Bake on Saturday

KAF Baking Class

2011-11-19T18:44:00.001-08:00

Perfect Apple Pie

On October 19th, I took two free baking classes offered by King Arthur Flour. The classes were amazing and were taught by the co-author of three of KAF cookbooks, Susan Reid.

The morning class was Perfect Pie Crusts and Scones.

The evening class was Baking with Whole Wheat. Between the first and second class I bought two of the cookbooks at the bookstore.

Susan signed them for me before the second class started.

When Susan was talking about WHITE Whole Wheat in the first class I thought of a visual aid that I had made. I sewed a ziplock down the middle and poured red wheat in one side and white wheat in the other side. I gave that to her before the second class started and she loved it.

Since the bookstore didn't have "Cookie Companion" in stock, Susan said to order it from the KAF website and she would sign it before it shipped out.

and as promised this is what was written inside.

Easy Fruit Dip

2011-11-12T18:30:00.000-08:00

I made this today for our End of Season Soccer Party. This dip is so good, it's hard to believe that it's this easy!

Fruit Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 jar marshmallow cream

Using a hand mixer, combine cream cheese and marshmallow cream until well combined and smooth. Serve with fruit.

Olive Garden Salad

2011-11-11T18:38:00.001-08:00

Walmart was out of pepperoncinis, so I went to another store and bought the LAST bottle on the shelf!

Olive Garden Salad
by Estes McDoniel Cookbook & The On-Call Cook

1 head romaine lettuce, torn
1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 of a purple cabbage, shredded (I left this out)
1 cup black olives
croutons
1 tomato, chopped
pepperoncinis
parmesan cheese

dressing:
1/4 c Newman's Own Family Italian Dressing
1/4 c pepperonicini juice (from the jar with the pepperoncinis)

Combine the dressing ingredients and stir to combine. Make sure you shake the Italian dressing before pouring it.

Add the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle about 1/2 of the dressing on the salad and toss it. Add more dressing if you'd like.

Sprinkle on the Parmesan Cheese.

Candy Corn Cupcakes

2011-10-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made these Candy Corn Cupcakes for our Ward's Fall Festival (aka Trunk or Treat). I pinned this idea from two different bloggers... Your Homebased Mom and The Girl Who Ate Everything. I used the recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything, but wasn't crazy about it. I think I will try a different method of "doctoring" up boxed cake mix the next time.

Meatloaf Glaze

2011-09-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

I recently made a meatloaf recipe, which didn't turn out great except for the glaze. Next time I'll make my sweet and spicy meatloaf, but use this glaze on it.

Meatloaf Glaze
by Our Best Bites

1 cup ketchup
1 cup barbecue sauce (I love Cattleman’s Kansas City BBQ Sauce)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 TBSP Creole (or other favorite) mustard

Combine the ketchup, barbecue sauce, mustard, and brown sugar in a small saucepan and heat over low, stirring occasionally.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the glaze and set it aside. Brush meatloaf with a coating of the glaze from the pan. While the meatloaf is cooking, generously brush it every 10 minutes with the glaze from the pan (not the reserved glaze).

When the meatloaf is done, allow it to stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with the reserved sauce, a green salad, and potatoes.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

2011-09-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

I made this about 2 weeks ago and LOVED it! This sauce is amazing and easy!

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
by Your Homebased Mom

1 lb. ground beef, turkey, chicken or Italian sausage (I used turkey)
2 cans (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes
2 cans (14 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 cans water, use the tomato sauce can
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried onion
3 Tbsp sugar (or to taste)
salt to taste
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
2 Tbsp dried parsley

Brown meat along with garlic and onion. Drain meat and add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Stir and then add sugar and seasonings. Season to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow it to simmer uncovered for several hours. If it gets too thick, just add some additional water or tomato sauce. Stirring frequently.

Lots O' Meat Lasagna

2011-05-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

I made this with high hopes and it did not disappoint. Both Jeff and I loved it. After I took my first bite, I said with surprise "This is good!" (my last few attempts at Lasagna have not been great)

Lots O' Meat Lasagna
by Paula Dean

1/2 pounds ground chuck (I used 85/15)
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground oregano
1 teaspoon ground basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese (about 16 oz container)
1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmigianno-Reggiano
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
9 oven-ready lasagna noodles
2 (8-ounce) packages shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large saucepan, combine ground chuck, sausage onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned and crumbled; drain.

Return meat to pan and add oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan, parsley, and eggs.

Spoon 1/4 of sauce into bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan. Place 3 uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Do not overlap noodles. Spread 1/3 of cottage cheese mixture over noodles, top with 1/4 of sauce and 1/3 mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce, reserving 1/3 of mozzarella cheese.

Bake 45 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Hannah's Cookbook

2011-03-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

I decided to compile all of Hannah's recipes from her cooking class to make her a cookbook. I found a small scrapbook at TJ Max and printed out the pictures I had taken from her class. Hannah wanted the original handouts from her class, instead of me retyping the recipes. I had to get creative with some of the pictures in order to make everything fit. I think it turned out so cute, and Hannah is very proud of her book.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-03-13T18:11:00.000-07:00

I have seen this particular recipe on 3 different blogs in the past 2 weeks, so I thought I'd better try it! It did not disappoint. Hannah said "These are SO delicious!!!", which made me feel pretty good!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
found here, here, and here

2 cups plus 2 TBSP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 TBSP) butter, melted & cooled until warm
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients. Set aside. Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and the egg. Mix well. Add the vanilla. Incorporate the flour mixture. Add the Chocolate chips. Put big scoops onto a cookie sheet. Space a couple inches apart. Bake for 10-14 minutes (in my oven, I baked them 14 minutes). Don't overbake! They will appear underdone, but they aren't. They are working their magic to become chewy. Cool for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Microwave Smores (Hannah's Cooking Classes)

2011-03-12T18:11:00.000-08:00

Microwave Smores

8 regular or chocolate graham cracker squares
3 TBSP chocolate-hazelnut spread
3 TBSP marshmallow creme

Spread 4 squares with chocolate-hazelnut spread. Spread remaining graham crackers with marshmallow creme. Place graham crackers, marshmallow sides down, on top of chocolate-hazelnut spread. Place on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave, uncovered on 100% power for 30 seconds. Serve at once.

Pink Yink Ink Drink & Popcorn Fantasy(Hannah's Cooking Classes)

2011-03-05T18:18:00.000-08:00

Pink Yink Ink Drink
no picture, Hannah was sick this class

1/2 pint fresh or 1/2 cup frozen blackberries, thawed
1 cup milk
6 fresh strawberries, green tops removed, or 1/2 cup frozen, thawed
1 tsp honey

Put the blackberries in a blender and puree them. Pour into a large glass. Put the milk, strawberries and honey in the blender and blend. Strain the mixture (optional). our the strawberry mixture carefully on top of the blackberries. Makes one serving.

Popcorn Fantasy

Pop microwave popcorn and remove carefully from microwave. Gather "extras" of your choice and place in large bowl with popcorn. Mix together, share and enjoy.

Suggested extras:

craisins
yogurt covered raisins
mini pretzels
chocolate or butterscotch chips
popcorn toppers (shake-on flavors)
grated cheese
Other dried fruit- cherries, blueberries, etc
Gumdrops or other chewy candy (gummy worms, gummy bears)

You can also drizzle on any favorite ice cream topping. The idea is to change the taste and texture of the snack, providing a "popcorn fantasy."

Berry Parfait (Hannah's Cooking Classes)

2011-03-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

Berry Parfait

2 1" thick angel food cake slices, cut into 1" cubes
3/4 cup fresh strawberries (sliced) and/or raspberries
4 oz container vanilla pudding
1/4 cup whipped cream

Gently stir vanilla pudding and whipped cream together. Place 1/4 cake cubes in the bottom of each glass. Add 1/4 of the berries and top with 1/4 of the pudding mixture. Repeat each layer. Serve immediately. Makes 2

Granola-Whole Wheat Waffles

2011-02-26T10:42:00.000-08:00

I made these this morning and they were very good. And, with the combined whole wheat flour, granola and yogurt, they were healthy too!

Granola-Whole Wheat Waffles
by Betty Crocker

1 1/2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1/2 cup granola cereal
1/2 cup Gold Medal® whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 container (6 oz) Yoplait® Original strawberry yogurt (2/3 cup)

In medium bowl, stir all waffle ingredients until blended. Pour batter by 2/3 cupfuls onto center of hot waffle iron; close lid. Bake 2 to 3 minutes or until steaming stops and waffle is golden brown. Carefully remove waffle. Serve with syrup or sliced up strawberries.

Ham and Cheese Calzone (Hannah's Cooking Classes)

2011-02-19T17:08:00.000-08:00

Ham and Cheese Calzone

1 1/4 cups chopped sliced cooked ham or turkey breast
1 cup packaged broccoli florets
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (6 oz)
10 oz package refrigerated pizza dough
1 TBSP milk

Turn on oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil; lightly coat the foil with cooking spray. For filling, in medium bowl use the wooden spoon to combine ham, broccoli and cheese. On a lightly floured surface unroll pizza dough. Roll dough into a 12-inch square. Using a sharp knife, but into nine 4-inch squares. Spoon about 1/3 cup filling onto each of the squares. Moisten edges of dough with water. Fold dough over filling from corner to corner. Press edges of dough with tines of a fork to seal. Use the fork to prick holes in the top of each calzone to allow steam to escape. Place calzones on baking sheet. Brush with milk using pastry brush. Put baking sheet in oven. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden. Turn off oven. Use hot pads to remove baking sheet from oven. Serve warm. Makes 9 calzones.

