Dang, you guys are good.

What great recipes. I will add some of mine soon. Thanks for the invite Heather.

Some Favs

I kept saying I would post some of my favorite recipes on my blog for friends who may not have the family cookbook, so here is a word document with some favs. I know I missed a bunch, but this is a start.

Glad to see that Mary started the CHOCOLATE label. I'm sure eventually that will be the biggest section. Yummmmm!

Lemon Bundt Cake

This cake looks like nothing special, but it is so moist and dreamy. (So remember, it's not looks that count . . . it's what's on the inside. Who knew there would be life lessons on the recipe blog?)

Cake Ingredients:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 small box instant lemon pudding
4 eggs
2/3 c oil
3/4 c water

Glaze Ingredients:
10 T fresh lemon juice
2 c powdered sugar

Directions:
Combine cake ingredients. Mix for 10 minutes. Pour into well-greased bundt pan. Bake 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees. Turn out immediately. Brush with glaze and then again after 10 or 15 minutes.

Corn Chowder

This one's for you, Jane . . . .

Ingredients:
2 c water
2 c chopped potatoes
1/2 c sliced carrots
1/2 c chopped celery
1/4 c chopped onion
1 1/2 t salt
1 can baby corn Niblets
pepper to taste
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

White Sauce:
1/4 c margarine
1/4 c flour
2 c milk or half n half cream

Directions:
Simmer vegetables in water for 10 min. Meanwhile make white sauce by melting margarine, whisking in flour, and adding milk or cream. Stir on medium heat until boiling. Boil 1 minute. Turn vegetables to low heat. Add white sauce, salt and pepper. Stir in parmesan cheese. Keep on low heat until cheese is melted (do not boil). Serve warm.

Peanut Butter Fingers

We're making these tonight!

1 1/2 Squares Margarine
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 C. Sugar
1 1/8 C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Peanut Butter
2 eggs

Mix all above ingredients together and then add:

3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 3/4 C. Oatmeal

Mix together, then spread on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes.

Cool then spread with Peanut Butter.

Then Frost with:

1 Cube Margarine
6 Tbs. Milk
4 Tbs. Cocoa Powder
Bring to a boil and add 1 box of Powder Sugar and 1 tsp. Vanilla

White Chocolate Macadamia Caramel Bars

These melt in your mouth . . . they are so good.

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist yellow cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1/2 cup butterscotch caramel topping
1 package (18 oz) Pillsbury Ready to Bake! Big Deluxe Classics refrigerated white chunk macadamia nut cookies

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, beat cake mix, oil, water and eggs with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Spread in ungreased 13 x 9 pan. Bake 15-18 minutes or until top is golden brown. Remove partially baked crust from oven. Pour caramel topping (warmed) over crust. Crumble cookies over crust. Bake another 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

Lemon Chicken

I have to admit that when I made this recipe last night, I did a few things wrong. I forgot to add the grape juice and I forgot to sprinkle with parmesan before I broiled it, but it still was good so I thought I'd post it. Oh, and I used half & half even though it said it wouldn't be as tasty. I got this from my friend Jessica's blog who got it from her friend Heather's blog (not me - another Heather)

Lemon Chicken

12 chicken tenders
margarine
2 T. lemon juice
1 C. heavy cream (NOT Half & Half)
2 T. white grape juice concentrate
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
6 thin pats margarine
parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

Cook chicken tenders in a buttered saucepan, until browned and cooked through. Place chicken in a glass casserole dish. In the same saucepan, add lemon juice, lemon peel and white grape juice concentrate. Keep on low heat and add Heavy Cream. Salt & pepper the sauce. When heated through, pour over chicken tenders. Put pats of margarine over chicken and shake parmesan cheese (generously) on top. Place under a broiler for 7-12 minutes. Serve over potatoes or rice.

Jessica's tips: I cut 3 large chicken breasts (it was about 1.5 lbs) into 4 strips each. I added some chicken seasoning to the chicken (it has rosemary and lavender in it), as well as salt + pepper. We put it over rice.

Request for Tomato Soup

Hey team! Just wondering if anybody has a great recipe for homemade tomato soup. On this dreary spring day it sounds nice and Campbell's just isn't going to cut it. Thanks!

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake

I got this recipe from Heather's friend Alison's blog. It's pretty yummy and great because I usually have all the ingredients on hand and don't have to run to the store to make a fun treat. The kids loved it. Everybody should come over tonight because it made lots and lots of chocolate love. Notice I've only contributed dessert recipes. What does that say about me?

Combine in a mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt

In a saucepan melt:
2 sticks butter
Add 4 heaping Tbsp cocoa. Stir together.
Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk.
Add:
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:
Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely
Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.
Add 4 heaping Tbsp cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add:
6 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 pound minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar = 3 1/4 cups
Stir together. Add pecans, stir together and pour over warm cake. Cut into squares.

http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/confessions_of_a_pioneer_/2007/02/the_best_chocol.html

Vegetable Cheese Chowder

This is SO GOOD! We made it thursday, and have been having leftovers...it's amazing!

