Lil' Cheddar Meat Loaves

Like most freezer meals this one can be doubled, tripled, etc. if you have the space. I like this recipe because you can make the loaves into individual servings based on who you are cooking for.

Loaves:
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup oats, quick
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground beef, lean

On Hand:
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cup mustard, prepared

Assembly Directions:
In a bowl, beat the egg and milk. Stir in cheese, oats, onion and salt. Add beef and mix well. Shape into eight loaves. Flash freeze until solid. Divide into airtight plastic freezer containers; date and label with serving directions; then freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw. Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; spoon over loaves. Place in a prepared baking dish. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160º.

One recipe makes 8 loaves.

Grilled Turkey Burgers

These are delicious! This recipe can be made ahead, doubled and frozen. Need a quick dinner idea? Defrost in microwave and grill them up.

Patties:
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
4 green onions, diced
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 lbs. ground turkey

On Hand:
1/4 cup orange marmalade
10 hamburger buns, split
10 Swiss cheese, slices
10 red onion, slices
10 tomato, slices
1 cup lettuce, shredded

Assembly Directions:
Combine the first seven ingredients. Crumble over ground turkey and mix well. Shape into 1/4 pound patties. Layer the patties onto wax paper. Divide into airtight plastic freezer containers; date and label with serving directions; then freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw. Prepare grill. Grill the patties, uncovered, over medium heat for 8-10 minutes; turn and brush with the marmalade. Grill 8-10 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 170°.
Grill buns cut side down for 2-4 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve burgers on buns with cheese, onion, tomato and lettuce.

One recipe makes 10 burgers.

Lion House Pumpkin Pie

This recipe uses everyday ingredients - cream cheese and heavy cream are not required.

(I use my own pumpkin puree and reduce the water by 1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on how runny my puree is, then I bake it in a whole-wheat shell.)

1 1/2 cups pumpkin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup water
Pastry for 1-crust pie
Whipped cream, if desired

Place pumpkin in large mixing bowl. In separate bowl, mix spices, sugars and cornstarch. Add to pumpkin and mix until blended. Add eggs and evaporated milk and mix until blended. Add water and mix well. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake at 375°F for 50-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Top with whipped cream. Makes 1 pie.

Easy Tomato Baked Chicken

A quick fix dinner with showy results. This is a Taste of Home Cooking School recipe. I tried this after their presentation in the fall of 2007 and loved it. An easy recipe to adjust for what you have on hand.

(I typically use extra onions, home-canned tomatoes with a fresh tomato chopped and sprinkled on top, a mix of balsamic vinaigrette & favorite Italian spices.)

1 red onion, thinly sliced
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup light balsamic vinaigrette reduced fat dressing
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place onions in bottom of 13x9 baking dish; top with chicken.

Combine tomatoes, dressing and garlic powder; pour over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Makes 4 servings.

Creative Leftovers: Store drained liquid from tomatoes in the freezer to use in soups and stews at a later date.

Chandra's Hawaiian Haystacks

This is my best friend's mother's recipe. It's super easy and makes a great use for leftovers and can be quite filling.

2 cups shredded chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water
Cooked rice

Toppings: broken almonds, cheddar cheese, chow mein noodles, diced celery, diced tomatoes, pinapple chunks, raisins, shredded coconut, soy sauce, etc.

Mix chicken, soup, broth and water over medium heat.

Pour over individual servings of rice. Top with desired toppings.

Cheesy Chicken Skillet Dinner

This is a really good and REALLY EASY dinner. We used frozen veggies instead of fresh, which made it even easier.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 10 min.
1 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil
1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4–inch pieces
2 large carrots, cut into ½-inch slices (2 cups)
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch slices (2 cups)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
2 cups shredded sharp reduced-fat cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; rotate skillet to coat bottom. Add chicken; stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Remove from skillet.

Add carrots and zucchini to skillet; stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add chicken and soy sauce; toss until chicken and vegetables are coated with soy sauce.