Sugar Cookies and De-Pinkalicious Punch (Hannah's Cooking Classes)

2011-02-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

Sugar Cookies

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 TBSP light corn syurp
1 TBSP vanilla extract

In a medium-size bowl, mix the flour and salt. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, stir in the egg, then the corn syrup and vanilla extract. One third at a time, add the flour mixtures until thoroughly mixed. Pat the dough into two disks, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or until firm enough to roll. If it is too firm, soften at room temperature for 5 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll one disk of dough between two pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap, 1/4 to 1/2 thick. Remove the top sheet and cut out the cookies with cookie cutters. Using a metal spatula, transfer the shapers to baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until bookies start to brown lightly around the edges. Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to racks and cool completely before frosting and decorating

Tip #1: Don't use margarine. Use the good 'ol fattening BUTTER.

Tip #2: Don't use the microwave to soften the butter. Let it sit out on the counter at room temperature until it is softened. If you use the microwave, you may melt it too much, which will impact the texture of your dough and make it too sticky.

Tip #3: I roll out about a third of the dough at a time so that I can carefully gauge the thickness of the dough. I like mine to be on the thick side (about 1/2 inch thick).

Tip #4: Do NOT overcook. They may not look done, but they are.

Tips from All Things Thrifty

De-Pinkalicious Punch

1 cup pink lemonade
1 cup raspberry sherbert
12 oz can of lemon/lime soda

In a pitcher, combine the sherbet, pink lemonade and soda, stir and serve. Makes 3 cups

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips (Hannah's Cooking Classes)

2011-02-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

Fruit Salsa
by Taste of Home

1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
1 medium navel orange, peeled and finely chopped
3 medium kiwi fruit, peeled and finely chopped
1 can (8 oz) unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp sugar

In a small bowl combine, cover and refrigerate until serving.

Cinnamon Chips
by Taste of Home

10 flour tortillas (8 inches)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Brush tortillas with butter, cut each into eight wedges. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over tortillas. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes to just until crisp. Serve with fruit salsa.

Better Baked Ziti

2011-02-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

Even Hannah loved this one!

Better Baked Ziti
by Mr. Food

1/2 pound ziti
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9" x 13" baking pan with cooking spray. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook ziti until just barely tender; drain and place in a large bowl. Mix ricotta cheese and half the mozzarella cheese with the ziti. Cover bottom of prepared pan with half the spaghetti sauce. Spoon ziti mixture into pan; cover with remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until cheese melts and is light golden.

Blueberry Bumplings and Fridge Jam (Hannah's Cooking Classes)

2011-01-29T21:24:00.000-08:00

Blueberry Bumplings
by Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 oz. butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 large egg
3/4 cup half-and-half

Preheat the oven to 400. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and mix well with your fingertips until crumbly, then add the fresh blueberries. Ina small bowl, mix together the egg and the half-and-half, then quickly beat into the flour mixture. Do not overwork. (If using frozen blueberries, add them now). Pat the dough out between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap until about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 2-inch circles, squares or triangles. Place the cutouts on a baking sheet, non-stick or lined with parchment paper, and bake until golden on top, about 10 minutes. Serve hot. Makes about 12 bumplings.

Strawberry Fridge Jam

2 cups cut up fresh or frozen strawberries (Hannah used mixed berries)
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1 box lemon jello (or pectin)

Place fruit and sugar in a heavy saucepan with water. Heat to boiling, reduce heat to low/medium and boil for approximately 10 minutes, crushing berries as they soften. Add jello and cook for additional 10-14 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Skim off any foam with a metal spoon and pour into sterilized jars. Secure lids and keep n courter until cool. Tighten lids the rest of the way. Refrigerate.

Fruit Smoothie and Campfire Taco Salad (Hannah's Cooking Classes)

2011-01-22T21:27:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, Hannah started cooking classes at the local recreation center. She loves classes and loves sharing her creations with us.

Fruit Smoothie

2 ripe small bananas
1 cup unsweetened whole strawberries, frozen
1 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
3/4 cup milk

Remove the peel from the bananas. Using the table knife, cut bananas into chunks. Put banana chunks, frozen strawberries, yogurt and milk into the blender. Cover blender with the lid and blend on high speed about 1 minute or until mixture is smooth. Turn off blender. Pour drink into glasses. Use rubber scraper to get all of the drink out of the blender. Makes 2 servings.

Campfire Taco Salad
by Taste of Home

6 snack-size bags (1-1/2 ounces each) corn chips
1 can (15 ounces) chili without beans
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
1 jar (8 ounces) mild salsa
1/2 medium head iceberg lettuce, shredded

Cut the top off each bag of chips; set aside. Place chili in a saucepan; cook on a grill over medium heat for 10 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of chili into each bag of chips. Top with cheese, sour cream, salsa and lettuce.

Cheese Enchiladas

2011-01-11T10:56:00.000-08:00

I really loved these, but Jeff didn't. I guess I'll only be making these when Jeff isn't going to be eating with us!

Cheese Enchiladas
by Callie

1 1/2 cup Monteray Jack Cheese
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
2 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
red or green enchilada sauce
4 tortillas
lettuce
sour cream
olives
pico de gallo
guacamole

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine 1 cup of each of the cheeses and the cream cheese (I put mine in the microwave for about 15 seconds to make it more manageable.) Stir all of that up. Add the salsa to the cheese mixture and combine. Add the green onions and the seasonings. Mix well. Pour some of the enchilada sauce in a 8x8 pan or whatever you're using to bake in. Pour some more on a shallow plate or pie plate. Place the tortilla on the sauce. Flip it over to coat the other side. Pout 1/4 of the mixture on the tortilla. use a spatula to spread it out. Repeat with all four tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Take it out and serve them with shredded lettuce, olives, pico de gallo, guacamole, and whatever you like with enchiladas.

Perfect Pie Plates

2011-01-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

Perfect in every way!

Now the pies below are not a special recipe, in fact they are pies from a can. The special part is the pie pan. They are from my mom. I remember my mom baking with these and always loving the edges and how perfect they made the pie look. On my recent visit to Hawaii my mom gave these to me. I can't tell you how grateful I am and how excited I am that Hannah will (hopefully) have the same memories of these that I do. Of course when Jeff saw them, he immediately wanted a cherry pie. Even though it was from a can, it was great! Thanks mom!! I love you!!

Ernest's Birthday Cake (Deep Dark Chocolate Cake)

2011-01-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake
by Hershey's

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup boiling water

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2 Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3 Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. (Cake may be left in rectangular pan, if desired.) Frost with Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. 8 to 10 servings.

Flat Bread Tacos

2010-11-17T09:57:00.001-08:00

This was such a fun take on regular tacos, and so easy to make. Hannah loved the flat bread and ate it as a pancake with butter and syrup!

Flat Bread Tacos

by Your Homebased Mom

1 cup sour cream
2 -3 tsps taco seasoning mix
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning (season to taste)
1 recipe of flatbread (see below)
toppings: refried beans, onions, sliced ripe olives, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and shredded cheese

In a bowl, mix together the sour cream and taco seasoning to taste. chill until serving (at least 30 minutes).

In a large frying pan, cook the hamburger over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add in the taco seasong and cook according to the directions on the back of the package.

To serve, spread each flatbread with 2 tablespoons sour cream mixture then top each with meat mixture. Add toppings if desired.

Flatbread

1 tube (16.3 ounces) Pillsbury Grand refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

With your hand or a rolling pin press out each biscuit into a 6-in. circle. You want a nice even thickness. In a nonstick skillet frying pan or griddle over medium heat, cook each biscuit for about 60 seconds per side or until golden brown. This is a “dry fry” Do not use any type of grease, oil, butter etc. You cook them in a completely dry pan.

Pumpkin Pie (from Scratch!)

2010-11-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

I thought this tasted better than using pumpkin from a can. It was easier than I thought too :)

"Real" Pumpkin Pie

Cut pumpkin (must be a sugar pumpkin) in half without stem. Scoop out seeds and strings. Place cut down on foil lined baking sheets. Cover with foil. Bake 350 until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool. Scoop out flesh and mash with potato mash or food processor until smooth. Drain if too watery.

1 1/3 cup smooth pumpkin

1 1/3 cup sweet condensed milk (or 1 can)

1 egg

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1 cup hot water

Beat together until just smooth. pour into 9" pie shell. Bake @ 375 for 55 to 65 minutes. (center will still move slightly) Cool for 2 hours and enjoy (mashed pumpkin will hold 5 day in refrigerator)

Potato Bites

2010-11-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

I loved this! Potatoes are one of my favorite foods, so I will be making this again, and again!

I couldn't find "bite sized" red potatoes, so I used 5 medium-large. They took about 45-55 minutes to cook, instead of the 30 minute the small ones take. It's a little tricky to get the meat out of the potatoes without breaking the skin, but I managed to get 4 out of the 5. Next time I think I'll use half and half, since we always have that on hand. Also I see no need to slice off the end of one of the potatoes until after they are cooked. I am not sure what the reasoning is to cook them upright, instead of lying on it's side.

Potato Bites
by My Baking Addiction

15 small red skin potatoes (I used 5 medium-large)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher Salt (I used regular table salt)

For the Filling:
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter; softened
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
3 slices of bacon; cooked until crisp and chopped
½ cup of sharp cheddar cheese
4 chives finely chopped

Garnish
sour cream
Finely chopped chives (I added mine to the filling)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice off a thin portion from the bottoms of the potatoes so they can sit upright without falling over. Add potatoes to a gallon size bag and pour in your olive oil. Seal and coat all of the potatoes with the olive oil. Remove potatoes from bag and place the potatoes upright on a foil-lined sheet pan; sprinkle with salt. Bake the potatoes in the oven for 30 minutes or until tender.

