Homemade By Mom

Creamy Tomatoe & Artichoke Pasta

2011-09-20T13:12:00.001-07:00

3-4 Roma tomatoes
4 T. melted butter
2 T. sundried tomatoes
3 fresh leaves basil
1 tsp. garlic Salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 C milk
1 C heavy cream
1 T minced garlic
1/2 onion chopped
2 C sliced mushrooms
1 (14oz) can quartered artichokes, left whole or chopped up.
1/4 C sundried Tomatoes
1/4 C fresh basil chopped
Penne Pasta

Directions

Peel the skin off of the roma tomatoes & combine them with 2 T sundried tomatoes, basil leaves, garlic salt, butter, pepper & milk in a blender until smooth. Once blended smooth, add cream & pulse once or twice to combine. (make sure not to do it more or it will start whipping it & making it thick). Sauté minced garlic, onions & mushrooms in skillet with some olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add artichokes, sundried tomatoes & basil & cover with sauce. Heat through on medium-low heat until sauce & artichokes are just warmed up. Serve over penne pasta.* I created this for dinner last night & I loved it! I actually think that I loved it even more today for lunch. These are all of my favorite ingredients combined into 1 pasta.... Can't go wrong there ;)

Crock Pot Sunday Roast with Gravy

2011-05-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2lb Tip pork loin roast
1 package french onion soup
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2/3 can water

Directions

Combine all ingredients in crock pot & cook for 4 hours. Serve gravy on mashed potatoes.

*Ok, I know this is ridiculously easy, but I wanted to post just in case no one has tried this before. This is SO tender and the flavor of the gravy is awesome. If you have a Costco close by, we purchase our roasts in a 4 pack and they are only like $16 for the the 4. It is an AWESOME deal. Each roast is individually packaged so we just freeze them & pull them out as we need them. These are the only roasts that we eat anymore.

Crunchy Romaine Salad

2011-05-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 (3 ounce) package ramen noodles, broken
1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
1 small head romaine lettuce, torn
1/2 cup shredded carrots
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Directions

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the sugar, oil, vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper; shake well. Discard seasoning packet from noodles or save for another use. In a 350 degree preheated oven, toast ramen noodles & almonds on a cookie sheet for approximately 8-10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine noodles, broccoli, carrots, romaine, almonds, and onions and toss with dressing right before serving.

Easy No-Bake Cheesecake

2011-05-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter

Combine ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined. Pour into pie pan and press down and shape onto sides. Refrigerate 20 minutes before pouring in the filling.

Cheesecake filling
1 (8oz) package softened cream cheese
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

In medium size bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add Eagle Brand milk, stir in lemon juice, sour cream and vanilla; blend ingredients well. Pour into pie crust. Chill 2 hours and garnish with your favorite fruit topping. May be covered and frozen (thaw 45 minutes).

*I am not a big fan of thick cheesecake, so this was the perfect recipe for me! This is a very soft, creamy cheesecake! It is a bit rich so I might try adding some whipped cream to it to tone it down a bit, but I actually loved it as it was also.... my husband thought it was a bit too rich. We topped this off with strawberry glaze, fresh strawberries and whipped cream.... I loved it!

*Second note- I made this again and made it chocolate. I added 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder in with the sour cream and vanilla, then folded in a cup of whipped cream at the end. You probably could add even more whipped cream if you would like. I enjoyed this most after it had sat in the fridge for 3 days, the first day it was a bit rich. I might try cutting down the lemon juice next time just a bit.

Honey Mustard Chicken

2011-04-26T17:05:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts (I used 2 large breasts & cut them in half)
1/2 cup honey (I used agave nectar & a little less than half cup)
1/4 cup dijon mustard (I added a couple extra tablespoons)
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased pan. Mix honey, dijon mustard, butter and pepper in bowl and pour on top of chicken. Bake for 45 minutes, basting with the sauce about every 15 minutes.

* This is such a simple, quick chicken dish! I was looking for something that wouldn't take much effort for dinner tonight and I got it. The best part, my husband raved about it the whole dinner & said it was a keeper!

Shrimp Asian Salad

2011-04-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 T honey or agave nectar
2 T soy sauce
1 lime, juiced or 2 1/2 T lime juice
2 tsp sesame oil or peanut oil
1 T vegetable oil
3 T olive oil
1 T toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cucumber, peeled & cut into small pieces
1 lb cooked medium shrimp

Directions

Combine honey (agave nectar), soy sauce, lime juice & oils in a bowl. If shrimp isn't cooked, cook shrimp on medium- low to medium heat with a small amount of olive oil until pink on both sides. Combine cucumber & shrimp with sauce in bowl. Toss with romaine lettuce & top with sesame seeds.

Toasted Coconut Toffee Crunch cookies

2011-04-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 - 3/4 cup toasted coconut*
1/3 cup Heath toffee bits
1/3 cup crushed corn flakes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in the flour mixture. Add toasted coconut, toffee bits and corn flakes and stir with a spoon. Make into about 1" balls and place 3"
apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven or until lightly toasted. Cool on wire racks.

*To toast coconut, melt 1 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan on medium heat. Add flaked coconut and stir until coconut is evenly browned (make sure not to over cook, it happens quickly once the browning process starts.)

**I found this base recipe, tweaked it a bit & added my twist with the toasted coconut, toffee and cornflakes. I am pretty sure that my husband ate about 10 of these in 1 day the last time I made them! Not to mention that my very picker eater step-dad LOVED them!

Buttermilk Pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup

2011-04-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

Buttermilk Pancakes

3 c. flour
3 T. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
3 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. milk
3 eggs
1/3 c. melted butter

Mix dry ingredients separately from liquids. Combine before cooking.

Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. buttermilk
1 T. vanilla
1 T. corn syrup
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Mix all ingredients & bring to a soft boil. Add 1/2 tsp. baking soda after removing from heat.

*Both of these make HUGE batches so you may want to half both recipes if it is for a smaller group. I actually haven't made this myself yet. My sister makes this and it was so good that I had to get the recipe from her. So Yummy!

Swiss Chicken

2011-04-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

4 boneless chicken breasts
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 can water
2 c. stuffing mix (coarsely crushed)
melted butter

Directions

Place chicken breasts in 9"x9" baking dish; cover with cheese slices. Combine soup and water and pour over cheese. Cover with stuffing & drizzle butter over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Serve with rice.

Chicken Parmigiana

2011-04-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts cut in half to make 4 small pieces (or four smaller chicken breasts).
1/2 c. fine, seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 lg. egg
1/4-1/3 c. olive oil
1 (32 0z.) jar Classico brand pasta sauce (I like the Tomato & Basil flavor)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
4 c. hot, cooked linguini pasta

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and 1/4 c. of the Parmesan cheese. Place egg in another shallow bowl and beat. Dip chicken into egg, letting excess drip off, then in bread crumbs. Coat thoroughly. Shake to remove excess crumbs. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken pieces, saute 5 minutes on each side, turning once, until golden brown. Remove to plate. In baking dish, add pasta sauce, garlic, parsley and oregano & stir. Place browned chicken pieces into dish. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and top each piece with mozzarella cheese & remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese & bake for 10 minutes longer until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly. Serve on top of linguini pasta.

*I love this dish & my husband who isn't a real big pasta eater also loves this! This really is quite simple to make.

Waffles with Strawberries and Whipped Cream

2011-04-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 3/4 c. flour
1 T baking powder
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt

Directions

Whip egg whites until stiff. Whip egg yolks 30 seconds and add milk, oil and then dry ingredients. Fold in egg whites. Cook in waffle iron.

*These are SUPER tasty served with butter, agave nectar and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries! This makes a good size batch so we always have leftovers. I make the whole batch, refrigerate the leftovers and put in the toaster when we want to eat them and they are almost as good as freshly made. make sure that the toaster isn't up too high, you want it to warm in up, not make it crunchy on the outside.

Streusel Topped Blueberry Cream Muffins

2011-04-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

4 eggs
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups sour cream
3 cups blueberries

Streusel

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
3 T cold butter cut into small pieces

Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into dry ingredients until butter is evenly cut in & it is a light, fluffy consistency.

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
In large bowl beat eggs, gradually add sugars while beating. Continue beating while slowly pouring in oil. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking soda.
Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with sour cream. Gently fold in blueberries. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.Top each muffin with 1 T streusel.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

*This is a recipe that I found, made a few changes and added the streusel on top. You can use this recipe for any muffin base and add any fruit.

