Kitchen Blessings

Bean Counter Chowder

2011-11-10T14:46:00.000-08:00

Bean Counter Chowder

Chopped Onion

2 Garlic Cloves (I used minced)

1 Tbsp oil

14 oz Stewed or chopped Tomatoes

(I used Petite Diced)

2 -14 oz cans chicken broth

1 3/4 cups water

1/2 tsp each:

basil

Oregano

Celery Flakes

1/4 tsp Pepper

3 cans Great Northern Beans or Pinto Beans

(I always use whatever I have on hand--kidney is fine)

1 cup uncooked Elbow Macaroni

1 Tbsp Parsley

You can either make this on the stove or in the crockpot.

I put it all together except the noodles, in the crockpot,

then, about 1/2 hour before eating, add the noodles.
This is the original recipe, but I am not exact on the beans or broth when I make it!

It's a great, easy, Friday crockpot meal!

Janine's Salad

2011-11-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Cherry Tomatoes

Red Onion

Black Olives

Slice veggies and olives, toss with dressing:

Ranch dressing season packet

2/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup regular vinegar

Very refreshing and delicious!!

Spinach Tortellini Salad

2011-05-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

This was my aunt's recipe and she had no exact measurements,

so make it the way you like!

I made a large salad for a large homeschool gathering, so doubled everything!

Spinach

Cheese tortellini (cooked and cooled)

Coleslaw (pre-packaged)

Large black olives

Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Dressing:

Ranch dressing season packet

Mayonnaise (I use light Mayo)

Milk

Fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

Mix all together and add the dressing.

This salad was a big hit!

Lite Strawberry Pie

2011-04-27T17:55:00.000-07:00

My mom made this recipe up when I was a kid.

It's easy, delicious, lite and pretty!

Lite Strawberry Pie

1 graham crust (I use store bought, but you could make your own) Fresh sliced strawberries

Large container of Cool Whip

Large package of Sugar Free Strawberry Jello

Mix the jello powder into the Cool Whip, add the strawberries, put into the crust and

garnish with nicely cut strawberries on top.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

My mom always used frozen strawberries, but in those days, fresh strawberries were not always available like they are today. Fresh definitely taste better!

Both her and I are Type I Diabetics, so this pie is about a carb and a half per slice.

Mandy's Cookies

2011-04-20T06:34:00.000-07:00

After being accused of "Not ever baking cookies anymore",

I decided to let Colette help me make a batch of these delicious cookies!

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups quick cooking oats

1 1/2 cup flour

1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs & vanilla. Combine oats, flour, pudding mix, baking soda & salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons full onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 14 minutes.

My husband's, partner's wife is Mandy. She gave us a batch of these once and the kiddos loved them, so we call them "Mandy's Cookies". I tried doubling this recipe once and it didn't work. I finally figured out why I don't like baking that much, it's because I always double everything.

Then it takes twice as long. I now only make one batch and it's much more enjoyable! Especially with great helpers!

Lemon Yogurt Bread

2011-04-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

Lemon Yogurt Bread

3 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

2 cups lemon yogurt

2/3 cup canola oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

In large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In another bowl, combine the egg, yogurt, oil and lemon juice. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Pour into 2 8x4 inch loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325 for 55 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

My kids can't wait til I make this delicious bread, it was light and very moist.

Fried Rice

2011-04-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

(no picture yet, I'll try to add one next time!)

3 eggs beaten

4-5 Tbsp canola oil

chopped cooked ham, pork, shrimp or chicken

1 chopped onion

2 Finely chopped carrots

1 cup peas

6 cups cold cooked brown rice

4 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Fry beaten eggs in the 1/2 the oil, remove from heat, cut into shreds Return egg to pan with chopped meat, add onion and veggie, and remaining oil, cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes. Add the rice. Mix the soy sauce with the sugar and dribble over rice. Stir until hot.

*I didn't add peas or salt or meat, as we had this as a side with grilled chicken I got this recipe 15 years ago from my friend Janet. I finally made it the other night and it was a hit with all my kiddos and we had NO leftovers! I fixed the recipe to feed more and added the pepper part, as I like pepper on my food!

**My friend very much stressed that the rice be cold. I made the rice and put it in the freezer and checked it a few times and stirred while cutting and preparing the rest.

Good Play Dough Recipe

2011-03-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

Homemade play dough is always fun to make.... It lasts longer and makes a ton!

Jamie's Play dough

2 cups flour

1 T. Alum

1 cup salt

2 cups boiling water

2 T. oil

Combine all. Mix well.

Add food coloring of your choice.

Let kiddos mix it up! *store in airtight containers or baggies

Honey Chip Muffins

2011-02-09T18:09:00.000-08:00

Honey Chip Muffins*

1 pkg chocolate chip muffin mix

1 Tbsp cocoa

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1 egg

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I only had milk chocolate, but I think any kind of chip would be good, especially vanilla chip, or butterscotch)

In a large bowl, combine muffin mix and cocoa. In small bowl, combine honey and peanut butter; add the egg and water. Stir into muffin mix mixture with a spoon just until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips.

Fill paper lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees for 17-20 minutes.

The kiddos loved this muffin. A easy way to make a box muffin mix way better!

*From the Taste of Home, Almost Homemade cookbook.

Meatball Calzones

2011-01-21T12:58:00.001-08:00

I got a new cookbook last week at Sam's Club and found a ton of recipes to try out.

This one was a hit with my family.

Everyone loved it (except me, I don't care for meatballs)

Soo very easy:

Meatball Calzones

Frozen bread dough (thawed)

Meatballs

(I used Sam's Club meatballs, but you can use homemade, which is what the recipe actually called for)

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 egg white

Italian seasoning

Marinara sauce

Set oven at 350 degrees.

I cooked my meatballs in the crockpot with water,

so they'd be ready when it came time to bake them.

Thaw your frozen bread dough on the counter for about 4 hours,

then,

flour the counter and roll out to about 18" by 12".

Down the center put your meatballs,

cover with Mozzarella cheese,

close up the dough and brush with egg white

Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

Let sit on the counter for 30 minutes.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Heat up Marinara sauce and pour on when slicing the Calzone.

We made 2 loaves and there were about 3 pieces left for Tom to take to work the next day. Excellent cookbook!

Cherry Angel Bread

2010-12-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

For the feast of St Nicholas, we made this bread found in my Pillsbury Holiday magazine. Oops, as I am typing this, I realized we (I) forgot the drizzled frosting on the top! You will need: 1 can refrigerated crescent rolls 1/2 cup pineapple cream cheese spread (from 8 oz container) 2 Tbsp sugar 1 egg, separated 1/2 cup drained, chopped cherry pie filling 1 Tbsp water 1 tsp sugar Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cookie sheet. Unroll dough onto cookie sheet forming 13x7 rectangle. Firmly press perforations to seal. In bowl, beat cream cheese and 2 Tbsp sugar with electric mixer on medium speed til well blended. Beat in egg yolk. With spoon, stir in cherries. Spoon mixture lengthwise down center of dough rectangle in 2 1/2 inch wide strip. With scissors, cut 1 inch wide strips on each side of cream cheese filling to within 1/2 inch of filling. Alternately cross strips over filling.

Beat egg white and water and brush over dough. (discard any extra) Sprinkle with teaspoon of sugar. Bake 17-22 minutes until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Glaze: (which I forgot to do) 13/ cup powdered sugar 1/4 tsp almond extract 1-2 tsp milk Drizzle over warm bread. Store in refrigerator, if any left! My kiddos all loved it! A great morning bread for the feast of St Nicholas or any special day around Christmas!