When the potatoes have cooled enough to be handled, carefully scoop out most of the potato into a bowl. A serrated spoon works well for this process. Take care to leave enough potato in the skin so the shells stay together. Mash the scooped potato lightly with fork, or run through a potato ricer. Add the sour cream, heavy cream, butter, and salt and combine until smooth. Fold in chopped bacon and cheese into the potato mixture. Evenly spoon or pipe the filling into the hollowed potatoes and return to the 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Garnish with sour cream and finely chopped chives.

Cheddar Corn Chowder

2010-11-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

The recipe on Food Network is for double this amount. I printed out the recipe online and decided to half it. I remembered to half everything until I got to the spices... and accidentally added double the amount of salt, pepper and turmeric for the recipe! Needless to say, the soup was very salty, but still good :)

Cheddar Corn Chowder

by Ina Garten

4 ounces bacon, chopped
1/8 cup good olive oil
1 large chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
6 cups chicken stock or 3 cans (14-16 oz size)
3 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (1 pound)
5 cups corn kernels, fresh (5 ears) or frozen (1 1/2 pounds) or 3 15 oz cans
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

Spiderweb Cupcakes

2010-10-31T19:36:00.000-07:00

Spiderweb Cupcakes

I followed the tutorial on Little Birdie Secrets to make these ~~cute~~ scary spiderweb cupcakes. I just used a box cake mix and quick vanilla buttercream frosting. I bought very cheap spiders from Wal-mart for the top, but next time I think I'll splurge and buy the more expensive kind. The black spider web was made using Wilton's Sparkle Gel in black, and one tube had enough to decorate 24 cupcakes. These were perfect for Halloween!!

Ernest's Karai (spicy) Chili

2010-10-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

Ernest made this for the ward Halloween party. I love that he did the cooking! He agreed to share his secret recipe, as long as I didn't put amounts on any of the ingredients.

Ernest's Karai (spicy) Chili

by Ernest Fuchigami

beef

hot dogs (cut into bite sized pieces)

dark red kidney beans

diced onion

diced tomato

tomato paste

chili powder

garlic

Cook beef and onions; drain. Add remaining ingredients and cook until hot. Serve over rice.

Baked Chicken-Bacon Alfredo

2010-10-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

I just found this draft from July, and didn't realize I hadn't posted it. This dinner was amazing!! Thanks Jessica!

Baked Chicken-Bacon Alfredo
by Our Best Bites

8 oz penne or bowtie pasta
1 recipe Guiltless Alfredo Sauce (recipe follows or a 16-oz. jar would work in a pinch)
2 chicken breasts, grilled and chopped (about 2 cups chopped chicken)
6 oz (1/2 package) cooked bacon, chopped
1 14 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions (about 1 decent-sized bunch)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, prepare Guiltless Alfredo sauce. When pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce. Toss with chopped chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, green onions, and 1/2 cpu mozzarella. Season to taste.

Transfer mixture to an 8x8" baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

Serve with a green salad and breadsticks or a loaf of garlic bread made with Garlic Bread Seasoning.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce
by Our Best Bites

2 cups low-fat milk
1/3 cups (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2 TBSP flour
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP butter
3 garlic cloves
1 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender. Process until smooth and set aside.

In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don't want to burn it. Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it's nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

2010-09-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

I halved the amount of chicken and tortillas for this recipe, but used the full amount of sauce. That was a mistake. The honey lime sauce overpowered the dish. It was still good, but next time, I'll make sure to half the sauce too!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

by Your Homebased Mom

6 TBSP honey
5 TBSP fresh lime juice (1-2 limes)
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2-3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
8 – 10 flour tortillas (depending on size)
1 lb of a Mexican blend cheese (monterey jack, colby, cheddar), shredded
1 large can of green enchilada sauce

Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder together with the shredded chicken. Allow it to sit for at least 1/2 hour or you could do it hours before and just cover and refrigerate.

Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce into bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Place chicken and cheese into middle of a tortilla and spoon about 1 tablespoon of enchilada sauce over it and roll up. Place seam down in the pan. Reserve about 1-2 cups of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Pour enchilada sauce over the top of rolled enchiladas (reserve a little bit to add after they are baked) and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Mexican Rice
by Ann Bowman via Your Homebased Mom

2 TBSP olive oil or vegetable oil
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cup chicken broth
1 small can tomato juice
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the rice. Stir frequently and slightly brown the rice (more like, make it tan) over a medium high heat. Add the chicken broth. Add the tomato juice. Add some salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly. Reduce heat to simmer and cover tightly with a lid. (I ’stir’ the mixture several times while it’s cooking by just shaking/moving the skillet back and forth so that I don’t take the lid off.) Simmer/cook for about 20 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed. Once the liquid has been absorbed, turn off the heat and leave mixture alone with the lid on it for another 10-15 minutes or so.

Chili's Chicken Club Tacos

2010-09-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

Last week on a quick trip to St. George we stopped at Chili's for lunch. I had some amazing Chicken Club Tacos! I am not sure exactly how they seasoned the chicken, but I'm sure any combination of spices will work. I think the magic to this recipe is in the dressing and the bacon!

Chili's Chicken Club Tacos

seasoned grilled chicken

ancho-chili ranch dressing (I don't know how to make this, but I'm sure ranch dressing would be fine)

applewood smoked bacon (cooked and crumbled)

lettuce

cheese

tomatoes

Combine ingredients and serve on flour tortillas.

Burger No. 39

2010-08-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

Inside my Food Network magazine was the insert "50 Burgers". When my sister came to visit last week we made Burger No. 39, and we both agreed this is our new favorite burger!

Turkey Burger
by Food Network

1 lb ground turkey
1 grated green apple
1/2 cup minced scallions
1/4 cup panko (or bread crumbs)
salt and pepper

Mix ingredients together and form into four 1 inch thick patties, make an indentation in the centers and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side on an oiled grill. Serve on whole wheat buns.

Peanut Butter Cup(cakes)

2010-08-05T23:45:00.000-07:00

VERY rich cupcakes, but VERY good! This is the perfect chocolate & peanut butter treat!

Peanut Butter Cup Cake
by Parents.com

1 devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chopped peanut butter cups (plus more for garnishing - about 2 bags)

Frosting (half frosting recipe for cupcakes)

8 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides after 1 minute. Fold in 2 cups of the chopped peanut butter cups. Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cakes completely. Place chopped dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream just to a boil and then pour over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts. Add peanut butter and whisk until smooth.

For a 9-inch (two layer) cake:

Coat two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Line with wax paper and coat paper. Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cakes completely.Trim each cake layer so the tops are flat. Place one layer on a cooling rack and pour 1 cup frosting on top. Spread evenly with a spatula. Add second layer and pour remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Smooth out with spatula. Allow frosting to set for a minute and gently press remaining chopped peanut butter cup pieces all over top and sides of cake. Place in refrigerator for about an hour to set. Remove and serve.

For cupcakes

Pour batter into a lined cupcake pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely. Dip cupcakes one at a time into frosting. Allow frosting to set for a minute and gently press remaining chopped peanut butter cup pieces all over top of cupcakes.

Oven-Fried Picnic Chicken

2010-06-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

Image Source Betty Crocker

Oven-Fried Picnic Chicken
by Betty Crocker

2/3 cup buttermilk
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 1/2 lb)
1 cup Country Corn Flakes cereal
1 cup Original Bisquick mix or Gold Medal all-purpose flour
2 packages (1 oz each) ranch dressing mix (dry)
Cooking spray

Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Pour buttermilk into shallow glass or plastic bowl. Add chicken; turn to coat. Let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in 2-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag, crush cereal with rolling pin. Add Bisquick mix and dressing mix (dry) to cereal in bag. Remove chicken from buttermilk; discard buttermilk. Add chicken to cereal mixture. Seal bag; shake to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).

My Notes: I'm not sure what "Country" Corn Flakes are, so I just used "Regular" Corn Flakes. The chicken was great, I loved the flavor and the crunch. Next time I will bread the chicken in a pan, the bag didn't distribute the corn flake mixture evenly enough for me. I also used chicken tenders/strips and only cooked it for 20 minutes.

Cinnamon Sugar

2010-06-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

When I was little I loved having cinnamon toast for breakfast. One morning we ran out of Cinnamon Sugar and devastation hit. My mom came to the rescue and "made" Cinnamon Sugar... from scratch! I was so little that I had no idea you could "make" Cinnamon Sugar. I was amazed and thought my mom was awesome!

So, today we ran out of Cinnamon Sugar and Hannah was only mildly impressed that I could make my own. Oh well, I guess in the age of iPhones and computers, Cinnamon Sugar is low on the list.

Cinnamon Sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBSP cinnamon

Mix together and pour into shaker. This amount fit perfectly into my McCormick sized container.

Cheesecake Cookie Cups

2010-05-29T16:57:00.000-07:00

This recipe was on the back of our Visiting Teaching Message this month. Jeff and I loved them as is, Hannah loved them without the cherries on top and Ernest thought they were too sweet. I think my vote is the one that counts!

Cheesecake Cookie Cups
by Nestle

1 pkg (16.5 oz) Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough
2 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, room temperature
1 can (14 oz) Nestle Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 325° F. Paper-line 24 muffin cups. Place one piece of cookie dough in each muffin cup. BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookie has spread to edge of cup.

Beat cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and vanilla extract in medium bowl until smooth. Pour about 3 tablespoons cream cheese mixture over each cookie in cup.

Bake for additional 15 to 18 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Top each with level tablespoon of pie filling. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Creamy Corn Chowder

2010-05-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for that perfect Corn Chowder recipe that everyone wants more of and can't wait to eat it when the weather gets cold. This one comes close, but I think I'm going to keep looking.