Granola

2011-04-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole almonds
1 cup cashews
3/4 cup sweet coconut
1/4 cup plus 2 T dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 T agave nectar (or maple syrup)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat over to 250 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts coconut and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine agave nectar, oil and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 cookie sheets. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

*This can be served like a bowl of cereal, with yogurt or with fresh fruit & cream. Best granola! I originally got the recipe from Alton Brown but changed the maple syrup to agave nectar which everyone seems to like better & I always have it on hand.

Old Fashioned Biscuits/ Strawberry Shortcake

2011-04-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

Biscuits from scratch

3 cups all purpose flour
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Toss with a fork to combine. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or a fork until the largest pieces of butter are the size of peas. (Or pulse several times in a food processor.) Combine the cream and vanilla in a liquid measure. Make a well in the center of the flour and and pour the cream mixture into the well. Mix with a fork until the dough is evenly moistened and just combined; it should look shaggy and still feel a little dry. Gently knead by hand five or six times to create a loose ball.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat it into an 8-inch square, 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment or silpat, cover with plastic and chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Heat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the dough from refrigerator. Cut the dough into 9 even squares and spread them about 2 inches apart from each other on the baking sheet. Bake until the biscuits are medium golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberries and whipping cream:

3 baskets of fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
Whipping cream
Vanilla

Remove the stems from the strawberries. Slice into thin (1/4" to 1/8") slices. Put into a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of sugar (depending on how sweet the strawberries are to begin with) and mix into the strawberries. Set aside at room temperature to macerate (which means that the sugar will soften the strawberries and help release their juices).

After the strawberries have been sitting for 20 minutes or so, take a potato masher and mash them a little. Not too much, just enough to get more juice out of them.

Whip the cream, adding a drop or two of vanilla and a teaspoon of sugar.

To serve, break up one biscuit per person into big pieces into a bowl. Ladle strawberries over the biscuit. Add a dolop of whipped cream.

*These biscuits are awesome served warm with butter and honey or agave nectar or a very good addition to a Strawberry Shortcake! This is actually a recipe that my father-in-law found while he was staying here and tried it on us. I had never had the old fashioned way of having Strawberry Shortcake but I loved it.

Taco Seasoning

2011-04-14T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 T all purpose flour
1 T cornstarch
1 T dried minced onion
1 tsp beef bouillon granules or 1 beef bouillon cube- crushed
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp sugar

*I actually triple this recipe and keep it stored in a little container so that I don't have to make it every time I need it.... great to have on hand.

Applebee's Chicken Fajita Rollups

2011-04-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

Chicken Marinade

2 large chicken breasts cut into tiny bite size pieces
2 c water
1/3 c soy sauce
3 T sugar
2 T salt
2 T white vinegar
1 T chipotle pepper or 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp hickory smoke flavoring or liquid smoke
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper

Place cut up chicken pieces in marinade and refrigerate 2-4 hours

Mexi-Ranch

1/2 c mayo
2 T minced onion
2 T diced tomato
1 T buttermilk (or you can use regular milk if you don't have buttermilk)
1 T white vinegar
2 tsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp green chili pepper
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
pinch dill weed
pinch cumin
pinch cayenne

Mix all ingredients together.

Directions

Remove chicken pieces from marinade and cook in skillet on medium heat until no longer pink. Add Mexi-Ranch mixture & 1 store bought container Pico de Gallo (is found in the produce section of the store by the refrigerated salads & salsas). Mix everything together and let warm up for about 1-2 minutes. Serve 1/2 cup chicken mixture, shredded iceberg lettuce, & mexi style cheese on a large burrito size tortilla & roll up tucking in the sides first. Serve with Sour Cream.

*I used to get these all the time and love them, I did some searching online & found some different recipes and came up with this combination that we all love. It isn't exactly like Applebee's but they are SUPER good!

Chicken Marsala

2011-04-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour for coating
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded 1/4 inch thick
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup diced onions
1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
3 cups sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup cooking sherry
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Coat chicken pieces in flour mixture.
In a large skillet, melt butter in oil over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Place chicken in the pan, and lightly brown. Turn over chicken pieces, and add mushrooms. Pour in wine and sherry. Cover skillet; simmer chicken 10 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Add cream to sauce & cook for 5 minutes longer. Serve on top of Capellini or Angel Hair pasta.

*I found a recipe and made some changes to it, so this has my changes in it already. I have to admit that I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this dish, definite keeper!

For anyone concerned about the wine in it, the alcohol does cook out.

Chocolate Cream Pie

2011-04-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
5 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9 inch) pastry shell, baked
whipped topping

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine the first six ingredients until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. stir 1 cup hot mixture into egg yolks. Return all to the pan; bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cool slightly. Pour warm filling into pastry shell. Cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate until set. Just before serving, garnish with whipped topping.

*I made one addition to this, I let the filling sit and cool for about 15 minutes or so and then added about 1 cup of freshly whipped whipped cream to tone down the chocolate flavor a bit and my whole family absolutely loved it!

Orange Green Salad

2011-04-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

Dressing

1/4 c olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T orange juice
1 tsp sugar*
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients in a jar.
*If you are wanting a healthier version, substitute the sugar with honey or agave nectar.

Serve over Romaine Lettuce & top it off with bite size slices of orange & apple, craisins & caramalized almonds (melt regular sugar in a pan over medium heat, take off of heat once it is melted & toss with almonds. Spread out on wax paper to cool).

**This is a salad I put together & it is a great light, summery salad. Very refreshing!

Favorite Spaghetti Sauce

2011-03-26T14:12:00.001-07:00

Cook until soft in 4 T. butter:
4 med. onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
3/4 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

Add & Cook:
1 1/2 lb. ground round
1 t. salt
1/4 c. worcestershire sauce

Add:
2 (14 oz) cans tomato puree
4 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
2 (8 oz) bottles clam juice
4 bay leaves
4 or more shakes tabasco
1 t. each:
oregano
sweet basil
salt
sugar
lemon juice
3/4 c. parmesan cheese
4 c. red wine (alcohol cooks off)

Simmer 3-4 hours.

*This is AWESOME! But BEWARE, it makes a HUGE batch.... this is a party size. I made the normal batch size and froze half of the sauce, but it is probably enough sauce for 4-5 dinners for my family of 4 (2 being little girls, but they still eat it). I made a few changes and it was still amazingly good. I used 2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce instead of tomato puree, I drained the juice of 2 minced clams cans and used the juice from that (I used the clams in a clam chowder so I could kill 2 birds with one stone), and I only used 3 cups Red Cooking wine.... it just seemed like a lot of wine. I also added more mushrooms than it calls for and used dried parsley instead of fresh.

I will never be able to go to any other spaghetti sauce!

Recipe Exchange

2010-05-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

RECIPE EXCHANGE - Sample clarification. I just wanted to let everyone know that for the Recipe Exchange, we are doing SAMPLES for everyone, not full portions (unless there are extras). The goal is not to completely feed everyone there with a full portion but give them a small sampling of your dish so that they can see if they like it or not to make the recipe themselves and ask any questions about the dish. If there are extras after others have tried it, then you can go for more. I don't want people to stress about the cost of what they are making or if they have enough for everyone (as we have no idea how many people will be coming). Think Costco during the day :) I will provide paper plates or napkins (depending on what the theme is) as well as water or a specialty drink (if that is part of our theme). I really want to help give people new ideas on what to make for special occasions or an every night dinner with the family. Please come willing to try new things as well as some good company and getting to know each other better!

Please let me know if you have any questions or don't fully understand what we are doing

Thanks Everyone

Lindsi Gabler

Iced Raspberry Souffle

2010-04-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

6 oz. fresh raspberries

3/4 c. sugar

1 c. heavy whipping cream, semi-whipped

1 large egg whites

1 T. powdered sugar

4 fresh raspberries, for garnish

additional powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions:

Cut four 14x3 in. pieces of parchment paper. Wrap 1 paper strip around each of four 3/4 c. souffle dishes, forming collars that extend 1 in. above the rims. Tape the ends to secure. Blitz the 6 oz. raspberries and sugar in blender until a puree forms.

Strain the puree through a fine-meshed sieve and into a large bowl, disbarding the seeds in the strainer. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the semi-whipped cream into the raspberry puree.

In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites and 2 T. of powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the raspberry-cream mixture. Pour the mixture into the souffle dishes, dividing equally. Freeze for 3 hours or just until the raspberry mixture is frozen. Gently remove the parchment paper from the souffles. Top each with a raspberry. Dust lightly with powdered sugar and serve.