Crockpot Chicken

2010-11-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

I know I found this recipe on this blog But I can't find this specific one....but here's the recipe! The meat just fell off the bone, I had a hard time getting it out of the crockpot! The meat had so much flavor and was very juicy! The whole family loved it, even our peanut butter girl! Crockpot Chicken 2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp onion powder (I only had onion flakes, so I crushed them) 1/2 tsp thyme 1 tsp Italian season 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp black pepper 4 garlic cloves 1 chopped onion Clean chicken. I left the skin on and then took it off when I served it. Cook on high for 4-5 hours Or on low for 8 hours I also added a package of legs, and timed the recipe by 1 1/2

Sunshine Muffins

2010-10-11T10:22:00.000-07:00

Sunshine Muffins

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup milk

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 pkg (9 oz) yellow cake mix (1/2 pack of regular cake mix)

1 pkg corn bread mix

Combine eggs, water, milk and oil. Stir in mixes and mix well. Fill paper lined or greased/floured muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 350 for 18-22 minutes. Makes 12 large muffins. My son will only eat cornbread if it is Sunshine muffins! They are delicious and the cake mix makes it moist and not as crumbly.

Recipe Swap Thursday

2010-07-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

Therese hosts Recipe Swap Thursday and I'm going to try to join in when I can, so no promises of every week, but I thought I'd do it here on my abandoned cooking blog!! Tomatoes and Cucumbers Now this is probably a no-brainer, but when I think of my favorite summer recipe, it's these veggies! I make them a few different ways, together, apart, it doesn't matter!

Cut up tomatoes and/or cucumbers and add Balsamic vinegar, oil and salt and pepper
Cut up tomatoes and/or cucumbers and only add salt and pepper, the juices flow once you add that salt, I prefer course sea salt.
Cut up tomatoes and/or cucumbers and add mayo and salt and pepper
Cut up tomatoes and/or cucumbers and add Ranch dressing and salt and pepper
Cut up Cucumbers or zucchini and dip in your favorite veggie dip, we like to take this one on picnics!

Cheesy Fiesta Pie

2010-03-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

Another great meatless recipe from my friend Brenda. This was also brought to our family when I broke my leg last year and has become a favorite.

Cheesy Fiesta Pie

1 pkg hash brown potatoes

4 cups very hot water

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1 egg slightly beaten

Cover potatoes with hot water. Let stand 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly and mix with melted butter and egg. Press potato mixture on bottom and sides of a ungreased pie plate.

Bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

2 cups shredded Colby-jack cheese

1 can diced green chilies

2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

Sprinkle cheese on potato crust. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over cheese.

Bake 35 minutes at 375 degrees.

Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Top each slice with sour cream and shredded lettuce.

Cheese Tortellini Soup

2010-03-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

Last year, when I broke my leg, my friend Brenda, who is a vegetarian, made my Friday meals. I was excited about that, as I knew she would come up with some great meatless ideas.

She did not disappoint.

Cheese Tortellini Soup

Saute: 1 chopped onion

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Then add to the crockpot along with these ingredients:

42 oz vegetable or beef broth

14 oz stewed tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes with green chilies--this made the soup very hot, which hubby loved!)

1/2 cup mild picante sauce

1 tsp Basil

1 green pepper, diced

Simmer for hours, then 15 minutes before eating add

7 oz dried tortellini

The picture is shown before the soup is done, but it becomes a very red, salsa-looking soup.

Easy Ice Cream Dessert

2010-03-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

Cool Whip

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Toffee Bits

Layer the ice cream sandwiches in a 13x9 pan, spread cool whip on like frosting, then add toffee bits.

Repeat layers for a double layer dessert!

Freeze and enjoy!

Pilgim Hats!

2009-11-18T09:14:00.000-08:00

My good friend, Sarah, told me about these cute little Pilgram hat treats!

We are all pilgrims on the journey to Christ!

Fudge striped cookies

Mini peanut butter cups

white frosting

place cookies stripe-side down, on the top of the peanut butter cup, dollop a little frosting, and put upside down on the chocolate of the cookie.

Fun and easy for kiddos!

Easy Snack Mix

2009-10-08T13:15:00.001-07:00

Easy Snack Mix

1 box of Golden Grahams

3 packages of yogurt covered raisons

(my kiddos like to pick out the raisons, so I put lots in!)