Sprinkle with onions and cheese. Cover skillet until cheese is melted.
Makes 6 servings
Fiber 2g
Fat 16g (Sat 8g)
1 Serving: 285 calories
Sodium 600 mg
Protein 31g

Oatmeal Pancakes with Maple-Cranberry Syrup

We tried these as a more filling (and more healthy) version of regular pancakes. We didn't try the syrup, but it sounds good!

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min.
Maple-Cranberry Syrup (below)
½ cup quick-coooking or old-fashioned oats
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup buttermilk
¼ cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg or ¼ cup egg product

Make Maple-Cranberry Syrup; keep warm. Beat remaining ingredients with hand beater or wire whisk just until smooth. (For thinner pancakes, stir in additional 2 to 4 tablespoons milk.)

Spray griddle or 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat griddle to 375o or heat skillet over medium heat. For each pancake, pour slightly less than ¼ cup batter from cup or pitcher onto hot griddle.

Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges. Turn; cook other sides until golden brown. Serve with syrup.

Maple-Cranberry Syrup
½ cup maple-flavored syrup
¼ cup whole berry cranberry sauce
Heat ingredients in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberry sauce is melted

Makes 12 servings
Fiber 1g
Fat 7g (Sat 1g)
1 Pancake w/syrup: 170 calories
Sodium 480 mg
Protein 5g

Fajitas

This is a fresh-simple recipe, great for using bell peppers when they are on sale. I have discovered uncooked tortillas (at Costco) that you cook yourself in minutes in a hot skillet. They are warm, soft and melt in your mouth good. They are great for fajitas, tacos, taquitos etc.


2-3 chicken breasts, cubed
2-3 bell peppers (any color), thinly sliced
1 onion, sliced in thin wedges
2 tsp minced garlic
1-2 Tbs taco seasoning
1/4 cup lemon juice


Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in skillet. Cook chicken in olive oil until cooked through. Add peppers, onion, garlic, seasoning and lemon juice. Continue to cook until peppers and onion are tender.


Serve with warm torillas, sourcream, and cheese.

Shells with Crispy Pancetta and Spinach

This isn't the healthiest dish in the world. For the sauce, instead of using 1 cup cream, I do half cream and half 2% milk...to make it JUST a bit less fatty. I also use the part skim ricotta cheese, instead of whole milk. I love asiago cheese, but if you don't have any, a good quality parmesan also works well.

p.s....the only place that I've found in Longmont that sells pancetta is the King Soopers in south Longmont.

Shells:
1 (12-ounce) package jumbo shells pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound thick-cut pancetta, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 pounds frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
1 cup grated asiago cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup cream
2 cups grated asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl. Add the spinach, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, buttered baking dish.

For the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to very low and add the 2 cups asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is dissolved. Pour the sauce over the shells. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

EGG ROLLS

This is a recipe for the filling of egg rolls, but since I'm usually short on time, I make it without wrapping it into egg roll wrappers, and we eat it as a meal by itself. It's got a lot of cabbage, so just make sure to keep bean-o on hand. :)

8 ounces ground pork or hamburger
1 t fresh ginger
1 clove garlic minced

Cook above ingredients until meat is brown. Add:

¼- ½ head cabbage finely chopped
1 can chopped water chestnuts
3-4 finely grated carrots
½ onion chopped

Cook and stir for several more minutes.

Mix in seperate bowl, and then add:

¼ cup soy sauce
4 t cornstarch
2 t sugar

Cook and stir. Cool. Wrap in egg rolls and fry or serve alone.

Crock-Pot Ham & Scalloped Potatoes

I like this one because it's SUPER easy and cheap. Throw a liner into the crock pot and clean up is easy too!

