Honey-Teriyaki Chicken with Snap Peas on Cellophane Noodles

Approximate Time: 30 min
Servings: 4-5

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon liquid smoke seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup sesame seeds, lightly toasted
8 ounces cellophane noodles, soaked in hot water until tender
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons sesame oil
4 cups snap peas, steamed

Directions
Coat a stove-top grill pan or griddle with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat to preheat.
In a shallow dish, whisk together soy sauce, honey, molasses, ginger, garlic, liquid smoke seasoning, and black pepper. Add chicken strips and turn to coat. Place chicken on hot grill and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until cooked through, turning once during cooking. Remove chicken from grill pan and roll in toasted sesame seeds.
Drain cellophane noodles and toss with cilantro and sesame oil. Serve chicken with noodles and snap peas.

"Bambino" Pizza Pocket

Approximate Time: 30 min
Servings: 12 Bambinos

Ingredients
2 Pillsbury pizza crusts
1 package pepperoni
1 package canadian bacon
pizza sauce
Mozerella cheese
Cheddar cheese
1 egg
cooking oil

Directions
Pour cooking oil into pan and heat up on medium-low heat for frying. Roll pizza dough out, cut out 4" circles. Crack egg into a bowl and beat lightly. Brush egg around the edges of each crust circle. In the center of half of the crust circles, layer pizza sauce, canadian bacon, cheeses, and pepperoni. Top it off with another circle, egg brushed edges facing down. Pinch the edges all the way around with fork. Place in oil and cook until golden brown.

*These are my family's favorite food from our home town of Rigby, ID. I came up with this recipe since they aren't close enough for me to eat whenever I want. This is something that kids love to eat. My family actually thought that the ones I made were better than the real thing. Since I just came up with the recipe myself, the directions may not be real clear so don't be afraid to ask me anything if you don't understand. Since we don't have a cutter for 4" circles, we just found a jar and cleaned it and just cut around it with a knife.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Approximate Time: 20 min
Servings: 1 12" pizza (feeds 2-3 adults)

Ingredients
1 Boboli italian pizza crust
1/3-1/2 c. barbeque sauce
1 c. shredded chicken
1 1/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4-1/2 c. cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400. Boil chicken breast 10-15 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle, take out and shred. Place Boboli crust on baking sheet, top with bbq sauce, half of cheese, chicken, then other half of cheese. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Cut and serve.

*Last week I needed something quick to make, so I grabbed 2 boboli crusts from the freezer and all of the ingredients and put this together. On the second crust, I put the sauce that comes with the crust, prosciutto ham, & cheese for my step-dad since he doesn't like bbq sauce. This was so quick & easy and was really good. Great meal for kids.

Raspberry Brulee

Approximate Time: 30 min
Servings: 4

Ingredients
2 c. Fresh raspberries (I use strawberries if raspberries aren’t in season).
1 T. sugar
2 tsp. Cornstarch
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 c. skim milk
2 T sour cream
½ tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. Brown sugar

Directions
Rinse and drain raspberries. Divide between 4 six-ounce ramekins. Combine sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan; stir well. Add egg; stir well. Gradually add milk. Cook and stir over low heat about 12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Add sour cream and vanilla; stir well. Spoon custard mixture over raspberries. Place ramekins on a baking sheet; sprinkle each with 1 tsp. Brown sugar. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat two minutes or until sugar melts (or with chef's torch). Serve warm.

*I have been making this dessert for a few years and I absolutely love it. This is a much healthier option to creme brulee and is very easy to make. I usually make this recipe and just use it in 2 ramekins so they are nice and full for James and me.

Creme Brulee

Approximate Time: 3 hrs 15 min (including prep, baking, and refrigeration time)
Servings: 6

Ingredients
1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided (recipe follows)
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Vanilla Bean
Ingredients
1 vanilla bean, whole or scraped
2 cups granulated sugar

Directions
If vanilla bean is whole, slice down side of bean with back of knife and scrape seeds into airtight container with the sugar. Bury bean in sugar and seal tightly with lid. Let sit for 1 to 2 weeks. Use as regular, granulated sugar.

*YUM, YUM, and did I say YUM!!! I am a HUGE fan of Creme Brulee, and I have always wanted to learn how to make it. I was quite surprised how simple it was and how much it tasted like any restaurant creme brulee I would order. I have 9 ramekins so I did 1 & 1/2 recipes. I only needed 7 but my next door neighbors let me borrow their chef's torch (to carmelize the top) so I took the extra 2 to them. You could actually stretch the recipe to 7 or 8 ramekins since it is quite alot for just 6. I love the fact that you can make it in advance also ( I made it before church and I pulled them out while we played a game to let them come up to room temperature and then torched it after the game). I highly recommend buying ramekins if you don't have them, I am constantly trying to find recipes to use in them so that they are worth having. Also, I found the vanilla beans at Costco. They come with quite a few but they last a really long time.

German Pancakes

Approximate Time: 35 min
Servings: 6 squares

Ingredients
1 c. milk
6 eggs
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
6 T. butter

Directions
Combine all ingredients except butter in a blender. Melt butter in 9 x 13- inch pan in 450 oven until hot and sizzling (be careful not to burn). Pour batter into pan of butter and bake for 25 minutes. Serve with powdered sugar and fresh squeezed lemon juice.

*James is usually in charge of making our big breakfasts, but this is one breakfast that I love to make. This is so easy and yummy. When it is just James and I, I will usually cut the recipe in half and use a smaller pan. If you have never had these before, well worth trying and while making them, don't be surprised when you see it rising in the oven, that is what it is supposed to do.

Chimichangas

Approximate Time: 30 min (after meat is cooked)
Servings: 4

Ingredients
2-3 c. beef or pork roast
1 onion
1 can green chilies
7 oz. green chili salsa

Directions
Cook roast in crock pot on low heat for about 6 hours. Drain meat, reserving juices. Cool meat, then shred. Place meat in a pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and green chilies. Add green chili salsa with a 1/4 cup or so of reserved juices. Cook a few minutes to heat through.

Warm flour tortillas and add a couple of tablespoons of meat mixture, along with cheese if desired. Fold the bottom edges of each tortilla up over filling. Fold both sides toward the center and roll into a cylinder. Secure rolled tortillas with a toothpick. Fry in hot oil about 2 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with shredded lettuce, green chili salsa, cheese, tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream.

*This is a recipe that my step-dad asks me to make, he loves these. I usually use the whole roast and save half of the meat mixture and make them twice a week apart, or you could reserve half of the meat for another dish. It is great to save any reserved juices so you can add it to the meat when you reheat it to make the meat juicy again.

Judy's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/2 c. crisco
1/2 c. butter
4 jumbo eggs or 5 regular eggs
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
4 1/2 c. flour
2 c. milk chocolate chips

Directions
HAND STIR shortening and butter together. Add white sugar and brown sugar, stir. Add eggs, stir. Add vanilla, stir. In a seperate bowl, mix flour, soda, and salt together. Stir in with main mixture. Add chocolate chips. Bake in a 350 oven for about 14-15 minutes.

*These are my mother-in-law Judy's cookies and they are the best chocolate chip cookies. James was craving these the other night so we got the recipe from her, I hope she doesn't mind me sharing it. She says the real secret to them is hand mixing it and not using a mixer. The batch is quite large, so we divide it up and put half of the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. I like my cookies well done so I cook them longer, James likes his gooey (or soft) so I found that 14-15 minutes was perfect for him.

Pressure Cooker Chili

Approximate Time: 1 1/2 hrs (with cutting meat)
Servings: 4

Ingredients
3 lb stew meat (pork is the best, it is more tender than beef)
2 tsp. Peanut oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 c. beef broth
1 16 oz. container of salsa
30 t0rtilla chips, crunched up
2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, chopped
1 T. adobo sauce from peppers
1 T. tomato paste
1 T. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin

Directions
Place cut up meat in large mixing bowl and toss with peanut oil and salt. Heat 6 qt. pressure cooker and add meat and brown in 2-3 batches (all can't fit in one batch). Remove all meat and pour in broth, bring to a boil & stir (getting anything that may be on the bottom of the pan off.) Add brown meat into pressure cooker. Add salsa, chips, peppers, adobo sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Lock lid in place until steam comes out, cook for 25 minutes.