*I actually ran out of parchment paper and the dessert didn't stick at all to the sides so I am glad I didn't do it. This dessert was different than what I was expecting but very good. It is very creamy, much thicker than an ice cream.

Candy Bar Brownies

2010-04-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. sugar

1 c. butter

2 eggs

3 c. oatmeal

2 c. flour

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1 package caramels

1 c. chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together sugars, butter and eggs. Add oatmeal, flour, soda and vanilla and mix. Spread 2/3 of dough in 9x13 pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes (don't overcook). melt 1 bag caramels and pour over top; sprinkle chocolate chips and the rest of the dough on top. Bake 10 more minutes.

*These are the BEST bars in the world!!!! My friend Amy made these for me after I had Kenidi and I had to get the recipe from her. I made them this week and had to take them over to a friend. They were so incredibly gooey when I first took them out that I couldn't even cut them into a bar and take them out of the pan. I let them sit over night covered and I was able to cut them and they were perfect bars..... Did I mention that these are SO GOOD!!!

Sweet Pork (enchiladas, burritos, etc.)

2010-04-22T12:53:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

6 pounds boneless pork roast

1 12 oz. bottle taco sauce

1 12 oz. can Coke

2 cups brown sugar

Directions:

Cook pork in crock pot with a little water about 6 hours, until it shreds easily. Two hours before serving, shred pork and return to crock pot (discard juice from pork). Pour taco sauce, Coke, and sugar over pork and mix well. Cook for 2 more hours.

*To make enchiladas, make the pork and substitute it for the chicken in this recipe.

To make burritos, fill tortilla shells with rice, black beans, cheese and pork. Fold in both ends and roll up. Place in a 9x13 baking dish with fold side down. Do not try to squish too many into one pan. Cover with green chile enchilada sauce and add more cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

You can also serve it on rolls like a pulled pork sandwich.

*YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY.....

PF Chang's Banana Spring Rolls

2010-04-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

ripe bananas
egg roll wrappers
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon chinese five spice mix*
oil for frying

coconut pineapple ice cream (by haagen dazs)

caramel sauce

strawberries, raspberries & blackberries
mint, for garnish

*chinese five spice is made of: cinnamon, anise, ginger and cloves. if you don't have it, shake into the sugar a tiny amount of those spices instead.

Directions:

Preheat two inches of oil to 350 degrees in a saucepan. Set two small bowls side by side, one with a scoop of brown or white sugar mixed with the five spice, one with water. Separate the egg roll wrappers you are going to use, one per half banana. Cut banana in half crosswise. Coat banana in sugar and place in the wrapper. Spread water all over the edges of the dough and roll it up like a burrito, sealing the ends by folding and pushing the dough together with your fingers. If a halved banana is too long, trim the edges to fit the dough. Prepare all the banana pieces before frying. Fry one or two at a time, carefully turning to brown evenly on all sides. Remove from oil and slice rolls in half. Serve warm over pineapple-coconut ice cream, with berries and a drizzle of caramel.

*This is very good but I still need to mess around with the cooking time. I had the temp. up to high and it browned the outside but it wasn't crispy, it was still soft, but it tasted good none the less. If you can find spring roll wrappers, those would probably work better but I don't know where you get those. I served this family style with a large scoop of ice cream in the center, spring rolls circling around it with strawberries, raspberries and blackberries sprinkled all around and the caramel sauce drizzled around on the plate (not really on top of the ice cream). My 1 1/2 year old daughter loved this and had fun eating it by herself and picking off the fruit with her fingers.

Fruit Dip

2010-04-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese

16 oz. marshmallow cream

1/4 c. heavy whipping cream

4 T. favorite flavor JELLO powder.

Directions:

Mix ingredients together and serve with fruit. Strawberries are the best for dipping.

*I had these ingredients just sitting in my fridge and pantry and my mother-in-law and I came up with combination. Very good and easy!

Crepes

2010-04-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour, sifted

4 tsp. granulated sugar

pinch of salt

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 T. unsalted butter

Directions:

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the eggs and just enough of the milk to form a soft paste. Combine the remaining milk and cream in a measuring cup and slowly add to the flour mixture, whisking to form a smooth batter.

Strain the batter into a medium bowl to remove any lumps. Cover the batter and set aside for 30 minutes. This will allow time for the flour to absorb all of the liquid. Heat a crepe pan or a heavy 7 in. non-stick saute pan over medium-low heat. Dab some butter on a paper towel and wipe the pan with a little butter.

Pour 3 tablespoons of batter into the pan and swirl to coat the bottom thinly. Cook until the edge of the crepe is light brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Loosen the edges gently with a spatula. Carefully turn the crepe over. Cook until the bottom begins to brown in spots, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter.

*I actually have a crepe maker and it is WAY easier than doing it with a pan. But these are great and can be used for breakfast, dessert, or dinner depending on what you fill them with. I love yogurt, fruit, whipped cream and powder sugar for breakfast and french vanilla ice cream and strawberries wrapped up and topped off with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.... YUM!

Mini Pastries

2010-04-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 box pastry puff (freezer section near pie crusts)

8 oz. cream cheese

7 oz. marshmallow cream

variety of fresh fruits

Directions:

Lay out pastry puff and cut with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheet and bake as directed or until just starting to brown. While pastries are baking, whip together the cream cheese and marshmallow cream. prepare fruit by cutting into thin slices. If you are not serving right away, dip fruit into a little water and lemon juice to preserve color. After the pastries have cooled to room temp, spread the cream spread on to each pastry and decorate with fruit.

*This is such an easy dessert but it is really yummy. It is actually geared towards kids so that they can help make them. Use fun cookie cutter shapes and make them look pretty.

Chili glazed Shrimp & Noodles

2010-04-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

3 T. Sesame oil or Peanut oil

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 c. thinly sliced green onions

2 c. sugar snap peas with ends cut off

1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 c. honey

1-2 T. chili sauce (located in the asian section) add more if you like it spicy

1 tsp. ginger powder or freshly grated ginger root.

2-3 c. rice noodles, cooked (located in the asian section)

Directions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan. Add garlic and shrimp. Stir-fry 1 minute. Mix soy sauce, honey, chili sauce, and ginger in bowl. Pour over shrimp and add green onions, snap peas, & rice noodles. Toss everything together coating it all in the sauce. Serve in a bowl with chopsticks! :)

*I found a recipe that had some of these ingredients together but I thought it was quite bland so I changed it up and created my own. James liked the original recipe only so-so and then I made it a second time with my changes and he loved it! I think from shrimp being frozen to the dish on the table took me only about 20 minutes! A great recipe to make when short on time and need something quick.

Spinach Raspberry Salad

2010-04-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

8 c. fresh spinach or 1 bag baby spinach

1 c. fresh raspberries

1/4 c. red onions, chopped (opt.)

Dressing:

2 T. raspberry vinegar or balsamic vinegar

2 T. raspberry jam

Mix together in a blender, then add slowly;

1/3 c. canola oil

Directions:

Combine vegetables then toss with dressing. Can change to orange salad by replacing the jam with orange marmalade and fresh raspberries with mandarin oranges.

*I am always looking for different green salads and this one was so easy to make and so delicious.

Swiss Chicken

2010-04-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts

4 slices swiss cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 can water

2 c. seasoned stuffing mix

1/3 c. melted butter

Directions:

Arrange chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish and place one slice of cheese over each piece. Stir soup and water together; spoon evenly over chicken. Crush, coarsely, the stuffing mix and sprinkle over top; evenly drizzle butter. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Serve with rice.

*This was surprisingly VERY good! My husband took a bite and said "This Recipe is a keeper"! I only made 2 chicken breasts, topped each piece with 2 slices of swiss cheese and the made the normal size sauce. I actually could have used even more sauce so I would definitely double the sauce recipe if you make more than 2 breasts.

Recipe Exchange

2010-04-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to start a Recipe Exchange group and get to know some new people and of course, get some new recipes. Before I get everything finalized, I would like to know if nights work better for most people or if the day does? If we have a balance of both, I think what I might do is do one month during the day and then the next month do it at night. If I do it on nights, it would have to be Tuesday night since that is pretty much the only night I have available. The other dilemma I have had is trying to figure out where to do it. I have wanted to start this group for a long time but wasn't sure what to do about the location. If we do a group where we can bring kids, it needs to be where kids can play and run around, but if we do a group at night, I think it should be kid free but people's homes still have kids.... so I haven't figured that out. I think the park here in the neighborhood would be a good location if we did it during the day, that way kids can run and play and the mom's can sit, eat and enjoy each other's company. (but the weather needs to warm up first!) Let me know what works best for you, Nights or Days?