Creamy Corn Chowder
by Our Best Bites

2 TBSP butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
2 1/2 cup milk (any kinds is fine)
2 regular-sized chicken bouillon cubes, 1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube, or 2 tsp. chicken base
1/2 lb bacon (optional)
1 small-medium onion, minced
2 red potatoes, diced into small cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can corn, drained or about 1 1/2 cups frozen fresh corn
Salt and pepper to taste
A few dashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)(I left this out)

Fry bacon until crisp. In the meantime, melt butter over low heat in a soup pot. When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball. Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps. Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don't boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through. Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste. Start with about 1/4 tsp, give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with extra bacon and/or cheese if you want.

Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pastry Pockets (Freezer Meal)

2010-05-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

A few friends came over today and we made some Freezer Meals together. I'll be posting the other recipes as I try them. I cooked some of these Pastry Pockets right away and the rest are in the freezer. They were so good! I will be making these again!

Very flaky!

Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pastry Pockets
by Our Best Bites

1 box puff pastry (2 sheets)
1 8 oz container Philadelphia Chive and Onion flavor Cream Cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cup cooked shredded chicken breast
1/3 cup cooked crumbled bacon
3 TBSP finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 egg
1 TBSP water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Warm cream cheese in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to soften. Place in a mixing bowl with mozzarella cheese, chicken, bacon, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to combine and set aside.

Defrost puff pastry sheets according to package directions. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll one sheet at a time into a 12 x 12 inch square. Cut 4, 3 inch strips each direction to make 16 squares, 3 x 3" each.

Place about 2 teaspoons of cream cheese mixture onto each square. With your finger, brush a dab of water around the edges of each square and fold over diagonally to make a triangle. Press edges together and crimp with a fork to seal.

After stuffing and folding each pastry, place on a baking sheet. Whisk egg and 1 tablespoon water together and brush over the top of each pastry. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Can also be served at room temperature.

Freezer instructions: Follow directions through egg wash. Place baking sheet in the freezer. When pastries are solid to the touch, transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer. When ready to bake, place frozen pastries directly on a baking sheet in preheated 400 degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2010-05-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (aka Congo Bars)
by Bakerella

2 ¾ cup all purpose flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 lb light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
11.5 oz package milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Set aside. Stir brown sugar into softened (not melted) butter in another large bowl until butter disappears. You can use the back of your spoon to help incorporate the two together. Add eggs one at a time to butter mixture and stir well after each egg. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. Mix well. Add dry flour mixture and stir until well combined. Coat a 13 X 9 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Make sure you don’t over bake.

Homemade Tortillas

2010-05-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my friend Tonya came over to show me how to make homemade tortillas from scratch. It was so much easier than I thought and of course they tasted better than the store bought ones.

Homemade Tortillas
by Tonya L.

2 cups white flour*
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp baking powder
1/3 cup shortening
¾ cups warm water

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles course crumbs. Slowly stir in water and fluff with fork until dough forms. Turn out onto floured surface. Kneed dough until it is smooth (about 10 times). Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Pinch off a small ball of dough and roll out on floured surface. Tortillas should be thin and elastic about 10 inches in diameter. Cook on stove top, in un-greased iron skillet, nonstick pan, or electric grilled. Cook on one side until just barely brown, flip once and brown other side. Keep a tooth pick near by to poke out any large air bubbles.

* or 1 1/3 cups white flour and 2/3 cups whole wheat flour

Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

2010-05-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

This was SO much better than store bought frosting, or any other buttercream frosting I have made before. I found myself eating the bottom of the cupcakes first, so the frosting would be my last bite! It is a little more work than opening up a can of frosting from the store, but it's worth it. I'll never buy ready made frosting from the store again!

Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
by Food Network

3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 to 2 TBSP whipping cream (I didn't have any, so I used half-n-half)

In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

One Color Mochi

2010-05-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

This is one of the boys favorite treats from Hawaii. Mochi is a traditional Japanese food that's soft and chewy. I made two batches of this in a two day period and Takeshi at one 9 x 13 pan all by himself!

One Color Mochi
by Dianne Naehu

1 lb Mochiko (sweet rice flour; found in asian section)
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups water
13.5 to 14 oz can coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp red or blue food coloring
potato or corn starch for dusting

Preheat oven to 350. Mix first 3 ingredients together. Add water, coconut milk, vanilla and food coloring to dry mixture. Pour into 9x13 pan. Cover with foiland bake 1 hour. DO NOT OVERBAKE! Cool completely. Turn onto potato corn starch dusted surface and cut with plastic knife. Dust top and sides with potato or corn starch

Easy Baked Manicotti

2010-05-13T14:35:00.001-07:00

Photo by Kraftfoods.com

This was a very easy recipe to make with the exception of stuffing the shells. I had a difficult time using the resealable plastic bag to fill the shells, and ended up filling them by hand. Ernest loved this meal and ate it for lunch the next two days straight as leftovers. Jeff and Hannah didn't like this recipe at all, although I never got a straight answer as to why they didn't like it.

Easy Baked Manicotti
by Kraft Foods

2 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1-3/4 cups POLLY-O Original Ricotta Cheese
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup pesto
12 manicotti shells, cooked, rinsed in cold water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 3/4 cup sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix cheeses, egg and pesto until well blended; spoon into resealable plastic bag. Use scissors to cut small corner from bottom of bag. Fill manicotti shells by squeezing cheese mixture into both sides of each shell; place in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce; cover. Bake 40 min. or until heated through

Mother's Day Strawberry Shortcake

2010-05-09T22:26:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe online and was planning to make it for myself on Mother's Day. Ernest had strong feeling that I should not enter the kitchen on Mother's Day (I was supposed to rest), so Jeff sweetly added this to his menu for the evening. We had grilled steak, mashed potatoes, french bread and Strawberry Shortcake for dessert!

Strawberry Shortcake
by Mary Nolan

1 ½ lbs strawberries, stemmed and quartered
5 TBSP sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
2 TBSP sugar
¾ tsp salt
1 ½ cups heavy cream
Whipped Cream, recipe follows

Mix strawberries with 3 tablespoons sugar and refrigerate while juices develop, at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add heavy cream and mix until just combined. Place mixture in an ungreased 8-inch square pan and bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove shortcake from pan and place on a rack to cool slightly. Cut into 6 pieces and split each piece in half horizontally. Spoon some of the strawberries with their juice onto each shortcake bottom. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and then the shortcake top. Spoon more strawberries over the top and serve.

Whipped Cream

1 ½ cups heavy cream, chilled
3 TBSP sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest (I left this out)

Using a mixer, beat the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest until soft peaks form, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

2010-05-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Since we didn't use an entire pound of chicken for this meal, I used the leftover chicken for our Chicken Salad sandwiches.

Buffalo Chicken Salad
by Favorite Family Recipes

1 lb chicken
1 bottle Frank's Buffalo Chicken sauce
lettuce
3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
1/2 cup grilled corn kernels (optional)
cheese, shredded
sunflower seeds
ranch or blue cheese dressing (we used honey mustard)

Heat oven to 375-degrees. Cover chicken in Buffalo Chicken sauce and place on a greased pan. Place in oven and bake about 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Cut chicken into slices and place in a large bowl. Stir in more Buffalo Chicken sauce until chicken is well coated. Shred lettuce and place on plate. Add chicken, egg, avocado, corn, cheese, sunflower seeds and top with dressing.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-05-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

At our ward party last Friday, someone had made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. Ernest loved them, and so I started asking people to try and find out who made them. I never found the baker, so I searched on the internet for a recipe to try. I found this one and we all loved the cookies. Hannah kept saying (with disbelief) "These are really good! I can't believe how good these are!" I guess that means I'll be making these again.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
by Food Network

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet
Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges (I only cooked mine for 14 minutes). Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

Teriyaki Chicken Burgers

2010-04-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe yesterday and knew I had to try it. Of course, the day I made it, there are 20 mph winds blowing! The grill only went out once, and they still turned out great. Best part was that Ernest loved it, even if he didn't add any cheese or pineapple to his. I still love him anyway.

Teriyaki Chicken Burgers
by Favorite Family Recipes

4 chicken breasts
1 bottle Teriyaki sauce (we used Lawry's brand)
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 slices deli ham
1 can sliced pineapple (we used fresh)
4 slices Pepper Jack cheese (we used Provolone)
4 large hamburger buns

Pound chicken breasts until they are about 1/4" thick all around. Place in a large Ziploc bag. Combine Teriyaki sauce and brown sugar until sugar dissolves. Add 1/2 of the mixture to the bag with the chicken and seal tightly. Place bag in refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours. Separate remaining Teriyaki mixture into 2 separate bowls (to prevent cross contamination use 2 separate brushes too)-- one for the pineapple, one for the chicken. Open pineapple can and save a little of the juice in a bowl. Place chicken and pineapple on the grill (medium heat). Brush with Teriyaki sauce every few minutes until chicken and pineapple are done-- try to only flip the chicken and pineapple once. Either on the grill or in a frying pan, cook ham with a little of the pineapple juice until it becomes nice and hot. Slice open hamburger buns and place a piece of cooked chicken on each bottom bun. Top with cheese, ham, grilled pineapple, and bun top. Serve immediately with remaining grilled pineapple.

Chocolate Fondue

2010-04-19T13:07:00.001-07:00

Since Strawberries were on sale for only .67 a pound, I decided to splurge on a Fondue Pot (something I've always wanted!). I used this recipe from Tyler Florence and it was amazing! Everyone loved it!

Chocolate Fondue
by Tyler Florence

16 ounces chocolate (milk, dark or semisweet), broken in pieces (I used Nestles Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips)
1/2 pint whipping cream
1/2 cup caramel topping

Place all ingredients in a ceramic fondue pot over low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture is melted and smooth. Do not allow to bubble. Arrange an assortment of bite-sized dipping foods on a lazy Susan around fondue pot. Some suggestions are strawberries, bananas, apples, grapes, cherries, pound cake, marshmallows, raisins and shelled nuts. Spear with fondue forks or wooden skewers, dip, swirl and enjoy!

Homemade Rice-A-Roni

2010-03-16T17:21:00.001-07:00

Since I had never heard or Fideo or Fideo Cortado type pasta, I thought I would post a picture of them. I found these at my local Super Wal-Mart in the pasta isle (American Beauty) and the Mexican/Latin isle (La Moderna). The American Beauty brand is Fideo Cortado (Fino) and is thinner and longer than the La Moderna Fideo brand. The American Beauty was also more expensive at .62 for 7 oz. The La Moderna was .48 for 7 oz. If you already have angel hair pasta at home, use that and break it into 1/2 inch long pieces.

Rice-A-Roni (Chicken Flavor)

by Rachelle Cox

1/2 cup raw Fideo or Fideo Cortado (or angel hair pasta broken into 1/2 inch long pieces)
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
3 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine or oil
1/8 tsp seasoning salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/8 tsp onion power
1/8 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp instant chicken bouillon

In medium skillet sauté broken pasta pieces and rice in butter, stirring constantly, until the pasta is golden brown. Carefully pour in water, spices and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Chicken Pesto

2010-03-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

Menu:

Pesto Chicken
Rice-a-Roni
Peas (or other vegetable)

Pesto Chicken
by Your Homebased Mom

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C pesto
2 oz. shredded part skim mozzarella cheese (1/2 C)
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spread 1/4 cup of the pesto in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Lay chicken breasts over pesto in an even layer and spread remaining pesto on top of chicken. Cover baking dish with foil and bake chicken until cooked through – 20-25 minutes. Uncover and top with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, 5 more minutes. Serve hot.

Chicken Katsu

2010-03-13T10:04:00.000-08:00

Since Jeff was out of town and can't eat fried foods, I made this for the boys last night. They loved it! The chicken doesn't have much taste by itself, but the sauce is what makes the dish. I didn't use the sauce below, but bought Kikoman brand Katsu sauce from the Ethnic isle in the grocery store. Served with rice it's great!

Chicken Katsu
by All Recipes

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup oil for frying, or as needed

Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the flour, egg and panko crumbs into separate shallow dishes. Coat the chicken breasts in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip them into the egg, and then press into the panko crumbs until well coated on both sides. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the hot oil, and cook 3 or 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Slice chicken into thin strips and top with a drizzle of sauce. Serve remaining sauce on the side for dipping.

For Deep Frying:
Heat oil in deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry breaded chicken breasts in preheated oil until golden brown and no longer pink in center, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.

For Oven Baking:
Traditionally this dish is fried, but if you must, the chicken can be oven baked. Follow the breading directions, place them on a cookie cooling rack on a cookie sheet and baked for about 20 minutes at 350. They won't turn out dark golden but should be crispy.

Katsu Sauce
by All Recipes

1 cup ketchup
4 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup, mustard powder, garlic powder, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to blend the flavors before serving.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2010-03-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

Yummy!

My best friend from High School came into town and had dinner with us last night. It was wonderful to see her again, and to meet her beautiful family! Of course, I used this as an excuse to make one of my "to try" recipes. I used the cake recipe from Bakerella and the frosting recipe from Your Homebased Mom. The cupcakes were very moist and tasted great! Of course the cream cheese frosting didn't hurt either :)

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz. red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans. Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir together with whisk until blended. Set aside. Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really good with another wire whisk. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined. Using an ice cream scoop, fill cupcake cups with cake batter (they should be 2/3 – 3/4 full). It will make 24 cupcakes. Place muffin tins on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check early and don’t overbake!

For Cake:

Pour into cake pans and then drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack. Cover in plastic wrap while the cakes cool. Then make the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 sticks (1/2 cup) butter, slightly softened
8 oz cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until everything is combined, then add the vanilla.

Ice and enjoy!

Creamy Baked Chicken Breasts

2010-03-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

I made this a few nights ago and Takeshi said "That looks GOOD!". Which, you have to know, is something he never says about my cooking. Needless to say, I was very pleased. We made rice with this and put some of the extra sauce on our rice. It wasn't gourmet, but it was very good and very easy.

Creamy Baked Chicken Breasts

8 chicken breast halves
8 slices Swiss cheese (I used provolone)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup herb seasoned croutons, crushed
1/4 cup melted butter

Arrange chicken in a lightly greased baking dish. Top with cheese slices. Spread soup evenly over all and top with crushed croutons. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake uncovered 45-50 minutes in a 350 oven.

5 Layer Mexican Dip (or 6, 7 or 8...)

2010-02-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

This was our Superbowl appetizer. I was surprised that Jeff had never heard of this recipe before. He loved it, but Hannah only wanted the sour cream layer on her tortilla chips.

5 Layer Mexican Dip
by Kraft Foods

1 can refried beans
1 TBSP chili powder*
½ tsp ground cumin*
1 cup sour cream (or 8 oz cream cheese, softened)
1 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar or Mexican blend)
3 green onions, sliced
1/3 cup sliced black olives
1 tomato, chopped

Optional Layers are
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup guacamole

Mix beans with chili powder and cumin; spread onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate (or other serving dish). Top with layers of remaining ingredients. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Serve with tortilla chips

*chili powder and cumin can be replace with taco seasoning.

The Marlboro Man Sandwich

2010-02-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

I made these for our Superbowl "dinner" and Jeff loved it. He even requested the leftovers for lunch the next day, which (in our house) is something that never happens! I was very excited that the sandwich was a hit.

The Marlboro Man Sandwich
by The Pioneer Woman

1 whole large (or 2 small) onions
2 sticks butter
2-3 pounds cube steak
Lawry's seasoned salt
½ cups (approximately) worcestershire sauce
tabasco sauce, to taste
4 whole french/deli rolls

Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside. Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry’s. Heat 2 tablespoons butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown. Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides. Add 1/2 cup (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 tablespoons butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine. Butter halved French rolls and brown in skillet. To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half, and eat!

Peanut Butter Balls

2010-02-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

When my friend Kristy and I were in flight attendant training (for National Airlines, now out of business), she made these to snack on at break time. I loved them and they are so easy to make!

Healthy Peanut Butter Balls

1/3 cup crunchy or creamy peanut butter (I prefer creamy)
½ cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 TBSP wheat germ
1 TBSP honey

Mix together and shape into little bite size balls. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-02-07T09:18:00.001-08:00

I made these last night about 8:30 pm (meaning that Hannah stayed up until 10:00 pm with me baking them!). This was the 1st time since moving to Nevada, that my chocolate chip cookies cookies came out soft and chewy. Maybe it was the extra instructions and notes in the recipe, i.e. "dough will be stiff" & "centers will be soft" that helped. I probably would have thought I did something wrong during the cookie making process had those notes not been included. The only fault with the recipe was that there were too many chocolate chips (if that's even possible!). I felt like I was eating a chocolate bar, instead of a chocolate chip cookie. My husband thought it was perfect just the way it was, but next time I'm only going to add 12 oz of chocolate chips.

Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies
from bettycrocker.com

1 ½ cups butter or margarine, softened
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
1 TBSP vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 bag (24 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (4 cups)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed or with spoon until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips.
2. On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by tablespoonfuls or #40 cookie/ice cream scoop 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly.
3. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Cheesy BBQ Chicken

2010-01-31T18:33:00.000-08:00

I made these for dinner tonight and I was very pleased with the results. The Hungry Housewife says these are a take off the the Montery Chicken at Chili's ("Topped with BBQ sauce, cheese and applewood smoked bacon. Served with mashed potatoes with black pepper gravy and seasonal veggies."). We even had mashed potatoes and green beans to go with our dinner too :)

Cheesy BBQ Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (salted & peppered)
4 slices of bacon, cut in half
1 onion (sauted or caramelized)
1 poblano pepper (cooked same as onions)
1 bottle of BBQ sauce
Cheese (any blend is fine)

Place chicken breasts in large zip lock bag and pour enough BBQ sauce in bag to cover the chicken. Marinate them in the fridge from about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to broil HI, with rack 4 inches from heat. In a large oven proof skillet (I used my cast iron skillet), over medium heat, sautee chicken until mostly done, about 4 minutes per side. Pour some BBQ sauce over chicken. Place desired amount of onions on the chicken. Cover with cheese (how ever much you want) & place bacon on top. Place pan in the oven and broil until the bacon has crisped up, about 5 minutes. Or until the chicken reads 165 on a instant read thermometer.

source: The Hungry Housewife

Steak Fajitas with Chimichurri

2010-01-30T19:53:00.000-08:00

We had these for dinner tonight and I thought they were great! We added shredded cheese and sour cream as toppers to these fajitas. Guacamole would have been nice too, but I didn't have any avocados.

Steak Fajitas with Chimichurri

1 bunch fresh parsley
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 to 2 cloves garlic
1 large red onion, halved and sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
3 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound chuck or top round steak (London broil) (I used Flank Steak)
3 poblano peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1/4 cup chicken broth (recipe called for lager beer, but I wasn't going to use that!)
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Lime wedges, for serving (optional)

Combine the parsley and cilantro (leaves and stems), garlic, half of the sliced onion, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, vinegar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 cup olive oil in a food processor; blend into a thick and smooth chimichurri sauce. Pierce both sides of the steak with a fork several times; place in a resealable plastic bag and add half of the sauce. Seal the bag and turn to coat the steak; refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cover and reserve the remaining sauce.

