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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Pumpkin Pie

I thought a pumpkin pie recipe would be appropriate to share as we head into Thanksgiving. I confess I never was a fan of pumpkin pie until I gave this recipe a try. For some reason it has just the right texture and flavor and was love at first bite.

I have shared this recipe previously on this post. You'll also find a few other pumpkin recipes on that post. Another fave in our house for Thanksgiving pies is this one that I shared previously as well. I hope everyone has a very blessed and safe Thanksgiving!

2 eggs
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup whole milk

Beat eggs and add pumpkin. Stir well to combine. Combine sugars, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Stir spice mixture into pumpkin. Stir in milk until well blended. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 45-55 minutes or until the edge of the pie and the crust is turning light brown.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Fudge Pecan Pie

I cannot believe that I haven't shared this recipe previously. I must've overlooked it as most of the recipes I've shared have come from handwritten recipes or ones that I've clipped from somewhere or gotten from friends, etc. This one is in a church cookbook from 1997 that is simply known as "the red cookbook" in our family. This poor cookbook has been used so much it is falling apart and really needs to be rebound. It's the kind of cookbook where ALL of the recipes are good. While occasionally we come across one that is not quite to our taste as written, the recipes themselves are sound. Anyway, this pie has been a tradition ever since DH and I celebrated our first Thanksgiving together ten years ago. I will be using a gluten free crust this year and seeing how rice flour works in place of the white flour....but I am determined to still enjoy our favorite pie. :)

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
1/2 cup butter
3 TB. cocoa
3/4 cup hot water
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (5.33 oz) can evaporated milk
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup whipped cream

Preheat oven & cookie sheet to 350 degrees. In medium saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa and stir until dissolved. Add hot water and stir again. With wire whip, blend in sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, and evaporated milk. Stir until batter is smooth. Mix in pecans and pour into pie crust. Bake on preheated cookie sheet for 50 minutes or until custard sets. Garnish with whipped cream.

Notes: If using a disposable or regular size pie plate, this filling will easily make enough for two pies. Rather than putting the pecans into the custard, I spread the pecan halves out in my pie crust and then pour the custard filling over them. I also use way more than one cup. I mean after all, the pecans are the best part of a pecan pie, aren't they?

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Sausage Cornbread Stuffing (regular & gluten free)

I found a recipe years ago in the newspaper around Thanksgiving time for Sausage Cornbread Stuffing. I thought it sounded so good. I clipped the recipe, made it, love it, and then lost the recipe. So the following year I made it from memory and didn't really measure anything and still loved it. LOL So needless to say it has been served every Thanksgiving since then. :)

3 Jiffy Corn Muffin Mixes (1 Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Corn Bread Mix) made according to package directions the day before. You can also make your cornbread from scratch...I'm just lazy with all the other cooking I have to do for Thanksgiving and resort to mixes. :)

Chicken broth (Pacific Foods Organic Gluten Free Chicken Broth)
1 onion, diced
celery, several ribs, diced
1 lb. breakfast sausage (I like the Jimmy Dean All Natural)
sliced mushrooms, optional
salt & pepper

In a large mixing bowl crumble the cornbread. I make it the day before and don't even bother to cover it so that it gets a little stale. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the breakfast sausage. Add the onion & celery and cook till softened. Add mushrooms if desired and cook until the juices have released. Add salt & pepper. Add the meat & vegetable mixture to the crumbled cornbread and mix well. Pour chicken broth over and mix until everything is well moistened but not gloopy....don't you just love my technical terms...if you add too much broth you'll end up with soggy stuffing. Spread into a 9x13 baking dish and bake until the dressing is dry and browned on top.


Thursday, October 7, 2010

Taco Soup

I made this for dinner the other night as the weather has been getting cooler with the arrival of Fall. It is one of the ultimate comfort foods and as an added bonus super easy and quick to get on the table!

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, finely diced
black pepper
1 can chili beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Mexican Seasoning (made by McCormick)

Brown ground beef with the onion and black pepper. Add remainder of ingredients and simmer until heated all the way through. Serve in bowls over Fritos or tortilla chips and top with sour cream and shredded cheese. Yum!

I haven't been able to find Mexican Seasoning for a while and didn't have any gluten free taco seasoning on hand, so I merely seasoned to taste with chili powder and cumin. The diced tomatoes I used also had diced green chiles in them. It turned out perfect! Oh, and I don't drain my cans of beans. I just toss them in juice and all.

Pickled Beets & Beet Juice Jelly

A friend of mine was very generous recently and not only taught me how to make pickled beets, but also gave me all of the beets from her garden that she didn't want. Needless to say I was just tickled because they are one of my all time favorite foods. I grew up eating them. She also sent me home with a recipe for Beet Juice Jelly so that I could use up everything from the beets. While that may sound very unappetizing, I would encourage you to try it if you are able to. My daughter who hates beets with a passion tasted some of the jelly and thought I was lying about it having beet juice in it! I'll give you both recipes for pickled beets - the one my friend uses, and the one that my grandma uses.

Virginia's Pickled Beets

Scrub beets and trim. Cook in pressure cooker until tender (about 18 minutes for decent size beets). Unfortunately I don't remember how much pressure she used. Remove peeling from beets and slice and set aside. Strain beet juice through a coffee filter and set strained juice aside.

Put sliced beets in a large stockpot. Using 1 part beet juice, 1 part vinegar, and 1/2 part sugar, create enough liquid to cover beets (2 cups beet juice, 2 cups vinegar, 1 cups sugar). Bring beets & syrup to a boil. Fill hot, sterilized jars with beets and then add enough syrup to fill the jar, leaving about a 1/2" to 3/4" of headspace. Seal jars and process in cold pack canner for 5 minutes. Remove jars and let cool.

