Whole Wheat Honey Oat Bread

I have to give credit to this blog for this delicious recipe. I made this today and Seth and I ate a whole loaf! It was so moist but not soggy, with yummy crispy edges that weren't too crumbly. We made tomato pesto mozzarella sandwiches on it for dinner, and it hit the spot!

2 cups low-fat milk
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, plus more for topping
1/2 cup warm water (105-115° F)
2 tablespoons active dry yeast (about three packages)
1/2 cup mild honey (I used less than 1/2 cup, and it still turned out great!)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 cups whole-wheat flour*
About 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour*
1 tablespoons Kosher salt
Canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

*the original recipe called for 3 cups whole wheat, 2 cups white flour, but I was feeling particularly daring! I also added in 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten for good measure.

1. Heat milk in a small saucepan over low heat until hot but not boiling. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the oats. Let stand, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooled to warm.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of honey. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If the mixture doesn’t foam, you’ll have to discard it and start over with new yeast.) Stir the yeast mixture, melted butter, and remaining honey into the cooled oatmeal.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, 1/2 cup unbleached flour, and salt. Add the oat mixture, mixing slowly until a soft dough forms. Turn up the mixer and mix the dough, until the dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 8-10 minutes (the dough will be slightly sticky). While you’re kneading, add just enough unbleached flour to keep the dough from sticking to the sides.

4. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a large, oiled mixing bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 60 to 90 minutes.

5. Lightly butter two loaf pans. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times to remove air. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a loaf. Place each loaf in a buttered pan, seam side down, tucking ends gently to fit. Cover the loaf pans loosely with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rise at a warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes.

6. Put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly brush the tops of each loaf with some of the egg wash and sprinkle with oats. Bake the loaves until they are golden and they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 25-30 minutes. (Remove 1 loaf from pan to test for doneness. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen.)

7. Try not to burn your tongue, you'll want some right away with softened butter on it, YUM!

Homemade Tomato Soup

I'm in love... with this soup!!

Homemade Tomato Soup

2 cans (14 oz) chopped tomatoes

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 stalk celery, diced (I didn't have any celery, so mine went without and was still awesome)

1 small carrot, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaf

2 TBSP butter

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil and roast until caramelized, about 15 min. (I would line the bottom with aluminum foil or else it will be a bugger to clean off - trust me :)

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add celery, carrot, onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 10 min. Add the roasted tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf and butter. Simmer until veggies are very tender, about 15-20 min. Add basil and cream. Puree with a hand held immersion blender until smooth. (I don't have one of these, so I use my blender - works great and it makes it easy to pour into bowls!!)

Baked French Toast

1 loaf of bread (i use white)

8 eggs mix together and then pour a little down in the pan (9x13) and then put down about 2 or 3 layers of bread and pour mixture and repeat till gone. have the bread touch all sides of the pan. You want the bread to be wet. I usually
3 cups milk have to pour a little on the top edges. They spread the topping on and cook about 45-50 min on 350.
1/2 c sugar
1 Tbs. vanilla
1/4 tsp salt Topping: 1/2 cube butter (melted) 1/2 c. brown sugar 2 Tbs. karo syrup





Carmel syrup ( it is very rich and I usually only need one batch for a double of the french toast)
2 Cup sugar
1 tsp soda
2 1/2 Tbs. buttermilk powder (in baking isle. round container. I had a hard time finding it)
2/3 c water
2 Tbs. Caro syrup
1 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla


whisk dry ingred. in separate bowl

combine all wet in a bowl except the vanilla

add dry to wet (not vanilla)
bring to boil about 7 min.
stir in vanilla
will turn from white to brown as it cools

I went to my friends house and she served this. It was super yummy. I haven't made it myself, she just sent it to me and I decided the best place to save it was on our blog. :) Enjoy.

Janey's "Green" Smoothies

This smoothie changed my life. I know that's a bold statement, but it's true!

A few people have asked me to post my smoothie recipe on here, and while I'm no "green smoothie girl" I do think I make a pretty mean green smoothie. Below is my "Magic bullet" size recipe.

1/2 cup vanilla soymilk or vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup chopped up, frozen greens (kale, spinach, &/or chard)

Blend well--like, for a full minute. No one wants a gnarly patch of spinach in their drink!

Add:

1/2 cup Greek or Non-fat Plain Yogurt (okay, or Vanilla or flavored if you want it sweeter, but I think it tastes better with plain...)
1/4-1/2 cup frozen fruit

Blend again. Drink!

Tips:
--When I buy my greens I soak them for at least 3 minutes in cold water and try to rinse them off really well, even if they are organic. Spinach and Kale are both in the Dirty Dozen.
--After I soak my greens I usually take out the cores and "thick" parts of the veggies, and then I chop them up, throw them in a ziploc, and freeze them. Then you can chunk off your "daily" portion when you want it without fear of it going bad. It also chops up finer if it's frozen.
--If you can fit more than 1/2 cup of greens in, do it! I have so much more energy the days I have a green smoothie.
--Blueberries cover up the "green" color
--Pineapple hides any bitterness from the "greens"
--Raspberries make it gritty because of the seeds. I avoid raspberries in smoothies even though I love them in real life.
--Peaches are divine.
--If the fruit is frozen, it makes it a frozen treat instead of a mushy drink. Also, I don't use ice because i haaaaaaate ice chunks in my smoothies. I'd rather have a hunk of frozen blueberry!

"Relatively Healthy-but-Really Really Good" Cookies

I made these this morning, and they were delicious! The coconut oil (which is my favorite thing in the kitchen...ever!) adds a nice flavor and covers up the healthy taste.

1/2 cup xylitol (or you can use regular white sugar)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup (unrefined) coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon (rounded) salt
2/3 cup goodies (coconut, dried fruit--apricots are yummy--so are mixed berries!, dark chocolate chips)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F).