4 cups cubed potatoes
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups chopped celery
1/2 cup minced onion
2 tsp salt
4 cups water
1 10-oz package frozen broccoli
3 tbsp chicken base
3 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp dry mustard
1 pound processed American cheese (slices)


Prepare potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions. Place in large soup pot and add salt and water. Cook till vegi's are tender about 20 minutes. Add broccoli, chicken base and milk. Simmer for 5 more minutes. In separate pan, melt margarine and add flour and dry mustard; stir to make roux. Add to soup and stir till thickened. Cut cheese into cubes and add to soup. Stir till cheese is melted. Keep hot, but do not boil, till ready to serve. makes 8-10 servings.

Monster 3 Chocolate Chip Cookie

This is my new favorite cookie recipe. They turned out lovely. Got this recipe from 'Paula's Home Cooking' on the Food Network. Enjoy!

2 cubes butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup white sugar
1 3/4 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 ounces semi-sweet chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate chunks
1 cup toffee chips (I used the Heath chips)

Cream butter and shortening for a few minutes. Add sugars, eggs (one at a time) and vanilla. Blend well. Combine dry ingredients and add slowly to creamed mixture just until flour is moistened. Stir in chips. Using a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop place dough on cookie sheet (hence the "monster cookie). Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 12-14 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Almost Smitty's Buttermilk Pancakes

These are the pancakes we always make. The other day we had them for dinner, so I thought I'd pass this one along. There's nothing too interesting about them, they just turn out nice. We always double this for our clan.


1 cup flour
1 T. brown sugar
1 t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
¼ t. salt

1 beaten egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 T. oil

Stir together dry ingredients.
Mix wet ingredients and add to dry all at once.
Stir just until blended.
Add some regular milk if needed to thin batter.
You can stir in whatever you want to, like blueberries or chocolate chips.
Cook on griddle or in fry pan on medium (300 on my griddle).
When surface of pancake is bubbly and edges are getting dry, flip them.
Serve with homemade maple syrup.

Chilipe

CHILIPE (Stephanie Bacon)

3 to 4 lb, Roast
1 can dark red kidney OR Black beans
1 4oz. can green chilies
2 t. chili powder
1 tsp, cumin
1 Tblsp. salt
2 garlic cloves
(end chilipe ingredients)

flour tortillas or corn chips
lettuce
tomatoes
salsa
sour cream
olives
green onions
cheese

Put all the first ingredients into a crockpot and fill with water until just below the top of the roast, Cook on low for about 10 hours or until meat is very tender. Stir ingredients in the crockpot shredding meat. Serve the meat taco salad style or in a tortilla like a fajita. Serves 8-10.

Easy Rice and Bean Wraps

EASY RICE AND BEAN WRAPS (from my friend Stephanie Bacon)

2 TBSP. margarine or butter
1 box Rice a Roni, Spanish
16 oz. can crushed tomatoes (or salsa)
1 can black or red kidney beans, drained
1 cup canned or frozen corn, drained
8 flour tortillas
cheese & sour cream - Optional

In large skillet over medium-high heat, saute rice & vermicelli mix with margarine until vermicelli is golden brown. Add 2 cups Water, tomatoes, and special seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender, Stir in beans and corn; let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve in tortillas with Cheese and sour cream; if desired.

Pasta Delight

PASTA DELIGHT (from my friend Stephanie Bacon)

12 ounces penne pasta
1 onion
2-3 tomatoes
1 T. olive oil
1-3 zucchinis, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. dried basil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook Pasta according to package directions. Chop shallot or onion. Cut tomatoes. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir zucchini in hot oil until slightly softened. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic. Cook 1 minute. Add tomato; cook 45 seconds. Add basil and cheese. Pour vegetable mixture over penne pasta. Enjoy! (I also cut up bites of chicken and cook in oil until almost done and then add the zucchini & tomatoes. We call this our Olive Garden dinner.)

Chili

CHILI (Carol Reed)

This is my favorite Chili recipe which I love to put in the crockpot.

2-3 cups beans (Kidney or chili beans)
1 lb hamburger
1 onion, chopped
Garlic Salt
Salt/Pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp red pepper seeds
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
8 oz. can tomato sauce
Can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup water (or so)

Brown hamburger & add chopped onion, green pepper, cook till veggies are soft. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer all afternoon. Add grated cheese right before eating.

Easy Taco Soup

We make this whenever I don't have time to make anything from scratch. It's so fun and easy! And it makes GREAT leftovers (especially for lunches at work).

1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can refried beans
1 can whole corn (I use Frozen Corn)
1 can diced tomatoes (with chilies is good)
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro or parsley (or both)
onion powder to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
chili powder to taste
cumin powder to taste

*All of these ingredients are absolutely necessary or it tastes weird...