Preheat a grill to medium-high. Remove the steak from the bag (discard the bag of sauce); season with salt and pepper and grill until medium-rare, about 6 minutes per side. Let rest, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and the remaining sliced onion half; season with salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are softened and caramelized around the edges, about 8 minutes. Add the broth, cover and cook until the peppers are tender, about 5 minutes.

Warm the tortillas on the grill. Thinly slice the steak on the bias; divide among the tortillas along with the peppers and onions. Thin the reserved chimichurri sauce with the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice; drizzle over the fajitas. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

source: Sunny Anderson/Food Network

Classic & Easy Tuna Melt

2009-12-23T13:09:00.000-08:00

I had this for lunch today and it was so good. I thought tuna melts were only for the oven. This way is so much easier.

Classic Tuna Melt
from Starkist.com

1 (6.4 oz.) pouch StarKist® Chunk Light or Albacore in water
2 tbsp. chopped onion
8 slices bread, toasted
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1-1/2 tbsp. chopped celery
4 slices cheese

In a mixing bowl, combine tuna, mayonnaise, onion, and celery; mix well. Top 4 of the bread slices each with 1 slice of cheese. Spread tuna mixture over cheese slices and top with remaining bread slices. Spread each sandwich with additional mayonnaise; place in skillet. Cook on medium heat until lightly browned on both sides.

Tip: carrot and cucumber may be substituted for onion and celery.

Cocoa Blocks

2009-12-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe last night for a couple of my hot chocolate loving friends. Of course I had to test it out first. The hot chocolate was great, although for just one or two cups I'll make the Williams-Sonoma Hot Chocolate. This recipe makes a lot of blocks and I don't think I'd eat/drink them all up quickly enough.

Cocoa Blocks
from King Arthur Flour

½ cup heavy cream
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (1 1/4 cups)
3 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (chopped chocolate bars or chips)
4 (1 oz) blocks unsweetened baking chocolate
wooden sticks

Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Heat the cream and condensed milk over low heat until steaming. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate; allow it to gently melt. After about 10 minutes, return the chocolate mixture to low heat to completely melt the chocolate. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick and shiny. Add a few drops of flavoring oil if you like; hazelnut, coffee, or vanilla are popular flavors. Pour the chocolate mixture into the pan; shake the pan gently to level. Sprinkle with cocoa, if desired. Set aside overnight to slowly set up. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn out onto a clean cutting surface. Slice into 1 ¼" cubes. Heat a knife in hot water and wipe dry before each cut, for smoothest cuts. Stick a wooden stick into the center of each block. Roll in cocoa or crushed peppermint candy, if desired. Wrap in waxed paper, parchment, or plastic wrap to store. These store at room temperature 3-4 days, in the fridge about 10 days, in the freezer up to 30 days.

Yield: about 3 dozen blocks. (I only got 16 blocks, but I did cut off the edges so that it would look prettier)

Best Hot Chocolate

2009-12-18T09:47:00.001-08:00

No more Starbucks hot chocolate for me, this recipe is the best!

Best Hot Chocolate
recipe from Williams-Sonoma

4 cups whole milk
6 oz Williams Sonoma Hot Chocolate
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2-4 TBSP granulated sugar (we only used 1 TBSP and it was plenty sweet!)

Pour the milk into heavy-bottomed saucepan and place over medium-high heat, and heat to just below boiling. Whisk in chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon and continue to shisk until milk is frothy and chocolate is incorporated. Whisk in sugar to taste.

Spam Musubi

2009-12-18T09:42:00.000-08:00

This one of my boys favorite foods from Hawaii!

Spam Musubi
recipe from Food Network

5 cups cooked sushi rice, room temperature
5 sheets nori, cut in half lengthwise
1 (12 oz.) can Spam
6 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp mirin
4 tbsp sugar
Furikake, to taste (optional, I leave it out)

Cut Spam into 10 slices. Fry until slightly crispy. Remove and drain on plate lined with paper towels. In another pan, combine soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low. Add Spam slices, coating them in the mixture. When mixture has thickened, remove Spam from pan.

Lay a sheet of nori lengthwise on a clean surface. Moisten lower half of musubi maker (see Note), and place on lower third of nori. Fill musubi maker with rice and press flat until the rice is 3/4-inch high. Sprinkle rice with furikake. Top with slice of Spam. Remove musubi maker and keep in a bowl of warm water to keep it clean and moist.

Starting at the end towards you, fold nori over Spam and rice stack, and keep rolling until completely wrapped in the nori. Slightly dampen the end of the nori to seal it. Repeat with the other nine Spam slices, making sure to rinse off musubi maker after each use to prevent it from getting too sticky.

Note: You can also use an empty Spam can that has been opened on both sides for the musubi mold, using your hands (or a piece of Spam) to press down on the rice.

There's a picture tutorial here, but the recipe I used is the one above.

Best Cocktail Sauce

2009-12-13T21:00:00.000-08:00

We ran out of cocktail sauce, so I searched the internet for a substitute. I had no idea making coctail sauce was so easy, and I had all the ingredients on hand. No more store bought for us! Jeff like this recipe better than bottled cocktail sauce.

Basic Cocktail Sauce

6 TBSP tomato ketchup
2 TBSP horseradish
4 TBSP lemon juice
celery salt to taste
tabasco sauce (we left this out)

Shake all ingredients until well mixed. Add celery salt and tabasco sauce to your taste. Chill & Serve

Tool of the Month - Nutcracker

2009-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Nutcracker (from Williams-Sonoma)

During Christmas time we always had a bowl of nuts setting out on our table. I have fond memories of cracking and eating nuts with my family.

Perfect Whole Wheat Bread

2009-11-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that is from the "Bee Prepared" 3 ring binder that I have. My friend made it and it was so good!

2 Loaves Recipe

1 TBSP instant yeast
2 1/2 cups hot water
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey or raw sugar
1 TBSP salt
6-7 cups whole wheat flour

Combine all ingredients. Kneed for 10 minutes. Form into loaves. Place in prepared bread pans and let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes

4 Loaves Recipe

2 TBSP instant yeast
5 cups hot water
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey or raw sugar
2 TBSP salt
12-14 cups whole wheat flour

Combine all ingredients. Kneed for 10 minutes. Form into loaves. Place in prepared bread pans and let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes

Twice Baked Potatoes

2009-11-19T12:16:00.000-08:00

Here are 2 different Twice Baked Potato recipes.

Twice Baked Potatoes - Food Network

4 large russet potatoes, each about 3/4 pound each, scrubbed and dried
2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup sour cream
1 scallion, finely chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg, optional
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the potatoes directly on the rack in the center of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Pierce each potato in a couple spots with a fork and continue to bake until tender, about 30 minutes more. Remove potatoes from the oven, and turn the heat down to 375 degrees F.

Hold the potato with an oven-mit or towel, trim off the top of the potatoes to make a canoe-like shape. Reserve the tops. Carefully scoop out most of the potato into a bowl. Take care to leave enough potato in the skin so the shells stay together. Mash the potato lightly with fork along with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the butter and sour cream. Stir in the scallion, nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Season the skins with salt and pepper. Refill the shells with the potato mixture mounding it slightly. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the potato filling. Brush the reserved top with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper.

Set the potatoes and lids on a baking sheet, and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Twice Baked Potatoes - Daisy Brand Sour Cream

8 medium Russet potatoes

4 strips diced turkey bacon (I used regular bacon)

3 finely chopped scallions

2 ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup Daisy Brand Sour Cream

¼ cup heavy cream

½ cup whole milk

1 heavy pinch salt

1 heavy pinch pepper

1 heavy pinch chili powder (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thoroughly wash and dry potatoes. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Poke holes in the potatoes and return to oven for another 30 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Meanwhile, fry and chop the bacon. Chop the scallions. Remove the potatoes and cool for 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees. Slice off the top 1/3 of each potato lengthwise. Holding each with a clean towel, hollow out the potato skins with a spoon leaving about 1/4 inch of the potato on the inside to prevent potato from falling apart during baking. In a large bowl, combine potato interior, butter, sour cream, 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, heavy cream, milk, salt, and pepper. Mash until smooth. Stir in bacon and scallions. Fill each potato skin with the mixture. Top with remaining 2 cups of cheddar cheese. Sprinkle each with chili powder as desired. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

My Notes: The Daisy Brand potatoes weren't warm enough for me, so either turn the temperature up to 375, cook them longer than 15 minutes (after filled) or warm the cream before adding it to the potatoes.

French's Crunchy Onion Chicken

2009-11-19T12:07:00.000-08:00

French's Crunchy Onion Chicken

2 cups (4 oz.) FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 (5 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten

Place French Fried Onions and flour into plastic bag. Lightly crush with hands or with rolling pin. Transfer to pie plate or waxed paper. Dip chicken into egg; then coat with onion crumbs, pressing firmly to adhere. Place chicken on baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 20 min. or until no longer pink in center.

My Notes: I really liked the texture and crunchiness of this recipe, but it didn't really have a lot of flavor. We just used BBQ sauce on ours and loved it.

Thanksgiving Dinner Timeline

2009-11-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

1 Week Before...

Shop for as many groceries as possible and don't forget to buy your Turkey!

4 Days before...

Thaw Turkey

3 Days before...

Make Mashed Potato Casserole

2 Days before...

Make Cranberry Centerpiece with floating candles

Fill Car with gas

1 Day before (in the morning)...

Veggie Tray with Spinach Dip
Cheese Ball
Red Jello Salad
Green Jello Salad
Pumpkin Pie
Cranberries (or can be made the day of if you want them served warm)
Thaw Cool Whip for Pumpkin Pie
Set out butter so that it softens
Put Cream Soda in fridge

Don't forget about dinner tonight!!

1 Day Before (in the evening)...

Make Brine & Brine Turkey

Day of...

Blueberry Muffins (eat for breakfast!)
Cook Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Green Bean Casserole
Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce
French Bread or Rhodes Rolls

Paula Deens Holiday Hosting Guide

2009-11-13T16:35:00.001-08:00

Paula Deen has a free Holiday Hosting Guide available! I love Paula and have 3 of her cookbooks, so I'm really excited about this.

(Make Ahead) Mashed Potato Casserole

2009-11-13T11:05:00.000-08:00

This is such an easy dish to make for Thanksgiving. It can be made up to 3 days ahead and cooked the day of Just remember to bring it to room temperature before putting it in the oven.

Mashed Potato Casserole

5 lbs potatoes (about 8 large)
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (thawed)
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp garlic salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ cup butter

Cook and mash potatoes. Beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth; gradually add to potatoes. Beat in garlic salt and pepper. Put into buttered shallow casserole dish (9x13 works great). Dot with butter. Bake, covered at 400 for 50-60 minutes.

May refrigerate up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before baking.

Mini Pumpkin Tarts

2009-11-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

These are the perfect bite size pumpkin treats! I love making these for Thanksgiving because they are so easy and look so pretty.

Mini Pumpkin Tarts

3 packages (15 tarts each) prebaked frozen mini pastry shells (we used Athens Mini Fillo Shells)
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
2 cups (plus extra for garnish) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 teaspoon (plus extra for garnish) pumpkin pie spice
1 (3.4 oz) package cheesecake-flavor instant pudding and pie filling
Mint leaves (for garnish)

Remove the shells from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the pumpkin, whipped topping, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl, whisking until smooth. Add the pudding mix and whisk until smooth and thick. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling into each of the shells (you can also pipe the filling with a pastry bag or a plastic sandwich bag with one corner snipped off), then top the tarts with whipped topping, a sprinkling of the pumpkin pie spice, and a mint leaf, if you like. Makes 45 tarts.

Maple-Pecan Chicken

2009-11-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe online and amazingly had all the ingredients on hand! I made this recipe the same night I found it. That has never happened before :)

Maple-Pecan Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
1/4 cup pure maple or maple-flavored syrup
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup Progresso plain panko crispy bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (I used my Nut Chopper for this)

Heat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray. Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place each chicken breast smooth side down; gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/2-inch thick. In shallow dish, mix together maple syrup and mayonnaise. In another shallow dish, mix together panko and pecans. Dip chicken into syrup mixture, then into panko. Place on baking sheet. Spray top of chicken with cooking spray. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (165°F) and coating is golden brown.

My Notes:
This recipe was very sweet. A little too sweet for me, so we added barbecue sauce to the top of the chicken and that worked out great!

Tool of the Month - Nut Chopper

2009-11-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Chop Nutter (from Williams-Sonoma)

I bought this last year from Williams-Sonoma and LOVE it!! Hannah loves to chop the nuts for me, and it is easy enough for her to turn the handle. Nuts come out perfectly for all your holiday baking!

Banana Nut Bread

2009-10-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

Amazingly good!

Banana Nut Bread
by Esther Earl

1 ½ cups mashed bananas or about 3 1/2 bananas (I used my avocado masher for mashing)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
¼ cup melted butter
1 ½ cups sifted flour (or whole wheat flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup nuts (I used walnut)

Mash bananas & cream with sugar, eggs and butter. Add dry ingredients & mix together. Add nuts (optional) and stir. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

Food Storage Chicken Pot Pie

2009-10-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

This was 1st made for me when I gave birth to Hannah. I loved it and asked for the recipe. I was even happier when I saw how easy it was to make! Of course you can always substitute fresh ingredients for canned items. I always buy prepared pie crusts as well, it just makes it even easier!

Menu:

Chicken Pot Pie
Cornbread
Salad

Chicken Pot Pie

Pie crust:

4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups shortening
12-14 TBSP ice water

Filling:

4 small cans of chicken with juice (drain some of the juice)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can of peas and diced carrots
pepper to taste

Combine chicken, soups, peas and carrots and pepper. Pour into pie crust. Place top layer of crust on and bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes

Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup flour
1 egg (or use gelatin substitute)
¼ cup sugar
1 can corn, drained
3 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk (fresh or from powdered milk)
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 425°F. Put half of the olive oil in a 9x9x2 cast iron skillet and preheat in oven without burning oil. Mix all remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour batter into preheated cast iron skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until done. (If you don't use cast iron, mix the other half of the oil in the batter and cook as usual.)

Apple Butter (Vita-Mix Recipe)

2009-10-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from Vita-Mix website. Jeff loves apple butter, so I decided to try this (easy) recipe. It turned out great!

Apple Butter

1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider
6 apples (preferably MacIntosh), stems removed, quartered with seeds and skins.
1/2-inch square piece fresh ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
1 teaspoons allspice
1/4 cup (55 g) dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Place apples, cider and ginger into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 5 or 6.
4. Blend for 10 seconds until chopped. If necessary, use the tamper to press any ingredients into the blades.
5. Increase speed to Variable 10, then to High. Blend for 3-4 minutes until mixture is smooth.
6. Spray insides of crockpot with cooking spray for easy cleanup. Pour ingredients from Vitamix container into the crockpot. Stir in sugar and spices.
7. Cook 4 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low uncovered until mixture is dark brown. Freeze or process for canning any leftovers. Recipe may be multiplied.

Makes 3 (8 oz) jars.

Beef Burrito Skillet

2009-10-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

This was very good! If you don't add the tortillas and cheese at the end, you can just use the meat mixture to put in regular tacos or for dipping with tortilla chips.

Beef Burrito Skillet

1 lb lean ground beef
Taco Seasoning (1 pkg or 1/4 cup)
1 can (19 oz) kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup Salsa
1 cup water
4 flour tortillas (6 inch), cut into 1-1/2-inch squares
1 cup Mexican style finely shredded four cheese
1/3 cup Sour Cream
1/3 cup chopped green onions (about 1 large)

Brown meat in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Add seasoning mix, beans, salsa and water; stir. Bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 5 min. Stir in tortillas; top with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and onions.

Tool of the Month - Potato Ricer

2009-10-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Potato Ricer (from Williams-Sonoma)

When you love mashed potatoes as much as I do, a Potato Ricer is a must have. Potatoes come out wonderfully fluffy and smooth.

Tool of the Month - Crepe Pan

2009-09-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Crepe Set (from Williams-Sonoma)

This is the only tool (from my Tool of the Month posts) that I don't have. I REALLY want it, crepes are my favorite breakfast treat!

Cucumber Sandwiches

2009-08-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to Jenn for sharing this great recipe! Hannah loves these too, but without the cucumber and seasoning salt. I love them as is, and will probably eat them every day for the next month. Yes, they are that good.

Cucumber Sandwiches

white bread
English cucumbers
4 TBSP softened butter
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Lawry's seasoning salt

Combine butter and cream cheese to make a spread, set aside. Combine sour cream and mayonnaise, set aside. Peel desired amount of cucumbers and slice. Using a round cookie cutter or top of a glass, cut circles out of the center of the slices of bread. (Bread can be cut to any desired size, depending on how many servings you want or the size of the cucumbers.)
Spread each circle of bread with the cream cheese mixture. Place 1-2 cucumbers on bread. Place a dollop of sour cream/mayo mixture on top of each cucumber. Sprinkle a small amount of seasoning salt on top.

Tool of the Month - Artichoke Holders

2009-08-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Artichoke Holders

One of my favorite tools is these cool little Aritchoke Holders. Ernest, Hannah and I love eating steamed artichokes! Here's a cool link that gives step by step instructions on cooking artichokes.

Tool of the Month - Burger Press

2009-07-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Burger Press (from Williams Sonoma)

Of course you can just shape burgers by hand, but this is much more fun! With summer here, now is a great time to grill out!

Peanut Butter Sundaes-in-a-Cup

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

This recipe is from Pillsbury and is quick and easy to make for a great summer treat!

Peanut Butter Sundaes-in-a-Cup

¼ cup peanut butter
2 TBSP butter or margarine, melted
1 TBSP light corn syrup
2 cups (1 pint) vanilla ice cream
4 tsp chopped dry-roasted salted peanuts
½ cup hot fudge topping
¼ cup whipped cream (optional)
4 maraschino cherries (optional)

In a small bowl, mix peanut butter, butter and corn syrup until well blended. Spoon ¼ cup ice cream into each of four 6-8 oz. clear plastic or paper cups. Top each with peanut butter mixture and peanuts. Spoon another ¼ cup ice cream into each cup; press down gently. Cover each cup with foil. Freeze 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

To serve, spoon 2 TBSP fudge topping into each cup. Top with whipped cream and a cherry.

Tool of the Month - Cherry Pitter

2009-06-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Cherry Pitter (from Williams-Sonoma)

Perfect for June cherries. I love the splash guard so the cherry juice doesn't splatter!

Princess Popcorn

2009-05-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here is the popcorn I made for the YM/YW Baked Goods Auction.

It's super cute and sparkly too!

Princess Popcorn

4 cups of popcorn (I used Orville's Tender White)
2 cups Trix or Fruit Loops cereal
1 tsp to 1 TBSP edible glitter or colored sugar (I used the edible glitter)

Mix popcorn and cereal together. Place in cute bowl or bucket. Sprinkle with glitter and enjoy!