Granny's Pickled Beets

Prep as above. For the syrup, use 2 cups vinegar, 2 cups beet juice, 1 cup sugar, 3 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon mustard seed, and 1/2 teaspoon celery seed. Process the same as above.

Beet Juice Jelly

4 cups red beet juice, strained (what you don't use to make syrup when doing pickled beets)
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 package pectin
1 package Kool-aid (grape, cherry, black cherry, or raspberry)

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a hard boil. Add 5 cups of sugar. Bring to a boil again and boil for 3 minutes. Ladle into hot jars and seal.

Peach Pie Filling

6 quarts sliced fresh peaches
7 cups granulated sugar
2 cups + 3 Tablespoons Clear Jel
5 1/4 cups cold water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 3/4 cups lemon juice

Peel peaches, slice, and place in water with Fruit Fresh or lemon juice. Combine water, sugar, Clear Jel, cinnamon, and almond extract in a large pot. Stir and cook over medium high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil sauce for 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Fold in drained peach slices and continue to heat mixture for 3 minutes. Fill hot sterilized jars immediately, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Adjust lids and process immediately.

Processing time is based on altitude.

0-1,000 feet: 30 minutes
1,001 - 3,000 feet: 35 minutes
3,001 - 6,000 feet: 40 minutes
Above 6,000 feet: 45 minutes

Apple Pie In-A-Jar

10 cups water
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 teaspoons lemon juice

Put all ingredients in large pan. Bring to a boil, stirring till clear and thick. Place slices of apples in sterilized jars and pour hot syrup over them. Process 6 minutes in cold pack. Makes 6-8 quarts.

Yummy Fruit Syrup

7 cups pureed fruit (I used peaches)
7 cups sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 package fruit pectin

In 2 quart saucepan add fruit and lemon juice. Add sugar and stir. Bring to a rolling boil on high heat and stir continuously for 1 minute.

Add fruit pectin and bring back to a rolling boil. Stir one more minute and remove from heat.

Pour into sterilized hot jars and seal (with new lids).

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Sweet & Sour Sauce

This recipe originally came from "Deseret Recipes", a cookbook published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I altered the recipe to better suit our tastes and it is definitely a favorite in our house. It is great served over the homemade chicken nuggets I posted a couple of weeks ago. It is also good served over chicken that has been baked or sauteed if you are trying to cut the amount of fat in your diet. This makes quite a bit of sauce, so you may need to halve the recipe if you have a small family. :)

Sweet & Sour Sauce

2 cans (13 0z) pineapple tidbits - drain juice and reserve

add enough water to pineapple juice to equal 3 3/4 cups of liquid

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons soy sauce or gluten free, low sodium Tamari sauce

1 1/8 cups vinegar

Cornstarch (about 2-3 Tablespoons) Sorry I don't have an exact measurement on this...the original recipe calls for flour and to make it gluten free I switched to cornstarch.

Optional: thinly sliced onions, celery, and carrots

If using the veggies, saute them lightly in just a little bit of oil until crisp tender. Add all other ingredients except cornstarch and pineapple tidbits. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Dissolve cornstarch in a bit of cold water and add to mixture. Stir quickly to keep it from clumping together and stir until thickened. Add pineapple tidbits and serve over steamed rice and chicken.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets

Wow! I can't believe I've neglected this blog for so long! I've been dabbling in gluten free cooking over the past few months since my diagnosis of gluten intolerance. One of the foods I have missed the most is chicken nuggets....and I had especially been craving chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-A.

I should warn you now that I am notorious for not measuring when I cook (especially main dishes). Hopefully this recipe will turn out as yummy for you as it did for me. We've made it a couple of times now and it's become a family favorite. My daughter even made it one night for her and hubby while I was out of town (she's gluten intolerant too). They poured homemade sweet and sour sauce over them and served over steamed rice. Yum!!! I'll share the sweet & sour sauce recipe another day soon. Probably next week since we'll be camping this weekend and enjoying the last bit of summer. :)

If you don't need these to be gluten free, simply use regular flour instead of gluten free flour.

equal amounts of gluten free flour blend & cornmeal (approx. 1 cup of each)
Spices (I used Mrs. Dash, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder)
2 eggs beaten and thinned out with about 1/4 cup of milk
1 1/2 - 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

Blend gluten free flour, cornmeal, and spices together. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture and then in the flour & spice mixture. Fry in hot oil until golden brown and cooked all the way through. Drain on paper towels and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Cashew Chicken

This recipe came from my mother-in-law, who got it from my sister-in-law, who got it from her sister-in-law....LOL Isn't it amazing how quickly the good recipes can travel? I love it! Anyways, this was e-mailed to me a while back and I made it for dinner a couple of weeks ago. It was a HUGE hit. As an added bonus, as long as I buy gluten free soy sauce, it fits into my new eating habits just fine. These days, it just doesn't get much better than that! :-D

¾ cup Orange Juice

1/3 cup Honey

¼ cup Soy Sauce

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

½ tsp. Pepper

4 boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 1/2 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 Tbs. Corn Starch

1 cup Cashews

4 green onion

1 lg, carrot sliced

1 celery stalk, sliced

Combine and set aside the OJ, Honey, Soy Sauce, Corn Starch, Garlic Powder, Pepper. In a large pan sauté the chicken. In a separate pan cook olive oil, green onions, carrot, and celery until softened. Add veggies, sauce, cashews to chicken and heat through.

After sauteing the chicken, I remove it from the pan and cut into bite size pieces. I then add the carrot, celery, and green onion to the same pan as the chicken. I basically turn it into a one pot meal. I guess I'm just lazy like that. ;)

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Candy Apple Pie

I pulled this recipe out of an issue of Backyard Living quite a few years ago. As I've said before, with our kids having their birthdays so close together, we often have anything but cake to celebrate. Our son has asked for pie for his birthday...half apple & half cherry...when I think apple pie, this is the recipe that comes to mind. Enjoy!

