Yummy Stuff

Cool Cucumber Salsa

2011-12-20T10:05:00.005-06:00

I love this salsa! Kinda like a pico de gallo. A great base for a shrimp ceviche. Perfect on top of a bowl of beans. Very nice for taco salad. Absolutely delicious!

Cool Cucumber Salsa

4 large cucumbers, diced
6 vine ripe tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
1 medium red onion diced
1 diced jalapeno
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 packet dry ranch dressing
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Add vinegar, ranch dressing, salt and pepper, and toss until well coated. Add a pinch of sugar to balance vinegary taste.

source:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cooking-live/cool-cucumber-salsa-recipe/index.html

Creamed Spinach

2011-12-20T10:00:00.002-06:00

I can't believe my kids ate spinach without a fight! Now, in all fairness, Tanner does like spinach on his sandwiches, but only when we have Subway sandwiches -- from the restaurant or homemade. Timmy doesn't like anything that he associates with salad. But I don't let that stop me. :)

My kids ate creamed spinach without complaining. Tanner even commented on how good it was.

Proof! Anything with cream tastes better. ;)

Here's the link: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Creamed-Spinach-14941?mbid=ipapp

and here's the recipe with my changes:

Creamed Spinach

1 1/4 pounds fresh spinach (about 2 bunches)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 clove minced garlic

1 oz cream cheese

grated nutmeg

salt

pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream

Discard stems from spinach and coarsely chop spinach.

In a steamer set over boiling water steam spinach, covered, 1 minute or until just wilted. Drain spinach well.

In a saucepan melt butter. Cook garlic for a minute or two. Careful! Don't burn it. Burned garlic is gross. Add flour and cook over moderate heat, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in cream, cream cheese, and nutmeg and simmer, stirring constantly, 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Stir spinach into sauce and season with salt and pepper.

You could also add some parmesan cheese if you want.

Changes

2011-12-07T11:09:00.001-06:00

I've made some changes on this blog, mostly to make it easier to read... :)

I use this blog as a way to keep track of some of my favorite recipes, and I've been neglecting it for too long. I'm trying to get it up-to-date. :)

If you have trouble reading anything or opening any links, please let me know!

:) Kara

Thanksgiving Dressing

2011-12-07T11:01:00.001-06:00

Sausage Cornbread Dressing:

Melt 1 stick butter and brown 1 pound pork sausage (I use the "light sausage" because it's not as greasy... 1 stick of butter is enough fat...) Add 2 cups each diced onion and celery and 1 tablespoon each of minced sage and thyme. Salt and pepper, cook 5 minutes. Add 3 cups chicken broth. Beat 2 eggs with ¼ cup chopped parsley in a large bowl, add 6 cups stale cubed cornbread and 8 cups stale white bread (french bread or sourdough) cubes. Pour in the broth mixture and toss. Transfer to a baking dish and dot with butter. Cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, about 30 more minutes.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

2011-12-07T10:56:00.001-06:00

Start with this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-turkey-chili

Add cumin.
Double the chili powder (maybe even more than double)
I added fresh corn.
Add juice of a lime.
I used a little more than 2 cups of pumpkin, because I like it. :)

Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and sliced jalapenos.

Onion Soup with Sage Brown Butter

2011-12-07T10:53:00.001-06:00

This was delicious! And yes, even my kids ate it. The sage really made this soup for me. And, I like that it uses chicken broth instead of the usual beef. I never have beef broth on hand. I used a store bought crouton and skipped the lemon peel.

Onion Soup with Sage Brown Butter

Spaghetti Squash

2011-12-07T10:45:00.001-06:00

My kids didn't know it was squash!! When I was removing the seeds, the kids asked me what I was cooking, and I told them squash. They don't like squash, so they complained, and then resumed their homework. I made sure they weren't in the kitchen when I scraped the strands of spaghetti out of the squash halves... They totally didn't know what they were eating! Timmy thought I just made spaghetti and used the squash skins for bowls. It was kinda fun, he said, like twice baked potatoes. If only he knew how accurate that really was... :)

Anyway, as usual, I made changes to the recipe which is found here: Spaghetti Squash

Turkey Italian sausage instead of pork sausage, and a quick pomodoro sauce instead of jarred sauce. (Diced fresh tomatoes, red pepper flakes, dried basil, a splash of cream...)

My spaghetti squash were pretty small, so we each had one half, and Tanner (the one who doesn't eat much) shared with the baby...

Delicious!

Peach Pit Jelly

2011-07-27T13:31:00.000-05:00

So, I do realize I haven't added any new recipes in over a year. I'm not proud of that... There have been some big changes in our family! Travis is a year old. We moved to Florida... Craziness.

I bought a case of peaches to make jam. When I talked to Mom and Dad, they told me that Dad's mom and grandma would make Peach Pit Jelly after making peach jam. I was intrigued. I googled a recipe, and it was a wonderful success.

Peach Pit Jely

Save the peels and pits from a whole bunch of peaches. Place them in a stockpot and cover generously with water. (4 cups of water, minimum, but enough to cover everything and give it a little wiggle room in the pot. Does that even make sense??)
Boil for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the mixture cool. Refrigerate overnight.
Strain into cheesecloth or a couple layers of paper towels. Let it drip for at least 30 minutes, but don't squeeze it or push on it to get more liquid out.
Measure 3 cups of the rosy-colored water.
Place it in a clean stockpot with 1/2 teaspoon butter and 1 package of pectin.
Bring to a rolling boil.
Add 3 cups of sugar. Stir to dissolve and bring back to a rolling boil.
Boil hard for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and skim off any foam that formed while the jelly was boiling.
Ladle your hot jelly mixture into jars, and process in a water bath canner (or a steam canner) for 10 minutes.

Mine made 2 1/2 pints. YUM!

Peach Sorbet

2010-06-22T21:29:00.001-05:00

I love Texas when peaches are in season. I picked up some from a farm stand a few weeks ago, and I made a delicious sorbet. I found the recipe on a blog that I read. It was quite yummy, and very refreshing. Try it!

Dinner Tonight

2010-06-18T17:43:00.001-05:00

I love Fridays. Doug usually gets home a little earlier on Fridays than on the other days of the week. I usually have a stocked pantry on Fridays since I try to do my shopping before the weekend rushes hit the stores. I usually have a little more energy on Fridays because I love the weekend. Who doesn’t??

So, for dinner tonight, we’re having some of my favorite foods:

Honey Molasses Drumsticks

Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob

Steamed Broccoli

I’ve posted the chicken recipe before. Find it here. :)

The corn could not be easier. Clean your fresh corn on the cob. Wrap each cob in a piece of aluminum foil and place it in the oven. Roast at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Add butter, salt and pepper at the table if you want to.

My kids love broccoli. I’m not sure how that happened, but I’m not complaining. I buy frozen broccoli in a giant bag at Costco. Microwave and lightly salt… Easy!!

I can’t wait to enjoy this great Friday night dinner!

English Muffin Bread

2010-04-15T09:51:00.000-05:00

I tried this recipe a few days ago. I wanted some bread, but I didn't have time to make a "normal" recipe. This recipe was fabulous, and it makes THE BEST toast ever. I plan on playing with it a little -- mixing in some whole wheat with the white flour...

Ninety minutes from start to finish. Seriously. Mix the dough in the Kitchenaid. Dump it in a bread pan. Let it rise. Bake. Simple.

English Muffin Bread from King Arthur Flours

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
cornmeal, to sprinkle in pan

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl.
Combine the milk, water, and oil in a separate, microwave-safe bowl, and heat to between 120°F and 130°F. The liquid will feel very hot (hotter than lukewarm), but not so hot that it would scald you. As a reference point, the hottest water from your kitchen tap is probably around 120°F (unless your tap water is so hot that it burns you).
Pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.
Beat at high speed for 1 minute. The dough will be very soft.
Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, and sprinkle the bottom and sides with cornmeal.
Scoop the soft dough into the pan, leveling it in the pan as much as possible.
Cover the pan, and let the dough rise till it's just barely crowned over the rim of the pan. When you look at the rim of the pan from eye level, you should see the dough, but it shouldn't be more than, say, 1/4" over the rim. This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, if you heated the liquid to the correct temperature and your kitchen isn't very cold. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Remove the cover, and bake the bread for 20 to 22 minutes, till it's golden brown and its interior temperature is 190°F.
Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.

Molasses Bread

2010-01-31T14:26:00.001-06:00

I got this recipe about two years ago from a friend. The last time I tried to make it, I didn’t give everything enough time to rise. I had two short, dense loaves of bread. Today, though, I gave myself lots of time. And since my house is a little on the cool side today, I gave it all even more time…

My patience paid off. The loaves were light and fluffy and oh-so-tasty!

Here’s the recipe:

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup oats
3/4 cup molasses
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups lukewarm water
1 tablespoon yeast (if you buy packages, this is not quite two packages… I buy mine in bulk at Costco— so much more for the money… store in the freezer…)
about 8 cups flour

Place the oats in a mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over. Let the oats soak for 30 minutes.

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water.

Add the molasses, butter and salt to the oats, then mix in the yeast. Add the flour in 2-3 cups at a time until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead for 10 minutes. Place in a well-oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and place in a draft free place for about an hour to rise. I like to put the bowl inside the microwave, with the microwave off, of course. :)

Allow the dough to double. How do you know when it has doubled? Gently press two fingertips into the dough, if the indentations remain, without shrinking, then the dough is done. When the dough is doubled, punch it down. Literally. Use your fist to push the extra air out. Divide the dough in half, and form two loaves. Place each loaf into a large loaf pan and allow the dough to rise again. Preheat the oven to 350, and bake for 35-45 minutes. It should sound hollow if you tap on the bottom of the loaf.

Let the bread cool for a few minutes before slicing. Enjoy with your favorite topping. I like honey butter. :)

Eight Layer Lasagna

2010-01-28T19:42:00.001-06:00

I love this lasagna, because I usually have the ingredients on hand. And, if you keep jars of Make-Ahead Marinara in the freezer, then it goes together really quickly.