Combine the sugars, oil, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix till thoroughly combined.

In a separate smaller bowl, toss together the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt, stirring to evenly distribute the salt and baking powder.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, and then fold in the goodies.

Portion cookie dough, twelve cookies to a sheet. Bake 8-10 Minutes. Cool for a minute or two, then move to a rack to cool completely.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

I know there are so many versions of this recipe, but this is one that we made today. Just thought I'd share.

I went a little mellow on the spices and didn't add all the stuff in the dressing.  It was all really, really tasty!

These 3 recipes, my friend Brooke gave me.

CAFE RIO PORK

6 Lb. Pork - 2 of the pork sirloin roast at costco per recipe
16 oz. salsa
20 oz. Coke
2 c. brown sugar

Place roast in crock pot cook approx. 6-8 hours until meat falls apart. Shred. In a blender mix salsa, coke and brown sugar. Pour over meat and reheat. YUM!



CAFE RIO DRESSING

1 pkg. Buttermilk ranch dressing ( prepare as directed on pkg.)
2 tomatillos ( a green tomato with husk)
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 garlic clove
juice of one lime
1 jalapeno pepper ( use seeds too if you like it spicy)

Use a blender to blend all ingredients. Refrigerate.



CAFE RIO RICE
3 c. water
4 tsp. chicken bouillon
4 tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chilies
3/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Butter
3 c. rice

Blend cilantro, green chilies and onion together in food processor/blender. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients; simmer cover for 30 mins.


These recipes below I found at favfamilyrecipes.com. They have different recipes for the meat, dressing, and rice, as well. Plus, they share ideas for the tin and tortilla for the salad.

Cafe Rio BLACK BEANS - favfamilyrecipes.com

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")


Homemade tortilla chips favfamilyrecipes.com
These are perfect for Our Version of Cafe Rio Salads (click HERE)... or any salad for that matter. They are so easy and cheap to make. If you buy these at the store, they are like $4! What a rip-off! These taste a lot better than the store ones too. I promise it is worth making your own!

10-12 corn tortillas
oil for frying
Kosher salt

Cut tortillas into strips using a pizza cutter. You can cut 2-3 at a time pretty easily. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Place strips into hot oil and fry until they become crispy. When nice and crispy, remove from oil and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt after each batch.

(photo by favfamilyrecipes.com)

What's your favorite chicken salad?

I feel like chicken salad! What's your favorite?

PASTA WITH TOMATO AND ALMOND PESTO

This is a recipe that Jimmy wanted to try. He saw it on tv this morning, found it online, emailed it to me, and then made it for dinner. It's not one that I would ever think I'd like because I'm not a huge fan of garlic, but it was tasty. Jimmy said it was "awesome." It was also very quick and easy.

Perhaps it would be twice as good if we had really used all the fresh ingredients, but alas, we used petite diced canned tomatoes drained, dried basil, minced garlic, no pepperoncini (ummmm since we have no idea what that is), and plain ol' parmesan.  I actually thought it could be a good food storage type recipe except for the roasted almonds which we wouldn't exactly have on hand.

We thought sauteed zucchini & chicken would go great with this dish.

Anyhoo... here it is... found at bakespace.com

PASTA WITH TOMATO AND ALMOND PESTO
Servings: 4-6
1/4 cup slivered almonds
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 small pepperoncini (hot peppers in vinegar), stemmed, seeded, and minced (about 1/2 teaspoon) (see note)
Table salt
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound pasta , preferably linguine or spaghetti
1 ounce Parmesan cheese , grated (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Cool almonds to room temperature.

Process cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepperoncini, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil, about 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.

Add pesto and ½ cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coats pasta. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.

VARIATION TO ABOVE RECIPE:


1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 pound grilled steak, chopped


Saute onion, green pepper, and fresh mushrooms in olive oil until tender crisp. Remove from heat, stir in steak. Toss with cooked pasta. Add pesto and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add pasta cooking water, if necessary.

Baked Tacos from LDS living

I saw this on an LDS living email and thought it might make a quick and easy summer dinner, even if I use dough I make. We'll try it and let you know!

Baked Tacos
A new twist on tacos, try our easy to make Baked Tacos. Bake up a bunch, you'll need them simply delicious.

Servings: 4-6
Skill Level: Beginning
Prep Time: 30 min (not including thaw time)
Bake Time: 25 min

Ingredients:

• Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
• 4 ounce can diced green chilies
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• salsa
• shredded lettuce
• chopped tomatoes

Instructions: Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Combine rolls together and roll into an 11x8-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10-15 minutes. Place ground beef in a skillet and cook completely. Drain well. Add taco seasoning and green chilies to meat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove wrap from dough. Place dough in a sprayed 10x7-inch baking pan to cover bottom and at least 1-inch up the sides. Poke several times with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming and bake at 350°F 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven and fill with meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Place back in oven and cook an additional 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with salsa, lettuce and tomatoes to serve.

Click here to view
a video of how to make the recipe!

Southwestern Egg Rolls

1 1/2 cans black beans
1/2 C corn (frozen, but thawed)
1/4 C red onion, chopped very fine
2 avocados, cubed in small pieces
1/2 C red bell pepper, chopped very fine
1/2 C Jalepino, chopped very fine (less if you don't want to big of a bite)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 chicken breasts, grilled then cubed into small pieces
6 oz. colby jack cheese

mix all ingredients together into mixing bowl. Add chicken and cheese and mix together. Put mixture into egg rolls and deep fry for 2-3 minutes or until they are brown. Slice in half and serve with Avocado- Ranch Dipping Sauce. This recipe yields 30 egg rolls.