6 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
2 Tablespoons lime juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
2 Tablespoons butter

Topping:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, toss apples with lime juice. Combine dry ingredients; add to the apples and toss lightly. Line a 9-inch pie plate with bottom crust and trim even with edge; fill with apple mixture. Dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Place over filling. Trim, seal, and flute edges high; cut slits in pastry. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and apples are tender.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan. Stir in brown sugar and cream; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in pecans. Pour over top crust. Bake 3-4 minutes longer or until bubbly. Serve warm.

*While you might be tempted to not use heavy whipping cream because it only calls for 2 Tablespoons, it is better if you do use it. Rather than having the remainder of the heavy cream go to waste, I whip it with a bit of sugar & vanilla and serve it with the pie. :)

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Sausage Potato Soup

It's been a really rough few weeks and has been hard for me to get excited about cooking and even eating! Right before Mother's Day I was put on a gluten free and dairy free diet (perfect timing huh?). It's been amazingly hard to follow and very overwhelming at times. I am doing better about it and am slowly getting back into wanting to cook. I'm having to either revamp old favorites or having to create new favorites - in order to avoid living on nothing but baked chicken, fish, salads, veggies, and fruit. We've had some rather chilly weather this spring and even had some snow last week. It's been an interesting spring! LOL Anyways, I created this soup last weekend since it was cold enough here to be perfect for soup.

1 lb. Jimmy Dean All Natural Breakfast Sausage (I'd love to try making it again only with Italian Sausage)
1 onion coarsely diced
6-8 scrubbed and diced potatoes
1 - 2  quarts Organic All Natural Beef Broth
Milk of choice (I use whole milk. You can also use unsweetened almond or rice milk)
Potato Flakes (if you need to thicken the broth any)
Spices to taste ( I use salt, pepper, parsley, and Mrs. Dash)

Brown sausage with onion in a large pot. When cooked all the way through, use a little bit of the beef broth to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add the remainder of the broth and the potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are tender with some of them breaking apart so that they thicken the broth. Add almond milk to the soup to add some creaminess and to thin it out if the soup has become too thick. Serve immediately.

It's a simple recipe that I totally made up on the fly with ingredients on hand, but boy oh boy was it good. There wasn't even a ladle full of it leftover. Gone in a flash! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Angel Biscuits

This recipe is from a church cookbook that my stake published in 1997. We affectionately refer to it as "the red cookbook" since it has a red cover on it. :) It is stained, tattered, dog eared and in general well used and much loved. Over the years I have yet to find a bad recipe in it. While some of them may not end up being to our tastes, the recipes themselves are sound. This recipe is so easy that with very little supervision from me, our 13 year old daughter made them to go with dinner last week and they were delicious!

5 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup shortening
2 cups buttermilk

Sift dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Dissolve yeast in warm water and add with buttermilk to dry ingredients. Mix well. Roll out between 1/4" and 1/2" thick. Cut out and bake on a greased (or parchment lined) baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. The cut out biscuits can be refrigerated or frozen. If frozen, let thaw and rise before baking.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Gazooey Balls

I'm sure that recipe title got everyone's attention. ;) I have no idea if this is what the recipe was originally called or not. I've had this recipe for years. I got it from my mother-in-law, Beth when the kids were itty bitty. It's a little bit of a pain to make in my opinion but the end results are so yummy and very much worth it!

1/2 cup brown sugar, well packed
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup white karo syrup
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
pinch of salt
2 - 6 oz. packages of puffed rice cereal
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix sugars, syrup, honey, water, and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it reaches the hard crack candy stage. Pour over puffed rice cereal and nuts. Mix well. Butter your hands and very carefully form into balls.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Everything Cookies

I got this recipe several years ago from my sister-in-law Emily. I suppose they're called everything cookies because they have a little bit of everything in them. If you like a crispy cookie, then this is a recipe for you. :)

1 cup margarine (I use butter)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut
3/4 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup crisp rice cereal
12 oz. chocolate chips (also really good with butterscotch chips)

Beat margarine and sugars together, add egg, oil, and vanilla. Beat well. Mix remaining dry ingredients together and slowly add into the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Pumpkin Recipes

I know, it's an odd time of the year to share pumpkin recipes, but I'm going to anyways. :) With being able to get canned pumpkin year round and my daughter having asked for pumpkin pie instead of cake for her birthday next month I figure now is as good as a time as any to share these. I hope you like them as much as we do. I'll warn you now that the Pecan Pumpkin Dessert is incredibly rich and totally worth all of the calories in every bite! ;)

Pumpkin Pie Squares

1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter softened
1 egg

Measure out 1 cup of the cake mix and set aside. Mix together butter, egg, and remaining cake mix. Firmly pack into the bottom of a 9x13 greased pan.

1 large can pumpkin
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup evaporated milk (or fresh milk)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs

Make filling of pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, eggs, and milk. Pour over first layer.

1 cup cake mix (reserved earlier)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Make topping of reserved cake mix, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Mix well until crumbly. Sprinkle over pumpkin mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream or ice cream.

Pecan Pumpkin Dessert

1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 yellow cake mix
1 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Frosting:

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12 oz) carton of Cool Whip

Line a 13x9 baking pan with waxed paper and coat the paper with nonstick cooking spray, set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with dry cake mix and drizzle with butter. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Invert onto a large serving platter; carefully remove wax paper. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Frost dessert. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 15 servings.

Pumpkin Pie

I'm only including the filling here, since I have a pie crust recipe that I like to use.

2 eggs
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup whole milk

Beat eggs and add pumpkin. Stir well to combine. Combine sugars, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Stir spice mixture into pumpkin. Stir in milk until well blended. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 45-55 minutes or until the edge of the pie and the crust is turning light brown.

Monday, April 19, 2010

I feel like such a slacker!!!

Sorry it's been so long since I've shared any recipes. I just haven't felt like cooking much here lately, much less try new recipes. We did try this one about a month ago and really liked it. We made it with fresh blueberries, and it was absolutely scrumptious!

Blueberry Pound Cake

2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen can be substituted - just thaw and drain first)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 10 inch tube pan with 2 Tablespoons butter. Sprinkle pan with 1/4 cup sugar. Mix together 2 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Dredge the blueberries with remaining cup flour, then fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 70-80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for ten minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These are a favorite in our house and so yummy! My daughter loves to make these when she needs a treat for school. Her friends beg her to make them. I got the recipe out of a magazine years ago. I think probably from Family Circle or Woman's Day.

1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

In large bowl, stir granulated sugar, butter, vanilla extract and chocolate with spoon until blended. Stir in eggs one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least three hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheets with nonstick spray. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into confectioners' sugar; roll around to coat. Shape into balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched. Immediately remove from baking sheet to wire rack; cool.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Alfredo Sauce

This is an easy and really yummy Alfredo sauce. Both of the girls love it. As an added bonus the leftovers heat up nicely so we never throw any out.

14 Tbs. Butter
3/4 C. Cream Cheese
1/2 C. Milk
1 & 1/4 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
1 & 3/4 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese

In a medium sized skillet melt butter and cream cheese. Add milk and cream - blend thoroughly. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Serve over cooked noodles.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Potato Pancakes

Store bought hash browns just don't even compare to these wonderful potato pancakes. This is another recipe from my grandmother, but it goes back further than her even. She grew up eating these. She said her mother always made these to serve with homemade soup. Does anyone else remember the old fashioned soup bowls with the wide rim and the fabulous soup spoons that went with them? My mother has the soup bowls and spoons that belonged to my great-grandparents and oh the memories they bring. Anyways, my grandma says that her dad's favorite way to eat potato pancakes with his soup was to put the potato pancake on the rim of his bowl and break off a little piece of it and scoop up a bite of soup with it. On a cold winter day, potato pancakes and homemade vegetable soup are the ultimate comfort food!

5-7 shredded potatoes
2 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 - 2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup flour
1/2 onion, finely diced
cooking oil - enough to cover bottom of a skillet

Mix all ingredients well. Heat cooking oil over medium/medium high heat. Drop by rounded spoonfuls into hot oil and flatten with the back of a spoon. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Place on paper towels to drain.

Stuffed Peppers

Another family recipe. I remember my grandma making this quite often in the summertime when bell peppers were plentiful from the garden. I confess I don't care much for green bell peppers...they tend to bite back for me...but I love orange, yellow, and red bell peppers. I seriously could live off of this filling it is so yummy! I remember my grandma always made it with home canned tomato juice which just made it all that much more flavorful.

1 quart tomato juice
3 cups cooked rice
1/2 onion, diced
6 medium bell peppers
1/2 lb meat (beef, chicken, or pork)
oregano or Italian seasoning
salt & pepper

Brown meat with onion, salt, and pepper. Cut tops off of peppers, clean out insides, and set aside. Cut up usable pepper meat from tops and add to meat. Drain grease from browned meat. Add tomato juice (12 oz tomato sauce and 20 oz water if you don't have juice), rice and Italian seasoning. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1/2" to 1" of water in a 13x9 baking dish. Fill peppers with rice mixture and place in prepared baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes or until peppers are tender and lightly browned.

Chicken & Rice Casserole

Another one of those good old comfort food recipes I grew up with. Very filling and totally delicious.

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can of water
1 lb. chicken
1 1/2 - 2 cups uncooked rice
1 can of mushroom pieces

Mix all three cans of soup, water and mushrooms together. In a large casserole dish pour a layer of soup mixture. Sprinkle rice evenly over soup. Place chicken on top of rice. Cover with remaining soup. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until rice is completely done.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Grandma's Pie Crust

My grandma swears by this recipe for pie crust. It turns out well everytime. She says that she often will make more than she needs and then wrap it well in saran wrap and freeze it. She then puts it in the fridge to thaw the day before she needs it. She claims that it rolls out better after it's been frozen than it does when it is fresh. I have yet to try that little trick though. :)

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 egg
5 Tablespoons cold water
1 Tablespoon vinegar

Mix flour and shortening together until mixture looks like cornmeal. Then add egg, vinegar, and water slowly until you get a nice ball of dough formed. Freeze overnight. Thaw in fridge until workable.

Grandma's Bread Pudding

3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups scalded milk
1/4 cup butter
5 slices white bread, toasted
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat eggs, add sugar and nutmeg, and beat until smooth. Add scalded milk. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a shallow dish. Cut each piece of toasted bread into 3 pieces and dip in butter. Add custard mixture to toast, making sure toast is soaked very well. Add a handful of raisins if desired. Mix 2 Tablespoons of sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until custard is set.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Another recipe from my grandma...my daughter just made some of these last week...simple recipe and totally delish!

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift flour with soda and salt. Cream shortening and both sugars together. Add beaten eggs and mix until smooth. Add peanut butter, stir well, then add flour mixture. Mix to a stiff batter, then add vanilla. Form into balls and press onto a greased cookie sheet. Press with the back of a fork to make the waffle design. Bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned.

Grandma's Sugar Cookies

My grandmother got this recipe out of the Betty Furness Westinghouse Cookbook (1954). These are the sugar cookies I grew up eating. It's a simple recipe and quite timeless. I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as my family does. :)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift flour together with baking powder and salt. Cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add unbeaten eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each egg is added. Add vanilla and flour mixture. Beat vigorously until flour is completely blended. Refrigerate dough until chilled - about 2 hours. Divide dough in half. Roll each half out on a lightly floured surface. Roll until dough is about 1/8" thick and cut out into shapes. Sprinkle with colored or plain sugar. Bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned around the edges. ***If you roll the dough out as this as the recipe says to, you will get a very thin, crispy cookie. I like to roll it out a little thicker for a softer cookie. Also, instead of rolling out the dough, you can roll it into balls and then flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.***

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Oatmeal Bread

3/4 cup rolled oats
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup hot water (125-130 degrees)
1/2 stick butter

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside. Combine water and butter in microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for approximately 2 1/2 minutes or until it reaches the desired temperature. Mix wet and dry ingredients together and knead. Let rest for 15 minutes. Dough will be really sticky. Press evenly into a well greased loaf pan and let rise until doubled in size. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-30 minutes. This bread browns well and sounds hollow when tapped.

