Friday, March 27, 2009

Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad:

4 chicken breasts (shredded)
small shell noodles
1 C mayo
1 C Kraft coleslaw dressing
apples
grapes
pineapple
pimentos
1/3 C grated onion
1/3 C chopped green onion

Serve cold

I add shell noodles, you don't have to. This salad is so good in croissants. It is also good all by itself. This salad is even better the next day. YUM

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Strawberry Shortcake


This is my moms recipe and I have grown up eating it. We never bought angel food cake, she always made this and I love it. You will have to try it...
"Shortcake" for Strawberry Shortcake
1/4 cup soft butter
3/4 cup sugar
*cream together, add
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
*beat for 1 minute, add
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
Mix all together and divide into 9 cupcakes. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-17 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool. Divide the cup cake in half and layer cake, strawberries, whipped cream and then do the top layer the same way. I Love it, it is my all time FAVORITE.

Hawaiian Meatballs


I got this recipe from a friend (thanks Jen) who got it from a friend and so on... it's really good!

Hawaiian Meatballs
1 lb hamburger
1/2 cup corn flakes (crushed) *I use bread crumbs instead.
1 egg
1 1/2 TB soy sauce
1 TB chopped onion
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp pepper
dash of garlic salt

*Mix all together with meat, form into balls and brown in pan.

Sauce:
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
3 TB flour
*mix brown sugar & flour in sauce pan and add 2/3 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
1 TB ketchup
1 TB soy sauce
1 small can pineapple tidbits

*Heat to boil and add to meat balls, let soak for 10 minutes in sauce.

(I usually just brown the meatballs, then put them in the crockpot with sauce to finish cooking for a couple hours on low. That way I can start dinner while my little one is napping.)

Serve over rice.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Taco Casserole

I made this for the first time last night and it was actually really tasty. I was going to just make plain tacos, but then you have to have all the fixings to go with them. So instead I made this and put a little bit of Sour Cream on top of mine, and my hubby put Ranch on his, hope you enjoy it!


1 bag Fritos Chips
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning
1 15oz. Can Refried Beans
1 15oz. Can Tomato Sauce
Grated Cheddar Cheese

Brown Ground Beef, drain grease and add taco seasoning. Set aside......Layer 1/2 crunched up bag of Fritos in a 13x9 pan......Mix Refried Beans and Tomato Sauce together, then layer it on top of Fritos......Add the Ground Beef on top of that, then the rest of the Fritos, then the Cheddar Cheese!

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 min.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Sweet-Sour Chicken


2-3 chicken breats, cut up
1 c. ketchup
3/4 c. white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. mustard
1 1/2 c. brown sugar

combine everything but chicken in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer up to 30 min. {usually i'm in a hurry and don't do it that long, still good!}

place chicken in a sprayed baking dish. pour sauce over chicken and bake@ 350 for 35-45 min.

serve over rice.

Mandarin Chicken



I haven't actually made this, but I did eat it, and it was delish!! So you use Chicken Tenderloins (it didn't say how many, probably whatever your family will eat, or what will fit in a 9x13 casserole dish) Dip your chicken in a mixture of.......

2 eggs and
1 tsp. Garlic Salt

Then coat with cornstarch and brown in a pan of oil. After browning put in 9x13 pan and add sliced Green Peppers and Onions, set aside.

Mix Sauce
1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Chicken Broth
1/2 C. Vinegar
1/2 C. Ketchup
2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Salt

Top Chicken, Peppers and Onions with Sauce. Cover pan with tin foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 1-1/2 hours. Serve over Rice!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Italian Chicken Pasta


























This one may be a little popular but here it goes if you don't know this one. It is yummy and of course my favorite... easy!

1 pkt italian seasoning (dry)
1 block cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup water
approx. 4 chicken breasts diced and left raw
Mix all and cook in crock pot for 5 hours on low
Serve over bow-tie noodles.

French Dip Sandwich

I forgot to take a picture of this but I bet you can guess what it looks like.
3 lb. roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
Mix and put all in crock pot. Add water until it covers top of roast. Cook low for 10 hours. Serve shredded roast beef on hoagie style buns that have been broiled with provolone cheese. Dip in sauce left over in crock pot. Yummy and easy!!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I got these off of Good Things Utah and tried them last night. They are really good. Sweeter then I'm used to but the combination of honey and lime juice was so good.



Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas



1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 large limes)

2 tsp to 1 TB chili powder (depending on how spicy you like it)

2 Large cloves of garlic, finely minced or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 Large breasts), cooked and shredded.

12 corn tortillas (or flour if you don't like corn)

2 cups of Mexican cheese blend, shredded.

1 14 oz can green enchilada sauce

1/2 to 3/4 cup of heavy cream (I used half and half)

cilantro, for garnish



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the cooked, shredded chicken in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl combine honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic. Pour over chicken and wrap in plastic wrap. Allow to marinate while you prepare the tortillas, 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, in the refrigerator.



Heat a large griddle till a drop of water skitters across (about 350 degrees F). Spray the surface with non-stick cooking spray or a oil it with a little bit of canola oil in between each round of tortillas. Heat tortillas about 20 seconds on each side till warm and flexible and some golden brown spots have appeared. Remove the tortillas from the griddle and keep them between a couple of paper towels until ready to use.


Spray the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish lightly with cooking spray. In a medium bowl combine the enchilada sauce and the heavy cream. Spread about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the bottom of the oiled baking dish. Add a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla in a line. Cover the chicken with a large tablespoon (or big pinch) of cheese, then roll the tortilla up from one side to make a rolled enchilada - it will be more of an over lap on the seam side that rolled tightly. Place the enchilada seam side down in the baking dish starting at one end with the long edge parallel to the longest side of the pan so that you end up with two columns of six enchiladas each.


Repeat with the remaining chicken, cheese and tortillas. You will use about 1 1/2 cups of the cheese for the filling and set the remainder aside for topping the enchiladas in the pan. Add the remaining marinade mixture to the enchilada sauce and cream mixture, if desired. Pour this mixture over the top of all the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake the enchiladas for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top. Serve with sour cream, black beans, and rice or a green salad for a great meal.
Serves 4 to 6

Thursday, March 12, 2009

I just have to say...

THANKS to everyone for posting their delicious recipes. You are making this so fun for me and everyone else who is benefiting from these yummy recipes! Hope you all have a great day!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas



What you need:

1 can (10 3/4 oz) Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Salsa
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 chicken breasts, chopped and cooked
1/2 cup shredded cheese
6 flour tortillas
1 chopped tomato
1 sliced green onion

11 X 8" Baking pan
Tin Foil


Here's what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Stir the soup, sour cream, salsa, and chili powder in a medium bowl.

3. Stir 1 cup soup mixture with chicken and cheese in a large bowl.

4. Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place them seam side up in the baking pan. Pour the remaining soup mixture over the filled tortillas. Cover with foil.

5. Bake for 40 minutes or until enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with tomato and onion.


***This one was such a hit that it not only got the label of "This one's a keeper," but the leftovers were actually eaten! Leftovers never get eaten at my house! So that says something!

***I put shredded cheese on top of the enchiladas before I baked them. The original recipe calls for Monterey Jack cheese, but cheddar worked just fine for me.

***The enchiladas are not as spicy as you would expect with chili powder. So if you are wanting a little more spice or a little more kick, try using medium or hot salsa. Also, this recipe is supposed to feed 6 people, but I would say it really only feeds 4 people. Enjoy!

Lemon Bars


Crust:

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick), softened

Filling:

4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)

Topping:

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat crust ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly. In bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan, press mixture evenly. Bake about 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in same large bowl, stir together filling ingredients except lemon juice. Stir in lemon juice. Pour mixture over warm crust.