3-1/2 inch think slices deli ham (or more, if you have a hungry family)
7 medium potatos, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1-2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
salt and pepper, to taste


Put half of ham, potatoes and onion in crock pot.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add grated cheese.
Repeat with remaining half.
Spoon undiluted soup over top.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Greek-Style Turkey Burgers

I've made this with different kinds of ground turkey. It didn't taste as good when I used the lower fat, lighter turkey. The one that seemed to work best for me was the kind that just comes in the 1 lb tube (80/20 I believe).

The Greek salsa that you put on top tastes amazingly similar to what they put on top of falafels in Jerusalem. I LOVE it!

Ingredients
· 1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
· 1 egg white, slightly beaten
· 1 tablespoon milk
· 1 package Italian dressing mix
· 1 pound ground turkey
· 4 pita bread rounds, or 4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted
· 1 recipe Greek Salsa
· crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. In a medium bowl stir together bread crumbs, egg, milk, ½ package Italian dressing mix . Add turkey; mix well. Shape turkey mixture into four 6-inch-long by 1/2-inch-thick oval patties or four 1/2-inch-thick round patties.

2. Place patties on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat for 11 to 13 minutes or until no longer pink (165 degrees F), turning once halfway through broiling time.
( I have to cook them a bit longer than this to get them cooked all the way through)

3. Serve the burgers in pita bread rounds. Top with Greek Salsa and sprinkle with feta cheese. Makes 4 servings.
(these kind of thicken as they cook, so I cut them in half and put them on the pita. Or, just make sure you flatten them pretty good when you shape them into patties)

Greek Salsa: In a small bowl stir together 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and and the other half of the Italian dressing mix. Stir in 1 cup finely chopped tomato, 1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber, and 1/4 cup finely chopped, pitted kalamata or ripe olives. Makes about 1-1/3 cups.
(I used another T of vinegar, a T or two of water, and less olives in mine)

Trail Mix

I've never made this with the pumpkin seeds, but it tastes great without them!

1 bag (6 ounces) slivered almonds
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a foil lined baking sheet, combine almonds, pumpkin seeds, and coconut. Bake for 10 minutes or until coconut is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool thoroughly. Combine toasted coconut mixture with dried cranberries and chocolate chips.

Tortellini Soup

Another one of our favorite pantry meals. You can jazz it up as much or as little as you want. It is also very good second day. The parmesan cheese makes it extra yummy, so don't skimp on that.

1 med onion, chopped
1 Tbs oil
4 cups chicken broth (I use 4 cups water and boullion)
2 cans diced tomatoes or chopped stewed tomatoes
1 Tbs Italian seasoning (I eyeball this so I'm not sure how much exactly)
*1 pkg of dried tortellini
fresh mushrooms (you can use jarred or canned)
shredded parmesan cheese

Brown the onion in the butter until soft (if I have celery I like to cook it with the onion). Add chicken broth, tomatoes and italian seasoning. Bring to boil. Add tortellini and sliced mushrooms. Cook for time directed on tortellini package. Serve sprinkled with cheese.

(This recipe is easily adjusted to feed more. Just make sure you have enough chicken broth to cover and cook the tortellini.)

*You can buy tortellini dried, frozen, or refrigerated. I either buy a large bag of the frozen and make multiple meals out of it or buy the small bags of dried tortellini ($1.50 at Walmart) and keep them in my pantry. One small bag feeds my family (2 adults and 2 toddlers) dinner with some leftovers.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

Josh, Elijah, and Sammy make this recipe at least once a week. Sam will refuse cereal or oatmeal and beg for a measuring cup and spatula to help make the pancakes. Elijah loves to add the food coloring and it is a rare thing that we have natural colored pancakes.

2 c whole wheat flour
2 Tbs sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

*1 cup buttermilk
*1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1/4 tsp green food coloring (or color of choice)

Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, then mix the two together. Pour batter on hot griddle, flip and serve.

*Note: instead of using {1 cup buttermilk and 1 1/4 cup milk} you can use 2 cups milk and 2 Tbs vinegar. We prefer the taste when using buttermilk (and make them often enough to warrent buying it).