To give you a little bit of background on why I am starting this group. I used to be the WORST cook on planet earth! I was awful! My poor husband didn't eat very well the first part of our marriage. After I stopped working, I decided to learn how to cook. I started off with easier things and learned to make them well and then I would "up" the difficult factor (still easy for others). After years of that, I started becoming a pretty good cook and now I love to do it. It has become one of my biggest priorities to make sure that we have a homemade meal every night and that we sit down as a family to dinner. I make it a goal every week to make a new recipe and I quite often will make a few new ones. We are not picky eaters so it makes it easy for us to try lots of new things. You do not have to be a great cook to be a part of this group. The nice thing about getting recipes from people you know, if you need some help on the recipe while cooking it, you have someone you can call for help.

We will be meeting once a month and every month we will have a different theme. One month it could be something like a Mexican theme where the next month could be a theme like Meals under 30 minutes or Favorite family recipe. We will have everyone copy their recipe and hand it out to those who come. If people can't make it and we have extra recipes, we can possibly stick them in the Relief Society binder or I might can type them up here and post them on this blog where I keep all of my favorite recipes.

I would like to start this month and keep it on the 3rd week of the month so let me know what would work best for you and we will try to accommodate as many people as possible.

I look forward to seeing all of you and eating some great food!

Thanks Everyone!

Mandarin Salad

2010-02-27T14:19:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1/4 c. sliced almonds

1 T. plus 1 tsp. sugar

1/2 head lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

1/2 bunch romaine, torn into bite-size pieces

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 T. green onion, thinly sliced

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

Dressing:

1/4 c. vegetable oil

2 T. sugar

2 T. cider vinegar

1T. parsley (dried or fresh)

1/2 tsp. salt

dash of pepper

Directions:

Cook almonds and sugar in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is melted and almonds are coated; cool and break apart. Prepare dressing. Toss almonds with remaining ingredients and dressing.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

2010-02-27T14:09:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup lime juice (about 2 lg. Limes)

1 T chili powder

2 cloves finely minced garlic

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded

12 corn tortillas

2 cups Mexican cheese blend

1 19 oz. can green enchilada sauce hot or mild

½ cup heavy cream

Non-stick cooking spray

1 T chopped cilantro

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the cooked and shredded chicken in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, place the honey, lime juice, chili powder and minced garlic or garlic powder. Whisk together thoroughly to combine. Pour this mixture over the chicken and cover with 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 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 ½ 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 of cheese, then roll the tortilla up from one side to make a rolled enchilada. 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 ½ 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 – 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top. Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro.

* This recipe looks long & time consuming but the directions are just really wordy, it is actually very easy and very YUMMY! It is a little bit spicy, so if you don't like spice, cut down the chili powder. I made this with a side dish of Lime Cilantro Rice (1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water, ½ of a lime, juiced and 1 T of cilantro leaves) and it was a great combo.

Restaurant Style Chicken Nachos

2010-02-16T07:36:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, crushed

6 green onions, sliced, white parts and tops separated

3 T canola oil

1 shredded, cooked, whole chicken breast

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup salsa

1/2 (12 oz) package tortilla chips

1 (8 0z) package shredded cheddar/monterey jack cheese blend

1/2 large tomato, diced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a 12 inch skillet over medium heat, cook and stir the garlic and white parts of the green onions in canola oil until tender. Mix in shredded chicken, salt and pepper. Toss until well coated with oil. Stir in the salsa.

Arrange tortilla chips on a large baking sheet. Spoon the chicken mixture over tortilla chips. Top with cheese blend and tomato. Bake in the preheated oven 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove from heat and sprinkle with green onion tops before serving.

*James was craving nachos for about a week or so a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to get online and find a good nacho recipe for him. This is what I found that sounded the best to me and they were really good. They definitely filled his nacho craving.

Valentine Cookies

2010-02-16T07:30:00.000-08:00

For Valentines I decided to make the Fair Drop Cookies, just the sugar cookie part, and top it with the Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting and it was AWESOME!!!! I highly recommend this combination for any occasion. You can add whatever fruit flavor and change up the frosting and the color of it.

Orange Glazed Salmon

2010-02-16T07:22:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs salmon fillet

1/3 cup orange marmalade

1/2 cup orange juice

1 T Dijon mustard

1 tsp. ginger

2 tsps salt free citrus-herb seasoning

Directions:

Rinse salmon fillet under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 6 serving portions and place salmon fillets in a large zip-top bag; set aside.

In a small bowl stir together remaining ingredients. Pour into zip-top bag. Squeeze air from bag and seal. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and bring to room temperature.

Light broiler and line baking sheet or boiler pan with aluminum foil.

Remove salmon from marinade and place on baking sheet. Discard marinade. Broil salmon 6 to 8 inches from heat source for 6 to 8 minutes or until cooked through. Do not overcook.

Serve immediately.

*This is a very good salmon that is a little bit different than any salmon I have made before. And it was very simple to make. I could not find the citrus-herb seasoning so I just made my own by adding some lemon zest, orange zest, thyme, oregano, basil, and rosemary to it.

Cheesecake Factory Southwestern Salad

2010-01-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1-2 chopped tomatoes

6 chicken breasts grilled and sliced

1 1/2 packages frozen sweet corn

2 15-oz cans black beans drained and rinsed

2 large avocados diced

2-3 heads Romaine lettuce torn

2 cups grated Monterey Jack Cheese

1 36 count corn tortillas

Dressing:

1 bunch cilantro

4 T honey

Juice of 4 limes

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 T sesame oil

4 tsp peanut butter

1 T red pepper flakes

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 T sugar

Salt and pepper

1 cup extra-light olive oil

Directions:

Put all dressing ingredients (except oil) in blender and blend until smooth. Add oil slowly with blender still running. Set aside.

Cut tortillas in thin strips. Fry in hot vegetable oil in batches until slightly brown, draining in bowl lined with paper towels. Salt generously while hot.

Put all salad ingredients into large bowl and toss. Serve with tortilla chips on top and dressing on the side.

*The dressing for this salad is really different but it tastes really good with the combination of the salad. I have never had this at the restaurant but I really enjoyed the one I made at home. Also, this is for a large group. James and I had this for dinner 2 nights and we didn't even go through half of the dressing or even a 1/3 of the dressing.

Mimi's Corn Chowder

2010-01-15T12:44:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 tsp butter

2 stalks celery

1/2 cup onions chopped

4 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 potato peeled and cubed

1 15 oz can creamed corn

1 15 oz. can corn with liquid

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp sale 1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup half and half

Directions:

Saute celery and onion in butter. Add water, potato, and bay leaf. Add creamed corn, corn, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes. Combine flour and half and half in a separate bowl. Add to soup and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.

*I don't know if you have ever had this soup at a Mimi's restaurant, but this is my favorite soup out of any restaurant. However, it didn't quite taste as good homemade but it was still good. I think part of the problem was me, I don't think I mixed the flour and half and half well enough, I kept on getting flour chunks when eating it so make sure you mix it really well and stir it while it is simmering.

Fair Drop Cookies

2009-12-12T10:30:00.000-08:00

4 ½ cups flour

1 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Cream of tartar

1 tsp. Salt

1 cup butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup sugar

1 cup cooking oil

2 eggs

2 tsp. Almond extract

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium low speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar and sugar. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Add oil, eggs, and almond extract and beat just until combined. Mix in dry ingredients. Cover and chill dough about 30 minutes. To shape cookies, roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls. The dough will be soft. Arrange balls on ungreased cookie sheets. With the bottom of a glass, dipped in sugar, gently flatten the balls to about ¼ inch thickness (not to thin). Bake in 350 oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cook on wire rack.

Frost with almond sugar frosting:

FROSTING:

½ cup butter

½ tsp. Almond extract

½ tsp. Vanilla extract

2 ½ to 3 ½ cups powdered sugar

3 Tblsp. Cream or milk

Crushed candy canes or peppermint candies

Beat the butter until fluffy. Add the extracts. Alternately add the powdered sugar and cream or milk. Beat until smooth. Spread on cooled cookies and sprinkle the chopped candy over the frosting.

*We actually found that if you take the cookie and dip it upside down into the candy, it is much easier than to sprinkle it on top. Also, these are meant to be smaller cookies, not sugar cookie size.