Eight Layer Lasagna

Marinara Sauce – You could use a jarred sauce if that works better for you, but I almost always have Make-Ahead Marinara in the freezer. Heat your marinara sauce of choice to a simmer. (Unless you plan to freeze your lasagna, then just use it straight from the jar.)

Bechamel Sauce – This is just a fancy French name for a white sauce. I’ve never tried using jarred alfredo sauce. If you try it, let me know how it goes. :) Here’s how I make mine:

Saute 1/4 cup finely chopped onion in 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Cook on medium-high until the onion is softened.
While that is cooking, measure 1/3 cup flour and 3 cups milk (at least 2%. I like whole milk for this.) When the onion is ready, dump in the flour, and whisk it for about a minute.
Gradually stir in the milk, whisking constantly to eliminate any lumps. Whisk (almost) constantly for about 5 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.
Stir in 1 teaspoon italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
Gradually add in a block of cream cheese cut in pieces. Whisk until fully incorporated. Turn off the heat.
Salt and pepper to taste, and then remove about 1 cup of the sauce for later.
Stir in either fresh, chopped spinach or 1 box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained very well. You don’t want liquid from the spinach ruining the awesome sauce you just made, so squeeze as much out as you can.
Beat up one egg, and stir it in.

Assembly – the easy part. :)

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Coat the bottom of the pan with 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce. Layer 4 oven-ready lasagna noodles. Top with marinara, then bechamel, then mozzarella cheese. That’s two layers down.

Now layer 4 more noodles, but put them in the opposite direction as the first layer. This helps your lasagna stay together once you cut it. :) Then marinara, bechamel and cheese.

Repeat, switching the direction of the noodles. Top with the last layer of noodles. Cover with the bechamel that you reserved earlier. Make sure that all the noodles are covered in sauce, and top with grated mozzarella and a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes. Or, wrap in foil and freeze for later. When you bake a cold lasagna, turn the heat down to 375 and plan on about an hour of baking time.

Ok. I know the directions here are very lengthy, but I promise it actually goes fast. I made this for dinner tonight and it was on the table in less than an hour. :)

Picture coming soon. :)

Beans and Tortillas

2010-01-26T09:45:00.006-06:00

I love a bowl of creamy pinto beans made from scratch. Especially with warm flour tortillas. That’s what I’m making for lunch today.

Later this week, the beans will be mashed up with browned chorizo sausage, topped with some cheese for homemade bean and cheese tacos for breakfasts or lunches. My kids love bean and cheese tacos, and while they prefer the ones from Mama Margie’s restaurant, they do enjoy these homemade ones. But they have to start with creamy beans…

I’m trying a new recipe for pinto beans today, but I’m sure it won’t disappoint. It comes from my friend Julie’s mother-in-law. Her recipe calls for bacon grease or shortening to flavor the beans, but I’m using a ham bone. I save the bone from our Thanksgiving ham, freeze it, and it is perfect for flavoring beans. Just add the whole bone in the beginning and take it out and discard it at the end.

Do you want to know about the tortilla too? I made homemade tortillas to go with the beans. I've only tried homemade tortillas just a couple of times, and I wasn't very pleased with the results last time. I think that was about four years ago. I wanted a tortilla to go with my beans, and I'm not feeling great today, so I decided to give it a try again rather than take a trip to the grocery store... I found a recipe on http://www.texasrollingpins.com/, and I was pleased with the results. Pretty good for a white girl. No abuelita to show me how to do it. :)

It's a pretty basic recipe, mixed by hand. Here's the recipe: (Oh, and a comal is a griddle, just so you know.) Make these. You'll love them. :)

Homemade Flour Tortillas (recipe from http://www.texasrollingpins.com/)

3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4-6 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or lard
about 1 1/4 cups warm water

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add vegetable shortening or lard. Or use a combination of half lard, half shortening. Use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut in the shortening or just do it the old fashioned way and use your hands.

Next add warm water a little at a time until your dough is soft and not sticky. You do not need very hot water. Knead the dough for a few minutes.

Now you will pull off pieces of dough to form about 12 small dough balls. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes, longer if you like.

This is a good time to heat up the comal. You will want to set it at medium to high heat. If it is too hot the tortillas will cook too fast.

Now you can roll out the dough with your tortilla rolling pin or palote. It is a good idea to dust each ball with a little flour just before you roll them out. Lay the palote in the center of the dough ball and roll up, center and roll down. It is good to lift the dough and turn it. Again, rolling pin in the center and roll. Roll them out fairly thin.

Lay your tortilla on the hot comal. It takes just a few seconds to cook. Flip to the other side. When they are done it should have lots of nice brown speckles. Place them in a towel. If you would like you can use a tortilla warmer to keep them warm longer.

They are ready to be served!

What I’m cooking now…

2010-01-26T09:34:00.001-06:00

I think I have been posting on facebook way too much. I’ve been neglecting this little blog of mine.

Check back often to see what I’m cooking, because I’m going to post my cooking adventures on here instead of on Facebook. :)

Farm Fresh

2010-01-22T16:15:00.001-06:00

I’ve been eating out too much lately. My dumb pregnancy sickness was so bad that I just couldn’t stand the smells of cooking food. (I can’t even call it morning sickness… It lasts all day long!) While I’m still not feeling great, I was finally able to prepare real food in my own kitchen about 2 weeks ago. And it feels so good to be cooking again, and it’s much better for us too, financially and nutritionally.

A friend in my ward gets fresh veggies weekly from a local farm, along with raw milk. I got my first basket this week. What a loot! It is a ton of veggies for only $30. I got:

cherry tomatoes, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, radishes, cilantro, romaine lettuce, broccoli crowns, onions, spring onions, turnips, mustard greens, collard greens and a head of cabbage.

All local, all gorgeous. And for a little extra, I got a gallon of raw milk. Have you ever had raw milk? It. Is. Wonderful. The cream rises to the top of the jug. You can just shake it to distribute the cream, or you can separate the cream from the milk… to make whipped cream or ice cream or butter or use it in soups or mashed potatoes…

I’m not sure what to do with the greens. I’ve never really had them, so if you have some suggestions, I’m open to them. :) In the meantime, I’m googling Paula Deen’s recipes.

I think next week, I might even remember to take pictures. :)

Mom’s Potato Soup

2009-11-03T18:21:00.002-06:00

I love my mom’s potato soup. It is creamy and delicious. Along with my mom’s amazing Chicken Noodle, this potato soup can heal all wounds, in my opinion. And no, it’s not chicken noodle soup. It’s Chicken Noodle. :)

Since my dental appointment last week, my teeth have been really sensitive, and I just can’t handle much texture in my food right now. This soup really fits the bill. Oh so creamy…

What kind of potatoes should you use? Well, what kind of potatoes do you like? Mom uses Butter Reds. I like Russets. You could also use Yukon Gold… You could use a mixture. The texture changes a little with the variety you choose, so feel free to play with your food. :)

2-3 lbs of potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small onion, minced – or – 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of dried minced onion
1 tablespoon butter
1 can evaporated milk – I use the 2% variety
1/4 cup diced velveeta – again I use the 2% variety
instant potatoes
salt, pepper, garlic powder
chicken broth or water

Place the chopped potatoes and the onion in a stockpot. Cover with either chicken broth or water, about 1/2 inch above the potatoes. Boil on high heat until the potatoes are fork tender. Turn the heat down to low, add the butter, velvetta and evaporated milk, and stir to melt the cheese. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. When all the cheese is melted, add instant potatoes to thicken the soup. Just sprinkle some in and stir. When it is just a little thinner than you want it to be, consider it done. It will thicken a little as it cools.

Serve in your favorite mug. Curl up with a good book. Or, in my case, with your homework. Enjoy the soup, endure the homework. :)

Trainer Momma’s Whole Wheat Waffles

2009-11-03T17:19:00.002-06:00

My friend Mandi has a great fitness blog, and I absolutely love this recipe that she posted on her blog, www.trainermomma.com. The recipe makes a ton, and since my waffle iron makes nice square waffles that fit nicely inside my toaster, I make a double batch and freeze the leftovers for quick breakfasts during the week. mmmm homemade eggo!

Before I give you the recipe, can I give you a few tips? Okay.

Nobody wants a chewy waffle right? You want a crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside waffle. That’s what you want if you’re like me, anyway. SO, it’s important to measure your flour correctly. Especially when I’m making waffles or muffins or pancakes or cakes or cookies – okay, most of the time – I use a scoop or a large spoon to sprinkle flour into my measuring cup. Level it off with the back of a butter knife. Do it this way and your baked goods won’t turn out too heavy! If a recipe calls for several cups of flour, I break out the food scale. Measure one cup following the directions above; weigh it; then multiply that measurement by the number of cups required in the recipe. Measure your flour carefully.
What else goes wrong with baked goods, especially waffles, pancakes and muffins? Over-mixing. Over-mixing makes a tender, fluffy product near impossible. When you are making waffles, pancakes or muffins, you are done mixing when all the dry ingredients are wet. There will be lumps. Guaranteed. It’s okay!! The more you mix, the happier the gluten in the flour becomes. The little gluten pieces hold hands with each other. They have a party. They become close friends. Friendly gluten is great when you are making bread, but waffles, pancakes and muffins don’t like the friendly gluten. To them, the friendly glutens are like the loud teenagers that won’t stop talking during the best part of a great movie at the theater… Don’t overmix. Lumps are okay. Trust me.

Okay. Here’s the recipe! Enjoy!

Trainer Momma’s Whole Wheat Waffles

2 cups whole wheat flour
4 T canola oil
3 T sugar
½ tsp sea salt
3 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
2 cups skim milk
2 tsp cinnamon

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs and add the other wet ingredients, mixing well. Add the wet stuff to the dry stuff and mix with a wooden spoon just until all the dry stuff is wet. Lumps are okay. Really. Preheat your waffle iron, and let the batter sit there for a minute while you wait for the waffle iron to heat up. Douse it with cooking spray and scoop on some waffle batter. Follow the directions for your waffle iron.

What do you like on your waffles? Aunt Jemima? Real maple syrup? Peanut butter? Fresh or frozen fruit and whipped cream? Powdered sugar? Melted jam? An egg, over-easy?

Have you tried adding fun stuff into your waffles? Try mixing in some cooked, drained bacon; some chopped walnuts or pecans; crumbled cooked breakfast sausage; drained canned peaches; thawed frozen strawberries or chopped fresh ones; fresh or frozen blueberries; diced bananas…

Thanks, Mandi, for such a great recipe!!

Halloween Week Menu

2009-11-03T16:41:00.002-06:00

Sunday: pulled pork tacos at mom’s house

Monday: pulled pork quesadillas

Tuesday: chicken enchiladas – I rarely roll my enchiladas. Instead, I typically make it like an enchilada casserole. I’m lazy, I guess. And rolling doesn’t work as well when the tortillas aren’t as fresh… I used part corn tortillas and part whole wheat tortillas. I use the “healthy” cream of chicken soup, and light sour cream, and I didn’t use as much cheese as the recipe calls for. I think it is rich enough without tons of cheese.

Wednesday: I had some major dental work done, so I grabbed a pizza from Papa Murphy’s for the family.

Thursday: Leftover pizza for the family. I tried to eat some, but it was difficult. I had easy Mac instead.

Friday: I honestly can’t remember. I know I ate something soft. My teeth are still sensitive.

Saturday: Whole Wheat Waffles for breakfast. unhealthy drive through lunch. Miscellaneous leftovers for lunch.

So, overall, you can see that when Mom can’t eat much, she doesn’t cook much either. The dentist said that my teeth would be sensitive for a while. .. I’m hoping for crunchier textures in my future -- without pain. There is an up-side to my dental distress – I don’t want to eat much of the boys’ Halloween loot. :)

Extreme Pita

2009-10-27T14:36:00.001-05:00

I’ve never seen this place anywhere except UTSA, but I tried it yesterday for lunch, and I loved it! Isn’t it hard to say that about a fast food place?? I love pita bread. (There’s an awesome recipe below…) I love the flavors of Mediterranean food (they have lots of not-so-mediterranean stuff too). I love that they had plenty of healthy options.

Compare that to the food court area in the JPL building… pasta, pizza, sushi, Chick Fil A chicken nuggets or the fried chicken sandwich, a few different options for salads and soups… nothing exciting. Or to the other food area in the University Center: Wendy’s (or is it Burger King?), Taco Cabana, Starbucks or Panda Express… nothing healthy at that location. Or there’s an Einstein Bagel place somewhere on campus… They are overpriced.

So if you’re ever hanging out at UTSA or anywhere else where there happens to be an Extreme Pita restaurant, check it out! I had the Chicken Souvlaki pita, and it was so yummy! :)

Last week’s menu

2009-10-27T14:23:00.001-05:00

Maybe I should start writing stuff down. I used to have a good memory, but I think those days are gone. I can’t believe it is this difficult for me to remember what we ate last week!

Monday: I can’t remember than far back… It must have been good. There are no leftovers in the fridge..

Tuesday: homemade pizza

Wednesday: Ultimate Fish Sticks (from Costco, in a package. One of the only packaged products I buy), mixed veggies

Thursday: whole wheat penne, homemade meat sauce, steamed broccoli

Friday: out at Taco Cabana.

Saturday: I didn’t eat dinner. We had our ward Fall Festival… Does a snack size Almond Joy count as dinner? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Sunday: pulled pork and a little barbeque sauce wrapped in a tortilla – at my mom’s house. I heated up the tortillas. That was my job. :)

So, it was a busy, but pretty boring week as far as the food goes. No new recipes to report from last week. Just check out the following recipes if you want a wonderful homemade pizza:

Pizza Dough

Make Ahead Marinara

Soft Whole Wheat Bread from the bread machine!

2009-10-26T14:06:00.003-05:00

I woke up this morning to the wonderful smell of freshly baked bread. It was wonderful! I love my bread machine, and until recently I only used it for homemade white bread. I hadn’t been able to find a whole wheat recipe that didn’t come out of the machine as a brick.

No more! I have found a great whole wheat recipe, and I’ve already made it several times. It comes out great every time!

100% Whole Wheat Bread in the Bread Machine

adapted from www.kingarthurflour.com

Makes a 1 1/2 lb. loaf
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
3 to 3 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax (you could also use sunflower, sesame or flax seeds, but this is optional
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons yeast

Proof the yeast in 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water, with 1 tablespoon of sugar before you begin anything else.

Put the ingredients in the pan in the order suggested by your bread machine manufacturer. For mine, it goes like this:

water –> honey –> oil –> salt –> flour/flax/gluten –> proofed yeast

Set the machine for white bread, light crust, 1 1/2 lb loaf, and turn it on. Wait about 3 hours and enjoy!

Orange Spice Muffins

2009-10-21T10:44:00.002-05:00

Here’s the recipe for the orange muffins that I made last week. I don’t recommend omitting the sugar like I did the first time I made these. :) And, if you like a lighter muffin, you can substitute some white flour for the whole wheat, but I made them with just whole wheat. This recipe came from a fun blog that I read, Pinch My Salt.

Whole Wheat Orange Spice Muffins

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
1/3 cup neutral flavored oil such as canola, vegetable or grapeseed
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees; grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper baking cups. Zest and juice 2 or 3 medium oranges, measure out juice and zest; set aside. Chop and measure walnuts; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, flax seed meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Using a wire whisk, blend ingredients together very well. This is your dry mixture. Set it aside.

3. In a separate bowl, combine beaten eggs, buttermilk, orange juice and zest, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk together well. This is your wet mixture.

4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon just until all the flour has been incorporated. Make sure to scrape up all the flour from the bottom of the bowl as you are mixing. Once you no longer see any pockets of flour remaining, gently fold in the walnuts.

5. Using a large spoon or an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin cup almost to the top. Divide any remaining batter between the cups so that they are somewhat equal. Put the muffins in a preheated 375 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes. Check to see if they are done by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If the toothpick comes out clean, they are done. If not, let the muffins bake an additional 2 minutes and check again. When muffins are done, let cool on a wire rack for five minutes then remove muffins from pan and let cool completely on the wire rack.

recipe notes: I suggest using King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour if you can find it. For best zesting results, use a microplane grater. I used two oranges to get the correct amount of juice and zest but you may use more or less depending on the type of oranges. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can make your own: 1 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t. ground ginger, 1/4 t. ground nutmeg and 1/4 t. ground cloves. Mix it together then scoop out one heaping teaspoon to use in the recipe. Mandarins, tangerines, or other sweet citrus may be used in place of standard oranges. Melted butter may be used in place of oil if desired.

Approximate nutritional value for one muffin: 286 calories; 8g protein; 5g fiber; 14g total fat; 1g saturated fat; 36mg cholesterol; 308mg sodium; 36g total carb; 15g sugars

What did we eat last week?

2009-10-19T13:22:00.001-05:00

Ok. I’m obviously not good at this menu planning thing. I think I did two whole weeks of menus, and then I quit. I got too busy. I got too preoccupied with other things to stress out over a menu. As much as I enjoy menu planning – yes, I really do enjoy it—I really don’t have the desire or the time to be consistent with it. I’m just keeping it real…

Normally, that is, when I’m not on a menu planning kick, I open my refrigerator/freezer/pantry and think, “hmmm… I have most of the ingredients for_________________. Let’s have that for dinner.” Or, Timmy will bring me a bowl of his pretend food and tell me what’s for dinner, which usually means we’re having some variation of a chicken nugget (he calls them “mommy nuggets.” How cute is that?!) with a salad and a vegetable, usually either broccoli or corn. When he does that, I know that he will eat dinner if I make what he wants, so I oblige. :)

Maybe I should also clarify that “mommy nuggets” look nothing like the store-bought or restaurant variety. They are simply chicken breasts or thighs cut into bite sized pieces cooked in a nonstick skillet, with some variation of seasoning. Or sometimes they translate into the recipes for Oatmeal Parmesan Chicken Strips or Supreme Chicken, which are similar to the store bought junk, but taste oh-so-much better.

So, basically, I stink at cooking from a menu. While it’s good to have a game plan for grocery shopping, I really don’t like to be tied into a menu. I need flexibility because inevitably, the day that I planned to have stir fry turns out to be the day that I really want something Italian or Mexican or whatever. I never seem to want what I have planned. I know, I’m crazy. :)

So, my amazing friend Julie, who also has a fun food blog, has begun posting her menus not as a plan, but as a record. I love this idea! It suits the way that I cook. So, maybe I’ll start posting my Week In Review Menu. Because we all can see that the Menu-Plan-for-next-week ain’t gonna happen.

As I type all this, I can’t remember, for the life of me, what I cooked this week! Well, except for a couple of things, even though I know I cooked every night except Wednesday(mutual) and Thursday (Ian’s birthday party).

On Friday had Beef Stroganoff. The kids won’t touch the sauce, so they had pasta with homemade jarred spaghetti sauce instead.

Yesterday, we had Chili and homemade baked tortilla chips. Timmy had so much fun making the chips. He was pretty proud of the fact that he made them, and they tasted great!

I baked a lot this weekend. :) I finally cleaned up the wheat grinder than my mother-in-law gave me and ground up some wheat for bread. YUMMY! And I made some muffins, Orange Spice Muffins. I really like them, but I love citrus. A lot. Even the first batch that I made, which I screwed up (forgot the sugar of all things!!) tastes pretty good. You just have to top them with a generous squeeze of honey first… I’ll post that recipe soon. :)

If I remember what else I made, I’ll post it here! How scatterbrained am I!!

