamy. Add flour, salt and soda. Blend well. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Form into balls, flatten a little, and place on slightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 350ยบ oven for about 10 minutes or until they just barely begin to brown – don’t overbake!!! These cookies freeze really well. Just take a few out of the freezer and microwave for about three or four seconds and they taste “hot out of the oven” fresh. Yummy!
Fruit and Oat Squares
I made these mixes as Christmas gifts a couple of years ago. They were really pretty good! I had several people ask for the recipe.
Fruit & Oat Squares
(From "Gifts from a Jar: Cookies, Brownies and Bars" Cookbook)
Mix (makes a 1 1/2 qt jar):
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups uncooked quick oats
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Layer ingredients in any order into 1 1/2 quart food storage jar with tight-fitting lid. Pack ingredients down slightly before adding another layer. Cover top of jar with fabric; attach gift tag with raffia or ribbon.
Recipe:
1 jar Fruit & Oat Squares Mix
2/3 cup butter, softened
1½ cups apricot, cherry or other fruit flavor preserves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 13x9 inch baking pan. Place bar cookie mix in large bowl; mix well. Add butter; stir with fork until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 cup crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Spread preserves over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 23 to 25 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Makes 2 dozen bars.
Fruit & Oat Squares
(From "Gifts from a Jar: Cookies, Brownies and Bars" Cookbook)
Mix (makes a 1 1/2 qt jar):
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups uncooked quick oats
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Layer ingredients in any order into 1 1/2 quart food storage jar with tight-fitting lid. Pack ingredients down slightly before adding another layer. Cover top of jar with fabric; attach gift tag with raffia or ribbon.
Recipe:
1 jar Fruit & Oat Squares Mix
2/3 cup butter, softened
1½ cups apricot, cherry or other fruit flavor preserves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 13x9 inch baking pan. Place bar cookie mix in large bowl; mix well. Add butter; stir with fork until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 cup crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Spread preserves over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 23 to 25 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Makes 2 dozen bars.
Brown Sugar Muffins
These are the kids favorite muffins. I have to say I like them a lot, too!
Brown Sugar Muffins
½ cup margarine
¼ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk
1 cup nuts (optional)
Mix together and bake at 375ยบ for 15 minutes.
Brown Sugar Muffins
½ cup margarine
¼ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk
1 cup nuts (optional)
Mix together and bake at 375ยบ for 15 minutes.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are REALLY good right from the oven. They are still good the next day, but we definitely prefer them very fresh.
Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
by Jessica Simonsen Howard from the Worldwide Ward Cookbook
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Combine all of the wet ingredients, then add the dry ingredients. Mix well with a mixer. Spoon cookie dough onto cookie sheet. (I lightly grease the sheet.) Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 2 dozen cookies.
Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
by Jessica Simonsen Howard from the Worldwide Ward Cookbook
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Combine all of the wet ingredients, then add the dry ingredients. Mix well with a mixer. Spoon cookie dough onto cookie sheet. (I lightly grease the sheet.) Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 2 dozen cookies.
Chicken Pot Pie IX
This is a recipe I got off of Allrecipes.com.
Chicken Pot Pie IX
Allrecipes.com
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (the kids and I would probably cut this down a little)
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
2.In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3.In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4.Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5.Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Chicken Pot Pie IX
Allrecipes.com
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (the kids and I would probably cut this down a little)
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
2.In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3.In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4.Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5.Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Fast Homemade Bread Recipe for Rolls
These are yummy rolls! They require some advance thought in order to scald the milk and have it ready to put into the rolls. I always forget this step and end up putting the milk into the freezer to cool faster.
Fast Homemade Bread Recipe for Rolls
by Kelly Brown from the Worldwide Ward Cookbook
3 Tablespoons yeast
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups milk, scalded and cooled (scalded - heated up but not to boiling point)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or shortening
2 teaspoons salt
7 cups bread flour, divided
Sprinkle yeast on top of water; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, pour in milk, eggs, sugar, shortening, and salt. Blend together at high speed. Stir yeast and water mixture, then add to the other mixture. Blend in 3 cups of flour and mix at high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually add in 3 more cups of flour. Your mixer may not be able to handle this, so do it by hand if you need to. Dough will be sticky. Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead lightly until dough is no longer sticky to the touch. Place in a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled. Shape as desired for rolls. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown - about 15-20 minutes.