I also added a princess notebook and pencil for that extra special touch!

Tool of the Month - Avocado Masher

2009-05-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Avocado Masher (from Williams-Sonoma)

I love guacamole, so this tool is perfect for me. It's only 2" in diameter, so it will fit inside small bowls nicely. You can also use it for making egg salad.

Chunky Guacamole (recipe from Patti Cakes)

4 ripe Haas avocados
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
8 dashes Tabasco sauce
½ cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, seeded, and small-diced

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl. Immediately add the lemon juice, Tabasco, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife (or your Avocado Masher), slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the tomatoes. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper.

Baked Goods Auction

2009-04-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Oreo House

Tonight we had a baked goods auction to raise money for the Young Men's and Young Women's camp this year. I made the Diego Cake and Princess Popcorn, Ernest made Truffles & Takeshi made the Oreo House. I wanted Takeshi to make "regular" Chocolate Dipped Oreos, but he had other ideas and make this Oreo House. He suprised us all by getting $28.00 for his creation!

Ernest's truffles sold for $12.00

Diego cake sold for $25.00

Cute Princess Popcorn sold for $25.00

We had a great night and I helped support the auction by buying way too many items! Our treats we bought tasted great and we all had a good time.

Tool of the Month - Egg Slicer

2009-04-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Egg Slicer (from Williams-Sonoma)

With Easter just around the corner, here's another tool I can't do without. My egg slicer looks slightly different, but does the job just as well.

Chicken Fajita Quesadillas

2009-03-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

My boys love these Chicken Quesadillas even more than tacos!

Menu:

Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
Sour Cream
Guacamole

Chicken Fajita Quesadillas

10 Mission Burrito Size Flour Tortillas
1 container sour cream (any brand)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 (1.27oz.) packet Fajita or Taco seasoning
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 green bell pepper (diced)
1 red bell pepper (diced)
1 onion (diced)
8 oz. pkg. shredded Cheddar cheese
8 oz. pkg. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Cut the chicken into small pieces. Combine with the seasoning package and mix thoroughly. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink inside. Stir in green and red bell peppers, and onion. Slowly cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Layer half of each tortilla with Cheddar cheese and chicken/vegetable mixture. Top the Monterey Jack cheese. Fold each tortilla in half to create a “half moon” and press lightly. Coat a skillet or griddle with cooking spray and warm to medium heat. Lightly brown each quesadilla for 2-3 minutes per side until cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into three wedges and serve with sour cream and guacamole.

Source: missionmenus.com

Quick Guacamole

2 ripe avocados 1-2 TBSP lemon juice
¼ tsp. garlic powder 1-2 TBSP salsa, optional
1/8 tsp. salt
Peel and mash avocados. Add seasonings, adjust seasonings to taste.

Source: Menus4moms.com

Tool of the Month - Angled Measuring Cups

2009-03-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Angled Measuring Cups (from Food Network)

These angled measuring cups are perfect for measuring liquid ingredients. I bought my 2 and 4 cups size from Target.

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

2009-02-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

I saw this recipe from Patti Cakes and knew I had to try it. I was right, they are great cookies.

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl using an electric mixer combine the sugar, brown sugar and butter; mix well to cream together. Add in egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the cinnamon, baking soda, salt and flour and mix well. Fold in the oatmeal, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips- making sure that all ingredients are uniformly distributed. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 3 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer cookies to cooling rack.

Baked Spaghetti

2009-02-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

This dish isn't hard to make, but it does take a while to cook on the stove. It is definitely worth the wait!

Menu:

Baked Spaghetti
Garlic Bread
Salad

Baked Spaghetti

2 cups canned petite diced tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
½ cup diced onion
½ cup diced green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
1 ½ tsp House Seasoning (which is 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper & ¼ tsp. garlic powder)
1 ½ tsp. seasoning salt
1 ½ tsp. sugar
2 small bay leaves
1 ½ pounds ground beef
8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
1 cup grated cheddar
1 cup grated Monterey Jack

Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Crumble the ground beef in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining. Drain the fat from the meat, and then add the ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for 20 more minutes & remove bay leaves. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta and then a little less than 1/2 of each cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese, return it to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 more minutes. Cut into squares before serving.

Source: foodnetwork.com (Paula Deen)

Sweet Treats for Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T18:00:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Dipped Oreos

I found this cute idea from Your Homebased Mom. Very simple and thank goodness she went through all the trial and error for me :) I bought the generic brand or Oreos and should have gone for the "real" deal (double stuffed too). It would have been a lot easier to stand the cookies up once they had been dipped. Cookies are dipped in melted Almond Bark and adorned with sprinkles. Hannah passed these out to her class on Sunday.

This mini cheesecake idea came from Skip to my Lou. The recipe & pan is from King Arthur's Flour and the recipe is called Caramel Chocolate Seduction. I only added the caramel topping to my cheesecakes, because no one else wanted it. Crazy people!

Caramel Chocolate Seduction

Crust
2/3 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
heaping 3/4 cup chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, or chocolate chips, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Chocolate Glaze
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons corn syrup, light or dark
pinch of salt
heaping cup chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, or chocolate chips

Topping
3 ounces caramel, from a block, or 8 to 10 unwrapped candies
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Find a pan that makes 12 individual (1 1/2" to 2") round or heart-shaped cakes; a pan that makes small muffins (not mini muffins) would work. There's no need to grease the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

To make the crust: Mix all of the crust ingredients, and place a tablespoon of crumbs in each cup of the pan, pressing into the bottom and about 1/4" up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven, and cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 275°F.

To make the filling: Beat the cream cheese until soft and fluffy. Mix in the sweetened condensed milk. Stir in the melted chocolate, vanilla, and egg. Use about 2 heaping tablespoons to fill each cup about 3/4 full. Bake for 35 minutes, until the cheesecake is set around the edges-a small spot in the middle should still look soft. Remove from the oven and cool slowly to room temperature.

To make the glaze: Place the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, or put the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at low power. Heat, stirring often, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, so that the glaze thickens slightly but is still pourable. Pour about 1 tablespoon of chocolate glaze onto each cheesecake. Tilt pan to cover completely. Chill cheesecakes before removing from pan.

To make the topping: Place caramel and cream in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, or put the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at low power. Stir frequently, until melted and smooth. You can adjust the consistency by adding more cream to thin the sauce, or by chilling slightly to thicken. Just before serving, drizzle cheesecakes with melted caramel and sprinkle with toasted nuts. Yield: 12 mini cheesecakes.

I wrapped a few up and brought them to church for the Primary Presidency. Hopefully they loved them as much as I did!

Valentine's Day Lunch

2009-02-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

Peanut Butter Sandwich Hearts

I found this cute sandwich cutter right before Valentine's Day. It makes the cutest sandwich and Hannah loved it!

Valentine's Day Lollypop Flowers

2009-02-14T11:00:00.000-08:00

Lollypop Lilies

Another cute idea from Skip to my Lou. These are Valentine Lollypop Lilies and Skip to my Lou has the downloadable files that make these SO quick and easy to make!

Brownie Hearts

2009-02-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

Brownie Hearts (from Betty Crocker)

This is what we are making today with our heart cookie cutters. I think they are so cute! We also use our cookie cutter to make fun shapes in our peanut butter sandwiches too.

Brownie Hearts

1 box (1 lb 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box
2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa

Heat oven to 350°F. Line bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with foil. Grease bottom only of foil with shortening or cookie spray. Make brownie mix as directed on box, using pouch of chocolate syrup, water, oil and eggs. Bake as directed for 13x9-inch pan. Cool competely, about 1 hour. Using foil to lift, remove brownie from pan. Remove foil. With deep 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut 12 brownies. Arrange brownies on serving plate. With small strainer, sprinkle brownies and plate with cocoa.

Party Meatballs

2009-02-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

These meatballs are very easy to make, but taste so good!

Menu:

Party Meatballs
White Sticky Rice
Salad or Vegetable of Your Choice

Party Meatballs

1/3 to 1/2 bag of Costco meatballs
8 oz Russian salad dressing
15 oz can jellied cranberries
1 Lipton onion soup mix
8 oz can crushed pineapple (optional, but we always include it)

Dump all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or 4-5 hours on low, stirring occasionally. (These are also great as an appetizer)

Source: Tonya

Easy Appetizer (No Cooking!)

2009-02-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Original Roasted Raspberry Cheese Appetizer

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 to 3/4 cup Fischer & Wieser's Gourmet The Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce®
fresh raspberries and mint for garnish, if desired
crackers

Place cream cheese on serving dish and pour 1/3 cup Fischer & Wieser Gourmet The Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce® (bought at Costco) over top, allowing it to drizzle down sides of cream cheese. Garnish with fresh raspberries and mint, if desired & serve with assorted crackers.

Or for a great cheeseball: Whip cream cheese with sauce (using measurements above). Form into a ball, and roll in chopped pistachio nuts or chopped, toasted pecans. Sprinkle parsley on top or drizzle with two tablespoons of additional sauce.

Chinese Chicken Salad

2009-02-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

At Women's Conference on January 31st we had a great Chinese Chicken Salad lunch. Lunch was great and the Conference was wonderful!

Chinese Chicken Salad

1 lb. package baby spinach
1 head of romaine lettuce, wash and broken into pieces
1 can mandarin oranges, drained (I'd use 2 cans, since I love these oranges)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
4 chicken breasts, grilled, sliced. Before grilling, sprinkle with "Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning" by McCormick
2 cups fried bean threads (bean threads can be found at Whole Foods or Albertsons). Fry in 2" oil - they poof up quickly

Toss with "Oriental Sesame Seed Dressing" and enjoy!