Layered Tortellini and Pesto Chicken Salad

2009-10-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

This recipe is actually from my friend Brenda, who brought it to me when I broke my leg, it lasted all week for lunches and is such a beautiful salad to bring to potluck things! Layer in order given: 5 cups torn romaine lettuce 1 1/2 cups julienne carrots 2 cups cooked/grilled chicken 1 cup thawed frozen peas 1 pkg tortellini, cooked 1 red bell pepper, chopped Dressing: 1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise 1/2 cup basil pesto 1/4 cup buttermilk For Sweetie Pie's Baptism, I did make a little extra, more peppers and peas and doubled the dressing to make sure there was enough.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2009-08-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

What do you do with giant zucchini? Shred it and make Chocolate Zucchini Cake!! Yummy!!!
½ cup butter
½ cup oil
1 ¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup sour milk (add 1 tsp. of vinegar)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
4 T cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
2 cups shredded zucchini
Topping:
1 cup chocolate chips
¼ cups brown sugar
Add first four ingredients alternately with milk. Add all others and mix in zucchini. Spread in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle top with chocolate chips and brown sugar.
Bake at 350, 40-50 minutes.
Yummy!!!

New Year's Cheese Ball

2009-01-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

This recipe I got from my MIL and it is actually called "Terry's Cheese Ball". I have no idea who Terry is and my husband has no idea, so I'm going to call it "New Year's Cheese Ball" because we make it every New Years Eve! It tastes great and has so few ingredients that it is SO easy to make!

New Year's Cheese Ball

2- 8 oz pkg cream cheese

1/2 cup black olives (sliced or chopped)

Mix above well, form into a ball and roll in a mixture of

1/3 cup chopped walnuts and

1 Tbsp parsley flakes

*This tastes great with Triscuits!

Midnight Bliss Cake

2008-12-29T10:31:00.001-08:00

We made this delicious, rich, chocolate cake for Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We put on a candle for each of us, to symbolize the light of Christ inside of us. I thought this an appropriate cake since It is believed that Jesus was born at midnight.

Midnight Bliss Cake

1 pkg chocolate cake mix, any variety (we picked chocolate fudge)

1 pkg (4 serving size) chocolate instant pudding

4 eggs

1 container 8 oz sour cream

1/2 cup flavored coffee, prepared (I use International Foods French Vanilla)

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water

1 pkg 8 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease and flour a tube pan (bundt cake)

Beat all ingredients except chopped chocolate in large bowl with mixer, until well blended and smooth. Stir in chopped chocolate and pour into prepared pan.

Bake 50-60 minutes until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. No need for frosting with this cake, it's rich and that good!

Candy Bar Pie!

2008-12-29T10:20:00.000-08:00

This is our Christmas Pie! We make it every Christmas day to have for dessert!

The kids are great helpers as they love to help cut up the candy bars and nibble a little bit!

Candy Bar Pie

1 pkg Cream cheese

1 Tbsp milk

2 tubs cool whip

2 pkgs chocolate instant pudding

1 3/4 cup milk

1 pkg mini candy bars (we usually use Snickers, but could use Milky Way or 3 Musketeers), chopped

Chocolate pie crust (we use the Oreo one)

Mix the cream cheese with 1 Tbsp milk until smooth. Gently stir in 2 cups cool whip and the chopped candy bars. Set aside.

Pour 1 3/4 cups milk into another bowl and add pudding, beat wit wire whisk and then gently stir in 1/2 cup cool whip.

spread 1/2 the pudding mixture on the bottom of crust, spread cream cheese mixture over pudding mixture and top with remaining pudding mixture and then on the very top, cover the pie with cool whip. (I placed shaved chocolate on top for decoration)

Needs to refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Dairy Bake Potatoes

2008-12-29T10:12:00.001-08:00

OK, these are the most fattening potatoes in the world! (but also the best!) Which is why we only make these on Christmas day! I do always double this recipe and put into a little larger baking dish. My husband loves the leftovers of this! (me too!)