Makes two 9x13-inch pans of cinnamon rolls or approximately 24 rolls.
If you would like to use this recipe to make cinnamon rolls: (I haven't tried this part yet.)
Roll half of the dough out on a floured surface into a rectangle shape, about 1/4 inch thick. Melt 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups of packed brown sugar, and 2 Tablespoons cinnamon in the microwave for one minute. Pour over rolled-out dough. Drizzle 1/2 cup honey on top. Roll up lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2-2 inch slices. Place close together in a greased 9x13-inch pan. The rolls can be frozen at this point if you choose to do so. Cover with a warm, damp cloth until doubled, or let rise uncovered overnight. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Glaze with a cream cheese frosting that has been thinned with milk.
Fast Homemade Bread Recipe for Rolls
by Kelly Brown from the Worldwide Ward Cookbook
3 Tablespoons yeast
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups milk, scalded and cooled (scalded - heated up but not to boiling point)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or shortening
2 teaspoons salt
7 cups bread flour, divided
Sprinkle yeast on top of water; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, pour in milk, eggs, sugar, shortening, and salt. Blend together at high speed. Stir yeast and water mixture, then add to the other mixture. Blend in 3 cups of flour and mix at high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually add in 3 more cups of flour. Your mixer may not be able to handle this, so do it by hand if you need to. Dough will be sticky. Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead lightly until dough is no longer sticky to the touch. Place in a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled. Shape as desired for rolls. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown - about 15-20 minutes.
Makes two 9x13-inch pans of cinnamon rolls or approximately 24 rolls.
If you would like to use this recipe to make cinnamon rolls: (I haven't tried this part yet.)
Roll half of the dough out on a floured surface into a rectangle shape, about 1/4 inch thick. Melt 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups of packed brown sugar, and 2 Tablespoons cinnamon in the microwave for one minute. Pour over rolled-out dough. Drizzle 1/2 cup honey on top. Roll up lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2-2 inch slices. Place close together in a greased 9x13-inch pan. The rolls can be frozen at this point if you choose to do so. Cover with a warm, damp cloth until doubled, or let rise uncovered overnight. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Glaze with a cream cheese frosting that has been thinned with milk.
Cinnamon Rolls
I had a "hankering" for cinnamon rolls but I needed an excuse to make them, other than I wanted them. Some friends of ours won three dozen cookies from me (one dozen per week for three weeks) from a service auction a couple of weeks ago. I called them up and asked if they wanted cinnamon rolls this week instead. Luckily they said yes! I tried a different recipe from the one I usually use and according to this family and another one that got rolls, too, they seemed to turn out pretty well. I doubled the recipe and rolled them a little thinner than I normally would just so that I could extend the recipe a bit, since I was taking them to two families as well as our own. It ended up making two rolls short of four dozen cinnamon rolls! I used about three cups whole wheat flour in the rolls (remembering I doubled the recipe 3 whole wheat cups out of 13 cups of flour). I liked it but I think I might just use half of that next time.
Cinnamon Rolls
by Michelle Webb from the Worldwide Ward Cookbook
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup margarine
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups hot water
2 Tablespoons yeast
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 1/2 cups flour -approximate
1/4 cup butter, softened - not margarine
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2-3 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Milk
Heat shortening, margarine, 3/4 cup sugar and water until shortening and margarine are melted. Cool to room temperature. When cool, add yeast, salt, eggs and baking powder. Allow yeast to activate (5-10 minutes). Add flour and knead for 5 minutes. Dough will be smooth and a little sticky. Allow to rest 15 minutes. Knead down again and roll out to a rectangle approximately 32x24 inches. (Mine wasn't quite that big and I only used half my dough at a time since I doubled the recipe.) It will seem thin. Smooth 1/4 cup very soft butter all over the dough. Mix 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup brown sugar together and sprinkle over dough. Using a rolling pin, gently press sugars into the dough. Sprinkle cinnamon over the sugars. Roll dough up from the long side. Using a length of sewing thread (I use a pizza cutter or just a knife), cut each cinnamon roll approximately 1 inch thick by looping thread around the dough, then pulling it firmly to cut the dough. Place each roll into a greased baking pan with at least 2-inch sides. (I just use my jelly roll pan.) Cover and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-35 minutes, until tops and edges are lightly golden. While still hot, mix 1/4 cup softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a few drops of milk until you have the consistency of a glaze (I doubled the glaze recipe and had to use probably about 1/4-1/2 cup of milk before it finally reached the right consistency); drizzle onto the hot rolls. Serve warm and enjoy. Makes 14 cinnamon rolls.