3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or until top is light golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows.


***This recipe was so easy to make! And it turned out great! It does take awhile from start to finish (about 2-2.5 hours), but well worth it. I made the mistake of doing step 2 while the crust was cooking. You are supposed to complete step 2 while the crust is cooling.

***If you do not have a lemon, then one lemon juice lemon (you know the little yellow plastic lemon with lemon juice in it) does the trick. It is exactly the right amount of juice.

***Ok, so maybe you do not have to use the Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix, but since the secret is out, it is a Betty Crocker recipe. It was so easy to make and I had almost all of the ingredients on hand. It made it so easy to put together. It was definitely a hit!

Monday, March 9, 2009

Mexican 3 bean Chicken Chili

1 med. Zucchini, chopped
15 oz can pinto beans, drained & rinsed

15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
15 oz can kidney beans, drained & rinsed

15 oz can corn, drained
16 oz thick & chucky mild salsa

3 cups cooked shredded or chopped chicken
1 ½-2 T. chili powder

2 14 oz cans chicken broth (4 cups)
8 oz can tomato sauce

1 garlic, pressed
½-1 t. ground cumin


Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Top with chips, cheese and sour cream.

Alfredo Sauce

This is Erin's Recipe...but I LOVE it, I lick my plate clean every time!!


24oz Cream Cheese

¾ lb butter (3 sticks)

¾ pint heavy whipping cream

½ quart milk

½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese (5oz)


Stir over low heat, stirring frequently, & watch Constantly!

Of course this is great with Chicken!

Thanks Erin! Sorry no picture yet!

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Cookie Salad


Cookie Salad

2 cups buttermilk
2 small packages instant vanilla pudding
12 oz cool whip
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
20 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained
1/2 package shortbread cookies(the ones with the fudge strip), broken into pieces
Mix buttermilk with pudding. Add cool whip. Add fruit and cookies.
***I don't like to mix the cookies in until we are about to eat it, because then it gets mushy and mushy is just gross. So I actually like to just put the bowl of crushed cookies next to the salad so everyone can add them. It's really funny when it gets mistaken as potato salad... what a SURPRISE it is.

Orange Cream Fudge


If you like the orange creamsicle's
you will love this fudge!
3/4 cup butter
2-3 cups sugar
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Mix the following ingredients, and boil for 4 minutes
Stir constantly and remove from heat and add
1 10/12 oz bag of white chocolate chips
1 jar of marshmellow cream
Mix until smooth, remove 1 cup of mixture and set aside
Add 3 tablespoons (or one full bottle) and orange food coloring. Mix well.
Spray glass pan with non stick spray, and pour orange mixture into pan
Swirl the remaining white fudge mixture into the orange with a knife.

Sugar Cookies

Okay, I honestly think these are THE BEST sugar cookies I have EVER tasted... they are that good. This isn't my recipe (I got it from Clenece years ago) but it is really so yummy!
Sugar Cookies
3/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
2 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp lemon extract
4 eggs
Mix until fluffy, then add...
5 cups flour
2tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
Roll out dough on floured surface and cut into shapes. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Now this is my addition, and I think it's so good on these cookies. You could make it without the lemon and almond extract and put it on a carrot cake... yum!
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick of butter
8 oz cream cheese (I use 1/3 less fat)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon
1 tsp almond
and powdered sugar, I don't measure but it's probably about 3 - 4 cups... until it looks like this...

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Pumpkin Pancakes


1 1/4 cup flour (mix of white and wheat)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
4 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (optional)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 t. vanilla
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil or applesauce
1 1/4 cup milk (more or less depending on how thick you like your pancakes)
1 egg

Mix all the above ingredients together and pour small amounts onto hot griddle--turn when tops start to form bubbles then flip pancakes and cook until done. Serve with your favorite pancake toppings!
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Friday, March 6, 2009

Sweet N Sour Chicken

My friend made this for us after we had a baby, and I had to get the recipe - it is very good!!!

Sweet & Sour Chicken

◘ 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
◘ 1 red pepper, chopped
◘ 1 green pepper, chopped
◘ Flour
◘ 1 lg. can pineapple tidbits, with juice
◘ Salt & Pepper
◘ 1/2 c. brown sugar
◘ Oil for frying (3-4 Tbs.)
◘ 1/2 c. rice wine vinegar
◘ 1 c. chicken stock
◘ 2-3 Tbs. cornstarch, mixed with water

Salt and pepper chicken. Dust it with flour on all sides. Brown chicken in hot oil (med. To med-hi heat), about 8 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. Add red and green peppers and cook for 1 minute. Stir in pineapple (with juice), sugar, vinegar and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. simmer until sauce begins to reduce. stir in cornstarch mixture and bring to a simmer. stir in chicken and cook for 5 minutes. taste. don't be afraid to add more sugar or vinegar to taste, salt and pepper too. Serve over rice.
This is what the chicken looks like, and then the finished mixture. I forgot to take a picture when it was on our rice, but you get the idea I hope. We always add a little more b. sugar, because we like it more on the sweet side. The recipe also called for pineapple chunks, but we like the smaller pieces better. So it is up to you!

I buy my peppers when they go on sale, and then I cut them up and freeze them, that way it is cheaper to get the red peppers. I also doubled this recipe and froze it so that we can have it for dinner another night too - all I will have to do is cook up some rice.

Alice Springs Chicken




Okay here I am! I tend to be hard on most recipes....I rarely rate them 5 stars, so if I don't post a whole lot, then that is why. Now for this yummy recipe. If you have ever had the Alice Springs Chicken at Outback Steakhouse, you will find that this tastes JUST like it! I got this recipe from a recipe blog so I did not make it up myself.

ALICE SPRINGS CHICKEN

Honey Mustard Marinade:
1 c. Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1 c. honey
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. lemon juice

Chicken:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 c. sliced mushrooms (10−12 mushrooms)
2 Tbsp. butter
salt and pepper
paprika
8 slices bacon, cooked
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

Use an electric mixer to combine the mustard, honey, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whip the mixture for about 30 seconds. Pour about half of the marinade over the chicken breasts and marinate them, covered, in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Chill the remaining marinade until later. After the chicken has marinated, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and heat an ovenproof frying pan large enough to hold all four breasts and 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. (If you don't have an ovenproof frying pan, transfer the chicken to a baking dish).

Sear the chicken in the pan for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove pan from heat but keep chicken in the pan. As the chicken is cooking, in a small frying pan saute the mushrooms in the butter. Brush each seared chicken breast with a little of the reserved honey mustard marinade (not the portion that the chicken soaked in) being sure to save a little extra that you can serve on the side later with the dish.

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Stack two pieces of cooked bacon, crosswise on each chicken breast. Spoon the sauteed mushrooms onto the bacon, being sure to coat each breast evenly. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese evenly onto each breast followed by 1/4 cup of Cheddar.

Bake the pan of prepared chicken breasts for 7-10 minutes or until cheese is thoroughly melted and starting to bubble. Sprinkle each breast with 1/2 teaspoon parsley before serving. Put extra honey mustard marinade into a small bowl to serve on the side.

Smokey Southwestern Rice Wraps

I made this up one day and had to write it down cause it is sooo yummy. Sorry no picture though, my camera is broken!

4 strips bacon
1 can chicken
1 garlic cloved, pressed
1 cup brown minute rice
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1/2 tsp Creole seasoning
2 green onions, diced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can black beans
6 tortillas

Cook bacon till crispy. Drain grease and set bacon aside. In same pan add garlic, cook till sizzles then add broth and rice. Scrap pan to get all the bits up. Cook until water is mostly absorbed. Add corn, tomatoes, chicken, seasoning. Let simmer a few minutes till all the liquid is gone then add crumbled bacon and onions. Layer beans, rice and cheese inside tortillas. You can bake for 15 minutes at 350 to melt all the cheese or if you're too hungry just eat as is!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

I have to laugh...