Chicken Taco Soup (Crock Pot)

This recipe I got from a sister in my ward. I made it tonight and we all loved it! It's super easy and smells so good all day long, plus it mostly uses canned or frozen ingredients.

1 med onion, chopped
1 can chili beans
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth (I used 2 cups water and boullion)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can diced green chilies
1 package taco seasoning (I eyeballed it, about one tbs.-- adjust to taste)
3 chicken breasts
shredding cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Put drained beans and corn, onion tomato sauce, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and green chilies in crock pot. Add taco seasoning and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the ontehr ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover and cook for 5 hours. (I cooked it on high 3-4 hours)

Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours (1 hour on high or until ready to serve). Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips, if desired.

Cherry Pineapple Salad

This is a traditional recipe for my family. It is one of those recipes that we always have at Thanksgiving. It's easy and great anytime of the year.

1 can crushed pineapple, well drained

1 can cherry pie filling (raspberry also works)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 small tub cool whip

chopped nuts optional

Mix the drained pineapple, pie filling, and sweetened condensed milk together. Add cool whip. Chill before serving.

This recipe is very easily doubled and you can use a large tub of cool whip instead.

Spritz Cookies

This is the Pampered Chef recipe for cookie press dough. It makes a beautiful dough that is so easy to work with. Our 8 and 9 year old have alot of fun making these cookies-very kid friendly!


3 sticks of butter softened (can use margarine
1 c sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
sugar sprinkles (optional)
We dyed the dough pink for Valentine's day, green for St Patrick's day etc

Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter with egg, sugar and vanilla. Beat well. Add flour 1 cup at a time. Dough will be soft-do not refrigerate.

Fill cookie press. Press cookies 1 inch apart on baking stone. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.

Bake for 10 min. Yields 6-7 dozen cookies

Homemade Samoas

Guess what! You can make Samoas at home; you don't have to buy them for a million dollars a cookie from those cute little girls in green hats! I got the recipe from a really great recipe site called veggienub. I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds soooo good!

Homemade Samoas

Cookies:
1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
up to 2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (it’s possible you might not need to add milk at all). The dough should come together into a soft, not-too-sticky ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.Roll the dough (working in two or three batches) out between pieces of wax paper to about 1/4-inch thickness (or slightly less) and use a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and use a knife, or the end of a wide straw, to cut a smaller center hole. Repeat with remaining dough. Alternatively, use scant tablespoons of dough and press into an even layer in a mini donut pan to form the rounds.Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set. If using a mini donut pan, bake for only about 10 minutes, until edges are light gold.Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 tsp per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it gets too firm to work with.
While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate.Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes about 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.

Hot and Sour Chinese Eggplant

This recipe tastes very much like the eggplant dish we ate and fell in love with in China. It is quick and easy and cooks in a dark, sweet and tangy sauce. Serve with white or brown rice.

1 eggplant (cut into 1 inch cubes)
3 T soy sauce (I prefer light sodium)
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T sugar
1 green chile pepper chopped, or red pepper flakes (optional)
2 t cornstarch
1 t chili oil, or to taste
1 t salt
4 T vegetable oil

Place the eggplant cubes into a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Fill with enough water to cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse well and drain on paper towels.
In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sugar, chile pepper, cornstarch and chili oil. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over med-high heat. Fry the eggplant until it is tender and begins to brown-about 10 min. Pour in the sauce and cook and stir until the sauce is thick and the eggplant is evenly coated. Serve immediately with rice.

Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus

This is a recipe we use for special occasions (like Valentine's Day) or whenever asparagus is on sale and we feel like splurging on shrimp. I'm a lover of shrimp and this recipe is simple and fresh.


The original recipe can be found on the Better Homes and Gardens website. Below is my interpretation.


Ingredients
1 pound fresh or frozen shrimp in shells or 8 oz chilled cooked shrimp
1 pound thin stalks fresh asparagus
1 pkg dried linguini
3 cloves garlic, minced (I keep a jar of this in the refridgerator and use it for all my recipes)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained (original uses fresh romas)
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup white grape juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons finely shredded fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact, if desired. Rinse shrimp; pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
2. Trim woody ends off asparagus. Remove tips and set aside. Bias-slice the stalks into 1- to 1-1/2-inch pieces. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to pan; cover and keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook and stir garlic in hot oil over medium heat for 15 seconds. Add tomato and tomato paste; cook and stir for 3 minutes.
4. Add asparagus stalks, juice, salt, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp and asparagus tips. Cook, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes more or until shrimp turn opaque. Stir in butter until melted.
5. To serve, add the shrimp mixture and basil to pasta; toss gently to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Rolls

These are my favorite rolls. I can't make them as good and my mother-in-law yet (I got the recipe from her), but mmm... I always eat more of them than I should.

2 cups hot water (120º)
1 T. Sugar
2 T. yeast

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
2 t. salt
6-7 cups flour

Mix water 1 T sugar and yeast in a bowl. Let sit till softened. Mix sugar, oil eggs and salt in mixing bowl. Add 1 cup flour. Mix in yeast mixture. Add 5 cups of flour. Knead for a few minutes. Gradually add last cup of flour till you have a soft dough. Let rise. Punch down. Form into flattened balls. Dip one end in melted margarine fold in half and place on cookiesheet. Let them rest/rise. Bake at 400º for about 10 minutes until golden brown.

Easy Breezy Carmel Popcorn

This is a great munchy for playing games or watching a movie. Careful, it's easy and it's addicting!

2 bags low fat microwave popcorn (I use 94% fat-free)
Popped and ready in bowl with the kernels taken out

1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Karo syrup

Melt butter in sauce pan, add sugar and syrup. Bring to boil, reduce and boil for 1 minute. Pour over prepared popcorn and gently mix.

Note: I’ve found that I don’t use all of the caramel for two bags of popcorn. If you add the whole batch to the popcorn it gets a little goopy and more difficult to eat. You just want enough to lightly coat all of the popcorn, about 2/3 – 3/4 of the batch.

Roasted Chicken

Until a few years ago I was totally intimidated by the thought of roasting an entire chicken. I avoid dealing with the whole bone thing. But I saw this recipe demonstrated on pbs Everyday Food, saw how easy it was, and decided to try it. Now whenever chickens are on sale I grab a couple and Josh helps roast them for Sunday dinner.

Original recipe found at Everyday Food
(I have altered it a bit from the original)

Suggested ingredients:
3 pounds small red potatoes, halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
¼ cup fresh thyme leaves (or other herbs)
1 or 2 whole chickens (3-½ to 4 pounds each), rinsed and patted dry
(I usually only roast one chicken which will feed 4 adults with the potatos)

Preheat oven to 450°. On a large rimmed baking sheet (line it with aluminum foil or your pan will go black and be hard to clean like mine), toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Prepare and season chickens. Create a pocket by separating the skin from the meat on the breasts and thighs. Insert the herbs and seasonings under the skin directly on the meat and in the cavity. We use whatever spices we have on hand- thyme, rosemary, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, etc.

Nestle chickens, breast sides up, among potatoes (The potatos get covered in the chicken drippings and are really yummy. You can roast the chicken without potatos, either flat on the pan or on a wire rack) ; rub chickens with remaining tablespoon oil, and season each with salt and pepper.

Roast in oven, tossing potatoes occasionally and brushing chicken with pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165°, about 1 hour.

Let chickens rest in a warm spot 10 minutes before serving.

Here's a video demonstration on how to carve a chicken (apparently it works for turkey's too).

The carcass and left over chicken also make really good chicken noodle soup. Just boil to death, strain, add veggies and egg noodles or homemade noodles

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bundt Cake

You've heard of death by chocolate, well this cake covers it all! Make sure you have extra people around becuase it is a dangerous thing to have leftovers of.

1 Chocolate cake mix (any kind)
8 oz pkg. cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg (beaten)
6 oz pkg. mini semi-sweet chips
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla

Mix cake mix up as directed on box and pour into well greased-flowered bundt cake pan. In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients together. Plop by spoonfuls onto the top of the chocolate cake batter until you have formed a ring on the top of the chocolate cake batter. Do not stir in the cream cheese mixture into the choc. cake batter. Bake as directed on the cake mix box (usually 40 min). After removing from oven, let cake cool 5-7 minutes and then turn out onto your cake platter. After cake is cooled somewhat, drizzle chocolate topping all over.


Chocolate Toping:

In small saucepan, mix 6 Tablespoons of Hershey’s Cocoa, 2 Tablespoons of oil, and 2 Tablespoons margarine on low. Remove from heat and add ¼ cup hot water, dash of salt, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla. Stir together and then add 2 cups of powdered sugar to thicken chocolate glaze.

Cheesy Corn Chowder

This recipe can make a lot of soup and makes great left overs. I sometimes add a little Mrs. Dash to spice it up and a can of regular corn to give it more texture.

1 finely chipped onion
4-5 med potatoes, peeled and cubed
1-2 c ham or bacon pieces
Cook all in 3 T butter, browning onion
2 c water (enough to cover potatoes, adjust bouillon to water amount)
1 tsp chicken bouillon

Bring to boil, allow potatoes to cook.
Add:
3 cans creamed corn
Opt 1 can fiesta Mexican corn for flavor

Stir so it wont stick to the bottom
Add:
1 pint half and half
Salt/pepper
¾ tsp sugar
Garlic powder

Simmer for a few minutes then add cheese
1-1 ½ c Mozzarella and/or parmesan (I usually make it with mozzarella)
Allow cheese to melt and mix in, remove from heat so the cheese doesnt' start to separate.

Fajita Rice Bowl

This one is a favorite of our family and guests. It is easily adjusted to feed more people (like missionaries that eat and eat) and doesn't require much prep during the dinner crunch. My brother-in-law called it a glorified poor mans dinner.

2-3 Chicken breasts
½ cup water
1-2 T. Taco or Fajita seasoning
Put together in crock pot and cook on High for 3-4 hours, until chicken is tender and shreds easily.

Half hour before desired eating time:

Cook rice as directed on package. (1 ½ -2 cups uncooked)

In another sauce pan mix:
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
12 oz jar of Tomato Salsa of desired heat
Simmer mixture over medium heat until the rice is done cooking. Meanwhile shred chicken in the water/spice mixture left in the crock pot (the chicken with soak up some of the water when shredded).

To serve pile the chicken and the bean mixture on top of rice in individual bowls. Serve with cheese, sour cream, and diced avocado

Spicy Meatballs

A super easy and low stress dinner and it's one of Josh's favorites. It's another one of those dinners that uses ingredients I keep in my pantry and pull out on my lazy dinner days.

1 bag Frozen Meatballs
1 jar Chili sauce
1 jar Grape jelly

Mix together in crock pot and cook on high a couple hours.
(I do not use the entire jars of chili sauce and grape jelly. I eyeball it, knowing what ratio of sweet to spicy my family likes.)

Serve on rice or use as an appetizer with tooth picks.

Italian Stir Fry

This is one of our summer favorites that is also good all year round. The amounts of ingredients are suggestions. I usually just add what I have and eyeball it. I definatly add more italian seasoning than it suggests.

1 pkg Linguine
2 med tomatoes, chopped (canned diced tomatos work too)
1 med onion, chopped
2 med zucchini, sliced (yellow and green)
1 Tb olive oil
1 tsp garlic
1 Tb Italian seasoning
Salt/pepper
Cooked, cubed chicken
½ cup fresh parmesan cheese (mozzarella works as well)

Chop vegetables. Cook linguine. (Cook chicken if desired.)
Heat oil in skillet and had onion, zucchini, and garlic. Stir fry for 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and heat until tomato starts to break down. Mix in noodles and remove from heat. Serve with cheese.

Chocolate Sauce

Watchout, this recipe is dangerous! If you love chocolate this one is for you. It's easy, out of your pantry, fast, and good on everything!

1 stick butter
Melt in sauce pan then add:

6 oz Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (1 cup)

Remove from heat and allow chocolate to melt.

Add:
1 Can Evaporated milk
2 ½ cups powdered sugar

Return to heat. Bring to boil stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for about 6 minutes while stirring. Makes a large batch; store extra in refrigerator and warm in microwave as needed. Serve warm as fondue for dipping, sundae sauce, or by the spoonful.
Mmmm, this stuff is dangerous!

Quick Pizza Crust

This is one of my old reliables. I always have cheese and turkey pepperoni on hand and can make this in a pinch for lucnh or dinner adding whatever other toppings I might have on hand. For Valentine's Day I cut hearts out of the pepperoni circles and make the crust heartshaped. Currently one pizza feeds my family for dinner, but it won't be too long before I will need to make two. In all this recipe can take as little as 30 minutes-start to eating.

Place pizza stone in oven. Preheat to 450 degrees.

2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
Mix and set aside

1 Tbs yeast
1 Tbs Olive oil
¾ -1c. warm water
Mix oil, water and yeast and let sit for a couple minutes while you prepare toppings. Then add to flour/salt mixture. It is better to have the dough too sticky and add more flour than the other way around.

If making more than one pizza I repeat the steps above in a separate bowl.

Let dough rest while you finish preparing sauce and toppings. Roll kneaded dough into a 14” circle. Transfer to paddle or cookie sheet (I use a thin cookie sheet without sides) sprinkled liberally with corn meal (dough should be able to slide off easily).

Sauce:
1 can pealed crushed tomatoes
1 tsp minced garlic
Italian seasoning (and/or oregano, basil) and salt/pepper to taste
Process in food processer.

Add desired toppings. Transfer to hot pizza stone. Bake for 10 minutes. Take pizza out using the cookie sheet, slice and serve. (I leave the hot pizza stone in the oven and just let it cool down after I turn the oven off)

Note: I have also used this recipe to make calzones. One dough batch makes 3 fair sized calzones. The sauce makes a fair amount (for 3-4 pizzas). I just save the extra in a tuperware in my fridge until the next time I want to make pizza.

Grandma's Sugar Cookies

This recipe has proved itself over the years. I personally make this recipe 5-6 times a year for various holidays and occasions.

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted/softened butter
2 eggs
1 ts vanilla
2 ts baking powder
1/2 ts salt
2 cups flour

Beat sugar and butter together until creamy; add eggs and beat until well mixed; add vanilla, baking powder, and salt, mix together then gradually add the flour. Dough will be sticky. Chill dough a couple hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough on floured surface (not too thin), cut out desired shapes, and place on GREASED cookie sheet. Bake for 7.5-10 minutes (my oven is 7.5-8 minutes). They should NOT be brown but are done when they don't give in to the touch. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.

Note: I always double the recipe. I use a tub of cream cheese frosting with added food coloring and sprinkles to decorate my cookies. One tub of frosting frosts a double batch of cookies

introduction: Sarah

I guess I'm the creater of this blog but i hope not to be the only author.

I have days where I enjoy cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, but most days it is a struggle for me to figure out what to get on the table while I have one kid bouncing off the walls and another clinging on my leg. I have recipes that I would concider my show piece recipes, the ones I take to Relief Society functions etc, but those aren't the ones that I use regularly for my family. I hope I'm not the only one when I say I often get into a rut with my everyday cooking. I am also hoping that there are others out there that have their own rut recipes.

My proposal: lets trade!!

If you have any ideas to make this blog more user friendly leave a comment or send me an email!