Fall Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

2009-11-01T11:25:00.000-08:00

Servings: 4-6 good size bowls.

Ingredients

28 oz. chicken broth

1 butternut squash, baked at 350 degrees for 1 hr., scraped out of skin and pureed.

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. garlic

1 T. canola oil

1 c. carrots, chopped

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. oregano

2 T. honey

1/4 tsp. cumin

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat in a stockpot. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft but not brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the pureed butternut squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sweet potatoes and carrots are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and add cinnamon, nutmeg, oregano, honey, and cumin. Serve topped with Sour Cream.

*This is actually a recipe that I made up! I have made it twice now to verify my measurements and that I really did like it. I actually made this with my little 14 month old daughter in mind. I wanted to find a way to get her to eat her squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes that she used to eat so well and she didn't seem to care for anymore. This definitely worked! It is a sweeter soup with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey added to it so it is one that both kids and adults like.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

2009-11-01T11:18:00.000-08:00

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 leek, thinly sliced, or 1/2 cup diced onion
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
fresh chopped parsley for garnish, optional

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, cook leek or onions in butter over medium-low heat until tender. Add flour and stir until well incorporated. Add chicken broth, chopped asparagus, and parsley. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until asparagus is tender.
Carefully, working with about 1 to 2 cups at a time, blend or process until smooth; return to the saucepan and add cream. Heat through. Add a dash of pepper and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.

*This is a very simple and yummy soup. It says that it makes 4 servings but in my opinion, those are small servings so I would definitely double the recipe if you are wanting to serve more than 3 people with this. Also, I didn't think that it called for enough chicken broth so I added some extra (actually beef broth I had) to the chicken broth and just a bit more cream. Definitely a keeper on those cold nights. Because this is a cream soup, it isn't as filling as one that has some substance inside of it, I would recommend serving this with bread or biscuits to help fill you up.

Empanadas

2009-11-01T11:09:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 c. bell pepper, chopped

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 pkg. refrigerated pie crust

1 egg, beaten

Salsa

Shredded lettuce

Shredded cheese

Sour Cream

Chopped Tomatoes

Directions

Brown meat with onion, garlic, red onion, and green pepper. (Drain fat.) Add taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Simmer 5 minutes. Unfold one pie crust. Place on nonstick cookie sheet. Place half the meat mixture on one side of pastry crust to within one inch of edge. Dampen edges with a finger dipped in water. Fold crust over filling and press edges together with a fork to seal. Cut slits in top of crust to allow steam to vent. Brush tops with beaten egg. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or golden brown. Cut empanada into four wedges and serve with lettuce, salsa, cheese, tomatoes, and sour cream.

*This was a very fun and good take on the empanada. My husband and I think that it tastes like a tostada kind of. Because there are 2 pie crusts in a box, I baked one with half of the filling and saved the other half and pie crust for another night. Instead of using water to seal the edges, I actually use the egg that is already beaten for the top and use a brush to brush it on.

Chicken Roll-Ups

2009-11-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

3 oz. cream cheese

2 T. melted butter

1/3 tsp. pepper

1/4 c. Ranch

1 can crescent rolls

1 T chopped onion

1/4 tsp. salt

1 large can cooked chicken

1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Fine Bread crumbs or crushed chips.

Gravy:

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. sour cream

Directions

Mix everything, except crescent rolls and bread crumbs, in a large bowl. Unroll crescent rolls onto a baking sheet and put a spoonful of the mixture in the middle of each roll. Fold up the ends of each roll and seal the best you can. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

For Gravy, heat the 3 ingredients together in a sauce pan. Serve drizzled over roll-ups

*This is good recipe and I think it is kind of fun for kids. I know my daughter really liked these when I made them. Instead of using canned chicken, I actually boiled a chicken breast and shredded it. And instead of sprinkling the top with bread crumbs, I roll the entire roll-up in the bread crumbs.

Ritz Chicken

2009-11-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

Chicken breasts (skinless, boneless)

Ritz crackers, crushed

1/2 c. melted butter

1 c. Ranch

1/2 c. melted butter (to drizzle)

Directions

In bowl, mix 1/2 cup melted butter and Ranch. Dip thawed chicken in mixture until coated well. Next, dip chicken into the crushed crackers and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

*This recipe is from my friend Sara Hunsaker and it is so yummy. I made this last week and my husband basically drooled over it :) For the ranch dressing, I made the ranch from the packet and I think that was a huge part of the flavor, so I do recommend doing that. Also, we like ours a bit crispy so we cooked ours about 10-15 minutes longer.

Bajio Shrimp Tacos

2009-10-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 Lbs. frozen medium shrimp
1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup honey
2 Tablespoons seasoned salt or lemon pepper

Mango Salsa

1 Mango
1/2 Cup red onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons Cilantro
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 Lime's juice
1/8 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

Thaw shrimp and cut in half. Melt butter and stir in honey and seasoned salt/lemon pepper. Heat about half of sauce in pan until bubbly, then add shrimp. Cook until shrimp is pink in color.

Mango salsa- peel and dice mango, chop cilantro and onion. Add everything to bowl and toss.

Heat up tortillas in a skillet on both sides. Add cheese, lettuce, mango salsa and shrimp.

*I needed something quick for dinner the other night because I forgot to thaw any meat. I pulled out some shrimp and decided to try shrimp tacos. James grabbed a few things at the store on his way home and we were able to get this made in a very short period of time. I have actually never had Bajio's tacos, but I know that people who have had them rave about them and my husband was no exception. He loved these just as much and was very excited that I made them for him. Definitely a keeper in our shrimp recipe pile (which seems to get bigger and bigger every week).

Glazed Meat Loaf

2009-10-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/2 c catsup

1/3 c firmly-packed brown sugar

1/4 c lemon juice

1 tsp dry mustard

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 1/2 c fresh bread crumbs (3 slices)

1/4 c finely-chopped onion

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tsp instant beef bouillon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl, combine catsup, sugar, 1 T lemon juice, and mustard. In large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and 1/3 c catsup mixture; mix well.

In shallow baking dish, shape into loaf. Bake 1 hour; pour off fat. Pour remaining catsup mixture over loaf; bake 10 minutes longer.

*When I think of meatloaf I think of a poor man's food or something... or I picture a Christmas Story :) This recipe I got from my aunt Gina and we LOVE it! It is so good, so wipe away any thoughts you have of meatloaf and try this one!

I actually don't use fresh bread crumbs, I use just the package bread crumbs and I don't put the beef bouillon in (just haven't bought any)

Zucchini Brownies

2009-10-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

3 c zucchini (grated & drained)

2 c flour

1 1/2 c sugar

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp soda

3 T cocoa

1/2 c oil

2 tsp vanilla

Frosting

6 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 c margarine

2 c confectioners sugar

1/4 c milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

Mix everything together except zucchini (this will appear very dry, don't worry, it is supposed to be that way). Once everything is mixed together, add zucchini. Pour into a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let sit and cool for a few minutes. Spread with frosting.

*This is actually more like a cake than a brownie (very moist) but it is very good. I actually baked it in a 9x13 pan instead of a cookie sheet and I only put a small of amount of frosting on the top (I made it more like a glaze and put a small spread across it, I don't like a heavy frosting on my brownies).

Zucchini Bread

2009-10-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

Servings: 2 loafs

Ingredients

3 eggs beaten

1 c oil

2 c sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

3 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 c flour

1/2 c nuts or chocolate chips

Directions

Mix in the order given. Pour into greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hr.

Winger's Sticky Fingers (Kopykat Recipe)

2009-10-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbls. honey
2 tsp. hot sauce (more or less as desired)
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
12 - 16 oz. box frozen breaded chicken tenders

Directions:

-In a saucepan over low heat, combine all ingredients, except chicken. Warm sauce, stirring occasionally, while you cook the chicken.
-Prepare chicken as directed on package in the oven.
-Toss chicken in sauce and remove with a slotted spoon to a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
-Bake in a 350 degree oven for 5 - 7 minutes, or until sauce thickens and becomes sticky.
-Serve chicken with remaining sauce on the side for dipping.

*James and I love these at Winger's so I love being able to make some very similar to it at home. I actually chose to just put a 1/3 cup of Ketchup in just to keep the 1/3 consistent through the recipe. I also add a little extra sugar & hot sauce. We like these dipped in Ranch like they serve at Wingers.

