Oatmeal Christmas Cookies

Becky brought these to the cookie exchange...yumm-o!!

Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup Crisco

1 cup brown sugar firmly packed

1 egg

1 ½ cup flour

½ t. baking soda

½ t. salt

1 ½ cup oats

½ cup crushed peppermint candy

Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 or 4 Tablespoons milk

¼ t. peppermint extract

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream Crisco and brown sugar together. Blend in egg. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt and then mix well with Crisco mix. Stir in oats and peppermint. Shape dough to form 1 ½ inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on un-greased cookie sheet; flatten with tines of fork. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool one minute before removing from cookie sheet.

For glaze, combine all ingredients and mix well. Drizzle over cooled cookies

Makes 2 ½ dozen

Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

(recipe from my mother-in-law, Suzi Dayton)

1 c butter or crisco (I do 1/2 & 1/2)
2 1/2 c flour
1 c powdered sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 t almond extract
1 t vanilla
1 t salt
1/2 t red food coloring
1/2 c sugar & 1/2 c crushed peppermint for topping

Mix first seven ingredients, then divide dough in half. Tint half of dough w/ red food coloring. Allow dough to chill in fridge for an hour or two. Roll sections of red & white dough into long ropes on a well floured surface. Twist sections to form candy canes*. Bake 9 - 10 minutes at 375 degrees. While still hot, top with suger & crushed peppermint mixture.

*If you are making 6 dozen & don't want to pull your hair out, just mix some white & red dough into balls to form round cookies :)

Divinity candy

(*you will need a stand-mixer to make this & a candy thermometer)

Mix in a medium saucepan:

• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/2 cups sugar

-Cover pan and slowly bring mixture to a boil.

-Uncover and continue boiling without stirring until mixture reaches soft-ball stage (235 degrees). Remove from heat.

-In your stand mixing bowl, beat 2 egg whites till stiff. Gradually add half of the syrup mixture to egg whites, beating vigorously.

-Let mixture stand while you cook the rest of the syrup to hard-ball stage (250 degrees).

-Pour the rest of the mixture slowly over egg white mixture, beating continuously. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and beat until mixture is dull (not shiny...basically you are letting it beat in the bowl until the mixture has cooled and will hold its form when you drop it onto wax paper)

-Drop by spoonful onto waxed paper.

- Put walnut or pecan half in center of each candy.

- Let it stand & cool.

Tricolor Pinwheels

Don't you love the "Seventeen" 70's magazine photo?!? I love that my mom still had this...

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

7 to 8 drops red food coloring

7 to 8 drops green food coloring

Powdered sugar

Start these cookies early in the day. In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. With a mixer beat at low speed for about 3 minutes until dough is smooth. Divide dough into three portions. Mix red food coloring into one third. Mix green coloring into another third. Leave the rest plain. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Refrigerate about 2 hours. Divide each portion in half to make six portions. Sprinkle powdered sugar onto a sheet of waxed paper. With lightly sugared rolling pin, roll out a portion of green dough on the waxed paper to form a 10-by-six rectangle. On separate sheets of waxed paper do the same with one portion each of the red and the plain dough. Invert plain dough rectangle over green one. Peel off wax paper. repeat with red dough. Starting at the long side roll dough tightly, jelly-roll fashion, peeling back the waxed paper on the bottom while rolling. Wrap roll; refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Rolled dough will keep in the refrigerator up to a week. Repeat the procedure with the other three dough. Preheat oven to 350. Slice each roll in 1/4 inch slices. Place slices on lightly greased cookie sheets one inch apart. Bake for 12 minutes. Makes 60-80 cookies.

*Note to self: only use real stick butter!! (no butter tubs or margarine! :{ )

One more note to self: taking these out of the oven just slightly before they are done will make them softer!

Spiced Apple & Pomegranate Cider

Several have asked for the recipe of the Apple & Pomegranate cider I made at the Trunk Show. It is easy to double or even triple in a big pot if you’ve got a big group coming.

Servings: about 7 cups (10 6-ounce servings)

Prep: 10 mins

Total: 15 mins

Ingredients:

4 cups apple cider

2 1/2 cups pomegranate juice (I had to use cranberry-pomegranate juice and it was still good)

6 to 8 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

2 3-inch cinnamon sticks

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan combine apple cider, pomegranate juice, brown sugar, orange juice, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. (For the party, I just left it on the cooktop on the lowest simmer setting for everyone to ladle into a mug.)

2. Discard cinnamon sticks. Serve warm. If desired, garnish with additional cinnamon sticks and pomegranates.

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Popcorn

Another hit from the other night was the White Chocolate Popcorn. It is also super easy to make.

Ingredients:

microwave popcorn

white chocolate squares (use the pre-cut 2 oz. squares found on baking aisle)

When it’s just me and Wade, I use a 100-calorie small popcorn packet and (1) 2 oz. square of chocolate. That’s a perfect amount for just us. Or you can use a regular size packet of popcorn and (2) 2 oz. squares, which will serve 4+ people.