Dairy Bake Potatoes

1 bag hash brown potatoes, thawed

1/2 cup butter, melted

1tsp salt and dash of pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 8 oz carton sour cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups crushed corn flakes

1/4 cup melted butter

paprika

Stir together potatoes, 1/2 cup melted butter, salt, pepper, onion, soup, sour cream and cheese. Pour into a 9x13 buttered baking dish. Top with corn flake crumbs and 1/4 cup melted butter. Sprinkle with paprika for added color.

Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Scalloped Corn

2008-12-29T10:06:00.001-08:00

This corn dish, I make every year on Christmas day. It is a favorite in our home.

Scalloped Corn

4 cans of corn, drained

4 eggs

2 cups milk

6 Tbsp butter

2Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp finely chopped onion

Salt and pepper

Put in blender (I do half and then the other half, otherwise it's too much) Put in 13x9 greased baking dish. Add 40 crushed saltine crackers and 2 cups cheddar cheese. Crush 20 more saltine crackers for the top.

Bake 1 hour 350-375 degrees until knife comes out clean.

Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments!

2008-12-22T08:35:00.000-08:00

Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments

1 cup applesauce

1 cup cinnamon

No baking and simple for kids! mix together to form a stiff dough. play around with it, if it's too wet and sticky, add more cinnamon, and if it's too dry, just add more applesauce. Roll out to 1/4 inch between plastic wrap. (because it's very, very messy otherwise, kind of a dry-sticky) cut with cookie cutters. Make a hole at the top with a straw for ribbon. Let air dry several days turning occasionally.

Makes about 12 great smelling ornaments!

**The first year we made these we painted them after they were dry with puffy paint and added eyes and glitter and beads, they turned out great!! But they are pretty enough to leave plain also.

***They make great Christmas gifts!

****These are NOT edible****

What Spice Are You?

2008-12-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

Your result for What Spice Are You Test...

You are Garlic!

0% Habanero, 20% Sage, 10% Thyme, 20% Ginger, 30% Garlic, 0% Curry, 10% Cinnamon and 10% Oregano!

You can be both mellow and sweet.

You are very loved and tend to get along well with people. People remember you! You love to help people and want to feel useful.

You may sometimes have a tendancy to talk a bit too much, but you also don't mind listening to other people either. You hate it when you become engrossed in your own problems, and you can often feel guilty.

You don't have a desire to lead, normally, and you don't mind taking directions and lending a hand. You have a generous spirit and a kind heart.

You are more than likely very attractive, but you would never stop to admit it. You do notice the positive qualities in other people, though.

Take What Spice Are You Test<

Homemade Peanut Butter!

2008-12-08T15:39:00.000-08:00

My daughter got to make this recipe today for her math. She is learning fractions and multiplying and counting by 2's (peanuts in shells). It was a fun lesson and the kids really liked this all natural peanut butter.

1 cup shelled peanuts

1 tsp canola oil

Mix in food processor or blender until smooth. It doesn't get smooth really, but you'll know when it is done. It's a little chunky, but not big chunks. We doubled the recipe and had some leftover for tomorrow's snack.

Cinnamon Sticks!

2008-12-02T11:44:00.001-08:00

I have never used Cinnamon sticks until our last social co-op. I put them in the crock pot with apple cider and they smelled so good, I can smell them as I type this!! (and that was a couple weeks ago!) It was fun to see the sticks uncurl and look like this by the end of the day. We didn't know this would happen. It was kind of a kitchen experiment for us. I am a new lover of cinnamon sticks!! I can't wait until Tom's Christmas party this weekend (at our house!) I am making apple cider for sure!! Tom's party is at our house, it's all his employees and is on the feast of St Nicholas, which makes it exciting! I will post a real picture of our pumpkin cheesecake and cream cheese bars afterward!

Update: I was so busy with our 20 some guests that I forgot to take pictures of the cheesecake or bars!!! So sorry!

Cornucopia Treat!

2008-11-16T13:04:00.000-08:00

These mini cornucopias are lots of fun for children to make for Thanksgiving. I've been making them for 14 years! These are the 3 ingredients you need and then just top the bugle off with a little frosting and dip in Fruity Pebbles! Cornucopia: A symbol of food and abundance dating back to the 5th century. In North America it has become associated with Thanksgiving and harvest.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

2008-11-14T07:48:00.001-08:00

This is not my photo, I will try to update it with my picture after the holidays. I make this every Thanksgiving. It is the Kraftfoods recipe tweaked in a "Jamie" way.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

2 cups finely crushed Keebler Sandies cookies (or more, I'm not good at measuring) The original recipe called for Ginger snap cookies mixed with pecans, but it was too rich, so the Sandies make it a little less rich.

6 Tbsp butter, melted

3 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar, divided

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

dash of cloves

Mix crushed cookies with melted butter and press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer, until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the plain batter. Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin and spices onto remaining batter. Spoon 1/2 of the pumpkin batter over crust, top with spoonfuls of the 1/2 of the reserved plain batter. Repeat layers. Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect.

Bake at 325 degrees for 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Makes 12 servings.

Company Salad

2008-11-14T07:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry no picture for this one, I hope to update this with a picture after the holidays! This recipe is actually all about the dressing, the salad can be anything you like, although I will tell you what I almost always use. My sister in law gave me this recipe and she said her mother always made this dressing when they had company so it was called "Company Salad". Now, every year at my husband's Christmas party, his employees request this salad, so it has become our own "Company Salad"!

Company Salad Dressing

3 to one oil/lemon juice

(I usually make 3/4 cup oil/1/4 cup lemon juice)

1 tsp mint

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp oregano

2 tsp parsley

pepper to taste

Mix together.

I toss this with red leaf/green leaf lettuce or Romaine mix with lettuce added.

Top with large black olives and croutons. (I use homemade bread crumbs/croutons)

Homemade Croutons

12-15 slices bread (whole wheat is best but it doesn't matter)

1/2 cup butter (or more)

garlic salt

Remove crusts, brush both sides with butter, sprinkle with garlic salt and cut into chunks.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Lazy Cheesecake Salad

2008-11-14T07:07:00.000-08:00

This salad is one of my favorite "fruit" salads. It is really more of a dessert but does pass as a fruit salad! It's bright colors of red and white are festive for just about any special day!

It's always a hit with kids and adults alike!

Lazy Cheesecake Salad

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

8 oz Cool Whip

8 oz sour cream

1 can pie filling (strawberry or cherry)

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding (dry)

1/4-1/2 cup milk

Mix all together and top with pie filling. *My mom adds graham crackers, I don't. Do what you want. She's also tried lemon filling on top and put strawberry pie filling layered with it. (I only like the recipe I posted, which is why I posted it!)

**I also double this recipe to get a big bowl of it, like is pictured.

Frozen Mud Pie

2008-07-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs

2 tsp sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 gallon chocolate chip ice cream, softened

(or coffee flavor, well, or any flavor you'd like!)

Chocolate syrup

Additional Oreos for garnish (optional)

Combine cookie crumbs and sugar and stir in butter. Press into a ungreased pie plate. (go up the sides) Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Spoon 1/2 the ice cream into crust. Drizzle with chocolate syrup, in stripes across the pie. Carefully top with remaining ice cream. There is enough here for everyone to have one bite if you have little helpers, as I did. Drizzle with chocolate syrup again on top, in stripes, then take a knife and swirl with a knife. place extra cookies on top for garnish. Freeze until firm.

Remove from freezer 10-15 minutes before serving.

Spaghetti with Zucchini and Yellow Squash

2008-07-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

Whole grain spaghetti

1 medium onion, diced

1/3 cup olive oil

1 minced garlic clove

2 cups yellow squash, diced

2 cups zucchini, diced

10 medium leaves fresh basil, chopped

Black pepper and salt to taste

1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese (at least)

cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, saute onion in olive oil in a skillet over medium heat for 6 minutes, Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add yellow squash and zucchini and cook for an additional 6 minutes. Stir in basil and pepper and salt. Toss sauce over pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

I really, really liked this dish. I did need to add quite a bit of pepper and salt for more flavor and lots of Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Quesadillas with Corn Salsa

2008-07-11T09:13:00.001-07:00

Chicken Quesadillas

4 cups boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

2 tsp chili powder

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans green chilies, drained

4 cups co-jack cheese

12 tortillas of your choice (I used whole grain with flax seed)

light sour cream for garnish

corn salsa (recipe below)

Saute onion and garlic in oil in large skillet. Cook until onion is tender then remove onion and garlic from pan. Add chicken and chili powder and stir-fry until chicken is done. Remove chicken from skillet and add to the onion and garlic. Add cheese and green chilies and mix well.

Clean skillet and spray with non-stick spray and heat over medium heat. Place equal amounts of chicken mixture onto tortilla halves and fold over and brown. Spray pan again as you are turning and flipping. Heat until nice and brown and cheese is melted. Garnish with sour cream and corn salsa.

Corn Salsa

I never really quite follow the recipe, not measuring perfectly, but here it is, you can adjust it any way you like. I pretty much double this. My hubby likes leftovers of this whole meal and often shares it at work! If you have leftovers of this meal, re-heat quesadillas in oven. (otherwise the microwave will make them soggy)

1 1/4 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed (I just run cold water over them in a strainer)

1/4 chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice

2 tsp chopped, seeded jalapeno chili

Salt and pepper to taste

Don't forget to use rubber gloves to chop that jalapeno!! It does not feel good to get it in your eyes hours after washing hands, trust me, it does not feel good!

Monster Cookies!

2008-07-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

This makes a monster batch! These are the cookies we make when going "up north" to a cabin. They are great frozen and everyone loves them!

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups white sugar

1 cup butter

9 cups of oats

1 lb M&M's (nibble as much as you want on these)

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

6 eggs

4 tsp vanilla

4 tsp baking soda

1 pkg chocolate chips (you can do more if you'd like)

Beat together the sugars, peanut butter and butter until well mixed. Beat in the eggs until well blended. Stir in oats, vanilla and soda. Stir in chocolate chips, then M&M's. Drop by tablespoons full onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-16 minutes. (I bake them for 16 minutes) Do not overbake. (duh!)

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2008-04-08T23:02:00.001-07:00

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup oatmeal

2 cups milk chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees

2. combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a larger bowl, beat butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. On low speed, beat in flour mixture, then stir in oats and chocolate chips.

3. drop by tablespoons full onto cookie sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

These are for sure going to be a new favorite around here!! We doctored the recipe by not adding raisins and adding milk chocolate chips and more of them!

Fun, Easy Kid Lunch

2008-04-06T16:45:00.001-07:00

Porcupine pretzels, fishing for goldfish, (with the pretzels from the porcupine), pigs in a blanket, and ants on a log.

Parmesan Pork Patties

2008-03-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

Parmesan Pork Patties

1 pound fresh ground pork

1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese

1/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp dried oregano

Fresh chopped basil

(optional: tomato slices)

Mix everything except the fresh basil and 1/2 cup fresh parmesan. Fry or broil for 15 minutes, turning 1/2 way through, making juices run clear. Top each patty with fresh parmesan cheese and broil until cheese melted, top with fresh chopped basil.

My husband is on a low/no carb diet and he loves this new found recipe. He loves it and I make it every week for him!

Wild Rice Soup

2008-03-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Wild Rice Soup

1/2 cup butter

2 Tbsp dried minced onion

1/2 cup flour

4 cans chicken broth (I use one big can)

1 pint half and half

6-8 cups cooked wild rice

2-3 chicken cooked chicken breasts cut in chunks

2-4 Tbsp chicken stock (that thick yellow stuff in the soup isle)

Pepper to taste

(optional slivered almonds)

In large pot, melt butter with minced onion, add flour, stir until mixed well and a thick paste, add chicken broth, stirring until dissolved. Cook until thickened, then add everything else!! Simmer until thickened. Great with fresh bread and this recipe freezes perfectly!!

Lenten Pretzels

2008-03-24T15:59:00.001-07:00

My little helpers!

3 Tablespoons honey

3 cups lukewarm water

2 pkgs active dry yeast

2 tsp salt

8 cups flour

Course sea salt

2 eggs beaten

Add the honey to the water; Sprinkle in the yeast and stir until dissolved. Add the 2 tsp salt. Blend in the flour, and knead the dough until smooth.

Cut dough into pieces. Roll them into ropes and make pretzel shapes. (arms crossed in prayer like people used to do many, many years ago) Place pretzels on lightly greased cookie sheets and brush them with beaten egg and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Ravioli with Balsamic Brown Butter

2008-03-19T22:28:00.001-07:00

You will need: 25 oz bag frozen Cheese ravioli 4 Tbsp butter 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts (I like to add a little more) 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Bring pot of water to boil, add ravioli and cook 4-5 minutes until floating on the top like this. Drain.

Meanwhile, cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, like this, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the ravioli to the pan with the balsamic brown butter, fold into the sauce. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.

*I found this recipe from the Food Network, Giada De Laurentiis, but tweaked it a little by adding less butter and a little more ravioli and walnuts.

St Patrick's Day

2008-03-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

Here's our green lunch, wearing green clothes and eating in our green kitchenon green plates! I am a little Irish, like 1/4 I think...My mom wishes we were more, my dad is glad we are 1/2 German! (the rest is a bunch of little things) Green bread (sweet pistachio bread) (we had this for breakfast too) broccoli and dip cheese sticks green parmesan noodles kiwi key-lime yogurt We read about St Patrick and later for supper we had Irish Brown Bread!

Balsamic Pork Chops

2008-03-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

We found this recipe in a low-carb cookbook and it has become our winter favorite. (since it's hard to charcoal grill in the winter, in MN!) 4 thick boneless pork chops Salt and black pepper 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium size onion chopped/minced (I use my chopper to get it really good) 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 1/4 tsp dried thyme, crushed 1 Tbsp butter Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Cook in large skillet in hot oil over medium heat for 12 minutes, until done and juices run clear. Turn occasionally. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Add onion to skillet; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth, vinegar and thyme. Bring to boiling; reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter. Pour over meat. This juice is so good for dipping the meat into!

Irish Brown Bread

2008-03-18T07:36:00.001-07:00

We made this for St Patrick's day and the kids loved it! They loved picking the crusty crust off and eating it! This makes a crusty dense loaf. I found the recipe somewhere else, but tweaked it a little to make it my own! (I like to do that!) 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 1 1/2 cups oats 2 Tbsp wheat germ 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 2 Tbsp sugar 2 1/4 cups buttermilk (I always put a little vinegar in measuring cup and then add milk and let it sit while mixing everything else, easy and I don't have to run to the store for buttermilk) Heat oven to 400 degrees Mix dry ingredients with hands and add buttermilk. The dough will be wet and sticky. Dust hands with flour and shape dough into a ball. Score a deep x at the top of the ball, widening it with knife. Place on floured cookie sheet. Bake for 50 minutes to golden brown. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes.

Green Bread (Pistachio Sweet Bread)

2008-03-18T07:29:00.000-07:00

This is the bread I give to all the neighbors at Christmas. The kids love it! This year, we made it for breakfast on St Patrick's day! *makes 2 loaves 1 yellow cake mix 1 pkg instant pistachio pudding 4 eggs 1/4 cup oil 1 cup sour cream 5-10 drops of food coloring (or more) Mix above well. Generously grease 2 loaf pans. Dust with a mixture of 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon. Reserve remaining sugar mix. Pour batter into loaf pans. Sprinkle remaining sugar mix on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. (or til done) Remove immediately from pans and place in plastic baggies and refrigerate!

Smoothies

2008-02-29T08:10:00.000-08:00

Our Favorite Smoothie
1 cup frozen mixed berries (I use the ones from Sam's Club) 1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 6oz container of Yoplait Harvest Peach yogurt
1 banana
Mix and enjoy!

A Summer Favorite
Frozen Strawberries
Diet 7-up
Sweet-n-low to taste
Mix and cool off!