Coconut Chicken Strips

2009-09-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts

1/2 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 T. milk

1 c. chopped pecans

1 c. coconut

1/3 c. butter, melted

Sauce:

1/2 c. orange marmalade

1 T. cider vinegar

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

2 T. chili sauce

Mix all ingredients together.

Directions

Cut chicken breasts into strips. Mix together the flour and salt. Separately mix together the eggs and milk. Lastly mix together separately the pecans, cornflakes, and coconut. Dip the chicken in first, the flour/salt mixture second, the egg/milk mixture, and finally the cornaflake mixture. In a 15"x10" pan, put 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Place the chicken in the pan and then drizzle the remaining butter over the top. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Serve with sauce.

*I have been making this recipe for a couple of years and we love it in our house. James and I both like the outside a bit crispy, so we cook it for about 20-25 minutes.

Copykat "Bajio" Sweet Rice

2009-09-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Servings: 6-8

Approximate Time: 50 minutes with prep and cook time.

Ingredients:

1/2-1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 of a white onion, chopped (add more or less to your taste)
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1 1/3 cups white rice
3 cups chicken broth
1/4-1/2 cup white sugar

Directions:

Put a little oil in bottom of pan (maybe about 1/2-1 tablespoon).
Saute chopped onion until transluecent. Add the chopped cinlantro (no big stems) and saute a minute more. Add the rice, cooking until it is light brown (being careful not to burn).
Combine the chicken broth and sugar, letting sugar disolve. Then stir into rice until combined. Bring to a boil. Cover and let cook on low, med-low until rice is done, about 25-30 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

* I needed to make a dinner for my family the other night which was 13 people. I decided to make chimichangas but had some vegetarians in the group so I needed to come up with another way to them without the meat for those who didn't eat meat. I found this recipe online and if you have ever eaten at Bajio and had their sweet rice, it is so good. I decided to do beans and sweet rice in them for the vegetarians and was very impressed with the rice. I actually decided to add it to mine and I love it! I think I will have to make this rice everytime now. It is great as a side dish also. I posted the chimichanga recipe a while ago that you can pull up if you would like to maket them.

Greek Shrimp Scampi

2009-09-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

Servings: 4
Approximate Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tsp. olive oil

5 garlic cloves (minced)

1/2 c parsley (chopped)

1 can diced tomatoes (28 oz.)

1 1/2 lbs precooked large shrimp

1 c herbed feta cheese (crumbled)

1/2 c fresh basil (chopped)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

4 c spaghetti cooked

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Heat oil in saucepan. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add tomatoes and 1/2 c parsley. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes. Add shrimp and basil and pour into 9 X 13 baking pan. Sprinkle cheese over top and bake in oven 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve over pasta topped with remaining parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.

*Sorry to those who don't like seafood, we eat a lot of seafood so I do a lot of things with shrimp. This is actually a recipe that you could easily take out the shrimp and add some veggies or do some olives and artichokes. I did not have fresh basil or parsley so I just used dried (don't use the amount that it calls for when doing this, when using dried, you can use a lot less.) I had crumbled feta cheese, but it was not herbed, so I added some italian seasoning and some basil to it and that seemed to work well. This was really quite easy and it was pretty darn good.

SUPER EASY Chocolate Pudding Raspberry Pie

2009-09-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 pie crust (bought from the store and baked)

1 (3 oz.) box of instant chocolate pudding

1 c. milk

1 container of raspberries

1 small carton of whipping cream, whipped & mixed with a bit of sugar and vanilla

Directions:

Bake pie crust according to directions and let cool. Mix chocolate pudding and milk together, beat for about 2 minutes or until thick and smooth. Take 1 cup of whipping cream and fold into chocolate mixture until completely blended together. Take half of chocolate mixture and put in pie crust. Spread raspberries on top of chocolate mixture, leaving a few out for a topping. Spread the rest of chocolate mixture on top of raspberries and top it off with the rest of the whipped cream and raspberries.

*I decided one day to create this pie and I absolutely love it!!! How can you go wrong with chocolate and raspberries :) This is not a fancy pie at all, but it sure puts a smile on my face when I eat it.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-08-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

8 oz. cold cream cheese (straight from refrigerator)

5 T. softened butter

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. powdered sugar.

1/4 c. fresh raspberries, mashed and strained to get rid of seeds.

Directions:

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until combined. Sift powdered sugar and gradually add to mixture while mixing. Add mashed and strained raspberries to mixture. Spread over favorite cake or sugar cookie.

* I found the foundation of this recipe and decided to turn it into a raspberry frosting. you could use any fruit that can be mashed and strained easily. I was actually looking for a way to add a food coloring to the frosting for the cupcakes I was making for my baby's first birthday and my husband suggested the raspberries in the fridge. It turned out so yummy! (and pink :) Definitely make sure that you follow the instructions with the cold cream cheese and the softened butter. If you don't, it ends up being a runny frosting and doesn't stick really great. Also, if you wash your raspberries before, try and dry them off the best you can. It will also get runny if you add that little bit of extra water to it.

Lemon Chicken

2009-08-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. olive oil

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

3 cloves garlic (crushed)

2 T. prepared mustard

1 1/2 T. lemon juice

1 1/2 T. lime juice

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Mix the above ingredients in an airtight container. Add thawed chicken breasts that have been thinly sliced. marinate for 3 to 6 hours or overnight. Grill until desired doneness.

* This is a recipe that has been handed around my husband's family. It is such a great BBQ recipe to use. I made 12 pieces of chicken breast yesterday and I tripled the recipe. One recipe is probably good for 4 to 6 normal sized chicken breasts.

Grape Salad

2009-08-24T14:50:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 lb. green grapes

2 lb. red grapes

8 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. sour cream

1/2 c. white sugar

1 t. vanilla

brown sugar

pecans

Directions:

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, white sugar, and vanilla. Fold in grapes: sprinkle brown sugar and pecans over top, but do not stir in. Refrigerate overnight. Before serving, stir to mix in brown sugar and pecans.

* This is the best summer fruit salad! Anytime I need to make something for a large group, I make this. I have made it on the spur of the moment where I haven't planned in advance to have it refrigerate overnight and it still tastes good, but it definitely tastes better if you do refrigerate over night. I made this yesterday for my baby's birthday party and my husband asked me as I was mixing everything in to add some more brown sugar to it, I did and everyone said that it was the best it had ever been. I also don't use pecans when I make it because I have family members who HATE nuts in anything and when I make it for a potluck dish, I am always worried about allergies people may have.

Fresh Peach Pie

2009-08-24T14:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 c. boiling water

1/2 c. cold water

2 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. + 2 T. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. salt

1 (3 0z.) pkg. Orange Jello

1/4 c. lemon juice

Directions:

Mix cold water, sugar, cornstarch and salt together to make a paste. Add boiling water and cook until thick. Add jello; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and add lemon, mix and chill. Three cups sliced fresh peaches per pie. Mix 1/3 of filling with 3 cups peaches per pie. Pour in baked pie shell and serve soon after. Top with whipping cream. Makes 3 pies.

* I love homemade fresh peach pie! I have been making this recipe for a few years now and I just made it for the first time in a long time yesterday for my baby's first birthday party (she got cupcakes). I got this recipe from my husband's, best-friend's mom. It is such a yummy recipe!

BLT Salad

2009-08-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped

2 lg. tomatoes, chopped (or whole cherry tomatoes)

1 c. seasoned croutons

Dressing:

3/4 C mayonnaise

1/4 C milk

3/4 t. garlic powder

1/8 t. black pepper

salt to taste

Directions

Mix dressing ingredients in blender. Place lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, and croutons in bowl. Toss with dressing and serve.

*This recipe is from my sister Steffany. I made this and it seriously tastes like a BLT sandwich, it is very good!

Honey-Orange marinated Salmon

2009-08-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/3 C reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/4 C orange juice

1/4 C honey

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 T olive oil

1 T sherry or apple juice

1 T minced fresh ginger

1 lb salmon fillet

Directions

In a large resealable plastic bad, combine the first 7 ingredients. Add salmon. Seal bag and turn to coat: refrigerate for 1 hour, turning several times.

Line an 8 in. square baking dish with foil; coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Drain and discard marinade. Place salmon in prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

*I make a lot of seafood because my husband loves it and asks me to make it for him. I wanted to try something new so I found this recipe. I think it was very tasty! I did not have reduced sodium soy sauce so I used regular soy sauce and added a bit of water to it and it wasn't salty at all.