*This recipe is one that we got from my father-in-law. He makes it when we go out. I made this for Christmas Eve dinner and then again for New Year's Eve dinner with my entire family and it was a big hit. This is quite spicy, so if you don't like spicy, you could try to make it with everything but the peppers (but still add the adobo sauce.) It's not your normal kind of chili, but it is SO GOOD!!!! We always double the recipe and eat as leftovers or serve it on top of egg breakfast burritos.

Strawberry Lemonade Punch

Ingredients
12 oz. lemonade, frozen concentrate
1 lb. strawberries or raspberries, fresh or frozen
4 c. cold water
2 liter lemon-lime soda, chilled

Directions
Puree strawberries and lemonade concentrate in blender on high speed until smooth. Pour into punch bowl. Add lemon-lime soda, water and ice as desired. Can also freeze for slush. (Freeze puree and water. Thaw slightly and mash. Add soda.)

*This is the punch that we made at my baby shower at my mom's house and also at my friend Michelle's baby shower. I like to make it the frozen way.

Pasta Salad from my Baby Shower

Ingredients
Dressing
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. canola oil
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. white vinegar
1 T. sugar
Salad
3 chicken breasts
12 oz. spiral pasta
1 c. cashews
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 pkg. torn spinach
1/3 c. green onions, chopped
Parmesan cheese

Directions
Make dressing. Cook chicken breasts. Cook pasta. Combine dressing, chicken, and pasta. Let marinade, overnight if possible. Before serving, add cashews, sunflower seeds, spinach, and onion. Sprinkle with cheese.

*This recipe is for Nikki and the many others who have asked for it. This is the pasta salad my mom made at my baby shower as well as Brooklyn's baby blessing. My mom is vegetarian so she omitted the chicken and replaced it with grape tomatoes, halved. She also makes an additional 1/2 of the dressing to add to the pasta just before serving (the pasta absorbs most of the dressing while marinating so it needs a bit more flavor). Instead of soy sauce, my mom uses Braggs Amino Acids which can be found at the health food store.

Wonton Salad

Ingredients
Fried Wontons, cut into strips
3 green onions, chopped
1 head lettuce, (iceberg), torn
Cooked shrimp or chicken (approx. 2 c.)
toasted sesame seeds

Mix salad ingredients and add dressing just before serving.

DRESSING:
4 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. salad oil
6 tbsp. white vinegar
Garlic salt to taste
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. sesame oil

Make dressing ahead

*I am actually posting this recipe because it is one of the few Wonton Salad Dressings I have found that doesn't call for MSG. I really try not to eat things with MSG in it. If you would like to learn more on MSG, please read this article that was sent to me. http://across.co.nz/MSGpoisoning.html

Chicken Noodle Soup

Approximate Time: 30 min
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock, recipe follows
8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions
Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Chicken Stock:
1 whole free-range chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), rinsed, giblets discarded
2 carrots, cut in large chunks
3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks
2 large white onions, quartered
1 head of garlic, halved
1 turnip, halved
1/4 bunch fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium heat. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts); too much will make the broth taste weak. Toss in the thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and allow it to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. As it cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface; add a little more water if necessary to keep the chicken covered while simmering.
Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When its cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat into a storage container.
Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove the vegetable solids. Use the stock immediately or if you plan on storing it, place the pot in a sink full of ice water and stir to cool down the stock. Cover and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze.

* I needed to make a meal for my husband and my step-dad (who is the very simple eater), we had some left over chicken from a couple of nights ago so I thought I would try making this. I didn't want to spend the time or have the stuff to make homemade chicken stock, so I had half of the amount needed with Swanson's Chicken Stock that they have just recently come out with and the other half I just used chicken broth. It was a really easy and simple recipe and it was something that my step-dad really liked.

Mock Fried Ice Cream

Approximate Time: 40 min (with freezing)

Ingredients
1 qt. vanilla ice cream
2 c. flaked coconut
2 c. dry roasted peanuts (chopped)
4 chocolate covered toffee bars (chopped)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Spread coconut on baking sheet and bake 5-10 minutes until and golden. Let cool and crush lightly. Combine with nuts and candy pieces. With an ice cream scroop, form 3" balls of ice cream. Roll in nut mixture and place in freezer until firm. Serve topped with favorite topping.

*I actually used Corn Flakes instead of nuts (that seemed closer to what they use in restaurants to me). I made the mixture and just did a scoop every time I was in the mood for something sweet. This is something that is so quick and easy.

Streusel-Topped Banana Bread

Approximate Time: 40 min

Ingredients
1 ½ c. all purpose flour
1 c. mashed bananas (3 sm. overripe bananas)
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 c. sugar
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ c. butter, melted
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

Streusel:
½ c. all-purpose flour
½ c. packed light brown sugar
¼ c. butter, softened
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 mini loaf pans. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in medium size bowl. Beat bananas, eggs, sugar and butter in large bowl until smooth. On low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture. Divide batter among prepared pans. For streusel: Mix flour, sugar, butter, nutmeg and cinnamon in bowl with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean. If streusel is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil.

* James pretty much begs me to make this for him, it is his favorite. I made this just a few days ago and it doesn't last a day. I don't have 3 mini loaf pans, so I just use one large one and cook it for about an hour (check with toothpick). A good idea for this, if you have bananas that are becoming overripe, freeze them so you have them available whenever you want to make this. I do this (or my mom does this), when the bananas are thawed, they turn black and really mushy looking, this is ok! they are still fine to put in the bread and still have great flavor.

Old World Manicotti

Approximate Time: 35 min
Servings: 6

Ingredients
12 large manicotti shells
4 c. shredded mozzarella
Cheese, divided
2 c. ricotta cheese
½ c. grated parmesan or
Romano cheese
6 T chopped fresh basil or 2 T. dried basil
1 jar prepared spaghetti sauce, divided

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 13x9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cool water. Let pasta dry on paper towels. For filling, in medium bowl, stir together 3 cups mozzarella with the ricotta and fresh basil. Using a teaspoon, carefully stuff pasta shells with prepared cheese mixture.

Spoon 2 cups spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed pasta over sauce. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over top of pasta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake manicotti for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan; bake for 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately

*This is a recipe that I gave to my neighbors in Payson but it is such a quick and easy recipe that I am sure everyone would appreciate it. For the spaghetti sauce, I buy the Classico brand which has alot more flavors to choose from and is a much higher quality sauce than Prego or Ragu. I have found it is easier to use a fork to stuff the shells with.

Herbed Artichoke Cheese Tortellini

Approximate time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each)
Italian diced tomatoes
2 jars (6-1/2 ounces each)
marinated quartered artichoke hearts
2 packages (9 ounces each)
refrigerated cheese tortellini
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
2 to 4 tablespoons minced fresh or
2 to 4 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Drain tomatoes, reserving 2/3 cup juice; set aside. Drain artichokes, reserving 3/4 cup liquid; chop and set aside.
Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the onions, parsley, basil, garlic, oregano and pepper flakes in oil for 4-5 minutes or until onions are tender. Add the reserved tomatoes, tomato juice and artichoke liquid.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until slightly thickened. Drain tortellini; add to tomato mixture. Stir in the olives, salt and reserved artichokes; heat through. Sprinkle with parmesan.

*I actually dump all of the tomato juice from both cans of tomatoes in and I go to costco and buy their 2 package cheese tortellini and cut them apart and use one whole package for the dish and freeze the other one for the next time I make it ( they are located in the back by the cheeses and meats.)

Southwestern Corn Chowder

Approximate Time: 1 hr total
Servings: 6

Ingredients
2 pounds frozen corn kernels, thawed, and drizzled with olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
10 Roma tomatoes, rubbed with olive oil
1 medium red pepper, rubbed with olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 small yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups corn tortilla chips, chopped
Cumin
Chili powder
1 medium avocado, small diced, for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Put the oiled corn on a baking sheet and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Put the oiled tomatoes on another baking sheet and roast them both for 10 to 12 minutes until the tomato skin blisters and the corn is lightly browned. In a medium skillet, grill the red pepper over medium-high heat until it is black on each side. Put the tomatoes and the pepper in the refrigerator, and peel them when they have cooled.
Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic and saute. Add the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, roasted corn, peeled tomatoes, half-and-half, and 1 1/4 cups of the tortilla chip pieces and mix well. Pour this mixture in a food processor or blender* and puree until smooth. Strain the chowder, and then season it with cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper, to taste. Peel and dice the roasted red pepper. Serve the soup topped with diced avocado, red pepper, and the remaining tortilla chip pieces. Serve immediately.
*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