My notes: My kitchen doesn't get warm. Not enough to make dough rise. I learned a long time ago that in my house we have to make dough raise in the oven or it won't raise at all. Unless it's August and then we can put it in the garage to raise. I turn the oven on to bake at the warm setting - about 150 to 200 degrees. Once it's warm I turn the oven off, wait a couple of minutes with the door open, and then stick the rolls/bread/etc into the oven. If the oven is still hot I'll leave the oven door open until it has cooled off a bit and then close the door. You want the oven a little warm, not hot. If it's too warm the dough will get too hard on top and not expand like it should.
Cinnamon Rolls
by Michelle Webb from the Worldwide Ward Cookbook
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup margarine
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups hot water
2 Tablespoons yeast
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 1/2 cups flour -approximate
1/4 cup butter, softened - not margarine
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2-3 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Milk
Heat shortening, margarine, 3/4 cup sugar and water until shortening and margarine are melted. Cool to room temperature. When cool, add yeast, salt, eggs and baking powder. Allow yeast to activate (5-10 minutes). Add flour and knead for 5 minutes. Dough will be smooth and a little sticky. Allow to rest 15 minutes. Knead down again and roll out to a rectangle approximately 32x24 inches. (Mine wasn't quite that big and I only used half my dough at a time since I doubled the recipe.) It will seem thin. Smooth 1/4 cup very soft butter all over the dough. Mix 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup brown sugar together and sprinkle over dough. Using a rolling pin, gently press sugars into the dough. Sprinkle cinnamon over the sugars. Roll dough up from the long side. Using a length of sewing thread (I use a pizza cutter or just a knife), cut each cinnamon roll approximately 1 inch thick by looping thread around the dough, then pulling it firmly to cut the dough. Place each roll into a greased baking pan with at least 2-inch sides. (I just use my jelly roll pan.) Cover and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-35 minutes, until tops and edges are lightly golden. While still hot, mix 1/4 cup softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a few drops of milk until you have the consistency of a glaze (I doubled the glaze recipe and had to use probably about 1/4-1/2 cup of milk before it finally reached the right consistency); drizzle onto the hot rolls. Serve warm and enjoy. Makes 14 cinnamon rolls.
My notes: My kitchen doesn't get warm. Not enough to make dough rise. I learned a long time ago that in my house we have to make dough raise in the oven or it won't raise at all. Unless it's August and then we can put it in the garage to raise. I turn the oven on to bake at the warm setting - about 150 to 200 degrees. Once it's warm I turn the oven off, wait a couple of minutes with the door open, and then stick the rolls/bread/etc into the oven. If the oven is still hot I'll leave the oven door open until it has cooled off a bit and then close the door. You want the oven a little warm, not hot. If it's too warm the dough will get too hard on top and not expand like it should.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Potato Bar
This is a simple meal that I seem to forget about most of the time. I guess I somehow assume that meals have to be more elaborate or something. I don't know, but we had a potato bar last night. Boy2 wouldn't eat a potato, he just ate cheese and bacon bits, but the other two children ate all of their potatoes, including the skins, and Sister asked for a second potato. Nice! Anyway, this is what we do for a potato bar.
Potato Bar
Baked potatoes - however many you need
Chili
Olives
Bacon Bits
Shredded Cheese
Chives
Sour Cream
Butter
Salt and Pepper
Bake your potatoes either in the oven or the microwave. We have a cool bag my MIL made for me a few years ago that lets you bake moist potatoes in the microwave. I love it! If you don't have one of these cool bags, here's how you can bake your potato.
Oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees (you can also do 400 degrees if you want them to cook a little faster). Scrub each potato thoroughly before baking. Pierce each potato with a sharp knife or fork several times so that moisture can escape while baking. Place potatoes directly on the rack in the middle of the oven. You could place a cookie sheet on the rack under the potatoes to catch any drippings if there are any, or you could just keep aluminum foil on the bottom of your oven like I do. It makes cleaning the oven so much easier. Anyway, bake the potatoes for about one hour. The cooking time really depends on the size of the potato. The way I tell if the potato is done is by taking a pot holder and squeezing the potato a little in the middle. If it gives easily to pressure than it is done. If it still feels a little hard, then cook it for a little while longer.
Microwave: This varies between people so I'll give you a couple of different options. No matter which option you choose, wash the potatoes thoroughly. One method is to pierce each potato several times with a sharp knife or a fork and then place them on top of a paper towel in the microwave about one inch apart. Then cook on high power for 15-20 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. My method, when not using my cool microwave bag, is to wrap each potato in a damp paper towel, without piercing it first, and then cook them on high power for about 8-10 minutes. Again, that depends on the size of the potato and the power of your microwave. I still test my microwaved potatoes by using a pot holder to squeeze them in the middle.
Once the potatoes are baked, you can load them with whatever toppings you prefer. Sister likes it with only a little butter, salt, pepper, and a little cheese. Hubby likes to put some of everything on it. What you put on is each person's individual choice. Enjoy!
Potato Bar
Baked potatoes - however many you need
Chili
Olives
Bacon Bits
Shredded Cheese
Chives
Sour Cream
Butter
Salt and Pepper
Bake your potatoes either in the oven or the microwave. We have a cool bag my MIL made for me a few years ago that lets you bake moist potatoes in the microwave. I love it! If you don't have one of these cool bags, here's how you can bake your potato.
Oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees (you can also do 400 degrees if you want them to cook a little faster). Scrub each potato thoroughly before baking. Pierce each potato with a sharp knife or fork several times so that moisture can escape while baking. Place potatoes directly on the rack in the middle of the oven. You could place a cookie sheet on the rack under the potatoes to catch any drippings if there are any, or you could just keep aluminum foil on the bottom of your oven like I do. It makes cleaning the oven so much easier. Anyway, bake the potatoes for about one hour. The cooking time really depends on the size of the potato. The way I tell if the potato is done is by taking a pot holder and squeezing the potato a little in the middle. If it gives easily to pressure than it is done. If it still feels a little hard, then cook it for a little while longer.
Microwave: This varies between people so I'll give you a couple of different options. No matter which option you choose, wash the potatoes thoroughly. One method is to pierce each potato several times with a sharp knife or a fork and then place them on top of a paper towel in the microwave about one inch apart. Then cook on high power for 15-20 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. My method, when not using my cool microwave bag, is to wrap each potato in a damp paper towel, without piercing it first, and then cook them on high power for about 8-10 minutes. Again, that depends on the size of the potato and the power of your microwave. I still test my microwaved potatoes by using a pot holder to squeeze them in the middle.
Once the potatoes are baked, you can load them with whatever toppings you prefer. Sister likes it with only a little butter, salt, pepper, and a little cheese. Hubby likes to put some of everything on it. What you put on is each person's individual choice. Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Strawberry Flat Cake
I found this recipe back in December and made it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It is REALLY good!
Strawberry Flat Cake
found on Sugardoodle.net
1 white cake mix
1 8 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 8 oz cool whip
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 box Danish Dessert, strawberry flavor
4 cups sliced or chopped strawberries
Cake:
Mix according to directions on the box. Pour batter into flat jellyroll pan and spread evenly. Bake at temperature indicated on box. Cake should be done after about 25 minutes. Check by inserting a toothpick in the middle. Let it cool.
White Topping:
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, cool whip, and lemon juice with electric mixer. Beat until well mixed and fluffy.
Strawberry Topping:
Cook Danish Dessert according to “pie glaze” directions on back of box.
When you are ready to eat, spread white topping on top of cake and then put Strawberry topping on top of white topping.
Strawberry Flat Cake
found on Sugardoodle.net
1 white cake mix
1 8 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 8 oz cool whip
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 box Danish Dessert, strawberry flavor
4 cups sliced or chopped strawberries
Cake:
Mix according to directions on the box. Pour batter into flat jellyroll pan and spread evenly. Bake at temperature indicated on box. Cake should be done after about 25 minutes. Check by inserting a toothpick in the middle. Let it cool.