Carmen's Whole Wheat Bread

When we first moved into the house we are in now a couple of years ago we were invited to dinner by one of our neighbors that we go to church with. They are an older couple that has already raised their children, but Carmen still cooks from scratch quite a bit. She served the most wonderful wheat bread I have ever tasted and was kind enough to share the recipe with me. She said it was a bit of a struggle to write the recipe down because like my grandmother, she often doesn't measure when making the recipes that she has made repeatedly. So you may need to play with the amounts just a little to get it just right.

7 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups white flour
2 Tablespoons yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/3 Tablespoons salt

Gradually add 1 1/3 quarts hot tap water, 1/2 cup molasses, and 1/3 cup oil.

Knead and if necessary add a little more flour gradually. Let rise until doubled then place in pans and let raise to top of pans. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees (time may vary depending on loaf size).

Pao de Queijo

Brazilian cheese bread. It is so very yummy. I got this recipe from Patrick & Heather. So Heather, if I have any of the recipe wrong, please be sure and correct me! I have it written down on a scrap of paper and I haven't made it in forever because I haven't been able to find povilho azedo. LOL

3/4 cup oil
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
5-6 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Blend for one minute. Add 2 cups povilho azedo (sour starch) a little at a time. Once blended, pour into a mini-muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Do not overcook.

I haven't made this in forever, but it is one of the yummiest foods!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Sweet Potato Casserole

Another recipe from my grandma. :) I absolutely love sweet potatoes and don't just eat them for Thanksgiving. While most people think of having this with turkey as part of all of the trimmings, it is absolutely wonderful served with roasted chicken for a Sunday dinner.

6 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Miniature marshmallows

Wash and boil potatoes. Remove skins and mash potatoes. Add crushed pineapple and nuts. Place in a greased casserole dish and cover with marshmallows. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until marshmallows are melted and slightly brown.

Scalloped Potatoes

I grew up eating scalloped potatoes as a side dish. I never seem to make them quite the same way as my grandma does....but they are delish nonetheless. Often times, I will add diced ham and some very thinly sliced onion to it and make it a main dish with a salad and steamed veggies. Keep in mind that the measurements are approximate and may need to be adjusted a little since it is one of my grandma's recipes and she doesn't measure well. She just throws stuff together and it always turns out good!

6 medium potatoes
4 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
black pepper to taste

Peel potatoes and slice thin. (I leave the peel on) Make a white sauce out of the butter, flour, salt, and milk. Stir until thickened and remove from heat. Add grated cheese. Place potatoes in a greased casserole dish. Cover with hot cheese sauce. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Check after 1 hour and leave the foil off for the last little bit of baking so that the cheese can brown on top.

Favorite Oatmeal Cookies

Here's a really good old fashioned oatmeal cookie recipe...courtesy of my grandma once again. :) She has this really old cookbook that is falling apart and has been well used over the years. I think she got it as a wedding present and it has some of the best recipes in it. Of course, I am sure that most of us have a well used, falling apart cookbook in our kitchen. Ours is a pioneer cookbook put together by the Austin Oak Hills Stake quite a while ago. I just love cookbooks that are a collaborative effort of everyone's "tried and true" recipes. Anyways, enough of my rambling. I hope everyone has a great week!

1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 Tablespoons sour milk (buttermilk)
2 cups all purpose flour - sifted before measuring
2 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal

Cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly. Add vanilla and salt. Pour boiling water over raisins and let stand a few minutes. Drain. Add to creamed shortening mixture. Dissolve baking soda in milk and add alternately with flour to creamed mixture. Add oatmeal. Blend all ingredients thoroughly. Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 cup sourdough starter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Cream shortening with sugars. Add egg and water. Beat until light and fluffy. Add sourdough starter, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and flour. Mix well. Add rolled oats. If desired add raisins and nuts. Dough will be thick. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Dough usually bakes better if it has been slightly chilled first. It keeps it from spreading out too much while baking. This recipe is also good with chocolate chips in place of the nuts.

Sourdough Peanut Butter Brownies

1/4 cup shortening
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup sourdough starter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Melt shortening with chocolate over low heat. Blend in sugar and peanut butter. Add eggs, sourdough starter, and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Spread in greased 9x9 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Sourdough Applesauce Brownies

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sourdough starter
2/3 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Cream together shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs, sourdough starter, vanilla, applesauce, and milk. Mix together dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture. Stir in chopped nuts. Spread in greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until done.

Sourdough Blonde Brownies

1/2 cup sourdough starter
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and sourdough starter. Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to sourdough mixture along with the vanilla and nuts. Spread into a well greased 8" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until done. Be careful not to overbake.

Sourdough Pancakes

Mix together:

1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup flour
1 egg
2 Tablespoons oil
1/4 cup evaporated milk

Blend in:

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons sugar

Let mixture bubble and foam for a minute. Drop by spoonfuls onto hot griddle.

Quick Sourdough Bread

2 cups sourdough starter
1 teaspoon dry yeast
3 Tablespoons warm water
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons powdered milk
2 Tablespoons melted shortening or cooking oil
3-4 cups all-purpose flour

Measure out sourdough starter. In small separate bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add to sourdough starter along with the sugar, salt, powdered milk, and oil. Mix well. Slowly add the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (it may not take all of the flour so it's very important to add it gradually). Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary. Shape the dough and place in a well greased loaf pan. Cover with a damp cloth and set in a warm place to rise until it is doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until done. Makes one loaf.