I know this is a food blog, but this really is about food. Jen's Brownies to be exact. Yesterday I could hear something weird outside my sliding glass door and this is what I found...


My two year old had one of Jen's brownies in the backyard the day before and had dropped quite a bit of it as he was walking around, and this crow cleaned up after him and then wanted MORE. It pecked at my sliding glass door for over 10 minutes until I finally scared him off, he was making some really annoying, weird gurgling noises and I thought he was going to wake up my baby. Anyways kind of random but I just thought it was so funny that he wanted more of Jen's yummy brownies. And he was HUGE, he looked like the size of a chicken... he kind of scared me!

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Brownies from scratch


mix:

3 sticks of butter (melted)

3c sugar

5 eggs

2 tsp vanilla


mix:

3c flour

1/2c cocoa


add together


Frosting:

milk

cocoa

powedered sugar


grease sheet cake/cookie sheet pan

cook 350 for 25 min, add frosting when brownies are warm

BBQ Pulled Pork and Coleslaw


Pork:

1 pork roast (Costco has the pest roasts)

-heavy salt and pepper on roast, then sear on all sides

-place in crock pot with 2" water for 6-8 hours

-fork shred in crock pot


Coleslaw:

2 cups cabbage (I do half red half green) cut into strips

1/4 cup carrots (shred, easy with food processor)

2 tbsp minced onion

2 tbsp mayo

1 clove minced garlic

1 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp salt


Put shredded pork on bun, top with Jack Daniel's BBQ sauce, then add coleslaw. YUM YUM!!!

The Perfect Tomato Sauce


1 lb cooked ground beef

2 large cans tomato sauce

1 small cans tomato paste

1/2 c ketchup

chopped onion (saute w/ garlic and olive oil)

3 tbsp brown sugar (I add double)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar (I add 3)


This is a sweet and tangy sauce. SOOOOOO good! This makes alot and freezes great!

Monday, March 2, 2009

Whole Wheat Bread


It really makes a HUGE difference when you grind your own wheat... I prefer white wheat because it doesn't taste so "wheaty". If that's even a word, but it really is so much better. You can obviously use whatever wheat flour you want though.


Mom's Whole Wheat Bread

4 cups warm water
2 TB yeast
1/3 cup butter or canola oil
1/2 cup honey

Mix water, butter or oil, and honey until combined. Sprinkle yeast on top and just stir a little. Let it get all bubbly, about 5-10 minutes.

5 cups whole wheat flour

4 tsp salt

Mix together flour and salt in a separate bowl then add yeast mixture once it's ready. Start mixing (I do it in my kitchen aid)...

3-4 more cups whole wheat flour, keep mixing.

The dough will be very sticky, cover with a clean dish cloth and let rise about 30 min. You will need to flour your counter and then put your dough on the counter. Separate the dough to fit your loaf pans (it makes 2 big loafs and 1 small). Put in loaf pans and let it rise again, about 20 minutes or so. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

**This is one of 2 recipes I use a lot, my other recipe I got from a friend so... I will let LeAnn post her Whole Wheat Bread recipe because it's REALLY good too**

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

I love this one because you can make it during the day and have it ready to go into the oven when you need it. I also like that it takes 45 minutes so it seems like I didn't have to do any work and it's all ready - sort of like the crock pot idea. Anyway, it is really yummy and I think everyone should try it!!

Meatball:
1 lb. ground beef
3/4 cup oats
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp worcestershire
scoop balls into 9x13 pan - I like to use my Pampered Chef cookie scoop.
Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tsp mustard
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
2 tsp Worcestershire
Pour sauce over top bake 350 for 45 minutes. Serve over rice.