Avocado- Ranch Dipping Sauce

1/4 C smashed, fresh avocado
1/4 C mayonnaise
1/4 C sour cream
1 Tbls buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. dried parsley
1/8 tsp. onion powder
dash of dried dill weed
dash of garlic powder
dash of pepper

Mix all together and chill.

Super yummy. Enjoy!

Cream of ______ Mix

I LOVE this mix SOOOOO Much. It is so nice to just whip up a batch to use with whatever recipe I'm making that I'd normally use a can of something for. (Also, if you're opposed to Corn products, you can use flour instead, it may just clump a little.)

Cream of...MIX

2 cups powdered milk
1 cup cornstarch
3 tbsp chicken bullion powder
2 tbbs dried minced onion
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix Together and Store in a Mason Jar in the Pantry.

When you want your cream of..., just add:


1/3 cup of mix
1 1/4 cup water or milk
1 Cup _____ (Celery, Mushrooms, Potato, Cooked Chicken...whatever you want your Cream of... to be!)

Bring to a boil on the stove and stir until thick. This is equivalent to a can of Campbell's Condensed Cream of ______ soup.

Another tip: I don't always have milk on hand at our house, so I started buying Rice Milk for our food storage, because it keeps on the shelf. With this recipe, there is no recognizable difference when using rice milk.

Homemade Snow Cones

Just thought I'd share this idea we tried today... Homemade Snow Cones.

It's "Easy-peasy-lemon-squeasy" said Hannah.

We put crushed ice from the freezer into our food processor (I love, love, love my Braun Multi-Mix)and chopped away. It made the ice into a nice fine airy snow. Not as perfect as SnoShack, but still great for free!

We bought some Sugar-Free syrup at Target for snow cones, but I want to try using juice & this Snow Cone Syrup Recipe:

Snow Cone Syrup Recipe

2 cups white sugar
1 cup water
1 (0.13 ounce) package unsweetened, fruit-flavored soft drink mix

Directions

In a saucepan, stir together the sugar and water. Bring to a boil, and boil for about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and stir in the drink mix. Allow to cool, and store in a container for pouring. Pour over shaved ice to flavor. (someone in the comments said they used 1/2 cups sugar to 1/2 cups water and 2 packages of flavoring to help avoid the watered-down snow-cone).

We bought a $3 pack of snow-cone cups and spoon-straws to last the summer.

Fun & easy.

Now - I just need to figure out all the awesome combinations... like tiger's blood... or maybe peaches & cream. Any tips?

Red Lobster’s Cheddar Biscuits

My neighbor Wendi brought these biscuits with dinner when we had Truman. They were tasty. I made them tonight and once again - they were tasty. Easy, quick, and not a boring biscuit.

Red Lobster’s Cheddar Biscuits
Wendi Condie

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Mix Bisquick, cheddar and milk into soft dough. Beat with a wooden spoon for about 30 seconds. Spoon on to greased cookie sheet. Smooth down tops. (Bisquick forms sharp hard points otherwise) Bake for 8 to 10 min at 450 degrees. While baking, melt butter in pan and stir in garlic powder. Take biscuits from oven when done and brush butter on tops and serve hot. Makes 10 biscuits.

Carrot Cake Muffins

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 tablespoons trans-fat-free soft tub Margarine spread/butter

1 cup carrot puree

1/2 cup cauliflower puree

1 large egg

2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Frosting:

1 package cream cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons frozen orange juice

1. preheat oven 350 degrees

2. Mix the sugar and margarine until smooth, stir in purees, orange juice, and vanilla. Then add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir until everything is blended together, do not overmix.

3. Divide batter into muffin cups and cook for 12 to 15 minutes.

4. frost with frosting. These are also good with out the frosting.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have not personally made these, but one of my friends made them and I tried them and they were good. Be advised, do not eat too many at one time.

Nonstick cooking spray

1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

3/4 cup trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread (I would probably still use real butter, because margarine is nasty)

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 can chickpeas, strained and rinsed

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat the sugar and margarine (butter) until smooth. Beat in egg whites and vanilla, then add chickpeas and chocolate chips. Add flour, oats, baking soda, and salt and mix just until it is all mixed together.

3. cook for 11 to 13 minutes; do not overbake.

Healthy Hamburgers

1/2 pound lean ground turkey or hamburger

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup cauliflower puree

1/4 cup nonfat milk

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cloves garlic chopped

1/8 teaspoon pepper

nonstick cooking spray

8 wholegrain dinner rolls

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the meat, breadcrumbs, cauliflower puree, milk, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper. Form into 8 small patties.

3. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. when the skillet is hot, the burgers and cook until nicely browned on one side, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the burgers over, then slide the skillet into the oven and bake for 4 to 5 minutes longer, until the burgers are no longer pink in the center.

Healthy Macaroni and Cheese

1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni (I usually use more because this recipe makes a lot of sauce)

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup nonfat milk

1/2 cup cauliflower puree

1 1/2 cups shreaded reduced fat cheddar cheese

4 onces reduced fat cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon paparika

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cook macaroni. While it is cooking, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the oil, then the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture resembles a thick paste but has not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add milk adn cook, stirring every now and then, until the mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower puree, cheese, cream cheese, and seasonings, and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in macaroni and serve warm.

Scrambled Eggs

Here are a few of my favorite recipes from the book Deceptively Delicious. Jolene gave me this book for Christmas a few years ago. I think all the recipes I like call for pured cauliflower. I usually steam a whole head of cauliflower and when its soft I add a little water and puree it. Then I freeze whatever I don't use in little zip lock bags.

2 large eggs

4 large egg whites

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup cauliflower puree

2 tablespoons grated parmesan

pinch of salt

Nonstick cooking spray

Wisk together eggs, egg whites, sour cream, cauliflower puree, parmesan, and salt. Coat pan with nonstick cooking spray over, then set pan over meduim high heat. Cook eggs.