Sourdough Refrigerator Biscuits

I learned how to use sourdough starter years ago when my two oldest were just toddlers. I had some sourdough starter given to me at that time and had no clue how to use it for anything other than the Amish Friendship Bread recipe that was going around and was all the rage at the time. So I called my grandma and she quickly gave me all sorts of tips for using it and some recipes as well. I confess I don't know how to make starter myself, I've always gotten it from someone else. If you do a google search on how to make it, there are lots of pages that will pop up.

The most important tips for working with sourdough starter are to 1.) not use any metal on it. Only use non-reactive utensils such as plastic or glass. 2.) If your kitchen is 80 degrees or above, keep it in the fridge.

1 package dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
6 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening or margarine (I use butter flavor Crisco)
2 cups sourdough starter
2 cups buttermilk

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes. In large mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in dry ingredients. Combine sourdough starter, buttermilk and yeast and add all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir only until well moistened. Place in large greased covered plastic container. Refrigerate.* Use when needed. Dough should remain good for 3-4 days. Carefully roll out on a well floured surface to 1/2" thickness. Cut into biscuit shape. Place on lightly greased baking pan with sides touching. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until done. Makes 4 dozen biscuits.

*dough should be made at least 8 hours before needed so that it has time to rise.*

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Apricot Chicken

I think this recipe may have come from Allrecipes, but I'm not sure. I've had it for ages and it makes for a nice change of pace for a little something different with chicken.

6 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 cup apricot preserves
1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 baking dish. Combine preserves, vinegar, and brown sugar. Pour mixture over chicken breasts. Cover and bake for 50 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 10 more minutes.

Lip Smackin' Stuffed Shells

This is another recipe I got from Denise. Can you tell we share a LOT of recipes? :) We have theme nights for our dinners and we usually eat "Italian" once a week. This is a great recipe to help mix up the menus a little bit rather than just having spaghetti or lasagna all the time.

12 ounce package jumbo shell pasta, cooked
15 ounce can tomato sauce
16 ounce package shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups cottage cheese (we prefer low fat ricotta cheese in this recipe)
2 - 10 ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 eggs, beaten
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (I leave this out)
28 ounce jar spaghetti sauce, divided
Salt & Pepper
Parmesan Cheese, grated, for garnish

Combine tomato sauce, cheese, spinach, eggs, nutmeg, salt, pepper. Use this mixture to stuff cooked shells. Put 1/4 of the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Place filled shells on top, stuffed side up. Cover with remainder of spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Sweet & Sour Turkey Meatballs

This is another recipe I got from Denise that we adapted slightly to our tastes and has quickly become a family favorite. (to make gluten free, simply substitute gluten free soy sauce and make sure the ketchup is also gluten free)

1 1/2 pounds ground pork sausage (we use extra lean ground beef)
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 can pineapple chunks (we use tidbits) in it's own juice, drained

My additions:
1 small onion finely diced
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mix together sausage and turkey (as well as onion & black pepper if desired). Form into meatballs. Brown meatballs in a large skillet. Drain meatballs onto a paper towel and discard drippings. Mix remaining ingredients (except pineapple) in a small bowl. Place meatballs back in skillet and pour sauce over them. Simmer for 10 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked. Add pineapple just before serving. Serve over warm rice.

Jera's Bread Recipe

I got this recipe ages ago from my friend, Jera Parker. Not only is it an easy recipe but it's super delicious. :)

5 1/2 cups water
3 Tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 Tablespoons salt
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
6 cups wheat flour
8 cups white flour

Mix all ingredients together. Knead for 10 minutes. Shape into four loaves. Place in greased loaf pans and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until the loaves look pregnant. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees (or until done).

Monday, January 25, 2010

Corn Fritters

I pulled this recipe out of a book from the library last week. While I thought they sounded really good, I confess I was a little skeptical of how they would turn out. Not only were they delicious, the kids were begging for more! They are really good with just a bit of honey drizzled on top. Mmmmm!

1 14.75 ounce can cream style corn
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
canola oil for frying

Combine corn, flour, salt, eggs, baking powder and sugar in a medium bowl. The dough is very sticky. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop dough by spoonfuls into hot oil and cook on each side until golden brown.

Split Pea Soup

Allison had been begging me for quite some time to make split pea soup. It is one of her favorites (mine too for that matter). :) I didn't have a recipe to go on, so I just kind of winged it and got it right the first time. WooHoo!!!

1 lb. dried split peas (rinsed and soaked overnight)
1 small ham bone or ham hock
2 cans chicken broth
1 potato, diced
1 cup diced carrots
salt & pepper to taste

After soaking peas overnight, rinse and place in crockpot with the ham bone & chicken broth. Let simmer for a couple of hours on high. Add diced carrots and potatoes. Let simmer on low till it is the consistency you like. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I was out of onions when I made this and it turned out just fine, but I think it perhaps might be even better if you were to add maybe 1/2 of a small onion that has been finely diced. :)

Cinnamon Rolls

As promised, here is the recipe for the Cinnamon Rolls. I use the dough from this recipe to make the Brocca. While this recipe calls for alternating between white flour and wheat flour, I have gotten lazy and make it with all white flour. It is quite good though made half and half. :)

1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
2 pkg. yeast
2 cups warm milk (or reconstituted powdered milk)

Place ingredients in large mixing bowl. After adding milk, let ingredients sit for five minutes.