*I actually blended part of the red pepper in the soup, added some cilantro to it and topped the whole thing off with sour cream. I loved the flavor and texture of the avocados and I am normally a little bit iffy about avocados, so I do highly recommend putting it on top. I believe this recipe is from a restaurant in Park City called the Windy Ridge.

Pork Chops with Sweet Onion Marmellata

Approximate Time: 2 hrs. 15 min.
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients
Onion Marmellata:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large onions, thinly sliced (about 3 pounds)
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar (or more to taste)
Pork Chops:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 pork chops
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions
For the onion marmellata, place a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the onions. Stir to combine and cook until starting to sizzle, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to scrape up any brown bits. The onions should be a soft, jam-like consistency and a deep mahogany color.
Meanwhile, for the pork chops, combine the rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Using your fingers, work all the ingredients together until well combined. Rub the herb mixture over the pork chops. Cover with plastic wrap and reserve in the refrigerator.
About 20 minutes before the onions are finished, remove the pork chops from the refrigerator. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Grill the pork chops to medium, about 7 minutes a side depending on thickness. To serve, spoon the onion marmellata over the pork chops. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

*I was surprised how incredibly good the onions were on these pork chops. I bought my pork chops at Costco, their pork chops are super thick which help them to be juicy and not dried out. Also, I used 4 onions like it called for and there was a ton left over, so you may want to cut the recipe down if you are only making 4 pork chops.

Blueberry and Mascarpone Turnovers

Approximate Time: 30 min
Servings: 12 turnovers

Ingredients
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh or frozen and thawed blueberries
2 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crusts
1 egg, beaten
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions
Special equipment: a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the cheese, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Stir in the blueberries.
Using a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut the pie dough into 12 circles. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of the dough with the beaten egg. Place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cheese mixture in the center of the dough. Fold the dough in half to enclose the filling and pinch the edges to seal. Using the tines of a fork, gently crimp the sealed edges. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
While the pastry is chilling: In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.) Fry the turnovers for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until golden. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sugar while still hot. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

*I didn't have the right size of cookie cutter so I used the smaller one I had & just made more of them. I served this with 3 turnovers in the bottom of the bowl forming a triangle & a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the middle of them. I'm not a big blueberry fan & I loved these with the ice cream and I thought they were quite easy to make.

I have made these again with cream cheese instead of the mascarpone cheese and it tastes just as good!

Intro of Homemade By Mom!

My husband James and I are living at my parents house. My mom is practically Vegan and my step-dad is the most simple eater I have ever met (he doesn't like sauce on anything, even his green salad, so it is pretty much meat and potatoes for him.)
Before we moved in with my parents, we lived in Payson, UT. Most of my neighbor's down there knew that I liked to try new things because at Christmas I would give recipe cards of my favorite recipes I had tried that year. After being pregnant and moving in with my parents, I kind of stopped doing it for a while.
This past week, my parents left for the Bahamas which left me in charge of all of the meals once again. I decided to pick back up where I left off and find some new recipes to try out on my husband (the vegan and simple eater were gone). I had almost forgotten how much I enjoyed trying new things.
I decided to create this blog for 2 reasons: First, I wanted to share the recipes that I like with others and maybe if they see that I made it, then they will think that they can make it too. Second, if I travel, I love the idea of just getting on the internet and having my recipes there for me if I need them.
Because we aren't picky, I will be posting all kinds of recipes, even some for the picky or simple eaters. I find my recipes from all over; the internet, recipe books, magazines, t.v. shows, etc. I hope people will try new things and make a special effort to make more home cooked meals.
Also, if you have a recipe you think I might be interested in, I would love for you to share it.