Homemade Pita Bread

2009-10-05T23:02:00.002-05:00

Pita bread is super easy to make, and it is so much better than the supermarket stuff. Timmy and I made some today. It’s fun for the kids to watch the breads puff in the oven – kinda like a science experiment. That’s right, homemade pitas have pockets too. :)

The recipe that I used can be found here. I used 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 2 cups of all purpose flour. By the way, I’ve been using a new brand of white flour lately. It is a blend of regular white flour and whole grains, and nobody has noticed the difference, including me. :)

Granola

2009-10-05T22:31:00.002-05:00

I made some granola a couple of weeks ago, and it is so good. :) I like to mix it with Grape Nuts for breakfast, or it makes a great ice cream topping.

Oh, and I should mention. It makes a TON!

Granola Mix (from Make-A-Mix)

10 cups rolled oats

1 cup wheat germ

1/2 lb. shredded coconut

2 cups raw sunflower seeds

1 cup sesame seeds

1/3 cup flax seed

3 cups chopped almonds, pecans, or walnuts

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup molasses

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 300. In a very large bowl, combine the dry stuff. In a saucepan, combine the wet stuff and spices. Heat until sugar is dissolved, but do not boil. Pour syrup over dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Spread into four or five cookie sheets (with sides) or cake pans.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bake 15 minutes longer for a crunchier texture. Cool. Add raisins or dried fruit if you want. Makes 20 cups. ( I told you it makes a lot!)

Crockpot Chicken Adobo

2009-08-24T21:00:00.002-05:00

Chicken adobo is a very easy Filipino dish that Doug loves. It is super easy and so tasty. Traditionally, adobo is made with either chicken pieces (with the bones and skin) and/or pork. I prefer to use boneless, skinless thighs. With the boneless meat, this is easily made on the stovetop, but I really like the flavors that evolve with a longer cooking time. When I do it on the stove, I add potatoes to the mixture. I haven’t tried adding them in the crockpot version.

3 to 5 pounds of chicken
2/3 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup vinegar (it doesn't matter what kind of vinegar you use.)
1 yellow onion, chopped into big pieces

Chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the crockpot. Add the garlic. salt and pepper. If using boneless meat, put it in the crockpot FROZEN. If using bone-in meat, put it in thawed. Pour the vinegar and soy sauce onto the chicken, and add a little splash of water (maybe 1/4 cup). Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6 -7 hours. Serve with rice and veggies.

Back to School Week Menu

2009-08-24T20:41:00.002-05:00

Check out my recap of last week’s menu here.

This week is Busy, with a capital B. Timmy starts kindergarten on Monday, and I start back on Wednesday. Doug started working on his MBA last week. There’s a lot of back to school going on in this house. On top of that, mutual is on Wednesday and soccer practice is on Thursday. Like I said, Busy. During weeks like these, my menus prove useless. I tend to scrap the menu and go for convenience or sandwiches. Not tasty and not healthy. This week, I hope, will be better than all that. It’s Monday evening, and we’re off to a good start. :)

Monday – Chicken Supreme, broccoli, cheese sauce

Tuesday – Sausage Rice Skillet

Wednesday – Blaines Lee. I have no idea where the name came from. None whatsoever. I’ll post the recipe soon. But here’s the idea. Hawaiian haystacks except with beef instead of chicken, tomato-based instead of creamy… ok, so the only similarity is the stacked-up presentation. Seriously, one of my absolute favorite meals. I grew up on it. And it is Good. :)

Thursday – homemade pizzas, one veggie, one pepperoni. Veggie pizza recipe coming soon. The best ever pizza dough recipe is found here.

Friday – breakfast for dinner (since we didn’t have it last week) waffles and brown sugar bacon

Saturday – Creativity Day

Sunday – Asian Peanut Butter Pork, noodles and stir fry veggies

So, what do you think? How do you do your own menu planning? Or do you just wing it? :)

How I Eat Yogurt

2009-08-21T16:27:00.002-05:00

How do I eat yogurt? In a word: frozen. I don’t like little cups of yogurt with little foil lids. I don’t care about the flavors. I don’t care if it’s regular or light or probiotic or if it helps my digestion. I don’t care if it has granola mixed in or if it’s made into a parfait. When it comes to yogurt, I am not a fan. And there are very few foods that I can say that about. I’m not, generally, a picky eater.

My kids, on the other hand, are picky eaters, and they love yogurt. I love that they love yogurt because it’s easy to serve them, and it’s good for them.

When I was a kid, my mom made banana pops for us. Her banana pops didn’t have any yogurt in them. Bananas covered in chocolate, frozen on a stick. yum. Hers were a little different from mine, but they were so good. :)

Banana Popsicles

5-6 bananas, peeled and halved

1/2 of a large container of vanilla yogurt

1/2 to 3/4 cup peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

popsicle sticks

Line a cookie sheet with foil and clear a spot in the freezer. Insert a popsicle stick into each banana half. In the half-full yogurt container, add the peanut butter and honey. Mix it up well, and adjust amounts of peanut butter and honey if needed. Spread mixture around each banana with a spoon, and lay on the cookie sheet, making sure they don’t touch. Freeze until firm, 3-4 hours.

I like to sprinkle a little bit of chopped nuts on top before freezing them. You could also drizzle some melted chocolate. You can use crunchy peanut butter. You can use all-natural peanut butter. You can top them with rice krispies or granola. Or, you could get them all frozen, then dip the whole popsicle into melted chocolate.

Really, with peanut butter and bananas, you really can’t go wrong, right?

And, that, my friends, is how I eat yogurt. Frozen.

Making Menus – RECAP below! :)

2009-08-18T19:14:00.001-05:00

I think I have neglected this blog long enough. I really have been cooking, but I’ve been so busy that taking pictures of food really wasn’t near the top of my priority list.

I have not been doing a good job of menu planning this summer. It has been busy, and I just didn’t take the time to plan. It’s time to get back into a routine since school is starting, so I actually made a menu! Yay for me!

I enjoy having a menu, because it helps me find some order in my chaotic life. Maybe if I have a menu, I’ll actually know what to thaw out before dinner time. Maybe. :)

Here is this week’s menu RECAP:

I did a pretty good job of following the menu, at least it was good for me. I’m pretty good at making menus, but I’m not good at following my menus. Here’s what actually happened this week:

Monday – Honey Glazed Chicken, rice and stir fry veggies

Tuesday – Cheese Enchiladas, beans and rice

Wednesday – ~~Tortellini with spaghetti sauce, steamed broccoli.~~ Call this the lack of creativity night. microwaved corn dogs and whatever else was found in the fridge.

Thursday – Creativity day. We ate out at Chili’s. I guess that’s creative. Ok. Not really.

Friday – Grilled pork chops and sausages, ~~peppers and onions, zucchini with tomatoes~~, macaroni and cheese, mixed veggies

Saturday – ~~Breakfast for dinner! Waffles and Brown sugar bacon~~ leftover pork chops and sausages

Sunday – Crockpot Chicken Adobo (recipe to be posted soon), rice, and ~~salad~~ mixed veggies

Neglected

2009-08-13T22:13:00.002-05:00

Wow. It has been a LONG time since I posted anything on here. I'll have some new stuff coming really soon. :)

Apple Cranberry Pie

2008-11-26T21:16:00.003-06:00

Apple Cranberry Pie

1 unbaked pie shell
7-10 small granny smith apples
2/3 cup cranberries, fresh or thawed
6 tablespoons butter, chilled
½ cup sugar
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
1/3 cup rolled oats

Peel, core and thinly slice apples. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Toss with cranberries and place in cold, unbaked pie shell. The apples should be mounded in the pie shell. They will cook down as they bake.

In a bowl, blend butter, sugar, flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and oats with your fingers, rubbing the dry ingredients into the butter until crumbly. Top the apples with the crumb mixture, pressing down slightly.

Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350° and continue baking until apples are done, about 20 more minutes. If crust gets too brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil shiny side up.

Let pie cool slightly before cutting to allow juices to thicken a little. Enjoy with whipped cream or ice cream.

French Toast Waffles

2008-11-02T23:42:00.004-06:00

-- waffles made from french toast. Or french toast cooked in a waffle iron. Whatever you want to call them. Try it!

I don't think I have ever measured ingredients for french toast.

eggs

milk

cinnamon

bread

syrup

Beat the eggs, add some milk. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Dip the bread in the egg to coat on both sides. Instead of cooking on a griddle, cook them up in a waffle maker. Yummy crispy french toast. I hate soggy french toast. It has to be crispy for me.

Try it with your own french toast variation!

Oatmeal -- but not from a packet

2008-10-30T10:17:00.005-05:00

I'm not a huge fan of oatmeal. That's because usually it comes out of little paper pouch and has the texture of mush and the flavor of not much.

Not this oatmeal. This oatmeal is yummy.

Real Oatmeal
1 3/4 cups water
1 cup oats (I use the oats that cook in five minutes. They have a better texture than the 1 minute oats...)
pinch of salt
raisins
brown sugar

Place the water, raisins, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.

Add the oats. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Scoop some brown sugar on top, put the lid on the pan and let it sit for a minute or two -- long enough to get two bowls, two spoons, two cups, the milk jug...

Stir it up and serve. Yum.

Apple Crisp

2008-10-19T21:35:00.003-05:00

Yes, it was that good! :)

I made this wonderful apple cake not too long ago, and I bought too many apples. I made apple crisp to use up the leftovers.

I love apple crisp, don't you?

Apple Crisp

5 cups of peeled sliced apples
3-4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg or apple pie spice...
1/4 cup softened butter

Place apples in a square baking dish; sprinkle with sugar. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix the oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon. Cut in the butter. Top the apples with the oat mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until the top is crisp and the fruit is done.

Serve with ice cream if desired. :)

Homemade Pretzels

2008-10-08T20:50:00.006-05:00

This week the boys and I made homemade pretzels. The boys played with the dough and made their own shapes. Timmy wanted a circle and an airplane. Tanner wanted a snake and a snail. I made regular pretzel shape. There's something very comforting about large soft pretzels, and some things just shouldn't be messed around with... :)

Soft Pretzels
1/2 cup warm water
1 pkg (2 1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast

Combine in the bowl of your mixer or in a large bowl and let stand for about 5 minutes. You want all the yeast to be dissolved. It will get a little foamy.

Add:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix on low speed or by hand while slowly pouring in:
1/2 cup warm water

Stir for a minute, adding more flour or water if needed to make a moist buy not sticky dough. Knead on low speed with the dough hook until it is smooth and elastic. This will take about 10 minutes if kneading by hand. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it once to coat with oil. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down dough and divide it into 12 pieces (*I made eight because I wanted them a little bigger.*) On an unfloured work surface, roll each piece into a ball. Loosely cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Grease 2 baking sheets. Roll each ball into a rope. *Let the kids make the shapes that they like. Or just make traditional, comforting, normal, regular pretzels shapes.*:) Place your shapes on the baking sheet. Let rise in a warm place for about 35 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a deep skillet or a big pot, bring to a boil. Add in:
8 cups water
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon baking soda
Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Using a slotted spoon, gently slide several pretzels at a time into the water. Simmer for 30 seconds, then flip and continue simmering for about another 30 seconds. The pretzels will get puffy. Remove from the water and return to the baking sheet.

Sprinkle with:
Coarse Salt

Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

The recipe says that you can store these in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They don't last that long here. :)

Snickerdoodle Cookies -- two varieties

2008-10-08T20:46:00.006-05:00

For my last day of work, I made some snickerdoodles. One of my friends there said that snickerdoodles are his favorite. I made two different kinds. The regular variety are shown above, and I also made maple snickerdoodles. I forgot to take pictures of the maple ones. :( But they were good! I don't think they were very "mapley" but they were good, and very different from the regular variety. Here are the recipes, so you can try them both and let me know which ones you prefer. :)

Both recipes were found on allrecipes.com. Love that website.

Snickerdoodles

1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until well blended.

In a small shallow bowl, stir together the 2 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls and roll the balls in the sugar mixture. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cookies should be slightly golden at the edges. Remove to cool on wire racks.

Maple Snickerdoodles

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 egg
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup maple sugar
*I didn't have maple sugar so I used turbinado sugar (aka Sugar in the Raw) instead. I bet they would taste more mapley if I had used maple sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup of white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and maple syrup. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients until just mixed.

In a small dish, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup white sugar and the maple sugar. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and roll the balls in the sugar mixture. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cookies will be crackly on top and look wet in the middle. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

4 Grain Banana Pecan Pancakes

2008-09-20T14:48:00.002-05:00

Four Grain Flapjacks
from Joy of Cooking

Whisk together:
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup oats
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
optional: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
optional: 1/8 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
*I didn't use the optional ingredients listed here...*

In another bowl, combine:
1 3/4 cups milk *I used soy milk.*
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup honey
3 eggs

Quickly mix the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Cook as you do any pancake, but once you put the batter on the griddle, top with some thinly sliced banana and chopped pecans. Flip, cook the other side and serve with maple syrup. :)

Pork Spareribs

2008-09-01T20:31:00.002-05:00

While I was away at work on Labor Day, Doug cooked up 2 racks of pork spareribs. I found the recipe here, but I think I now claim it as a Charlton family recipe. :) Tasty!

About 3 cups hickory, oak, or other hardwood chips (optional but very nice)
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
About 8 pounds spareribs

Soak the wood chips in water to cover.

Mix the salt, sugar, cumin, pepper, chili powder, and paprika together and rub well into the spareribs.

If you have a gas grill, preheat by using only one burner on medium heat for about 15 minutes. If you are using a charcoal or wood fire, bank it to one side of your grill and keep the fire as low as possible, starting with just enough coals to get heat, about fifteen briquettes or the equivalent in hardwood charcoal. Sprinkle a handful of wood chips onto the rack above the heat source, allowing them to fall directly onto the fire. Place the ribs away from the heat source (over the unlit burner of a gas grill) and cover the grill. You want a very cool fire, under 300 degrees F if possible (you should be able to hold your hand right over the area where the ribs are cooking with just a little discomfort). If you are using solid fuel, add a few lumps of charcoal or a few briquettes an hour, just enough to keep the fire going.

Turn the ribs every half hour or so, adding more wood chips as needed. Depending on the heat of your fire, after 2 to 6 hours the ribs will have lost much of their fat and developed an unquestionably cooked look.

No barbeque sauce required. That's saying a lot coming from me. I love barbeque sauce. :)

Timmy doesn't usually like food cooked on the grill. He loved these ribs. That's amazing!

Italian Wedding Soup

2008-08-30T19:20:00.002-05:00

Sweat in 2 tablespoons olive oil:

1 cup yellow onion, diced

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup carrot, diced

1 cup ham, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Add and simmer:

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

Drop in:

30 uncooked marble sized meatballs

Gently stir in:

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups whole spinach leaves

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Mix together in a separate bowl and add to the soup mixture off of the heat:

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup grated parmesan

Spaghetti Sauce for Spaghetti and Meatballs

2008-08-30T19:06:00.003-05:00

1 1/2 cups yellow onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 cans whole tomatoes, crushed
1/2 cup reserved meatball pan drippings, optional
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt to taste
12 cooked meatballs
1 lb. pasta
1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into strips
parmesan cheese

Saute onion in oil over med high heat in a large pan until translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic. Cook just until you smell it, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, pan drippings, parsley, sugar, pepper flakes and salt. Simmer 15 minues. Start boiling the water for the pasta

Add cooked meatballs to he sauce and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes to heat through. Meanwhile cook pasta and drain. Stir in the pasta and toss to coat. Before serving, add the fresh basil strips. Garnish with parmesan cheese.

*note: I didn't have enough canned tomatoes. I used one can of crushed tomatoes and a small can of tomato paste. Then I added water until I got the consistency that I wanted. Also, I didn't mix the meatballs into the sauce. They tend to fall apart, so I served them separately.

Basic Meatballs

2008-08-30T18:56:00.003-05:00

I didn't take pictures. :( But I love these meatballs. They are delicious!

1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 low-sodium beef broth
1/ cup chopped parsley
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
pinch nutmeg
2 lb. ground beef
1 cup low sodium beef broth

Stir together all but the last 2 ingredients. Add the beef, mix, and shape into meatballs. (about 2" in diameter). Coat a baking sheet or shallow roasting pan with nonstick spray (or foil). Place the meatballs in the pan so they aren't touching. Cover the bottom of the pan with the remaining beef broth. Bake for 25 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. Reserve pan juices for amazing spaghetti sauce.

Honey Molasses Drumsticks

2008-08-14T21:23:00.006-05:00

This is one of my favorite chicken recipes. It's a little messy to eat, but it is good -- hot or cold. I know I've posted the recipe before... It's really good!! When you read the recipe it sounds really sweet. It is just right. Not too sweet at all. Perfectly balanced.

Honey Molasses Drumsticks

I just realized that the recipe says to remove the skin from the drumsticks. I guess you could do that... I don't though.

Try this recipe. You won't regret it. Oh, and if you need honey, I have a good source.

Country Rice & Sausage Skillet

2008-08-07T21:31:00.003-05:00

I love making healthy dishes that my kids will actually eat {without a fight}. This one is a great standby dinner. I made it for dinner last night and I had leftovers for lunch today. I would have eaten it again if there was any left -- but there's not. It's gone. I guess I'll just have to make this for dinner again next week. :) My camera really hates taking close up shots. Sorry for the blurriness...

Country Rice & Sausage Skillet -- adapted from Superfast

1/2 lb. light pork sausage
1 cup chopped onion {or a handful of dried onion flakes. I use these often so Timmy can't see the onion pieces and tell me that he doesn't eat onions...}
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/4 head of cabbage, shredded
2-3 mushrooms chopped {again, to hide them from Timmy}
1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper {I leave this out because the kids don't like it.}
cooked rice {I use brown rice. I didn't measure the rice -- maybe 1 1/2 to 2 cups left over from stir fry the night before.}

In a large nonstick skillet, brown the sausage with the onions (if using fresh), carrots and celery. When the meat is cooked though, add the mushrooms, the onions (if using dried onions), and cabbage. Cook for a minute or so then add the spices, the cooked rice and about 2 tablespoons of water. Cook to heat the rice through and serve. Don't overcook or the rice will turn to nasty mush.

Next time I think I will had a handful of frozen green peas at the end. And maybe a little basil from the garden. And double the recipe.

BBQ Brisket

2008-07-20T00:32:00.002-05:00

I realize that this isn't the greatest picture of barbeque brisket, but my camera isn't the greatest, and I was hungry. I picked up this very small brisket on a very good sale at HEB plus and it was wonderful. Here's how to make it:

Heavy duty foil
Season salt
Freshly ground black pepper
brisket

Set up a charcoal grill with one side hot and the other side cool. (Put all the coals on one side.)Season the brisket with the season salt and pepper. Sear the brisket on the hot side of the grill, just until it is nicely browned on the outside. Repeat until both sides are browned. Wrap the brisket in the heavy duty foil. I used two layers of foil. If you don't have heavy duty, use 4 or 5 layers. Place the foil packet as far away from the heat as you can inside the grill and close the lid. Turn the packet over every 30 minutes or so, and add more coals if needed. Use a chimney starter when it's time to add more coals.

This small brisket cooked for about 3 1/2 hours and it was fabulous. We did add more coals about half way through the cooking time. Let the meat rest for a few minutes before ripping it to shreds. Add barbeque sauce if you want.

Chicken Enchiladas

2008-04-24T14:24:00.002-05:00

I got this recipe from my favorite college roommate, Rosanna, and have made it about a billion times - we love 'em! The recipe is super versitle - you can use corn tortillas instead of flour, whatever kind of cheese you want, etc. I even used jalepenos instead of the green chilies on my last batch - it was really hot, but REALLY good!
You can also use all reduced fat ingredients - it still tastes great that way.

Brown 1 lb. chicken with salt and pepper.
Mix together:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 medium container sour cream
1 small can diced green chilies
handful of monterey jack cheese
Add the chicken.
Roll mixture into flour tortillas. Place in a greased 9x13" pan. Top with leftover filling and monterey jack cheese.
Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

En-chalupas

2008-04-22T23:14:00.003-05:00

A cross between enchiladas and chalupas. My kids (who normally won't eat beans) ate this tonight! Hooray!

1 lb ground meat {I use turkey. Super lean and super cheap at Super Walmart.}
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 can refried bean (15 oz)
1 can ranch style beans (15 oz)
1 small can tomato sauce
Cheese
Corn tortillas

In a skillet, brown meat with onions. Add beans, tomatoes and chili powder. In a 13x9 pan*, make a layer of torn corn tortillas. Spread with 1/3 of the meat mixture. Top with a sprinkling of cheese. Repeat layers two more times.
Bake at 350 until heated through and cheese is melted on top. To serve, top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato and sliced avocado, and maybe some sliced green onions.

*I like to make this in square pans and freeze one for later.

Priesthood Power Bars

2008-04-20T19:23:00.002-05:00

For my lesson in Young Women's today, I made "Priesthood Power Bars." They were really yummy! I used Julie's recipe for Yummy Granola Bars, and I printed out the wrapper found here. They were a big hit!

The recipe is very flexible. For this particular variation, I used 1 cup of Kashi cereal, 1 1/2 cups of Honey Nut Cheerios in place of the rice crispies. For my add-ins, I used 1/2 cup of salted peanuts and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. The rest of the recipe was unchanged.

Try your own favorite variation!

Spicy Orange Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry

2008-04-15T21:50:00.009-05:00

I was craving beef and broccoli. I had flat-iron steaks in the freezer, fresh broccoli in the refrigerator... This recipe was awesome! I found it on http://www.eatingwell.com/. I made a few subsitutions/omissions. I didn't have dried red chilies, so I used a pinch of crushed red pepper and a squirt of Sriracha. I didn't have any scallions or bell pepper, so I left those out, but I added matchstick-cut carrots and quartered button mushrooms. And I added about a tablespoon of oyster sauce at the end. Better than Panda Express!

3 oranges
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon sugar
3 teaspoons peanut oil or canola oil, divided
1 pound beef sirloin, trimmed and sliced against the grain into ⅛-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
6-8 small dried red chiles
2 pounds broccoli, cut into small florets (6 cups)
⅓ cup water
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
½ cup sliced scallion greens

1. With a small sharp knife or vegetable peeler, carefully pare wide strips of zest from one of the oranges. Cut zest into 1-inch strips and set aside. Squeeze juice from all the oranges into a small bowl (for about 3/4 cup). Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, cornstarch and sugar and stir to combine; set aside.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add beef and stir-fry just until no longer pink on the outside, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

3. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan and heat until very hot. Add garlic, ginger, chiles and the reserved orange zest; stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broccoli and water. Cover and steam, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated and the broccoli sizzles, about 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute more.

4. Stir the reserved orange sauce and pour it into the wok. Bring to a boil, stirring; cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add scallion greens and the reserved beef and toss to coat with sauce; heat through.

*Freezing the beef sirloin for 30 minutes makes it easier to cut into very thin slices.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 232 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 32 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrate; 23 g protein; 9 g fiber; 353 mg sodium; 941 mg potassium.Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (400% daily value), Vitamin A (130% dv), Fiber (36% dv), Iron (20% dv), Calcium (15% dv). 1 Carbohydrate Servings

Oatmeal-Crusted Chicken Tenders

2008-04-15T10:41:00.002-05:00

Oatmeal in the breading adds crunch to these chicken tenders, which are sure to be a hit with adults and children alike. Serve with commercial honey mustard or light ranch dressing for dipping.

1 cup regular oats
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme object
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound chicken breast tenders
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450°.
Place oats in a food processor, and process for 20 seconds or until coarsely ground. Add cheese, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pulse to combine, and place in a shallow bowl.
Place each chicken breast tender between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Coat both sides of tenders with cooking spray; dredge tenders in oat mixture. Place tenders on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until browned.

Basic Crepes

2008-04-15T10:31:00.002-05:00

Super easy. Yummy. Versatile.

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Beat the eggs, milk and water. Add flour. Add the salt and butter and beat until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula and turn to cook the other side. Serve warm with your favorite filling.

Yummy dessert ideas:
Nutella and sliced bananas or strawberries
your favorite jam
cinnamon and sugar

Simple savory options:
add some fresh herbs to the batter if you like
fill with:
chicken salad
italian cheeses (like for lasagna) roll up and cover with marinara
...

What are some of your favorite fillings?

Pizza Dough

2008-04-14T23:43:00.003-05:00

From my best friend, Julie:

My mom sent me this recipe and we use it every Friday night. It makes a delicious, soft, thick crust. Steve likes to cut it in half to make thinner pizzas.

1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour

Stir water, sugar, and yeast til dissolved. Add olive oil and salt. Stir in flour until well blended. Let rest 10 minutes.
(I usually knead it at this point to increase the elasticity, but it's not written in the recipe.) Form dough and place on pizza stone. Add toppings. Bake 15-20 minutes at 425.

Cornbread

2008-04-14T23:36:00.003-05:00

This is a sweet, yummy cornbread recipe that Steve got from his cousin. He was rather popular with all of the ladies at church before we got married due to this recipe. :)

Beat in mixer:
2 eggs
1/2 cup soft butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice)

Add:
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Bake in greased 9x13 pan at 375 for 30 minutes.

Chocolate-Orange Torte

2008-04-08T00:08:00.002-05:00

Remember when I made this when we were roommates, Kara? Sooooo yummy! I just found it on RealSimple.com. :)

1 2 1/4-ounce package slivered almonds (1/2 cup)
4 oranges
1 20-ounce package double-chocolate muffin mix
1 cup sugar

Heat oven to 375° F. Lightly coat a 9-inch round cake pan with vegetable cooking spray.Finely chop the almonds. Grate 1 teaspoon orange zest from one of the oranges and cut strips of zest from another to use for garnish. Squeeze 1 1/2 cups juice from the oranges.
Prepare the muffin mix according to the label directions but substitute 3/4 cup of the orange juice for water and blend in the chopped almonds and grated zest. Pour into pan. Bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool torte in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar and the remaining 3/4 cup orange juice. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. To serve, spoon the sauce over the torte and garnish with the orange-zest strips.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2008-04-07T23:27:00.003-05:00

These went over VERY well when I made them last week. Very light and fluffy.
I had to add an extra 3/4 cup for altitude up here, but this recipe worked perfectly as is when I was in Texas.

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
5 tablespoons butter or shortening (butter flavor)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Cut in butter or shortening. Add and very gently mix in buttermilk, kneading it. Turn dough onto a floured board and pat to a thickness of 3/4". Cut with biscuit cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheet. The key to light, fluffy biscuits is to be very gentle with the dough.
Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.

Creamy Chicken and Cheddar Rice

2008-04-07T23:22:00.003-05:00

This taste's just like Marie Callendar's chicken and broccoli and rice, but better!
(I got this one from Kraft's Food and Family Magazine)

1 lb chicken, cut up
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can milk
1 1/2 cups minute rice, uncooked
2 cups broccoli
1 cup shredded cheddar

Cook chicken with garlic powder.
Add soup and milk. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice and broccoli; cover. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes or until rice is tender.
Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Serves 4.

Hamburger Stroganoff

2008-04-07T23:18:00.004-05:00

This recipe is super easy, super quick and super cheap.

1/2 lb hamburger meat
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
a couple of drops of worchestershire sauce

Brown hamburger and drain. In pan, combine all the ingredients and cook until heated. Serve over noodles or rice.

60 Minute Rolls

2008-04-07T23:10:00.003-05:00

I've been totally struggling to make bread "work" since I moved from Texas to Utah, but these rolls are fool-proof and super easy - I do every step in my mixer with the bread hooks (including the kneading). I feel like I'm totally cheating, but they turn out, so it's worth it! :)
This dough is also great for pigs in a blanket and cinnamon rolls. :)

3 1/2 - 4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup water

Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Set aside. Combine milk, water and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave until quite warm. All butter need not be melted. Gradually add to dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1/2 cup flour. Beat at high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface (I cheat here and just keep it in the mixer on the knead setting); knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). Place in greased bowl, turning to grease the top of the dough. Cover lightly and place bowl in a pan of warm water. Let rise 15 minutes. Shape into rolls, let rise 15 more minutes.
Bake at 425 for 12 minutes or until golden.

Make Ahead Marinara

2008-04-07T09:31:00.007-05:00

What a great recipe this is! I made it yesterday to go with my Sausage & Spinach Stuffed Shells. But you can use it whenever you would normally use a jar of spaghetti sauce. Also really good for pizza. I like to thicken it a little for pizza -- just put a small skillet on the stove and bring it to a simmer while you get the dough and toppings ready. Use veggie stock for a vegetarian version.

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chopped yellow onion (about 3 medium)
1-2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups chicken stock (make sure it is low sodium, low fat)
3 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 7 ingredients cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar, add broth and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat, uncovered, for 55 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Makes about 12 cups.

Note: I get parmesan rinds from the cheese counter at my favorite grocery store. You won't find them to buy; just ask if they have any rinds. They usually give them for free. At least at HEB Plus, they do. :) Put two good sized pieces in the sauce while it simmers, and remove them when it's done. The parm rinds add a nice depth to the sauce. :)

Orange Frothy

2008-03-26T12:10:00.003-05:00

I just posted this recipe on my new blog, Becoming Fabulously Flabless, the blog for the fitness challenge I'm doing with Julie. (Do you want to join in?)

Anyway, I've lost this recipe before, and I don't want to lose it again, so here it is!

I found this recipe when I was pregnant with Tanner. I really wanted a smoothie, but I had no milk and no ice cream. Now it is my favorite smoothie. You can substitute other kinds of juice, too. Orange is my favorite. I usually don't add any splenda, but you can if you like it sweeter.

1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup powdered milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
splenda, to taste
ice cubes

Mix everything except the ice cubes in the blender. Add the ice one cube at a time, letting each one get incorporated before adding the next. I usually use about 5 or 6 cubes. Yummmmm!

Mmmmm Cinnamon Rolls

2008-03-22T10:52:00.003-05:00

My Nanny shared this recipe with me. She makes the best cinnamon rolls. I think they turned out fabulous for our ward's Easter party this morning. It makes a ton. I took 2 dozen to the party, and I have another 1/2 dozen in the refrigerator. We'll bake those in the morning for breakfast. I haven't tried it, but I bet you could make these and freeze them. Just take them out, let them rise and bake.

We start with a basic yeast roll recipe. The recipe assumes you're making it by hand, but I used my kitchenaid, but it was a little to small for this recipe. Did I mention it makes a ton?

1 1/2 cups butter or shortening (or a combination), melted
9 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 1/2 cups water
4 tablespoons yeast
1 cup warm water

Mix flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Combine eggs and 2 1/2 cups water in a separate bowl. Mix yeast with warm water in another bowl.

Make a hole in the flour and add the egg and war mixture. Add shortening and work it in with a big spoon to form a soft dough. Add yeast and work it in. (The dough remains very soft.)

Set aside and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Turn out on a floured board (from this point you could just make regular dinner rolls if you want to -- just roll out and cut with a biscuit cutter). Divide dough in half. Sprinkle one half with a little more flour and roll out the dough into a rectangle about 8x12. Smear 4 or 5 tablespoons of butter on top. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and roll up.

To cut the rolls, use a piece of sturdy thread. Place it under the rolls and then just pull it across the top to cut the roll. I cut mine about 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. Place immediately into a greased cake pan. You should be able to fit 12 in a 13x9 cake pan. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Let rise for about 45 minutes OR place in the refrigerator overnight. To bake, preheat the oven to 375 and bake for 15-20 minutes.

While warm, top with a glaze made from 2 cups powdered sugar and milk. Just whisk it together. Add milk a little at a time to get the right consistency.

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

2008-03-19T22:49:00.005-05:00

I was thrilled that my kids actually ate their dinner tonight. We had mashed potatoes, broccoli and this fabulous cheeseburger meatloaf from Rachel Ray's magazine (slightly modified). You know it's good when Timmy says, "Mommy, you can make it again next week."

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup ketchup
2/3 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1/2 cup bread & butter pickle chips, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
8 oz cheddar cheese, cut into 1/3" cubes

Preaheat the oven to 400. Spray a baking sheet with Pam spray and set aside. In a skillet, heat oil and add onion. Cook until onions are soft.

In a large bowl, combie ketchup, bread crumbs, eggs and pickles. Mix in the onion, crumble in the beef and cheese. Mix only until blended. On the sheet pan, shape into a 4x12" loaf. Bake about 35 minutes or until done.

Here are my modifications: I used dried onion instead of cooking the onion because I was feeling lazy. I used dill pickle relish instead of the pickle chips because I'm not crazy about bread & butter pickles so I didn't have any on hand. I used shredded cheese instead of cubed because that's what I had. It was pretty yummy! And leftovers aren't bad either.

Homemade Wonder Bread

2008-03-10T10:19:00.004-05:00

I've adapted this recipe from one found on http://www.allrecipes.com/. It is my favorite white bread recipe for the bread machine. It is also very adaptable. I like to add garlic powder and italian seasoning for garlic bread, or even some dry ranch dressing mix (use a little less powdered milk).

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1 tablespoon white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry potato flakes plus a pinch more
1/4 cup dry milk powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons margarine or butter or oil
1 to 1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F)

Whisk together the yeast, 1/4 cup warm water and sugar. Allow to sit for 15 minutes while preparing the other ingredients. Add ingredients to the bread machine in the order suggested by your manufacturer, including the yeast mixture, which for mine is: liquid stuff, fat, salt, dry stuff, then yeast. Select the basic and light crust setting for a 2 pound loaf.

Katie's Easy Chicken Curry

2008-02-17T18:30:00.001-06:00

I never liked curry until we went to dinner at a friend's house and she served this recipe for chicken curry. I love it. I hope you like it too! Curry powder is a blend of spices, not just one spice, so curry powders of different brands can vary quite a bit. Try different powders for a different balance of flavors. I like the Archer Farms curry powder from Super Target... Thanks for the recipe, Katie!

One 1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped(Or 1 heaping teaspoon ground ginger)
5 shallots, coarsely chopped (you could easily substitute onion if you need to)
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces (or leftover roast chicken)
salt to taste
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 or 3 whole cloves
2-3 tablespoons curry powder
1 can coconut milk

Combine ginger, shallots, and garlic in food processor and puree to a coarse paste. Set aside. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and cook chicken until no longer pink. (If you use leftover chicken, skip this step.) Add the ginger paste and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, curry powder and salt. Add the cocnut milk to the pan and stir. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (If you use leftover chicken, add it at the end and just allow it to get hot.) Serve over rice with green peas on the side. Yummy!

Sausage & Spinach Stuffed Shells

2008-02-17T18:26:00.002-06:00

1 (12 oz) box uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 lb Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled (or 2 cups cooked chicken or omit for vegetarian version)
1 small onion, chopped
2 C fresh chopped spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (5 oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 TB dried parsley flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 C (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
32-36 oz prepared spaghetti sauce (depends on how saucy you want it!)

Cook shells according to package directions; drain and set aside.Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease (cooking spray) two 13x9x2-inchbaking dishes.Brown sausage and onion together in a skillet. Drain and set aside.In a large bowl, combine sausage/onion mixture and next 10ingredients. Stir in 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Spread half of thespaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes.

Spoon mixture into shells and arrange them over sauce in the dishes. Top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 C mozzarella. Bake for 5-10 more minutes.

Makes 8-10 servings

Apple Pie

2008-02-17T18:24:00.001-06:00

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a thin paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.

Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Baby Back Ribs

2008-02-17T18:22:00.000-06:00

I don’t like to order ribs in restaurants since they are so messy. But, I used to get them from a restaurant where I worked in college. Harrigan’s had the best, and they weren’t messy there because they were so tender that you could eat them with a fork. So good… This recipe came very close to Harrigan’s ribs.

2 racks baby back ribs, cut in half
BBQ rub seasoning of your choice
BBQ sauce of your choice

Rub the meat with your BBQ seasoning, and wrap each ½ rack in foil individually. Bake at 300 degrees for 2 to 2 ½ hours. Prepare an outdoor grill for high, direct heat. Remove the ribs from the oven and let them sit for about 10 minutes. Cover the ribs in the BBQ sauce and grill, 3-4 minutes on each side.

Serve with your favorite side dishes, like baked beans and coleslaw. Follow up with apple pie

Nanny's YUMMY Fruit Cobbler

2008-02-17T18:19:00.001-06:00

This recipe calls for a cast iron skillet, if you don’t have one that’s ok. You can use any 10 inch or larger skillet that is oven safe. I’ve made this with fresh, frozen and canned fruit: peaches, pears, berries, apples… It always comes out great. You can tweak the flavors of the fruit with some spices if you like. Cinnamon with apples, nutmeg with pears, almond extract with peaches, vanilla or lemon zest with berries. Mix and match your favorite flavors. I have made this with half whole wheat flour and splenda. This is a great go-to standby dessert recipe.

2 cups fruit (fresh or frozen & cooked until soft OR 2 cans of fruit or 1 large can, partially drained—just enough to have the consistency that you like)
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and milk in a bowl until smooth. Heat a cast iron skillet (or dutch oven) on the stove. Melt 3-4 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Pour batter into the skillet when the butter has melted. Spoon the fruit on top of the batter. Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes. Serves 6-8. Great with vanilla ice cream.

*I always spray the pan first with PAM, even though I’m using butter. Cobbler always sticks.

*Start checking for doneness at 15-18 minutes, because some cast iron pans cook faster than others.

Luby’s Cloverleaf Rolls

2008-02-17T18:18:00.001-06:00

I absolutely love these rolls! They are really easy to make and they always come out beautiful.

1 oz yeast
1 1/3 cup warm water
3 eggs
¼ cup + 1 ½ t. melted butter
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup dry milk
½ t. salt
5 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in water. Add eggs and butter. Beat until well blended. Add sugar, milk and salt. Mix well. Add flour 1 cup at a time. Mix until it pulls away from the bowl.

Transfer to greased bowl and let rise until doubled.

Grease 12 muffin cups. Punch dough down, and divide into 36 balls. Place 3 balls in each cup. Rise 1 hour. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Quiche Muffins

2008-02-17T18:16:00.001-06:00

I love these! They are so good for a brunch or breakfast. They freeze well too.

4 eggs
1 cup milk
2/3 cup butter (I used 1 stick)
3 cups bisquick
1 lb. cooked breakfast sausage
2 cups shredded zucchini
¾ cup chopped green onion with green tops
¾ cup grated cheddar
¾ cup grated swiss
¾ cup grated provolone (or whatever combination of cheeses you like)

Preheat oven to 350. Oil muffin cups or spray with nonstick spray. Stir eggs, milk, butter and biscuit mix in a bowl. Stir in meat, zucchini, green onion and cheese, blending thoroughly. (At this point, batter may be refrigerated overnight in an airtight container.)

Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. (Use jumbo cups to make luncheon-size muffins, or standard or mini cups for appetizers.) Bake jumbo cups for 25-30 minutes, standard size for 20-25 minutes, and mini cups for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven when golden brown, allow to cool slightly before removing from pan.