Add:

1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

Add enough flour (alternating white & wheat) to make a soft dough. Knead for 6-8 minutes. Grease bowl and let rise in warm place (covered). Punch down. Let dough rest for 10 minutes then divide into two pieces. Roll out into a rectangle and spread cinnamon and brown sugar over the dough (can also add nuts & raisins). Roll and cut. Place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise. Bake at 400 degrees.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Brocca

I learned how to make this simple yet filling dish from my mother-in-law (Beth) many years ago. For starters, it's pronounced broh-ka. I guess what I really like about this dish besides how tasty it is, is how simple it is and really the possibilities are endless because ultimately it's just like making your own sandwich pockets.

1/2 of a sweet dough recipe (a basic sweet dough like you'd use for cinnamon rolls)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1/3 - 1/2 head of cabbage, shredded

Make sweet dough and let rise. Brown beef, drain off fat (if any), add onion and cabbage. Cook until tender but do not overcook. Roll out sweet dough and cut into squares. Put a small amount of filling in the middle of each square and fold over. Place seam side down on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until lightly browned. Serve with brown gravy.

Often times I'll just add more cabbage than it calls for and use up all of the sweet dough, or I'll make cinnamon rolls that I let rise in the fridge overnight with the leftover dough. I'll share my favorite cinnamon roll recipe tomorrow. :)

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Rice Pudding

This is another recipe from my grandmother, and one of the best comfort foods of all time. :) I have fond memories of enjoying this as a child.

1 cup rice (do not use minute rice) - cook according to directions.

Add about 4 cups milk and cook until it looks creamy, but don't let it boil. Add 2/3 cup sugar and a handful of raisins if desired. Add 3-4 beaten eggs and stir until it thickens but DO NOT BOIL. If it is too thick add more milk. Remove from stove and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Turn out into a buttered 9x13 pan and sprinkle cinnamon on top.

Monday, January 18, 2010

BBQ Chicken Pizza

This recipe is one of our family favorites that we can never seem to get enough of. :) I think the crust may be to make individual size pizzas but I'm not really sure. What I usually do is I triple the crust recipe and then roll it out to make two med/large thin crust pizzas. I also like to add a bit of provolone to the pizzas even though the recipe only calls for Mozzarella and Gouda. Of course we are also cheese addicts at our house! LOL

The Crust:

1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon warm water
3/4 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil

Toppings:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (I like to use leftover grilled chicken)
1/2 cup BBQ Sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated smoked gouda
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion (you can use white or yellow onions but it has better flavor with red onions)
2 teaspoons fresh chopped cilantro ( I never add this)

Mix dough ingredients and set to rise. Once risen, punch down and roll out thin and place on greased pizza pan.

Use olive oil to cook chicken and then layer in the following order...sauce, both cheeses, chicken, onion, more mozzarella, cilantro. Bake until crust is lightly browned and cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Oh, my notes don't have a temperature on them, I think I bake it at 400 degrees. Obviously I take after my grandmother's style of cooking. LOL

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Chicken & Dumplings

This recipe is an old one that my grandmother has been making for years. I thought with being in the middle of winter it would be an ideal recipe to share today. :) Nothing fills & warms the belly quite like homemade chicken & dumplings - especially if served with homemade bread.

Chicken & broth:

One chicken cut into serving size pieces. Cover chicken with water and add 2 ribs of celery and 2 carrots, onion, parsley, salt, and pepper. When chicken is cooked through, remove vegetables. You can leave the chicken in or you can remove and debone it if desired.

Dumplings:

2 cups flour
4 egg yolks
3 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon shortening
1 teaspoon salt

Place flour in mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add egg yolks, salt, water, and shortening. With a fork start blending the ingredients together. When the fork has gone as far as it can go, start blending with fingers until all blended. Remove dough to a floured surface and knead. Divide dough in half and roll out thin. Cut into one inch strips. Break the strips into tidbits as you drop them into the boiling broth. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Edited to Add: My grandmother does not really measure too much for recipes such as this, and often has to guess an approximation. As we were making this for dinner last night we realized the amount of water needed for the dumpling dough is off by quite a bit. It is rather a stiff dough, but you'll want to add enough water, one tablespoon at a time until you have a pliable dough that is not crumbly and that you can work with. I think Corey ended up using about 5 1/2 tablespoons of water by the time he was done.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Freezer Crescent Rolls

I've been woefully neglecting posting recipes over the past few days but never fear, I am back! Did anyone miss me? LOL I've been working on organizing my recipes in a new binder with lovely index tabbed dividers. It looks awesome! No more green monster! hehehehehe

I found this recipe in the Oct/Nov 2007 issue of Taste of Home. It is by far the easiest and tastiest recipe I have come across for homemade rolls. We no longer buy any frozen roll dough since finding this recipe. We typically cook half and freeze half when we make it. If we have company over to dinner we bake the whole batch.

3 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup mashed potato flakes
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the butter, milk powder, sugar, potato flakes, eggs, salt, and 3 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough.

Turn onto a heavily floured surface; knead 8-10 times. Divide dough in half. Roll each portion into a 12 inch circle; cut each circle into 16 wedges. Roll up wedges from the wide ends and place point side down 2 inches apart on waxed paper lined baking sheets. Curve ends to form crescents. (I coat my counter and rolling pin in cooking spray for rolling out my dough rather than using flour. It keeps me from getting too much flour added into my dough and I get a much more tender roll. This also works for making cinnamon rolls and pizza crusts)

Cover and freeze. When firm transfer to a large resealable freezer bag. Freeze for up to 4 weeks.

To use frozen rolls: Arrange frozen rolls 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. (we just pull them out mid to late morning on the day we want to have them with dinner and let them thaw and rise at room temperature)

Let rise in warm place for 1 hour or until doubled. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Denise's Cheeseball

I remember watching Denise make this cheeseball many times for the holidays, not only when we were growing up, but after we had families of our own. I finally asked her for the recipe and now we make it for the holidays, game nights, and sometimes just because. :)

16 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. velveeta
very finely chopped green onion
1-2 teaspoons mustard
Bon Appetit Spice
Pecans or walnuts, finely chopped

Mix cream cheese and velveeta until well blended. Add mustard and the Bon Appetit spice and green onion. Shape into a ball and roll in the chopped nuts.