White Topping:
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, cool whip, and lemon juice with electric mixer. Beat until well mixed and fluffy.
Strawberry Topping:
Cook Danish Dessert according to “pie glaze” directions on back of box.
When you are ready to eat, spread white topping on top of cake and then put Strawberry topping on top of white topping.
Perfect Grilled Chicken
This is absolutely one of our favorite summer recipes. We cook almost exclusively on the grill during the summer. I love it! Everyone, including all the kids, loves this chicken. So easy with so little cleanup.
Perfect Grilled Chicken
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/perfect-grilled-chicken-65941.aspx
1/2 cup Kraft Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts - about 1 pound
Preheat grill to medium heat (or whatever works best for your grill). Pour dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag. Seal bag; turn to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 5 min. to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade.
GRILL chicken 5 to 7 min. on each side or until cooked through -about 165°F.
****
Okay, now for our variation. We use however many chicken breasts we need. We usually do five or six, dependent on their size, and then I use about half a bottle of Sun-Dried Tomato dressing to cover the chicken in the gallon size Ziploc bag. I don't think they make the Sun-Dried Tomato dressing anymore (I stocked up whenever I could find it) but they do make Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette which works just as well. For that matter you can do this same thing with Italian dressing and it's yummy, too. I prefer the Sun-Dried variation more, though.
I ALWAYS let the chicken marinate for more than 5 minutes and I "squish" the bag around during the marinade time to make sure all the chicken gets coated well. I do 15 minutes marinating as a bare minimum. One to two days (I've even done three days before) makes it even better! So juicy and good! Enjoy!
Perfect Grilled Chicken
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/perfect-grilled-chicken-65941.aspx
1/2 cup Kraft Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts - about 1 pound
Preheat grill to medium heat (or whatever works best for your grill). Pour dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag. Seal bag; turn to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 5 min. to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade.
GRILL chicken 5 to 7 min. on each side or until cooked through -about 165°F.
****
Okay, now for our variation. We use however many chicken breasts we need. We usually do five or six, dependent on their size, and then I use about half a bottle of Sun-Dried Tomato dressing to cover the chicken in the gallon size Ziploc bag. I don't think they make the Sun-Dried Tomato dressing anymore (I stocked up whenever I could find it) but they do make Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette which works just as well. For that matter you can do this same thing with Italian dressing and it's yummy, too. I prefer the Sun-Dried variation more, though.
I ALWAYS let the chicken marinate for more than 5 minutes and I "squish" the bag around during the marinade time to make sure all the chicken gets coated well. I do 15 minutes marinating as a bare minimum. One to two days (I've even done three days before) makes it even better! So juicy and good! Enjoy!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Spaghetti (in various forms)
We cheat with spaghetti, but this is a fast and easy meal. There's no real recipe involved. In our home the sauce comes from a bottle. We also cheat with the term "spaghetti". In our house that could mean just about anything. It usually means bow tie noodles and not actually spaghetti noodles. Here are our variations on this dinner.
Pasta Night
Noodles: Usually bow tie noodles, spaghetti or sometimes even shell noodles.
Sauce: From a bottle and usually just heated up in the microwave either in the bottle or in a covered bowl. The sauce will likely explode all over the microwave if it isn't covered well. Sometimes even when it IS covered well.
Spaghetti sauce is the preference of the parents, Alfredo sauce is the choice of the two oldest children. The youngest prefers his noodles with nothing but Parmesan. You can never please everyone with one way of cooking things.
Pasta Night
Noodles: Usually bow tie noodles, spaghetti or sometimes even shell noodles.
Sauce: From a bottle and usually just heated up in the microwave either in the bottle or in a covered bowl. The sauce will likely explode all over the microwave if it isn't covered well. Sometimes even when it IS covered well.
Spaghetti sauce is the preference of the parents, Alfredo sauce is the choice of the two oldest children. The youngest prefers his noodles with nothing but Parmesan. You can never please everyone with one way of cooking things.
Chili Cheese Burritos
Hubby likes to fix these for quick lunches, especially after he gets home from church and meetings on Sundays. Sister loves to eat them, too!