Makes 8 jumbo muffins, 16 standard muffins, or 96 mini muffins.

Honey-Molasses Chicken Drumsticks

2008-02-17T18:14:00.002-06:00

1 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs water
2 tbs honey
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 tbs molasses
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp olive oil
6 chicken drumsticks, skinned
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Combine 1st 7 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan, browning on all sides. Add honey mix to pan, turning chicken to coat. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken every 5 minutes. Uncover and cook 1 additional minute or until mix is thick and a mahogany color, and chicken is well coated. Remove from heat, cool 15 minutes. Serves 6.

180 calories. 7.2 g fat 1 g fiber

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-02-17T18:11:00.001-06:00

Every time we go to visit Doug’s grandparents, we go straight to the cookie jar. Her cookies are amazing. Doug tried these cookies and said, “Did you get Grandma’s recipe? These taste just like Grandma’s cookies.” I don’t know if it’s the same recipe that she uses, but they taste pretty close to hers. You could also vary the flavor of the pudding and the chips, i.e. chocolate pudding/ peanut butter chips. Oh and the recipe makes a ton, so freeze some of the dough for another batch later on.

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Yummy Granola Bars

2008-02-17T18:07:00.001-06:00

½ cup brown sugar
½ cup corn syrup
½ cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups oats
2 ½ cups rice krispies

Mix the corn syrup and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and stir to blend. Mix the oats and cereal. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir. Wait a few minutes, then add whatever you want: chocolate chips, ½ cup more peanut butter, almonds, raisins, marshmallows… the sky is the limit…. Press this mixture into a 13x9 cake pan that you’ve lined with waxed paper. You might have to press pretty hard to get the mixture even in the pan… Pull on the waxed paper to lift the whole mixture out of the pan. Cut into bars (I make 16 bars). Then move it back to the pan, and into the fridge to harden. I wrap them individually in plastic wrap to send with Doug for lunches or to throw into the diaper bag for snacks on the go with the kids. These really take no time at all to make, really less than ½ hour. If you can make rice krispies treats, you can do this.

So far, my favorite variety is with salted peanuts, m&m’s and marshmallows. (I just love the combination of salty and sweet.) I’m going to try dried cranberries and slivered almonds next. And then dried apricot and walnut. I also want to try using a different cereal, at least partially, maybe 1 cup honey bunches of oats cereal in place of 1 cup of the rice krispies… and maybe some crushed graham crackers, chocolate chips and marshmallows for a s’mores flavor… Or what about adding in ½ cup of Nutella… Once these are hardened you could also dip them in chocolate like Kudos bars. Or you can melt peanut butter chips and put a peanut butter coating…

As you can see, I really like this recipe. We almost always have granola bars in our pantry, but now I can make them how I want them, and they are so much cheaper to make than to buy. Try this recipe! You won’t regret it! Thanks for an awesome recipe, Julie!

Italian Chicken Foil Dinners

2008-02-17T18:05:00.000-06:00

2 chicken breasts
1/4 tsp. Salt (I also add black pepper and garlic powder)
1 tbsp. Butter or margarine
2 med. zucchini
3 lg. pitted ripe olives, sliced
2 tbsp. tomato sauce (you could use some leftover spaghetti sauce, or I’ve used canned diced tomatoes…)
1/2 tsp. oregano leaves
Assorted peppers (red, green, yellow bell)

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cut zucchini into 1/4" slices. Layer half of zucchini and peppers on each of 2 pieces of 18"x12" piece of double thickness heavy-duty aluminum foil. (You only have to double it if cooking on the grill.) Top each with chicken, olives, tomato sauce and oregano; dot with butter. Wrap securely in foil. Place on grill 5" from medium coals. Cook 25 to 30 minutes on each side or until chicken and vegetables are tender. Or bake at 400 for about 30 minutes.

Makes 2 servings
Great served with some egg noodles or rice.

Mom's Cornbread

2008-02-17T18:03:00.000-06:00

This is the best cornbread ever. I have a hard time eating any other cornbread… If you don’t have a cast iron pan, you can use another kind, just make sure it’s oven safe for 425 degrees. I don’t think many nonstick skillets can go into an oven that is that hot. This is great with butter and a drizzle of honey. mmmmm

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 t. salt
1 T. baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup milk
¼ cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together. It should be the consistency of pancake batter. Heat a 10 inch cast-iron skillet. Add oil to the pan (no more than ¼ cup). Sprinkle dry cornmeal in the pan to lightly cover bottom. Pour in the batter. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes.
Easily halved for a smaller cast-iron pan.

Peanut Butter Fingers with Light Chocolate Frosting

2008-02-17T18:02:00.001-06:00

My mom is famous for these. She made these a lot when I was growing up.

Cream together:
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Add:
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2/3 cup peanut butter
Mix well and add:
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal

Pat dough into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Top with light chocolate frosting.

Light Chocolate Frosting:
6 T. butter, softened
1/3 cup milk
1 t. vanilla
1/3 cup cocoa
2 2/3 cup powdered sugar.

Cream butter. Add cocoa and sugar alternately with milk. Beat to spreading consistency. Blend in vanilla.

Oven Meal

2008-02-17T18:00:00.002-06:00

It really doesn’t get any easier than this.

Place the following ingredients in a baking dish in the order given. Sprinkle each layer with salt and pepper.

2 cups raw diced potatoes
2 cups raw hamburger
2 cups canned tomatoes, not drained
1 cup raw onion
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped green pepper

Bake at 350 for 1 ½ hours until tender.

Toffee Bars

2008-02-17T18:00:00.001-06:00

These are awesome! And very easy. Yum

1 cup butter (no substitutes)
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 t. vanilla
2 cups flour
¼ t. salt
Chocolate chips
½ cup chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and vanilla. Gradually add flour and salt beating until smooth. Press into 15x10 pan. Bake at 350 for 17-19 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Immediately place chocolate on top and return to the oven for 1 minute. Spread chocolate, sprinkle with pecans.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

2008-02-17T17:59:00.001-06:00

I often make my enchiladas with this method, even if I use a different recipe. I hate rolling enchiladas, but I love the flavors, so I just rip up the tortillas and layer them instead of rolling.

1 lb ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
½ t. Oregano
½ t. Cumin
½ t. garlic
½ t. salt
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can of milk
1 pkg corn tortillas
Grated cheese

Brown ground beef. Pour off fat. Add onion, cumin, oregano, garlic, & salt. Add soup, milk & sour cream. Heat to blend. Layer torn tortillas, meat mix and cheese in a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 until thick (about 30-45 minutes).

Fudge Krispies

2008-02-17T17:58:00.001-06:00

These are definitely not low in sugar… My mom used to make these when I was little, and they are SOOOOO good. You’ll never want regular Rice Crispy Treats again.

2 cups chocolate chips
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup light corn syrup
2 t. vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
4 cups Rice Krispies

Combine chocolate, butter and corn syrup in a saucepan. Stir till melted. Remove from heat, add vanilla and powdered sugar. Add Rice Krispies, mixing lightly. Spread into 9x13 pan. Chill till firm.

Peanut Butter Cookie Pops

2008-02-17T17:57:00.001-06:00

These are delicious and fun to make. They make a beautiful gift when wrapped in cellophane.

½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup margarine or butter
1 t. vanilla
1 egg
1 ½ cups flour
½ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
10 wooden sticks
10 snickers “fun size” candy bars

Combine sugars, butter, peanut butter, vanilla and egg. Beat well. Combine dry ingredients, then mix with creamed mixture. Securely insert wooden sticks into a small end of each candy bar. Shape about 1/3 cup dough smoothly around each candy bar, making sure bar is completely covered. Place 4” apart on cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 13-16 minutes or till golden brown. Cool 10 minutes, remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely.

Chicken Supreme

2008-02-17T17:53:00.000-06:00

OK, this is my absolute favorite baked chicken recipe. You’ve got to try it! It works well with chicken strips, too.

1 cup fat-free sour cream
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¾ cup dry breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted (I didn’t use this; I just sprayed with Pam if the crumbs looked a little dry while cooking.)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley ( I omitted this, because I never have fresh parsley.)

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Add chicken and marinate overnight. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade.

Preheat oven to 325. Dredge the chicken in breadcrumbs. Place the chicken in a baking dish coated with Pam. Drizzle 1 ½ tablespoons butter over chicken and bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Pour 1 ½ tablespoons additional butter over chicken and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until done. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Raspberry-Balsamic Glazed Chicken

2008-02-17T17:52:00.001-06:00

Other fruit preserves, such as apricot, blackberry, or peach, will also work in this recipe.

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Combine thyme and 1/4 teaspoon salt; sprinkle over chicken. Add chicken to skillet; sauté 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, preserves, vinegar, and pepper, stirring constantly until the preserves melt. Spoon raspberry sauce over chicken.

Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar Pan Sauce

2008-02-17T17:47:00.003-06:00

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 (5-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
Chopped parsley (optional)

Combine broth, vinegar, and honey. Melt butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. While butter melts, sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour; shake off excess flour. Increase heat to medium-high; heat 2 minutes or until the butter turns golden brown. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add shallots, and sauté 30 seconds. Add the broth mixture, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Serve sauce over chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast and 2 tablespoons sauce)
CALORIES 269(27% from fat); FAT 8.1g (sat 2.7g,mono 2g,poly 2.5g); PROTEIN 34g; CHOLESTEROL 90mg; CALCIUM 29mg; SODIUM 331mg; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 1.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13.1g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2004

Don't you hate it when...

2008-02-17T17:38:00.002-06:00

... you crave something and you can't find the recipe? I have never been very organized with my recipes. Some time ago, I started a Yahoo! group for my recipes: to store them and share them with my friends. It hasn't been as effective as I would like. I think this format will be much better. I welcome your comments, suggestions, trials and errors. :) But most of all, I look forward to having my recipe box in a place where I will always know where to find what I crave.