Teriyaki Shish Kabobs

2009-07-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds boneless beef sirloin steak (1 1/2 inches thick), cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 fresh pineapple, trimmed and cut into 1 inch chunks
2 to 3 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 pound whole fresh mushrooms (medium size work best)
1/2 pound boiling onions, peeled
1 large green or sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions
1. Combine first five ingredients; toss with the beef. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Drain beef, reserving marinade.

3. Thread meat, pineapple, and vegetables alternately on long skewers. Grill over hot coals for 15 to 20 minutes, turning often, or until meat reaches desired doneness and vegetables are tender.

4. Simmer the marinade in a small saucepan over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove meat and vegetables from skewers; serve with marinade.

Serves: 6-8

* I made this for my husband's birthday bbq that we had on Monday night. I actually used chicken instead since that is what I had. I also used zuchinni, squash, tomatoes on it. This marinade is so yummy that I would recommend it on almost anything. Very easy to make and very tasty!

Grilled Garlic and Herb Shrimp

2009-07-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 tsp. ground paprika

2 T fresh minced garlic

2 tsp. Italian seasoning blend

2 T fresh lemon juice

1/4 C olive oil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp. dried basil leaves

2 T brown sugar, packed

2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

Whisk the paprika, garlic, Italian seasoning, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, basil, and brown sugar together in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Stir in the shrimp, and toss to evenly coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, turning once. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Lightly oil grill grate and place about 4 inches from heat source. Remove shrimp from marinade, drain excess and discard marinade. Place shrimp on preheated grill and cook, turning once, until opaque in the center, 5-6 minutes. Serve immediately.

*I made these also for my husbands birthday bbq and I couldn't seem to get myself to stop eating them. These were SO good! Sure to be a hit at any bbq or get together.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

2009-07-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 large clove garlic

1 T coarse salt

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika

2 T olive oil

2 tsp. lemon juice

2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined

8 wedges lemon, for garnish

Directions

Preheat grill for medium heat. In a small bowl, crush the garlic with the salt. Mix in cayenne pepper and paprika, and then stire in olive oil and lemon juice to form a paste. in a large bowl, toss shrimp with garlic paste until evenly coated. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side or until opaque. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

*This was very yummy, especially for those who like spicy food. It was a bit spicy for me but I am pregnant and a bit sensitive to it right now. I think I made almost 30 of these and they were eaten up at our BBQ. Very easy and very yummy.

Mongolian Beef

2009-06-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

Approximate time: 35 minutes
Servings: 2 (I doubled the recipe and it fed 5)

Ingredients
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp minced ginger
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 lb flank steak
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 large green onions

Directions

Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of oil in medium saucepan over med/low heat. Don't get the oil too hot or you'll get spatter hwen adding the other liquids. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from heat.

Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4 inch thick bite-size slices. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a 45 degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts. Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch and apply a thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.

As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (or skillet). Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and saute for 2 minutes or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges.

You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef will go back on the heat later. Stir the meat around a little so it cooks evenly. After a couple of minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and place it on paper towels. Then pour the oil out of the wok.

Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute. Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions. cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate.

Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan.

* This tastes just like PF Chang's Mongolian Beef, it is so good and not really hard at all. I sliced the pieces to thick, I think they need to be fairly thin, just like you would find at PF Chang's. Also, we over cooked these a tad, so make sure to not over cook them. Well worth making for those of you who are Chinese food lovers like I am.

Santa Fe Tortilla Soup

2009-05-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

Approximate Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Vegetable or corn oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tbsp-2 turns of the pot in a slow stream
3 ears corn on the cob or 2 ears fresh-frozen cobs, defrosted
1 red bell pepper, split and seeded
1 lb. chicken breasts tenders
1 tsp poultry seasoning, 1/3 palm full
1 tsp cumin, 1/3 palm full
salt and pepper
1 small to medium zucchini, small dice
1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 28 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
3 c chicken stock
4 c blue corn tortilla chips, broken up into large pieces
1 c shredded cheddar or pepper Jack cheese
1/2 c sour cream
Optional Garnishes:
1/4 red raw onion, chopped
2 to 3 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley leaves
1 ripe avocado, diced and dressed with the juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

Heat a grill pan to high and a soup pot to medium-high. Drizzle oil on corn and place on grill pan. Add red pepper to grill with corn. Char vegetables 10 minutes, total, turning occasionally. Remove to cool, 5 minutes. Remove charred skin from the pepper.

While vegetables cook, dice chicken. Add 2 tablespoons oil to hot soup pot. Add chicken to pot. Season with poultry seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper. Lightly brown the chicken. Add zucchini, onions, garlic and chipotle peppers. Cook vegetables with chicken 5 to 7 minutes to soften. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and stock. Bring soup to a bubble, reduce heat to medium low.

Scrape corn off cob and add to soup. Chop grilled red pepper and stir into soup. Add chips to soup in handfuls and fold in. Serve soup immediately with scatter of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Top with any or all of the suggested garnishes.

* I actually changed this soup quite a bit, that is the nice thing about soup, you can adapt it to what you have in your cupboards. I had some leftover rottisserie chicken and corn on the cob that I used and I didn't have a red pepper or zucchini, so I added a can of black beans and some extra corn instead. I was very pleased with how it turned out and it was delicious with sour cream, cilantro, and avocado all on top as the garnish. I surprisingly had the chipotle peppers in my fridge from making the pressure cooker chili reccently.

Raspberry Tartlets

2009-05-13T17:16:00.000-07:00

Approximate Time: 5 hours (with 4 hours refrigeration time)
Servings: 24 tartlets

Ingredients
2/3 C butter
5 egg yolks (about 1/3 cup)
1-3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 T finely shredded orange peel
1 C Lemon Curd or Orange Curd (recipe follows) or purchased lemon or lime curd
2 C Raspberries
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions
Allow butter and egg yolks to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until light and pale, about 3 minutes. Add softened butter and orange peel. Beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in flour mixture just until combined. Divide Dough in half. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; chill for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours or until firm enough to handle.
Lightly grease twenty-four 1 3/4 in. muffin tin; set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough at a time until 1/4 in. thick. Using a 2 1/2 in. round cookie cutter, cut dough into 12 rounds rerolling as needed. Press a round into the bottom and up the sides of each prepared muffin cup. Repeat rolling and cutting with remaining half of dough.
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 8-9 minutes or until lightly browned (dough will puff). Remove from oven. Immediately make an indentation so as to form a tart shell (use the rounded bottom of a measuring teaspoon). Cool slightly in pan. Carefully transfer tart shells to a wire rack and let cool. To serve, spoon a scant 1 tablespoon of Lemon Curd into each cooled tart shell. Arrange raspberries on top and dust tartlets with powdered sugar.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients
5 egg yolks
1 C sugar
4 lemons, zested and juiced
1 stick butter, cut into pats and chilled

Directions
Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1 inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium size metal bowl and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. measure citrus juice and if needed, add enough cold water to reach 1/2 cup. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth. Once water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.) Whisk until thickened, approximately 8 minutes, or until mixture is light yellow and coats the back of a spoon. Remove promptly from hear and stir in butter a piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

*I went to a Relief Society cooking group last night where the theme was a Tea Party. These are the prettiest little dessert. They would be perfect for a baby shower or bridal shower. I was very impressed with how well these turned out and how great they looked!

Grilled Sweet Onions

2009-05-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

Approximate Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4

Ingredients
4 large onions
4 tsp beef bouillon granules
4 T butter
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
4 tsp white wine or beef broth, optional

Directions
With a sharp knife, carefully remove a 1-in. core from the center of each onion. Cut each onion into four edges to within 1/2 in. of root end. Place each onion on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 12 in. square). Place bouillon in the centers of onions; top with butter, thyme, salt and pepper. Drizzle with wine or broth if desired. Fold foil around onions and seal tightly. Prepare grill for indirect heat. Grill onions, covered, over indirect medium heat for 35-40 minutes or until tender. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape.

*We made these yesterday for Mother's Day and they were SO good. They sound a bit interesting but they are WAY good! Family members who don't like onions even really liked these.

Flank Steak

2009-05-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
1 Flank steak
1/2 C canola Oil
1/2 C Soy Sauce
1/4 C lemon juice
2 garlic cloves crushed
2-4 T dry minced onion

Directions
Mix all ingredients (except steak) together in a gallon size ziploc bag. Add steak and marinade over night. Cook on grill until desired doneness.

*This is the BEST flank steak recipe ever!!!! We got this recipe from my sister and her husband. For anyone who came to my baby's blessing, this is the meat that we had at that. My husband made it yesterday for Mother's Day and we were all reminded how INSANELY good this is....YUM!

Apple Chimi Cheesecake

2009-04-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

Approximate Time: 2 hrs (with freezing time)

Servings: recipe says 4, I was able to make 10

Ingredients:
Cheesecake filling (favorite home-made recipe or instant package mix)
Apple pie filling
Pressed 10" flour tortillas
Cinnamon sugar
caramel topping
Vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Prep cheesecake filling. Fold in desired amount of apple pie filling (recommend no more then equal to one-quarter of cheese cake mix). Warm tortilla slightly in microwave. Spatula mix onto tortilla in rectangle form, offset from the middle. Fold sides in first, bottom second, and roll to top. Ensure that it is sealed all the way around. Roll in wax paper and freeze.

When ready to prepare/serve, remove fully frozen chimi and fry immediately in 350 degree oil for approximately three to four-minutes. Remove from oil allow to drain. Roll in cinnamon sugar. Cut in half on an angle. Serve in a puddle of caramel and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

*This is a dessert that I used to get at Applebee's until they stopped making it. It doesn't taste quite the same, but it is still a good dessert. I made these for my whole family on Sunday so I was able to prepare this early in the day and just leave it in the freezer. I think I used a cheesecake pie filling which isn't as thick as a normal cheesecake, so I would probably make sure that you get the real cheesecake stuff. Also, I think the tortillas I got were smaller than 10" but I think they were the perfect size (soft taco size).

Szechuan Steak

2009-04-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Approximate Time: 30 minutes
servings: 4

Ingredients
1 lb steak (any kind) sliced thin, 1-2" long pieces
8 oz fresh sugar snap peas (2 cups)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C water
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/3 C cilantro chopped
2 T dry roasted peanuts (chopped)

Directions
Heat oil in wok or skillet. Add peas and stir fry 2 minutes. Remove to plate and add beef, garlic, and pepper. Stir fry until meat is brown. Combine soy sauce, water, sugar, and starch in a bowl. Return peas to pan and toss with meat. Add soy mixture and stir fry until thick. Remove from heat and serve over steamed rice. Top with cilantro and peanuts.

*This was a quick simple meal and quite good. It doesn't make as much sauce as I would like though so I think that I would double the recipe so that you could have sauce to pour onto the rice instead of it just being on the steak and peas.

Grilled Corn Salad

2009-04-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

6 ears fresh corn, husked with silks removed 2 tablespoons canola oil Salt and pepper 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped 4 scallions, finely chopped 2 cups packed arugala

Lemon Dressing:

1 lemon, juiced
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Neelys Barbeque Seasoning, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat grill or broiler to medium heat.

Rub corn with 2 tablespoons of canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil corn for 7 minutes or until ears are lightly browned. Remove from grill and allow to cool. Remove the kernels form the cob and place in a large mixing bowl along with the cherry tomatoes, red pepper, scallions, and arugula.

In a small bowl, prepare dressing by whisking together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and Neelys Barbeque Seasoning, to taste.

Toss the salad with the dressing and serve at room temperature.

Neelys BBQ Seasoning:

1 1/2 cups paprika
3/4 cup sugar
3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder

Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir until combined. Keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

*I didn't have all of the ingredients for this so I had to improvise, but I still thought it was a good salad. I bet it would even be better if I had the right ingredients. Instead of grilling corn, I put frozen corn on a baking sheet and baked it for 15 minutes or so and that was simple and I thought it was good.

Homemade baby food

2009-04-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

This post is for my sister-in-law Julie and any other moms out there that are interested in making there own Homemade baby food. The major pros of making your own baby food is for Health (knowing exactly what is going into your baby) and cost (it is much cheaper to make your own food). I have used the book Super Baby Food as a guide on knowing what foods to make at what age and learning about the ice cube tray freezing technique, but I felt like it was missing a way to prepare the food after it was frozen that wasn't using a microwave. I have come up with a way that I feel is a great way to make food and get it prepared to eat after it is frozen.

The supplies that you will more than likely need to go out and purchase that you may not already have is about 6 ice cube trays, small serving strainers, and ramekins (used normally for creme brulee). I have found that ramekins is the best thing to use because it distributes heat evenly while warming up food and when they are refrigerated and immediately put into boiling water, they don't crack like glass.
These strainers were purchased in this 3 set at Walmart for about $8-$9 and I love that you have an individual size.

After preparing which ever food of your choice, pour them into the ice cube trays, cover, and freeze.

After food is frozen, run hot water over the back side of the ice cube tray for about 10 seconds to loosen the cubes, then pop out or use a spoon to get it out. Store in labeled freezer bag until ready to serve.

My baby right now is almost 8 months and she is eating: Spinach, Pears, Peas, Carrots, Prunes, Mangoes, Rice Cereal (I do make my own homemade rice cereal), Sweet Potatoes, and Avocados.

My doctor told me to feed her Spinach and Prunes because she has struggled with constipation and it has worked GREAT at keeping her regular!

If anyone has any questions about how to make certain foods or about the process I use (shown further down), please feel free to ask!

Preparing food for baby after being frozen

2009-04-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

First thing every morning when I get up, I decide what Brooklyn is going to eat for all 3 of her meals that day. I take out 3 ramekins and place 1 cube in each.
The 2 that are for lunch and dinner, I place in a plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator until that meal.

I boil water (I do not use a microwave to thaw or warm up the food, for more info on it, check out this website http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards.htm) and pour into a bowl. For anyone who has never seen one of these water boilers, this is a must have for every household! This is an electric boiler that you plug in and the water is boiled in a few short minutes. This makes warming up food much quicker that a teapot on the stove but you can most definitely use that instead. Breakfast always takes longer to thaw because the cube is still completely frozen, but lunch and dinner have thawed in the refrigerator that they basically just need to warm up.

Place the ramekin in the boiling water in the bowl and add anything else you would like to add to it (breast milk, formula, water). At this time I add banana to her rice cereal to sweeten it, so I use the little strainer to push a small amount through and make it very fine to mix with the cereal.

Stir everything in until you have the consistency that you would like and let sit for a few minutes to warm up. When is all warmed up, take the ramekin out of the bowl, wipe off the ramekin, grab a baby spoon, and it is ready to serve.

Here are some prunes pictured when they are ready to serve!

Marshmallow Flake Treats

2009-04-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Approximate Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
1/3 c. butter
1 (10 oz.) pkg. Marshmallows
4 c. Corn Flakes
1 ½ tbsp. Butter
½ c. almonds, sliced
1 c. coconut

Directions
Brown (toast) lightly in frying pan the following ingredients: 1 ½ tbsp butter, almonds, coconut. Be careful not to burn coconut: it burns fast. Melt 1/3 cup butter and marshmallows over low heat. When melted remove from heat. Add toasted mixture and Corn Flakes to melted marshmallow mixture. Press into a buttered 13 x 9 inch pan. Frost with 1 cup melted chocolate chips.

* These are probably my favorite bars. I think they are the grown up version of a Rice Krispie Treat. I actually do prefer these without the chocolate. I love chocolate, but I think it over powers on these, try it both ways and decided for yourself.

Baby Food

2009-03-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted much lately because I haven't been trying new recipes lately. I have really been focusing on making my own homemade baby food for my 7 month old daughter. I have really found some great ways to make her baby food and she has really loved what I have come up with. If anyone is interested in making their own homemade baby food, please let me know and I will get some info to you about it. I love knowing that what is going into my baby is healthy and has no preservatives in it. It actually ends up being more cost effective also to make your own baby food.

Meltaways

2009-03-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1/3 to 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 1/4 c. flour

3/4 c. cornstarch

1 c. butter, softened

Mix all ingredients together. Roll into 1" logs. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove logs and cut into 1" cookies. Bake in 350* oven for 12-15 minutes until set. Cool.

Frosting:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

Beat frosting ingredients together until fluffy. Place frosting in a decorator tube fitted with a star tip. Frost the top of each cookie with a swirl of frosting.

*This recipe is from my neighbor Jackie Thomas. She made these the other night for a baby shower we threw, they are so yummy......the term "once you start, you can't stop" completely applies here. I will be throwing a baby shower in a month and I am definitely going to make these for that.

Honey-Teriyaki Chicken with Snap Peas on Cellophane Noodles

2009-02-26T16:00:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-23T15:36:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-16T11:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-16T11:27:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-12T11:03:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-10T10:14:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-09T11:09:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-06T09:09:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-04T09:25:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-03T12:13:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-02T21:38:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-02T11:22:00.000-08:00

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.