Cooking Healthy

Anyone! Help! I am on a new health kick, but the only problem is that I don't know how to cook healthy. I love comfort food. Usually if it has at least 1/2 cup of butter and a cup of whipping cream, then I make it (and love it). What do health conscious people eat? That tastes really good? :) I know there are lots of healthy good things to make, I just don't know about them. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Asian Orange Chicken

We tried this last night and it's delicious!!!

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
3. In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.
5. Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Katsu Chicken

A classic Japanese dish--I've been meaning to make it for date night since we got married, and just got around to it tonight. It's delicious and simple!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup oil for frying, or as needed

Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Dip chicken into the flour, then egg, then panko crumbs. I poured the extra egg onto the panko coated chicken and then sprinkled more panko on it--a thicker layer of egg helps the grease from soaking in which = a healthier meal!

Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the hot oil, and cook 3 or 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown.

Put the chicken on a paper towel to soak up anything leftover, then cut strips about 1/4 inch thick width-wise. Serve with Kikkoman Katsu Sauce drizzled over the top.

Cheddar Chicken

This recipe was in this month's Real Simple Magazine. I made it tonight for dinner and it was so yummy and very moist. I served with potatoes and asparagus. Tasty meal. Not so low in fat with the butter, but tasted very good.

Cheddar Chicken (Reader Recipe From Jane Walsh)

Ingredients

• 16 buttery crackers (such as Ritz), crushed (about 3⁄4 cup)
• 6 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• wild rice pilaf and steamed green beans (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
2. Dip the chicken in the butter, then in the cracker mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle any remaining cracker mixture on the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with the pilaf and green beans, if using.

???Organizing Recipes???

I'm interested in revamping my recipe books. Right now I have the family recipe cookbook in half-size binders. They are completely unorganized with missing tabs. I haven't added new favorite recipes. So they are a mess. I rarely can find what I need.

I love having my recipes online (like I did for my 6-week mealplan) because they are searchable, but I don't have a laptop for the kitchen and printing a recipe every time I need it seems ridiculous. This plea for help came to mind because I was searching for my scratch piece of paper that had a recipe for cookies printed on it. I know I've printed that recipe at least 5 times so it's silly to keep printing it. Yes - we need organization!!!

I'm thinking I might just revamp my family recipe book, put in half-size binders with protective pages, and add our new favorites. I want to have more categories so it is easier to find things (such as chicken, beef, soups all under main dish).

Soooo - my point (and question) is...

How do you like to organize your recipes?
~ recipe box and hand write recipes?
~ printed recipe binder in protective sheets so you can add as you need?
~ online only?

What do you think?

Olympic Village Snow White Chocolate Party Mix

Years ago I tried this recipe from Taste of Home and it has been a holiday and anytime favorite ever since, though in humid summer places it does not work out so well.

We have many variations, and currently we are using bright, Olympic colored m&m's and adding 5 cups Rice Chex and 3 cups mini-marshmallows. I just had to have easy access to this recipe. Happy Winter Olympics, 2010!

White Chocolate Party Mix
15 Servings Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients
5 cups Cheerios
5 cups Corn Chex
2 cups salted peanuts (optional)
1 pound chocolate M&M's
1 package (10 ounces) mini pretzels
2 packages (12 ounces (each) vanilla chips
3 tablespoons oil

Directions
In a large bowl, combine first five ingredients; set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat chips and oil at 70% power for 1 minute, stirring once. Microwave on high for 5 seconds; stir until smooth. Pour over cereal mixture and mix well. Spread onto three waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Cool; break apart. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 5 quarts.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (3/4 cup) equals 547 calories, 27 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 9 mg cholesterol, 589 mg sodium, 70 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 11 g protein.

from http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/White-Chocolate-Party-Mix

Hot Homemade Bread

1 Tbsp. salt

3 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

1 cup powdered milk

1/4 cup shortening or oil

3 3/4 cup warm water

6 cups flour (approx. 10 cups total)

Dissolve 2 Tbsp. yeast in

1/2 cup warm water (additional to above water)

Mix dry ingredients together, then cut in shortening (or add oil). Add yeast and warm water mixture. Mix till smooth.

Add last 4 cups flour. Knead 8 min. till smooth. Divide into 3 large or 4 medium balls. Let rest 10 min. Form into loaves and place into greased bread pans. Let rise till very rounded.

Bake at 400 for 30 min. (I cover with foil the last 10 min. if I think of it and the tops are getting dark).

This is the quickest homemade bread recipe I have tried (it's from Wade's mom). The bubbles in the bread are bigger than average and it's just delicious. There is a reason the salt is first. I forget it about twice a year! So don't forget the salt.

Chicken Julienne

I thought I'd posted this before, but it turns out I can't find it (or I never posted it). Anyway, it's so yummy.

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 dash paprika, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking dish. Place the butter and flour in separate shallow dishes. Dredge the chicken strips in the butter and then the flour. Place chicken in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon
juice. Add salt, and pepper, to taste. Pour the heavy cream over the chicken. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese, and paprika. Bake in preheated oven until cheese melts and cream bubbles, about 20 minutes.

Original Recipe Here.

THE Sugar Cookies

Ok, you know at the grocery store how they have those sugar cookies with the BRIGHT frosting--the ones that have a different color for each holiday...and they look weird and kind of disgusting but then you take a bite and you're soooo happy and a little hooked and before you know it the box is gone?



THESE.

Well, here's the homemade version! They're so yummy!

Blend together until smooth:

1 1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Cup melted Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla...OR Lemon Extract...OR Almond Extract
2 eggs
1 Cup Sour Cream

Combined in separate bowl:

5 Cups Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until combined.

Make a ball out of the dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Store in the fridge 2-3 hours or until firm. Once dough is firm roll out a portion of the dough onto a floured surface. You want the dough thick. Cut with cookie cutters and place on greases cookie sheet.