Chili Cheese Burritos
1 can chili
Flour tortillas - burrito size
Cheese, shredded
Lay the tortilla flat on a plate. Put a small amount of chili (about 1/4 - 1/2 cup) on one side of the tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top of the chili and roll the tortilla to about the middle. Fold over the ends and then finish rolling the tortilla the rest of the way. Microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Chili Cheese Burritos
1 can chili
Flour tortillas - burrito size
Cheese, shredded
Lay the tortilla flat on a plate. Put a small amount of chili (about 1/4 - 1/2 cup) on one side of the tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top of the chili and roll the tortilla to about the middle. Fold over the ends and then finish rolling the tortilla the rest of the way. Microwave for 1-2 minutes.
French Toast
Our family is pretty solidly a cold-cereal-in-the-morning family, but we love to eat breakfast foods for dinner! Again, this isn't really a recipe so much. It's just what we like to eat and how we eat it.
French Toast
1 package Texas Toast
7 eggs
Milk
Cinnamon, if you like
Crack the eggs into a bowl and add milk until the color is a lighter yellow color. (I've never actually measured my milk. I just do it by the look of the mixture.) Add cinnamon to taste. You could also sprinkle the cinnamon onto the toast when you put it on the griddle. Or you don't have to use it at all. Dredge a piece of bread through the egg mixture, turning once to cover well, and place on a hot griddle (that's greased if your griddle needs to be greased). Cook for a few minutes and flip to cook the other side. Serve with syrup, sugar, powdered sugar or fruit. Or whatever else you might like to use to top your breakfast foods.
French Toast
1 package Texas Toast
7 eggs
Milk
Cinnamon, if you like
Crack the eggs into a bowl and add milk until the color is a lighter yellow color. (I've never actually measured my milk. I just do it by the look of the mixture.) Add cinnamon to taste. You could also sprinkle the cinnamon onto the toast when you put it on the griddle. Or you don't have to use it at all. Dredge a piece of bread through the egg mixture, turning once to cover well, and place on a hot griddle (that's greased if your griddle needs to be greased). Cook for a few minutes and flip to cook the other side. Serve with syrup, sugar, powdered sugar or fruit. Or whatever else you might like to use to top your breakfast foods.
Tacos / Taco Salad
This isn't really a recipe as much as it is just letting you know it's one of the things we like to eat.
Tacos or Taco Salads
1 lb hamburger
1 package taco seasoning
Tomatoes, diced
Lettuce, shredded
Olives, sliced
Cheese, shredded
Sour Cream
Taco Shells OR Corn Chips OR Taco Salad Bowls
Brown the hamburger and add the taco seasoning, cooking according to the package directions. Build your tacos or taco salads with the additions you prefer. If using corn chips, use those as the first layer on the plate when building your salad.
Tacos or Taco Salads
1 lb hamburger
1 package taco seasoning
Tomatoes, diced
Lettuce, shredded
Olives, sliced
Cheese, shredded
Sour Cream
Taco Shells OR Corn Chips OR Taco Salad Bowls
Brown the hamburger and add the taco seasoning, cooking according to the package directions. Build your tacos or taco salads with the additions you prefer. If using corn chips, use those as the first layer on the plate when building your salad.
Taco Salad Bowls
We don't use this recipe too often because, quite simply, our family prefers to just use corn chips for our taco salads. These are fun to try, though, and healthier than the deep fried bowls you get from fast food places. I think the recipe came from the Kraft website but I don't remember for sure.
Taco Salad Bowls
Flour tortillas (8 inch)
Chili powder
Aluminum Foil - crumpled into 3-inch balls
Place one tortilla on top of each ball. Spray tortilla with cooking spray and sprinkle with chili powder. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. (Watch them carefully!) The tortillas will drape over the balls as they bake.
Taco Salad Bowls
Flour tortillas (8 inch)
Chili powder
Aluminum Foil - crumpled into 3-inch balls
Place one tortilla on top of each ball. Spray tortilla with cooking spray and sprinkle with chili powder. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. (Watch them carefully!) The tortillas will drape over the balls as they bake.
Chicken Rice Soup
Chicken Rice Soup
from a Tyson Recipe Book
8 cups chicken broth
3 celery ribs, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups cooked, diced Tyson Fresh Chicken (or any cooked chicken to equal that amount)
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, combine broth, celery, onion, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken and rice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender. Yield: 8-10 servings or 2 1/2 quarts
from a Tyson Recipe Book
8 cups chicken broth
3 celery ribs, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups cooked, diced Tyson Fresh Chicken (or any cooked chicken to equal that amount)
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, combine broth, celery, onion, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken and rice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender. Yield: 8-10 servings or 2 1/2 quarts
Creamy Chicken & Noodles
Creamy Chicken and Noodles
from a Tyson Chicken box
1 9-ounce package Tyson Frozen Diced Chicken Breast (or any diced up chicken, cooked)
1 10 3/4-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 12-ounce package egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
Blend soup, milk, Parmesan and pepper in a large saucepan. Stir in chicken and cover. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for five minutes or until heated through. Serve over noodles.
from a Tyson Chicken box
1 9-ounce package Tyson Frozen Diced Chicken Breast (or any diced up chicken, cooked)
1 10 3/4-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 12-ounce package egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
Blend soup, milk, Parmesan and pepper in a large saucepan. Stir in chicken and cover. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for five minutes or until heated through. Serve over noodles.
Cornbread
This is a delicious recipe that I got from my friend, Jody. Yummy!
Cornbread
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 heaping Tablespoons cornmeal
Beat eggs, add milk. Add all dry ingredients and then add butter. Pour into well greased 8x8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 34-40 minutes.
Cornbread
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 heaping Tablespoons cornmeal
Beat eggs, add milk. Add all dry ingredients and then add butter. Pour into well greased 8x8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 34-40 minutes.
Cinnamon Chips
This was written on one of the index cards in "the box". I don't remember where it came from.
Cinnamon Chips
5 6-inch flour tortillas
2 Tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
Brush the tortillas with butter, then cut them into wedges. (I like to use a pizza cutter to do this. It's a lot faster than a knife or scissors.) Arrange the wedges on a greased baking sheet, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, somewhere around about 10 minutes.
Cinnamon Chips
5 6-inch flour tortillas
2 Tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
Brush the tortillas with butter, then cut them into wedges. (I like to use a pizza cutter to do this. It's a lot faster than a knife or scissors.) Arrange the wedges on a greased baking sheet, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, somewhere around about 10 minutes.
Crab Dip
I got this recipe from my friend, Sarra. I don't know where she got it from but isn't that how most recipes go? Someone got it from someone, who got it from someone else, etc. This is pretty yummy stuff!
Crab Dip
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
8 ounces crab, chopped fine
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup celery, chopped fine
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Miracle Whip
Mix together and serve with crackers.
Crab Dip
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
8 ounces crab, chopped fine
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup celery, chopped fine
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Miracle Whip
Mix together and serve with crackers.
Dinner in a Skillet
This recipe comes from my "Delectable Collectibles" cookbook and was submitted by Pat Turanski. As the original recipe stands it is fairly bland so I add a few spices, although I'm not very good with adding spices without instructions regarding WHAT to add, so you can add the spices that you think might work best.
My personal notes to the recipes are in parentheses.
Dinner in a Skillet
by Pat Turanski
1 lb ground beef
2 medium zucchini (or summer) squash
1 large tomato
1/2 medium onion
1/2 cup grated cheese
Salt (1 teaspoon)
Pepper (1/4 teaspoon)
(1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon thyme)
(1 teaspoon basil)
Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Drain excess grease. Dice squash, tomato and onion; add to meat. (I usually add the onion to the beef while it's being browned.) Season to taste. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.
Boy 1 (hubby's endearment) thinks we're trying to kill him in a slow and torturous way when I make this but Sister likes it for the most part. Boy 2 just doesn't eat. Period.
My personal notes to the recipes are in parentheses.
Dinner in a Skillet
by Pat Turanski
1 lb ground beef
2 medium zucchini (or summer) squash
1 large tomato
1/2 medium onion
1/2 cup grated cheese
Salt (1 teaspoon)
Pepper (1/4 teaspoon)
(1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon thyme)
(1 teaspoon basil)
Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Drain excess grease. Dice squash, tomato and onion; add to meat. (I usually add the onion to the beef while it's being browned.) Season to taste. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.
Boy 1 (hubby's endearment) thinks we're trying to kill him in a slow and torturous way when I make this but Sister likes it for the most part. Boy 2 just doesn't eat. Period.
Banana Bread
About two years ago I found an old Campus Crusade for Christ cookbook at a thrift store that some daughter had given her mother in May of 1974 (there was a personal note written in the front). If you paid attention to my very first post on this blog, you will remember that I have a weakness for cookbooks, especially ones that church groups have compiled. The cookbooks I use the most are ward cookbooks! I have something like eight of them. Maybe nine. Anyway, this banana bread recipe comes from this book called "Delectable Collectibles" and the person who submitted the recipe was named Lee Etta Lappen. I see this name and envision an elderly Scandinavian woman puttering around the kitchen with a half apron on slowly stirring the ingredients together with a wooden spoon. That visual image is what made me try this recipe. How can it not be good when a grandma makes it? (My extended family shouldn't answer that question. They should consider it rhetorical.) Anyway, on to the recipe.
Just as a side note I can NEVER write the word banana without having a flashback to the years when my sister was on a school cheer squad/drill team and had a period where she went through the house regularly doing a chant that spelled bananas over and over.
Banana Bread
by Lee Etta Lappen
(My notes to the recipe are in parentheses)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg, well beaten
3 bananas, mashed - over ripe are best
3 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 cups flour
Cream sugar and shortening. Add well beaten egg and bananas. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. (It will be thick batter.) Bake in a lightly greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. (Although, I have to bake it for closer to 55 minutes in my oven.)
This has a slightly baking powder/soda-ish taste to it but not nearly as bad as other banana bread recipes I've tried. The kids love this one as well as one of our other favorites that I'll hopefully get up here soon.
Just as a side note I can NEVER write the word banana without having a flashback to the years when my sister was on a school cheer squad/drill team and had a period where she went through the house regularly doing a chant that spelled bananas over and over.
Banana Bread
by Lee Etta Lappen
(My notes to the recipe are in parentheses)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg, well beaten
3 bananas, mashed - over ripe are best
3 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 cups flour
Cream sugar and shortening. Add well beaten egg and bananas. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. (It will be thick batter.) Bake in a lightly greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. (Although, I have to bake it for closer to 55 minutes in my oven.)
This has a slightly baking powder/soda-ish taste to it but not nearly as bad as other banana bread recipes I've tried. The kids love this one as well as one of our other favorites that I'll hopefully get up here soon.
Monday, April 26, 2010
It's just the beginning!
I am a cookbook collector. I've had to curb my addiction within the last year and I got rid of a LOT of cookbooks. I've held onto the ones that I use frequently and my method of remembering our favorite recipes is by using a recipe box. When we find a recipe we love (or the kids at least tolerate) we place a card with either the recipe on it or the reference to the appropriate cookbook including the title of the recipe, the book where it is located and the page number. This is all organized by category (beef, hamburger, chicken, bread, etc). This has worked for us, but I've recently decided that I would like to have all of these recipes in one place instead of spread all over my kitchen in different books. One of the leading reasons for this decision is when we got our new fridge and my cookbook cupboard had to be raised up an additional 5 or 6 inches. I now have to get a chair or the stepladder in order to get my cookbooks out of the cupboard! That's just a pain. It would be so much easier to just simply pull up a web page. Hence this new blog. Plus, this way I can share our favorite recipes with others, too. If you have recipes you would like to share, let me know and I can either put it on here for you or I can make you a contributor to the blog so you can enter them whenever you would like.
Now, what's with the name? If you're from the Midwest you won't think much of it. If you're from the west, like I am, the title makes sense. We lived here for a couple of months before we finally realized that a hot dish is really a casserole (or vice versa depending on where you're from). It's still a bit of a joke between my dear hubby and me. Hence the name. Enjoy!
P.S.
It will take me a while to put in all the recipes from "the box" as it's called in our home. Please be patient as I work on it!
Now, what's with the name? If you're from the Midwest you won't think much of it. If you're from the west, like I am, the title makes sense. We lived here for a couple of months before we finally realized that a hot dish is really a casserole (or vice versa depending on where you're from). It's still a bit of a joke between my dear hubby and me. Hence the name. Enjoy!
P.S.
It will take me a while to put in all the recipes from "the box" as it's called in our home. Please be patient as I work on it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