Denise, you can correct me if I left anything out. :) I've made a couple of changes to it over the years that my family likes. I can't find Bon Appetit spice, so I use Mrs. Dash instead. Rather than regular yellow mustard I like to use stone ground mustard. My family prefers it without the nuts so we simply scoop it into a dip bowl. Also, if you are a fan of seafood, one of our favorite things to add to it is shredded imitation crab. I usually have to make one batch with crab and one without and either way it gets gobbled up fast!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Cranberry Sauce

I realize that the holidays are over but I thought that for those of you who still have an extra turkey or two in the freezer (like I do) that this recipe would come in handy. Even though I love cranberry sauce and have cooked many Thanksgiving dinners over the years, I had never until this year made homemade cranberry sauce. Shocking huh? We started participating in Bountiful Baskets and I ended up with a bag of fresh cranberries that I had no idea what to do with. So I went to the trusty allrecipes site and found this simple recipe. Let me warn you now that it is so yummy that it'll spoil you for the canned stuff. When we were eating leftovers the next day, I had to stop Alex from taking a spoon and eating the leftover cranberry sauce by itself! LOL

1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 (12 oz.) package fresh cranberries

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries, and cook until they start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat, and transfer to a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Orange Marmalade Muffins

I don't remember exactly where I found this recipe. Probably on allrecipes. All I know is that I've had it for years and it's one of our favorite muffin recipes.

2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
4 3/4 cups flour (add 1/4 cup for high altitude)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons orange zest
1 cup orange marmalade

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mix well. Add buttermilk. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add orange zest and marmalade, stirring until just mixed. Pour into muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees (375 for high altitude)until toothpick comes out clean.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Buttermilk Pancakes

I don't like using a pancake mix if I can help it. The pancakes just aren't as good as the ones made fresh from scratch. I found this recipe on allrecipes and it has been a huge hit at our house ever since we first tried it.

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until the second side is golden brown.

For a special treat, we might sprinkle on miniature chocolate chips after we pour the batter onto the griddle. One of our favorite ways to eat these is with fresh sliced bananas, caramel and cool whip.

These taste every bit as good as the pancakes you get at IHOP. However, I do recommend that you use real buttermilk and not a substitution or regular milk. They just aren't as good without buttermilk.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Double Delicious Cookie Bars

Okay we got these bar cookies delivered to our house the week before Christmas and the family actually had a fight over the one that was left. So , I asked the neighbor for the recipe and here is what she sent:

Double Delicious Cookie Bars
1/2 Cup Margarine or butter
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 oz) can Eagle Brand Sweeten Condensed Milk
2 Cups (12 oz) semi -sweet Chocolate chips
1 Cup Peanut butter chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees in a glass pan)
In a 13 X 9 inch baking pan, melt margarine or butter in oven. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over Margarine/butter. Then pour the Condensed Milk evenly over crumbs. Tops with both kinds of chips. Press down firmly and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool, cut into bars!
* can substitute nuts or use butterscotch chips as well *

Easy Chicken Tacos

Having lived in Texas for 18 years and my hubby having served his mission for our church in Texas for 2 years, tacos are a favorite dish at our house. We eat them at least a couple of times a month. They are quick, easy, and muy delicioso. :) I love how juicy and flavorful the chicken turns out. It reminds me of the chicken at Taco del Mar which was one of our favorite fast food places before they closed down here in Idaho Falls. I hope y'all enjoy this recipe as much as we do. Oh, and the leftovers are really great made into nachos. :)

2 cans diced tomatoes with mild green chiles
1 packet taco seasoning
3 lbs. fresh or frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders

Place chicken in the crockpot. Mix together diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. Pour over chicken and cook until the chicken is fall apart tender. Shred chicken and serve in crispy taco shells or warmed flour tortillas with cheese, sour cream, salsa, or whatever your preferred toppings are. It is especially good with black beans.

Jenn

Bacon Chicken Crescent Ring

Here is a quick little dish that my family really enjoys. We have used it as a main dish or as a snack. It also reheats well so any leftovers we have evaporate quickly.

2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls
6 chicken tenders - cooked and shredded or chopped
1-1/2 C. shredded cheese
3/4 C. Mayonnaise
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled - I just use real bacon bits (from Costco)
1 Tbs. Italian salad dressing mix

Grease a large pizza pan or cookie sheet. Unroll the crescent roll dough. Place the dough triangles in a circle around the pan with the wide end overlapping a few inches from the edge of the pan. The points of the triangles will hang over the edge. Cook the chicken - I add some garlic salt to the chicken when I cook it for flavoring. Combine the chicken, cheese, mayo, bacon and Italian dressing mix. Spoon the mixture over the wide ends of the triangle. Fold the points of the triangle over the filling. Bake 375 for 20-25 min. or until golden brown.


Enjoy,
Keliki

Friday, January 1, 2010

Super Easy Chili Cheese Dip

This has to be one of THE easiest recipes ever. Corey's Aunt Linda introduced us to this...and I can't even guarantee I make it exactly the way she does...but boy oh boy is it yummy. My hubby doesn't even like chili yet he devours this. The recipe is easily cut in half, but if we have a crowd over, there's no problem eating it all. :)

2 cans Nalley Walla-Walla Onion Chili
2 cans Nalley chili (meat no beans)
1 (2 lb.) block of velveeta

Cube the velveeta and place in a crock pot with the cans of chili. Cook on low until all the cheese is melted. Stir well before serving.

You could pretty much use any variety of chili. We use half one kind and half of another kind because my hubby doesn't like beans. So really it's all personal preference. :)

Happy New Year!

Jenn