Back at 375 for 10-12 min. You don't want them golden brown. They will be the same shade as the uncooked dough.

To make the perfect glossy and smooth frosting simply warm in your Microwave a can of Frosting for about 20 seconds or until smooth and drippy. Dip your cooled cookies face down into the frosting and let the excess frosting drip off. Add Sprinkles right away so they can stick well. When the frosting cools it dries smooth!

I got this recipe from my friend Taryn's Shared Items on google reader, I'll find the source and update soon!

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Wow, I wonder how long it has been since I last posted anything. Here's a recipe that I tried last night. I really liked them. I even had one this morning for breakfast. (not really breakfast food, but it sounded good - oh gosh I hope I'm not pregnant :)

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa (I used chile verde - it was the only "green" salsa I could find. Delish)
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas ( I used flour - I'm a flour girl)
kosher salt
cooking spray


Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Peach Crunch Cake

Thought I'd try this yummy Peach Crunch Cake that Bakerella shared. It was super easy. I used our frozen fresh peaches which were tasty. Jimmy said he would have liked more peaches so next time I'll probably use twice as much fruit. I liked the brown sugar with the pecans (I didn't have walnuts). It was more moist than I expected, but it was very much like a cobbler. Give it a try... plus, it will make your home smell yummy. ... that cozy home-cookin' feeling.


Peach Crunch Cake (Bakerella)

24.5 oz jar of sliced peaches in light syrup
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into 16 pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Layer ingredients in a 13 X 9 dish, in order starting with the peaches.

Bake for about 40 minutes.

Serve warm or cold… with or without ice cream.

Homemade Chocolate Glazed Donuts

Holy Moly! These were GOOD! Well, we thought so anyway. All the praise goes to Jane. Bless her google reader sharing little heart! So, thanks Jane!!

I really don't fry food that often. Really. But then I saw this recipe and kind of had to try it. Try them. You'll love them. They were that enjoyable. You'll have to guess if I used soy milk or Earth Balance (what the?) or food coloring. Okay, some of you might like the food coloring, but can I just say that it freaked me out? It totally did. Scared the dickens out of me. I also didn't let it rise long enough in a "comfy" place (either time - mostly because my kitchen was cold as ice) and they were just fine...


Here's the link.

•One 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
•2 tablespoons warm water (98 degrees)
•3/4 cup warm soy milk (or milk)
•2-1/2 tablespoons margarine or butter
•1 egg
•1/3 cup granulated sugar
•1 teaspoon salt
•2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
•3 cups vegetable or canola oil
•I also added a bit of food coloring for fun


•In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
•Add the soy milk, margarine or butter, egg, sugar, and salt, and blend with an electric mixer until smooth.
•Add half the flour and mix for 30 seconds.
•Add the remaining flour and knead the dough with flour-dusted hands until smooth. (I did the whole thing in the Kitchen Aid)
•Cover the bowl of dough and leave it in a comfy, warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour. You can tell that the dough has risen enough when you poke it with your finger and the indentation stays.
•Roll out the dough on a heavily floured surface until it's about 1/2 inch thick.
•If you don't have a doughnut cutter, simply use a drinking glass about the same diameter as a 14-ounce can. You should be able to get about 12 to 14 donuts this way.
•Now it's time to get creative -- it's time for the holes! Find the cap to a bottle of lemon juice or Worcestershire sauce, or any other small cap with a diameter of about 1 1/4 inches. Use this to punch out holes in the center of each of your donuts.
•Place the donuts on plates or cookie sheets, cover, and let stand in the same warm, comfy place until they nearly double in size (about 30 to 45 minutes).
•Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat (to about 350 degrees). It is easily tested with scrap dough left over from punching out the donuts. The dough should bubble rapidly. I also found it helpful to place a small carrot in the oil while frying -- prevents burning, I've heard.
•Fry each doughnut for about 30 seconds per side, or until light golden brown -- the color is key.
•Cool 5 minutes on paper towels


CHOCOLATE GLAZE

What you'll need . . .(NOTE: I found that this made WAY too much glaze, but it's what the original recipe calls for . . . I'd advise making half, but it's up to you.)

•5 1/3 tablespoons Earth Balance or butter
•2 cups powdered sugar
•1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1/3 cup hot water
•1 cup semisweet chocolate chips




Love note from Mary... or just a note. Take it however you want.

I didn't want my glaze as thick as hers was pictured so I didn't add quite as much chocolate and was happy with the result. Still plenty chocolaty and gooey, but not pasty/thick like frosting. Anyway, take it or leave it and I'll never know unless you bring me some. You should make them though...

Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies

Pre-heat oven: 375
Bake : 10 min

Thumbprints cookies:

2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg Yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 slightly beaten egg whites
1 cup chopped pecans
cranberry sauce (recipe below)

Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed 30 seconds.
Add sugar. Beat until combined, scraping bowl.
Beat in egg yolk and vanilla until combined.
Beat in as much flour as you can.
Stir in any remaining flour.

Cover and chill dough for and 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle. (optional)

Grease cookie sheet; set aside.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls.
Rolls balls in egg whites , then in nuts.
Place 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
Press your thumb into the center of each ball.
Bake in a 375 oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
Fill center with cranberry sauce (recipe below)

Cranberry Sauce

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 12 oz bag cranberry
1 diced apple
2 tsp corn starch

Bring water sugar to a boil.
Add cranberry, return to boil.
Cook 10 min, until pop open.
Take out a cup of liquid and add corn starch to it. Mix until dissolved.
Add the apple to the pot on stove.
Add liquid mix back to it the pot.
Stir. (You can mash cranberry's more depend on your liking).
Take off the heat.

Cool and refrigerate.

Cranberry Pistachio Cookies

This is a fun Christmas cookie because of the green pistachio and the red cranberries.
Start with a sugar cookie dough. I use this recipe for sugar cookies.
Add 1/2 cup of chopped pistachios and a 1/2 cup of chopped dried cranberries (or cherries) after you add the dry ingredients in you sugar cookie dough. Then you can either add white chocolate chips with the pistachios and cherries or you can dip the cookies in melted white chocolate after the cookies are cooled, or you can skip the white chocolate altogether.

Sugar Cookies

This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe. I don't usually roll them out and cut out cute cookies, I just scoop them like I would chocolate chip cookies. You can roll this recipe out, but you will have to add more flour or refrigerate them for a while. I also like to use this as a cookie base for cranberry pistachio cookies (recipe to follow).

2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Spoon balls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 min or until golden brown. Let stand on cookie sheet two min. before removing to cool on wire racks.

help with sugar cookies!!!

I really want to make homemade sugar cookies but haven't been very successful in the past. What is your favorite recipe? Please post if you have a yummy easy one. Does anyone have any tips for me to make perfect sugar cookies??

Sweet and Sour Chicken over Brown Rice

This was in our local paper and is a healthier alternative than the fried version that we love so much (though not quite as good) and we all liked it.

1 diced green pepper
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained

In pan with 1/4 cup oil, brown: 2 cups cubed chicken

Remove chicken from pan and saute vegetables for 3 minutes.

In bowl, combine:
2 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp vinegar
2-3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt

Stir ingredients to make sure that cornstarch is dissolved. Pour over vegetables and cook and stir until thickened. Add chicken and heat through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve over rice.

BROWN RICE (Also from paper - worked beautifully and tasted delish! Yeah - I know it's just rice - but seriously...)
This works with both white and brown rice or half and half.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In greased glass 9x13 pan, place:
2 cups rice
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven. Fluff and serve. Perfect every time. Note: This works well if you are also baking another item and can all be done together.

Just because it looks so dadgum good.

Today might be the day that I start drinking coffee. And Kahlua. Because this looks mighty tasty. And I'm not sure hot chocolate will cut it anymore after seeing this. Unless one of you geniuses could come up with a way to make a non-coffee, non-alcoholic (but still oh-so-delicious) version of it for me please. That would be great. Oh, don't worry. I probably won't. Unless tomorrow is really bad...

Oh. I. Won't... Really.

Or, will I?

Have I worried anybody yet? Mom? Heather??

No? Anybody?

Okay, I'm done. Goodnight.

Don't try this at home!

Be sure you don't try substituting cherry pie filling for the apples and cranberries with cinnamon, etc. in the Cranberry Crunch recipe in the family cookbook (from Lion House). I had my heart set on it and had no baking apples, so invented the cherry version. All the topping stuff sank! No crispy crunch on the top. (Not that we didn't eat it--we did, and it was full of calories and yummy flavor, just soft.).

Microwave Caramel Popcorn

A friend gave us a Christmas gift and note with a package of popcorn and the dry ingredients in a baggie for this treat. Unfortunately Owen and I ate it up before anyone else got home. Not a recipe for the whole family, unless you only need a taste!

Microwave Caramel Popcorn Recipe #78693

(from recipezaar.com) by Una Rose

1 bag of micro-wave popcorn

1/4 lb margarine or butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup miniature marshmallow

1. Pop the micro-wave popcorn and put in a bowl.
2. Place margarine, brown sugar and marshmallows in microwave proof bowl; microwave for two minutes.
3. Stir well and pour over popcorn.

© 2009 Recipezaar. All Rights Reserved. http://www.recipezaar.com

Cap'n Crunch French Toast

Jimmy and I saw the Comfort Food episode of Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network recently. They spotlighted Baltimore's Blue Moon Café which makes Cap'n Crunch French Toast.

Jimmy thought he'd give it a try. We just did our french toast with eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar and dipped it in the crushed cereal. But here's the recipe if anyone wants to give the fancy version a try.

Cap’n Crunch French Toast
recipe by Melanie Knight- inspired by Blue Moon Café

4 cups Cap’n Crunch original cereal (no Crunch Berries)
10 slices Texas bread (thick sliced bread)
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
10 tablespoons butter
Whipped cream for topping
1 pint strawberries
½ pound seedless grapes

Place the cereal in a casserole dish and crunch it into crumbs with the bottom of a glass.

Mix the eggs, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together and place in a shallow dish. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Take 1 slice of brad, dip both sides in the egg mixture, then coast with the Cap’n Crunch crumbs.

Cook each side 2-3 minutes until light brown. Repeat for the other 9 slices of bread.

Stack 2 French toasts on the center of the plate. Top with a generous helping of whipped cream and strawberries and grapes.

Makes 5 servings

Buckeyes

When one lives in Ohio, there is no choice but to make buckeyes. Plus, peanut butter treats are always a hit at our house (as are peanut butter and jam or honey sandwiches). Ok, on to the recipe.

Buckeye Candy (directly from Nestle.com)

Estimated Times:
Preparation - 10 min | Cooling Time - 1 hrs freezing | Yields - 72 candies (6 dozen total)

The perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate -- a "chocolate lover's" dream come true....

Source:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups creamy peanut butter, (not all-natural)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, softened
• 3 3/4 cups (16-oz. box) powdered sugar
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Directions:

LINE baking sheets with wax paper.

BEAT peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar until mixture holds together and is moistened. Shape into 1-inch balls; place on prepared baking sheets. Freeze for 1 hour.

MELT morsels and shortening in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. Morsels may retain some of their shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until melted.

DIP peanut butter centers into melted chocolate using a toothpick, leaving a small portion of the center uncovered. Shake off excess chocolate and scrape bottom of candy on side of bowl. Return to baking sheets; refrigerate until chocolate is set. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

Beefy Cheese Ball

(totally,directly taken from Armour-star.com)

I never thought I would use horseradish! But this is a very nice cheese ball, and I use the low-fat cream cheese and it's softer, but just as yummy, and easier to spread.

Ingredients

• 1 2.25-oz. jar ARMOUR® STAR SLICED DRIED BEEF, rinsed, finely chopped
• 1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. horseradish
• Assorted crackers

Combine 1/4 cup dried beef, cream cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese and horseradish, blending thoroughly. Refrigerate mixture 15 minutes. Form into a ball and roll in remaining dried beef. Chill thoroughly. Serve as an appetizer with crackers.

If you have never used this beef in a jar before, be sure to remember to rinse with very warm water, then drain before chopping and using in recipes.

makes 1 appetizer ball

Easy Oreo Truffles

Easy OREO Truffles

(totally, directly copied from KraftFoods.com)


What You Need!

1 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

Make It!

MIX 3 cups of the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls.

DIP balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover melted chocolate can be stored in tightly covered container at room temperature and saved for another use.) Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Kraft Kitchens Tips
How to Easily Dip Truffles-To easily coat truffles with the melted chocolate, add truffles, in batches, to bowl of melted chocolate. Then use two forks to roll truffles in chocolate until evenly coated. Remove the truffles with forks and allow excess chocolate to drip back into bowl before placing truffles on prepared baking sheet.

Special Extra-Sprinkle truffles with colored sugar or sprinkles in addition to or in place of the cookie crumbs.

How to Soften Cream Cheese-Place completely unwrapped package of cream cheese in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 10 sec. or just until softened. Add 15 sec. for each additional package of cream cheese.

Candy Cane Cookies

I saw this recipe on the Food Network recently. Tonight we tried it out. Abe had fun rolling the dough into ropes/snakes. It was a pretty simple recipe that I didn't even mess up. And that's AMAZING!

Candy Cane Cookies by Sandra Lee

Ingredients

1 box sugar cookie mix
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 egg
1/3 cup softened cream cheese
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for surface
Red food coloring
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine sugar cookie mix, melted butter, egg, cream cheese, and flour; mix together to form dough.

Separate dough into 2 equal portions and place in 2 different bowls. Add red food coloring gradually to 1 bowl of dough, kneading together until desired shade of red is created. To second bowl of uncolored dough, add peppermint extract and knead together.

On a floured work surface, shape each dough into balls and then roll each ball into 1/4-inch-wide ropes, each about 6 inches long. For each cookie, carefully twist some of the red and white ropes of dough together and shape into a candy cane.

Spread candy canes out on cookie sheets and bake on the top shelf of the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool before serving.

Saltine Toffee

Quick, before holiday cooking is done! Last week Trevor and I made a yummy batch of this--it's a funny version of toffee, maybe less rich, certainly less fine.

1 1/2 packages of saltines (not boxes)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cube butter (or margarine, some recipes say)

2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with foil then lightly coat with cooking spray.

Lay out saltines neatly (1-2 packages) with no spaces between.

Bring sugar and butter to a boil while stirring over med-high heat. Quickly pour over saltines, covering as many as possible.

Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for a minute. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, spreading evenly after melting.

Put in fridge for 15 minutes or so to set, then break into pieces.

Easy Buttermilk Biscuits

We usually make biscuits out of Bisquick ... but last night I wanted to try a Buttermilk Biscuit recipe. I found the following recipe on allrecipes.com. I liked their idea to roll it out in the pan and then use a pizza cutter to divide it up before you cook. These were easy to make, turned out great, and were even yummy this morning toasted.

Kentucky Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 dash salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the buttermilk.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 2 minutes. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet, roll into a 6x6 inch square, and cut into 12 even sections. Do not separate.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center of the square comes out clean. Separate into biscuits, and serve hot.

Tip from a review on allrecipes.com: Freeze the stick of butter and then grate with a box grater. That way the butter stays nice and cold for a nice tender biscuit.

Don't over handle or stir biscuit dough as it will make them tough.

Sour Cream Rolls

I know there are thousands of yummy roll recipes out there, but I wanted to share this one from my friend Lisa Pett. It's so soft because of the sour cream in it. I like it because with my busy schedule right now with a newborn, it is convenient to break up the work ... make the dough at night ... and shape/bake in the morning. It just takes a little planning ahead. I've also done it all the same day - letting it rise 3 hours before shaping and 3 hours after.

Sour Cream Rolls from Lisa Pett

Ingredients:
1 large carton of sour cream (2 cups)
1/4 cup shortening
Heat them together in a little pan, but don't boil.

Place in mixing bowl and stir in:
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, well beaten

Directions:
Take 2 packages of dry, fast rising yeast (2 TBLSP) and dissolve in 1 cup of luke warm water. Then mix with other ingredients in large bowl. Add 7 1/2 cups flour, and knead.

Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and place a dishtowel over it. Place bowl and contents, well covered, in a refrigerator overnight (or in a cold oven for 3 hours) and until the dough has doubled in bulk.

Make rolls and place in roll pans, cover with dishtowel and let raise for about 3-4 hours. ***However, I have made them and let it rise in a semi warm oven to go faster and it works just fine too.

Don't make them too small. If you fold them over, put a little butter between the folds. Bake 9-12 minutes, depending on oven, at 350 degrees. Bake until rolls are light brown--not dark brown.

(tips from lisa:

**I cut the dough into 4 equal parts and then roll it out into a 16 inch circle. Then I use a pizza cutter to cut the circle into 16 even triangles. I roll them up like Crescent rolls and butter them with a melted butter and a pastry brush hot out of the oven.

This dough is an excellent base for cinnamon or orange rolls.)

Pear Crisp

Just wanted to give a shout-out to this Pear Crisp recipe from Pioneer Woman. I made it and it was tasty. As always, go to her site for scrumptious photos of this recipe.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4

Ingredients

FILLING INGREDIENTS:
4 whole (to 5) Large Pears (Bosc Work Well)
⅔ cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
_____

Topping Ingredients
1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
⅓ cups Sugar
⅓ cups Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
½ teaspoons Cinnamon
½ cups Pecans, Very Finely Chopped
1 stick Butter, Melted

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel, core, and dice pears. Place into a bowl and stir together with 2/3 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Stir together. Drizzle melted butter gradually, stirring with a fork as you go until all combined.

Pour pears into a baking dish; top with crumb topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Place pan on top rack of oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

Credit for this recipe goes to my sister Amy. She mentioned that she made these (original recipe found in the Nestle cookbook) and shared the recipe with me. I made them today and even the kids loved them.

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
1/2 cup Sugar
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Solid pack pumpkin
1/4 cup Melted butter
1 Egg
6 oz Semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup Finely chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 400. In large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; make a well in the center.

In a small bowl, combine milk, pumpkin, butter and egg; add to well in flour mixture.

Add chocolate chips; stir until dry mixture is moistened. Spoon mixture into greased muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full. Sprinkle 1 tsp. nuts over each muffin.

Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans, completely cool on racks.

This recipe makes 12.

Stuffed Mushrooms

1 lb large mushrooms, cleaned, remove stems
1 cube butter with garlic powder
8 oz cream cheese
3 chopped green onions
1 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Melt 1 cube of butter and add garlic powder. Mix cream cheese, onions, Parmesan cheese, and cheddar cheese. Stuff mixture into mushroom stem hole. Dip all mushrooms into garlic butter. Bake at 300 for 10-15 minutes. Then broil until brown. (I didn't think I needed the whole cube of butter. Next time I'm going to start with a half a cube and add more if that isn't enough. I had too much left over and hated to waste it. ) Enjoy! They are super yummy.

Caramel Apple Salad

This recipe is from our friends in Chicago, Kathy and Jerry. They took us to our first apple orchard, years ago in Michigan. Fresh picked apples are so yummy!

1- 20 oz. can crushed pineapple
4 c. miniature marshmallows
1/2 c. sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1- 8oz. cool whip (room temp.)
2-3 apples, diced
1 c. salted peanuts

Drain pineapple, save juice. Mix pineapple and marshmallows. In medium saucepan combine:

cornstarch
sugar
egg
vinegar
pineapple juice

Cook until slightly thickened over medium heat; cool and combine with cool whip. FOLD in the marshmallows and pineapple mixture.

Add apples and peanuts. Refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Lemon Rice Pilaf

3 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed and minced
2 carrots, pared and shredded
1 1/3 cups uncooked long-grain rice
3 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Melt butter in sauce pan with tight fitting lid.
Add garlic and carrots; cook, stirring frequently until carrots begin to color, about 5 minutes.
Add rice; stir.
Add broth, zest and salt.
Bring to a boil and simmer covered, about 20 minutes.
Fluff rice.

Crispy Chicken Costolleta

Ryan loves the Crispy Chicken Costolleta from the Cheesecake Factory, so I found this copycat recipe that is pretty similar.

Crispy Chicken

4 chicken breasts, cut horizontally, and pounded to about 1/4 inch thick, or use chicken cutlets.
Lemon zest of 2 lemons
1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons Freshly grated Parmesan (optional)
2 eggs, whisked with 2 T water
3 Tablespoons flour
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Zest two lemons. Bake zest for about 5 minutes until dry. On one paper plate combine flour, pepper and salt. On another paper plate combine eggs and water, whisk until combined. On another paper plate combine dry lemon zest, bread crumbs and cheese. Place pounded chicken in the flour, coating well, followed by the egg mixture and the bread crumbs. Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Place chicken in pan and cook on each side about 5 minutes until middle is no longer pink. You will need to work in batches, adding more oil and butter as needed. Keep chicken warm in oven at 250 degrees.

Lemon Sauce

2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup plus 1 T fresh lemon juice
1/8 cup chicken stock
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Over medium heat in a fairly large saucepan heat canola oil. Add minced garlic and saute about 3 minutes. Add whipping cream and boil until reduced by one-third. Add Dijon, lemon juice, chicken stock and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.

Serve chicken with lemon sauce.

Fruit Dip/Topping

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• a handful of Strawberries smashed or pureed (2-3 TBSP)
  
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup whipped topping

Blend together the cream cheese, strawberries, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and whipped topping.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Thanks to Martha Stewart for the recipe below. I have discovered sweet potatoes recently and really like them. The only thing I changed below is to use skim milk instead of half-and-half. Also, I used unsalted butter. This recipe is easy and delicious!

Ingredients

Makes 3 cups

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. Set a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Fill with enough water to come just below basket; bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Place sweet potatoes in steamer basket and cover; steam until tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain, and return to saucepan.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring half-and-half, butter, and brown sugar to a simmer, stirring to combine; remove from heat. Add to drained sweet potatoes, and mash just until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

Wheat Berry Waffles or Pancakes

Tricia's friend Matt made these for us when I went to KC. They were so good.


1 c. Wheat berries - rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c. Milk
1/3 c. Oil - applesauce may be used for half the oil.
1 egg
1 Tbsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Pure maple syrup or honey

Put milk in blender. Add wheat berries and blend for 5 mins. Add oil, egg, salt, and maple syrup. Blend for 15 seconds. Add baking powder and blend just to mix in. The batter will start to rise. Bake as waffles or pancakes.

As an alternate to butter and syrup, you can serve the waffles with the following - applesauce and whipped cream and pecans
Or rasperry jam and sour cream
Or diced fruit and whipped cream.