Directions:

• Pop the popcorn according to directions.
• Melt the white chocolate square in the microwave 30 seconds at a time (usually 3 times). I also cut up the square before I put it in the microwave, so it melts easier and more even.
• Put half of popped popcorn in a plastic tub with lid.
• Pour half of melted chocolate over the popcorn.
• Pour rest of popcorn on top and remaining melted chocolate on top of that.
• Cover tub with lid and shake it up good to evenly distribute the chocolate.
• Pour all of it out and onto wax paper.
• Let sit for about 10 minutes to dry.
• Enjoy and be prepared to be addicted!

I used this as Halloween treats for Tate’s preschool teachers and will use them as little Christmas gifts for our neighbors. It’s easy to put in plastic goodie bags with a cute ribbon.

White Christmas Punch

Here is the punch from Chantelle's Shower...

2 cups of sugar
1 cup of water
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 tbsp Almond extract
3 ( 1/2 gal) cartons of vanilla ice cream, softened
6 (2 liter) bottles of 7 up, chilled

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add evaporated milk and almond extract; let cool. Chill until ready to serve.

Combine milk mixture, ice cream, and 7 up in punch bowl, just before serving. Yields about 3 1/2 gallons. (For Chantelle's shower- I used about 3/4 of the milk mixture, 1 gallon of ice cream, 2 1/2 liters of 7 up)

Chicken Cream Cheese Cups

I made these tonight out of the new Kojie Cookbook some of you now have (page 111) -- they were super easy and everyone ate them, which I consider a big hit!

3 oz cream cheese, softened
3 T. butter, melted
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
salt & pepper
2 T. milk
1 T. chopped onion
1 can grands biscuits
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I only used about 1/2 cup)

In bowl, mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add chicken, S&P, milk, and onions. Put bowl aside. Use palm of your hand or rolling pin to flatten each biscuit into flattened circles. Place biscuits in greased muffin tin. Fill biscuit dough with chicken filling. Top with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Tuscan-Style Chicken with Italian Sauteed Beans

Tuscan Style Chicken

Ingredients

1 lb boneless chicken cutlets
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1 bag fresh baby spinach leaves (5–6 oz)
1 cup fresh pre-sliced mushrooms (rinsed)
1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes (undrained)
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese



Steps

1.Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper (wash hands).
2.Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Arrange chicken in pan (wash hands); cook 3–4 minutes on one side or until lightly browned.
3.Turn chicken and add remaining ingredients to pan (except cheese). Cover and cook 4–5 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness. Meanwhile, slice mozzarella thinly.
4.Remove pan from heat. Top chicken with cheese slices; cover and let stand 2–3 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve.
CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 310kcal; FAT 15g; CHOL 80mg; SODIUM 500mg; CARB 5g; FIBER 2g; PROTEIN 30g; VIT A 80%; VIT C 20%; CALC 20%; IRON 25%


Italian Sautéed Beans
Ingredients

1/2 cup roasted red peppers
5 fresh garlic cloves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 fresh basil leaves (rinsed)



Steps

1.Preheat large sauté pan on medium 2–3 minutes. Cut peppers into 1/4-inch slices.
2.Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Crush garlic, using garlic press, into pan. Use knife to remove garlic from bottom of press. Stir in peppers and remaining ingredients (except basil); cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until beans are thoroughly heated.
3.Stack basil leaves and roll tightly; slice thinly into fine ribbons. Stir in basil; reduce heat to low and cook 1–2 more minutes or until fragrant. Serve. (Makes 6 servings.)
CALORIES (per 1/6 recipe) 200kcal; FAT 5g; CHOL 0mg; SODIUM 510mg; CARB 27g; FIBER 7g; PROTEIN 7g; VIT A 15%; VIT C 25%; CALC 6%; IRON 15%

I got this from my grocery store ad this week, and it was really easy and really tasty. Only took about 20 minutes start to finish.
Enjoy!

Banana Almond Muffins

This is a super healthy muffin recipe that I got from Joy Bauer's book, Food Cures. She says it only has 180 calories per muffin; it has 4 grams of protein and 4g of fiber, which is always nice.

Ingredients:

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C reduced-fat margarine or butter, softened

2 egg whites

3 bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 C)

1/4 C water

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 C barley flour (I didn't have this, so I just used regular flour)

1/2 C ground flaxseed

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, mix the sugar and butter. Add the egg whites, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the banana, water, almond extract, and vanilla.

3. In a small bowl mix together the dry ingredients and then stir them into the other mix until the flour is just combined--do not overmix.

4. Fill each muffin cup half full with the batter. Bake 13-16 minutes until the tops of the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.

5. Turn the muffins out on a wire rack to cool. Once cooled, the muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 mo.

Enjoy!

Turkey Vegetable Soup

I saw this in the Taste of Home magazine and decided to fix it; I'm always looking for a way to change up my basic stew/soup recipes and I liked the fact that this used turkey (also helped that it has lots of vegetables and beans in it--very healthy!)

It was really a good recipe and everyone ate it well. I'll definitely make it again. I think the girls liked the small shell pasta; it kind of reminded me of pasta fagioli from Olive Garden. I served it with cornbread.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

1 med onion, chopped

2 sm zucchini, quartered and sliced

1 lg carrot, cut into strips

3 cans beef broth

1 jar (26 oz) garden-style pasta sauce or meatless spaghetti sauce

1 can kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1 can great northern beans, rinsed & drained

1 can Italian diced tomatoes, undrained

1 TBS dried parsley flakes

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp hot pepper sauce (I omitted this!)

1 C uncooked small shell pasta

Directions:

In a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray, cook turkey and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add zucchini and carrot; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, pasta sauce, beans, tomatoes, parsley, oregano, pepper (and hot pepper sauce, optional).
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Just before serving, stir in pasta.

French Puff Muffins

This is my friend Cheryl's recipe; I'm not even really sure that she ever called them "French Puff Muffins" but that's the name I always used when referring to them. (Cheryl, Amy & I were all roommates during/after college & would always make birthday breakfast on each other's bdays; these were a favorite request of mine...that's a side note, I know, but the sentimentality probably makes them taste better! :))

Ingredients:

1/3 C melted butter

1/2 C sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 C flour

1 1/2 tsp baking pwd

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 C milk

Ingredients to dip muffin tops in after they are baked:

1/4 C sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 TBS melted butter

Instructions: (Preheat oven to 350)

1. Beat the butter, sugar, & egg until creamy

2. Combine flour and other dry ingredients in a separate bowl

3. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture along with the milk (start with a little flour mixture, then a little milk, back & forth, ending with flour).

4. Spoon into greased muffin pans

5. Bake for approximately 20 minutes

6. Roll hot muffin tops into first the melted butter, then roll them in the sugar mixed with cinnamon.

7. Makes about 10 muffins

Healthy Oven "fried" Fish

I found this on Recipezaar and made it tonight--the fam really liked it, so thought I would share.

Ingredients:

4 fish fillets (I used orange roughy, but any white fish should work)

3 TBS seasoned bread crumbs

3 TBS cornmeal

1/4 tsp celery salt

1/8 tsp ground red pepper

1 TBS canola oil

1 egg white, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp water

4 lemon wedges

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees

2. Stir together bread crumbs, corn meal, celery salt, and red pepper--mix in the canola oil, blend with a fork and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, beat water & egg white together and dip each fillet in mixture.

Then dip each fillet in bread crumb mixture.

4. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and place fillets in dish (I topped each of my fillets with a pat of butter)

5. Bake uncovered for 6-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

6. Serve with a lemon wedge (I forgot the lemon wedge & it was still great fish!)

I also served this with a cheesy rice pilaf and seasoned steamed vegetables; yummy, healthy & easy--my favorite kind of meal! :)

Maple Sausage Biscuit Wraps

I made these again this past weekend for a Fantasy Football breakfast draft. We have love these in our family. I got the recipe off a package of sausage right after Kevin and I got married...and I have made often ever since. They are good with regular sausage too, but the maple makes them extra tasty and unique! Enjoy!

12 oz Maple Sausage
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped apple (I usually use Granny Smith, but any will do)
1 12 oz cans refrigerated biscuits (I usually use buttermilk, but again, any will do as long as they aren't the pull/layer ones)

Preheat oven to 400. In skillet, brown sausage. Drain well. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, and apple. Separate dough into 20 biscuits and flatten each biscuit into a 5" circle. Spoon sausage mixture onto center of each biscuit. Fold dough in half over filling and press edges with fork to seal shut. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown.

*NOTE: I have made the sausage mixture up the night before and just stuffed them that morning to save time. They still taste great!

Menu/Recipe Blogs

I am trying to come up with a "30 Day Meal Plan" Binder. (An idea I saw on a website.) I am not a good menu planner and it is one of my goals to be better. I save more money and do better about cooking at home if I have a plan. Usually I fail to have a plan. So in my attempt to do better, I have come across several menu/recipe blogs. They are helping me in my quest! I thought I would pass them along to you. Hope y'all find them useful. (Also, many of these blogs have links to other menu/recipe sites that are great!)

here they are:

http://dinnersonme.blogspot.com/
http://thematzats.blogspot.com/
http://fullbellies.blogspot.com/
http://goodthingscatered.blogspot.com/

Crispy Ranch Fries

I found these in the Paula Deen magazine for this month (Aug '09)and served them last night with hamburgers from the grill. They were really good and the sauce was yummy too (I even put a little of the sauce on my burger). They were an easy, fun treat!

1 (26 oz) bag of frozen extra-crispy fast food fries
1 (1 oz) package of dry ranch dressing mix, divided
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup mayo

Preheat oven to 450. Spray a rimmed baking sheet (I used my pampered chef stone cookie sheet) with cooking spray.

Place fries in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Spring evenly with 1 Tablespoon of dry ranch dressing mix. Bake for approx 12-15 minutes or until fries are lightly browned and crispy.

In small bowl, combine ketchup, mayo, and remaining ranch dressing mix. Serve with hot fries.

Chili Verde

O.k., I know it's a little hot for Chili, but I found this recipe online in a section of slow cooker recipes and I wanted to try it. I think it's a keeper, but I will make a few minor changes next time (like possibly waiting for colder weather!)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 C salsa verde (the salsa verde I found was "Medium" next time I will definitely look for Mild!)

1 4oz can chopped anaheim chilies

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 1b boneless pork loin (I used chicken)

1 14 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 14 oz can white beans, drained & rinsed

Hot, cooked rice

~Sour Cream * (optional)

Instructions:

Place 2 cups of the salsa verde in the crock pot. Stir in the chilies. Add meat.

Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Take meat out of crock pot & shred. Add back to crock pot along with remaining salsa and the 2 cans of beans. Stir and cook for 30 minutes more. Serve over rice.

*when I taste tested this it seemed really spicy so I added in cream cheese & a tiny bit of milk to try and dilute(?) it...the cream cheese was actually good and made it very creamy (obviously); I think next time I will use sour cream--it was a nice consistency when placed over the rice.

Pleasing Cheesy Potatoes with Sausage

This is the Potatoe and Sausage breakfast dish I served at our first Supper Club (Sunday brunch). Everyone liked it a lot and it is mine and Casey's favorite breakfast.
INGREDIENTS
1 (32 ounce) package tater tots
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream
1 can chopped green chiles
1/4 cup chopped onion (or I use 2 Tbsp of dried minced onions)
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS
Arrange Tater Tots in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. In a bowl, combine the eggs, soup, sour cream, green pepper and onion until blended. Stir in the cheese. Pour over Tater tots. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Spicy Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

In all the cookbook proofing I have done over the past several weeks (Harding Kojies are putting out a 70th Anniversary Edition cookbook this October at Homecoming), I have seen lots of good recipes. This one I tried out tonight and it was DELICIOUS!

1 pork tenderloin
1 pkg. bacon
(4-oz.) cream cheese
jarred jalapenos to taste (I used about about 1/3 of a small can)
skewers

Mix the cream cheese and add jalapenos to taste. Cut the pork tenderloin most of the way open long-ways. Stuff the pork tenderloin with the cream cheese mixture. Wrap the bacon around the pork tenderloin covering ALL of the tenderloin with bacon. Stick skewers sideways through the bacon and tenderloin to hold it together. (If you use wooden skewers make sure you soak them for 30 minutes in cold water first). Put the tenderloin on the grill for 20-30 minutes flipping once. 1 tenderloin serves 3-4 people.

Paula Deen's Cheesy Garlic Grits

Kevin and I had been talking about grits for a few weeks and wanting some...so I made these last night. They were good and Sam & Seth even ate them! I served them with grilled shrimp on top -- yum!

6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups regular grits
16 ounces Cheddar, cubed
1/2 cup milk
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
8 ounces grated sharp white Cheddar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 4-quart casserole dish.

Bring the broth, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in the grits and whisk until completely combined. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the grits are thick, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cubed Cheddar and milk and stir. Gradually stir in the eggs and butter, stirring until all are combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with the white Cheddar and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until set.

Blackberry-Peach Coffee Cake

I found this recipe in Southern Living and had to try it; it was quite tasty--I think it would be great to make again for a brunch or a shower, etc. The only thing I would do differently next time is poke the fruit down further into the batter; it was good on top, but would've been better had there been more fruit inside the cake.

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter, softened

1 C sugar

2 eggs

2 C flour

2 tsp baking pwd

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 C milk

2 tsp vanilla

2 C peeled & sliced fresh peaches (about 2 lg peaches)

1 C fresh blackberries

Powdered sugar

(it also requires a springform pan)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare Streusel Topping* (see recipe for this below)

2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add granulated sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9-inch springform pan; top with sliced peaches and blackberries. Pinch off 1-inch pieces of Streusel Topping, and drop over fruit.

4. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until center of cake is set. (A wooden pick inserted in center will not come out clean.) Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 1/2 hours). Dust with powdered sugar. Garnish, if desired.

Streusel Topping (*this recipe makes way too much--next time I will half everything below)

1/2 C butter, softened

1/2 C granulated sugar

1/2 C firmly packed light brown sugar

2/3 C all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating well. Add flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg; beat just until blended.

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

Another recipe that everyone in our family will eat (it came from a Southern Living magazine many years ago). It is really good served with mashed potatoes...especially with the gravy from the chicken on top!

1/4 cup butter/margarine
4 chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup flour
1 can cream of mushroom

1. Melt butter in 9x13 glass baking dish in a 425 degree oven.
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper.
3. Dip chicken in 1/2 cup buttermilk.
4. Dredge in flour.
5. Place chicken in the melted butter baking dish.
6. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes. Turn chicken over, bake 8-10 more minutes.
7. Stir together remaining buttermilk (1 cup) and cream of mushroom soup. Pour over chicken and bake 8-10 minutes more.
8. Enjoy!

Roasted Salmon with Potatoes and Mushrooms

I made this tonight and it was yummy (Seth especially loved it!) I found the recipe on realsimple.com and followed it exactly. Hope you enjoy!

1 pound small new potatoes (about 10), halved
8 ounces button mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 to 1 1/4-pound piece skinless salmon fillet
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Heat oven to 400° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, mushrooms, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until the potatoes begin to soften, about 20 minutes.

2. Push the vegetables to the edges and place the salmon in the center. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast until the salmon is opaque throughout, the mushrooms are tender, and the potatoes are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard, honey, parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Drizzle over the salmon and vegetables before serving.

Apple-Berry Breakfast Crisp

Another breakfast treat from the weekend.....

4 apples- cored, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cups blueberries
1/4 c brown sugar, packed
1/4 orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 T all purpose flour
1 t cinnamon

Topping:
1 c quick cooking oats, uncooked
1/2 c brown sugar
1/3 c butter, melted
2 T flour

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; stir until fruit is evenly coated. Spoon into a lightly greased 8x8 pan. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit.. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Variations in recipe... use strawberries instead of blueberries or top with vanilla yogurt.

French Toast Croissants

This is a fun and easy breakfast treat I made this weekend when my mother in law was in town.

1/3 c milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 and 1/2 T frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
4 croissants, halved lengthwise
Garnish with powdered sugar

Stir milk, eggs, and orange juice together in shallow dish. Dip croissants halves into mixture, turning to coat both sides. Place in a greased skillet over medium heat; cook until golden on both sides. Dust with powdered sugar. Make 4 servings.

Berries and Bits

1 14 oz can Eagle Brand milk
1/2 cup cold water
3 1/2 oz package instant vanilla pudding
2 cups cool whip (I usually end up using a little bit more)
36+ vanilla wafers
1 qt. strawberries, sliced
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix Eagle Brand and water. Add instant pudding mix and beat until well blended. Chill 5 minutes. Fold in cool whip. Spoon about 2 cups pudding in serving dish (preferably round, like a trifle bowl). Top with 1/2 vanilla wafers, then sliced strawberries, and 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Repeat, ending with pudding.

Garnish with remaining chocolate chips and additional strawberries.

** Variations: Since Sam doesn't like chocolate at all, we like to substitute the chocolate chips for fresh blueberries.

** I don't like bananas at all, but my mom uses the pudding part of the recipe to make banana pudding.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

This is a Paula Deen recipe, but a favorite at our house, especially in the summer with fresh strawberries & whipped cream on top.

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
3 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
6 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together. Add sour cream. Sift flour and baking soda together. Add to creamed mixture, alternately with eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Add vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Easy Chicken Crescents

I made these this week and we all love them. They are super easy too.

2-3 cans of crescent rolls (I use the reduced fat ones)
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken (you can cheat and buy the Tyson precooked chicken...it really doesn't make a difference in the taste)
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature (again, the reduced fat...I have made them before with the fat-free and didn't think they tasted quite right)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2-1 Tbs parsley
pepper to taste

Food process all of the above together and spoon onto crescent rolls and roll up (using the food processor makes the cream cheese a lot more fluffy). Bake per instructions on the can of rolls. The rolls will be a bit more puffy and flat instead of tight and thin. Enjoy!

The Big Frittata

I have recently discovered the joy of cooking a Frittata! It's easier than an omelette and it's great for breakfast or dinner.
Here is a generic recipe for it--it could be easily changed adding or omitting any ingredients that you prefer.

Ingredients:
2 TBS olive oil
Filling ingredients (I use mushrooms, onion, bell pepper or anything I have on hand)
Salt & Pepper
1 medium garlic clove, minced
8 large eggs*
grated cheese optional (Parmesan, or cheddar or whatever you prefer--eyeball it for the amt)

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
2. Saute your filling ingredients in an ovenproof nonstick skillet (i.e. cast iron). Saute over med-high heat, season them w/s&p, etc. add garlic and cook to blend flavors.
3. Meanwhile, in another bowl, lightly beat the eggs, optional cheese & herbs of your choice, etc.
4. Shake the skillet to evenly distribute the filling ingredients, then add the eggs. Without stirring, cook until they start to set around the edges, about 1 minute. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the eggs are puffed and set, 10-12 minutes. Slide or invert onto a large plate, cut into wedges and serve.

Enjoy!

* You could make an even bigger Frittata using 12 large eggs...(I don't add milk or anything else to my eggs--other than the cheese).

Noodle, Asparagus & Walnut Stir-Fry

I found this recipe in a Rachael Ray magazine and thought it sounded good--I made it the other night and I really enjoyed it...of course I made it on a night when it was mainly just me eating--in other words, I haven't really tested it on the whole family to determine if it is kid & husband friendly; my guess is that it may not be! :} But I definitely liked it enough to make it again for myself, so I thought I would post it!


Ingredients:
1/4 C sesame oil
2-1/2 TBS apple cider vinegar
2 TBS soy sauce
1-1/2 TBS finely chopped garlic
1-1/2 TBS finely chopped fresh ginger
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (I used less, b/c I didn't want it really spicy)
1/4 lb vermicelli or capellini pasta (angel hair)
1 C walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 lb asparagus, cut on an angle into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb sugar snap peas, halved

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons sesame oil, the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper.
2. In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and toast, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil over high heat. Add the onion and asparagus and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar snap peas and the sesame oil sauce; cook for 1 minute over high heat. Lower the heat to medium, add the pasta and cook, stirring, until heated through, 2 minutes. Top with the walnuts.

*I also topped mine off with a little sea salt & along with the walnuts I sprinkled mine with a little cheese...I can't remember if I used Feta or Parmesan, but it was really good!

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

This is from Real Simple Magazine --
I am not sure this is even considered a "recipe" since you don't do any cooking to make it, but it is a super easy dinner that everyone in our family ate, so I thought that deserved a post.

1 rotisserie chicken
1/2-1 cup BBQ sauce
Hamburger buns or sandwich rolls
grated cheddar cheese (optional)
small can of chopped jalapenos (optional)

Take all rotisserie chicken off the bone and put in large bowl. Add BBQ sauce until it is the consistency your family likes (I used 1/2 cup so it wasn't so saucy). Transfer chicken mixture to saucepan and heat until warm. Spoon onto rolls/buns. Top with grated cheese or chopped jalapenos if desired.

Avocadoes Cuban Style (Or where I drag out a really short recipe for all eternity)

Have you ever eaten something at a restaurant and loved it.. obsessively.. knew it in your heart it was easy to make.. if only, if only, you could discover the secret of its tastiness?

Then you know how this recipe came to me.. the tears, the anguish, the serious sacrifice of eating it over and over at my favorite So-Cal Cuban restaurant...

It was called Avocada Ensalada at the restaurant. That seemed misleading to me..it was a dessert relationship, the two of us.. plus, I totally did not want to get busted, and banned from getting there again..you know, embargoes and all. That would be a bad,bad break-up.

They served it with this delish Cuban flatbread that I cannot locate in Tejas.. so I serve it with tortilla chips, straight with a fork or tortillas...

I am going to warn you now that this could become an unhealthy relationship in a hurry. If this were a boy, he'd drive a motorcycle and wear black leather. Your momma would be checking his tattoos for spelling, and your daddy would clean his gun. But like any bad- relationship- turned- country-song, you wouldn't care.. 'cause it's that good.

I'm not sayin'; I'm just sayin'.

Here is what you need:

3 Avocados, peeled & diced (bigger sort of uneven chunks are best)
9 juicy limes
1/2 red onion, sliced in thin strips
Olive oil
salt
pepper
sugar

Seems very simple, right. Yeah, that boy seems simple,too but he's h-e-double-hockey-sticks-on wheels.. so buckle up.

(what am I talking about? I have got to quit taking Benadryl and watching days of our lives at night)

Ok, slice up your avocado and onion. Put in serving bowl.

Get separate bowl.
Squeeze your limes. You want about 1/4 of a cup of juice. DO NOT use that plastic green lime juice thing. Ick. This is not a cheap fling.

Pour into bowl. Add slightly less than 1/4 of a cup Olive Oil. (See, just a little less olive oil than juice)

Start with 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon each salt & pepper. Stir until dissolved. Taste. Add more salt, pepper, sugar or lime for your taste.

( I am sorry that this is not more scientific. Love just doesn't come in a formula, you know.)

Pour dressing over avocados and onion. Chill for at least 1 hour. Stir and serve.

Slice-n-Dice: Apple-Jicama Slaw

Apple -Jicama Slaw
from the Central Market Website

(Don't be put off by the name- I hate coleslaw and I loved this! )


1 Gala Apple , cored and sliced into thin strips
1/2 Jicama , peeled and sliced into strips
1/2 Poblano pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced into strips

Juice of 1 lime
1 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
1 TBSP sugar (or agave nectar)
1 tsp sea salt

Blackberries (1/2 to whole pint)
1/4 bunch cilantro , chopped
I added matchstick carrots; I think sliced fresh pineapple would be good as well.

Pwitty colors!

Slice your stuff!
Put pepper, carrots, jicama, apples into bowl.
Mix lime juice, apple cider vinegar, sugar and sea salt.
Pour over stuff in the bowl. Cover.
Chill for an hour to let the flavors blend. Right before serving stir in blackberries, cilantro and (possibly) pineapple.

Sweet, crunchy and a little spicy, I think that's me! I mean, this salad.

It would be great with fish or even backyard burgers. We tried this last night, and maybe for kids, make a separate bowl without the pepper or use peppers that are sweeter and less hot. Like a bell pepper. Although, it was not really that spicy, just flavorful. Whatever.

Serves 4-6 a dinky-do portion.

Turkey Spinach Enchiladas

I always tell myself that I will make time to post my favorite recipes on here, but I guess having a whole night & morning to myself while the kids are away with Daddy camping is what it takes to make it really happen!

This is a pretty healthy mexican dish that I first tried while visiting my friends Jenny & Brad. I thought it was yummy & easy, so it's a new favorite for me.

1 lb all natural ground turkey
small jar organic salsa
1 box frozen spinach
1 box fat free cream cheese
1 pkg taco seasoning
corn tortillas
several handfuls of Mexican blend shredded cheese
1 can enchilada sauce

Brown turkey & drain. Add taco seasoning according to package directions (usually adding 3/4 c water). Add defrosted & drained spinach, cream cheese, & salsa - cook over med/low heat until blended & melted. Spoon mixture into tortillas & place into sprayed casserole dish. Top w/ enchilada sauce & shredded cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese melts - about 15 minutes.

Here's my added two cents... if I'm shopping that week at walmart the only organic salsa they carry is Pace picante sauce - I use about 1/2 of the 16 oz jar. I use McCormick's taco seasoning which contains no MSG. I don't completely drain the spinach & use that water in place of adding water to the taco seasoning. My mom likes to top these w/ some queso instead of enchilada sauce/shredded cheese & she says that they are great that way. I'm trying them tonight w/ whole wheat tortillas made in the Central Market bakery - I think that will be a yummy substitution too. Enjoy!

Southern Praline Pecan Cake or Muffins

My sister made this cake and I had some over the Easter weekend--it was delish and she said it was super easy. I had her send me the recipe so I could try it; hers was made in a bundt cake pan, but I decided I would make mine into muffins so I could easily share them (I needed to take them 2 different places). I improvised a little on the muffin version, but they turned out great too.
I would definitely not classify these as "healthy" :) but they sure are tasty! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker Butter Pecan cake mix
1 container Coconut Pecan frosting
4 eggs
2/3 C vegetable oil
3/4 C water
1 C chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, frosting (you add the frosting into the mix, don't save it for on top!), eggs, oil, water and 1/2 of the pecans. Mix until combined. Grease a 9" bundt pan* then sprinkle the remaining pecans into the prepared pan. Pour cake batter over the nuts in pan. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

* If you are making them the "muffin version" way: spray your muffin tins with pam; instead of sprinkling the pecans on bottom, I took the remaining pecans, put them in a bowl and mixed in a little brown sugar. After filling the muffin cups with the batter (and before baking) I sprinkled the tops of each with the pecan/sugar mixture. It gives them a "bakery style" top. It also reduces the amount of cooking time to somewhere between 15-20 minutes.
It makes approximately 24 muffins.

MALLOWS, S'more please! (Don't be blue!)

If you've been around us for any amount of time, you've noticed that Keely (my oldest) is allergic to artificial colors and flavors. They are like poison to her sweet little system, so they are avoided at our house. This can be tricky at parties, gatherings, and say, camp-outs... where they are making s'mores...'cause did you know that regular marshmallows have artificial flavoring and BLUE DYE? BLUE! Don't be blue!
We buy totally natural chocolate, all natural graham crackers and then zing! WHOLE FOODS was out of their natural marshmallows.. what's a mom to do? Make some! This was actually really fun. It did not take long at all.. they do have to "set" over night, but you can sleep through that part.

Homemade Marshmallows

ingredients:
3 T. unflavored gelatin
1 cup chilled water
1.5 cup cane sugar
1 cup agave nectar (what I used -very yummy) or use the following recipe to make corn syrup replacement
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp real vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup corn starch

9x13 pan
butter or nonstick spray


Chill mixing bowl and beaters.
Put gelatin and 1/2 cup chilled water in bowl.

In medium saucepan, combine remaining water, cane sugar, agave nectar, and salt.
Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until it reaches softball stage. (about 235-240 degrees)
Once temperature is reached remove from heat.

Mixer on low
(WAIT !!!SIDE NOTE: her recipe called for a kitchen aid stand mixer. I don't have one. I have a plain old handheld mixer. works just fine. I'm sure all feeling in my arm will return by tomorrow)

Mixer on low (you weren't standing there with the mixer whirring about, I hope)
Slowly add the hot mixture to the gelatin. When all the syrup is added switch to high. Continue to whip until mixture becomes thick and cools.(About 11 minutes in yesterday's high humidity) Looks like when the Stay Puff Marshmallow guy got melted in Ghostbusters! Add vanilla and whip 1 minute longer.

If you have a stand mixer , you can fix your pans while the stuff is mixing. If not, just take a second to fix them after you whip in the vanilla. Or you can do it before you cook the hot stuff. Whatever.

To fix the pans: either spray with nonstick cooking spray or butter up the sides and bottom. Mix powdered sugar and cornstarch in bowl. Sprinkle half of that in the pan & rub or shake to coat.

Pour mixture into pan. Spray or butter spatula for spreading as it can get sticky. Spread evenly. Sprinkle the rest of the powdered sugar and cornstarch on the top of the marshmallows. Cover with foil and set overnight.
Cut 1 inch squares and store in ziploc bag at room temp.

I actually made these last night and even in the humidity, they worked great! I sent some with Dave & the girls on the campout and we'll see how they toast for s'mores!


Here's an easy corn syrup replacement (in case you can't find or don't want agave nectar):
2 cups cane sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
dash salt
Combine ingredientsin heavy saucepan, bring to low boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer for three minutes, scrape side of pan to incorporate all sugar.
Remove lid and allow to simmer until reaches softball stage.
Cool and store in airtight container at room temp. Makes 2 cups.

La Madeleine's Spinach Salad w/ Salmon

My friend Stratton got me hooked on La Madeleine's spinach salad w/salmon. I was hungry for this the other night and wanted to make it myself so I searched for a recipe on line.
I didn't find an exact recipe, but I found the ingredients they use and it made it taste the same. It is a really good flavor combination--we definitely liked it enough to put it on our "keeper's" list.

spinach (I also mixed in other green leaf lettuce)
fresh mushrooms (sliced)
roasted pecans
bacon
red bell pepper (thinly sliced and/or chopped)
strawberries (thinly sliced)
balsamic vinaigrette (I used Newman's lite--very good!)
salmon

In a large bowl I tossed the spinach/lettuce mix, mushrooms, pecans, (I forgot to add bacon, but I will next time!) bell pepper, & strawberries

I seasoned my salmon w/butter & Mrs Dash's garlic&herb seasoning and then baked it in the oven @ 400 degrees for 10 minutes or so, until it looked done.

I topped my salad with the salmon & the vinaigrette dressing;
it was yumm-o & healthy!

Chicken Enchiladas

This is really easy and yummy.  It is a good casserole to take to friends!

8 Flour Tortillas

1 cup cooked chicken, cubed (to make this VERY easy you can use a can of shredded chicken breast)

8 oz sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 small can(4 oz) diced green chilies

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or colby/Monterey Jack cheese)

1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray or grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Mix cream soup, sour cream and chilies.  Set aside 3/4 cup of this mixture.  Add chicken and 1 cup cheese to the main mixture.  Scoop 1/2 cup of this mixture into each tortilla.  Roll the tortilla and place seam side down in baking dish.  Add milk to the 3/4 cup mixture set aside earlier and pour over enchiladas covering the top completely.  Bake 25-30 min.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese and bake until cheese melts.  Let cool for 5-10 min before serving.

Enjoy!

Our Favorite Pasta Salad

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law a few years ago and it is one of our favorites in the spring & summer months! So easy, great for leftovers, can be made vegetarian, and used as a main dish (with the chicken) or as a side dish.

1 lb. box of bowtie pasta, cooked according to directions
4 oz package crumbled feta cheese
1 medium/large green bell pepper, chopped finely
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
olive oil (start with approx a 1/4 cup and then add more to your taste)
balsamic vinegar (start with approx a 1/8-1/4 cup and then add more to your taste)
chopped grilled chicken (optional)

Toss everything together in a large bowl and refrigerate in a tupperware container. Sometimes, I toss with extra olive oil and balsamic vinegar the next day to moisten the salad up before eating the leftovers.

Enjoy!

Crunchy Chicken Roll-ups

This recipe is easily halved for a smaller group.  I love this recipe because it is so versatile.  Your kids will love it, but it is nice enough for a dinner party.  I have also made this up and then sliced into pinwheel slices (4 per breast) and served as an appetizer.  It is yummy eaten as leftovers too.

8-10 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 sticks butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

½ tsp Italian seasoning

Couple shakes crushed red pepper or dash cayenne pepper

2 – 9x13 baking dishes sprayed with non-stick spray

 

With a meat mallet, flatten breasts until thin and even thickness.  Melt butter with minced garlic and pour into a shallow dish.  In a Ziploc bag, mix together crushed Ritz crackers, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and seasonings.  Pour contents of bag into another shallow dish.  Pie plates work well.  Dip chicken breasts into the butter mixture and shake off excess, and then coat breasts generously with cracker mixture on both sides.  Roll up chicken breasts and place in a sprayed baking dish.  Drizzle any remaining butter over tops of chicken roll-ups, or spray with olive oil lightly.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.