Heat all canned ingredients (DO NOT DRAIN) in a large pot on medium. Add spices as desired. Serves 6. If you'd like to serve one or two more, add a can of black beans and another of refried if it needs to be thickened.

Serve hot in bowls with tortilla chips, grated cheddar cheese, and sour cream (if you put it in a baggie and cut a tiny whole in the corner, you can squirt the sour cream on top of the soup in a fun design). Garnish with a sprig of parsley or cilantro.

Labels

Hi Everyone...
Here's an idea to keep all the recipes organized and easily find things. You'll see on the right the 'Labels' section. When you make a post, you'll see on the bottom, there is an option for 'Labels for this post'. You can enter what type of recipe it is (ie...chicken, salads, soup, beef, desserts, chocolate, vegetable, etc). You can add as many labels as describe the recipe. Then when we feel like chicken one night we can click on the chicken label and it will only display the chicken recipes. If you have any questions, let us know.

Pesto Soup

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
salt and pepper
1 (15oz. can) kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
1 (15 oz. can) white beans (rinsed and drained)
6 cups chicken stock (or broth)
1 to 2 cups thin egg noodles
10 to 15 oz. of green beans (frozen or canned, I've used both)
3/4 cup pesto sauce

Directions:
Heat pot on medium high. Add olive oil. Add onion, potato and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the canned beans and chicken stock. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Remove lid after it reaches a boil, then add the noodles and green beans. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 min then remove from heat. Add a ladle of soup broth to thin the pesto, then add the pesto to the soup.

Chicken Taco Soup

1 14-15 oz. can white beans
1 14-15 oz. can pinto beans
1 14-15 oz. can black beans (drain and rinse well)
1 can corn
1 4 oz. can diced chilies
1 28 oz can diced tomatos
1 14-15 oz. can rotel tomatos with chilies
1 package taco seasoning
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 lb chicken diced

Combine everything in crockpot for 4 hours on low.
Top with sour cream, cheese, tomatos, chips (I like to use fritos)

Pecan-Crusted Salmon*

Ingredients:
4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
2 cups milk
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
2 teaspoons pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
Place salmon fillets in a large resealable plastic bag; add milk. Seal bag and turn to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes; drain.
Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, combine the pecans, flour, brown sugar, seasoned salt and pepper. Coat fillets with pecan mixture, gently pressing into the fish.
In a large skillet, brown salmon in oil over medium-high heat. Transfer to a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

*recipe from Taste of Home

Pesto Dijon Chicken

Ingredients:
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese + more for the top
1/4 cup pesto
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 Chicken breasts

Directions:
Heat oven to 350.
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Mix mozzarella with pesto and mustard. Then put mixture on top of chicken. Sprinkle top with more mozzarella cheese. Bake for 45 minutes.

Buffalo Chicken Salad*

Ingredients:
2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup carrots, shredded, chopped or how ever you like
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 cup ranch dressing (I like to make the kind from a packet)
1 pound, chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup hot sauce (like Louisiana Hot Sauce)

Directions:
1. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Combine lettuce, carrots, and celery in a salad bowl.
3. Add oil and butter to hot pan with the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and sear for a few minutes, then add hot sauce. Reduce heat a little and cook 5 minutes more.
4. Toss salad with dressing and season with salt and pepper. Top salad with buffalo chicken. Serve.

*I have made some modifications but the original recipe is from Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 slices of Swiss Cheese
6 slices of Ham (if really thin ham do 12)
3 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon paprika
6 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
1. Pound chicken breasts until thin. Place a cheese slice and ham slice (or two) on each breast. Fold the edges of the chicken over the filling, and secure with toothpicks. Mix flour and paprika in a small bowl, and coat the chicken pieces.
2. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook chicken until browned on all sides. Add the chicken broth. Reduce hear to low, cover, simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
3. Remove the toothpicks, and transfer the chicken to a warm platter. Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl, and whisk slowly into skillet. Cook, stirring until thickened, and pour over the chicken.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts with Tomato & Basil*

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded Parmesan (you can buy the tub or triangle Parmesan and grate it yourself)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
15 to 20 leaves fresh basil, chopped

Directions:
1. Roll out a piece of waxed paper or foil near the stove. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat-- the pan must be very hot when you add the chicken. Poor the Parmesan cheese on the waxed paper or foil. Sprinkle chicken with pepper, then press the chicken firmly into the cheese. Coat both sides of the breasts with as much cheese as possible. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Put chicken into the skillet and cook until chicken is done, and the cheese is golden brown. Don't flip too soon, wait until the cheese is golden brown (I would say it looks more orange colored) on the bottom before you flip or the cheese won't stick to the chicken.
2. Combine basil with chopped tomatoes in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
3. On each serving of cooked chicken top with tomato & Basil mixture.

*recipe from Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals