Spinach Salad

A number of years ago, I went to a baby shower for my friend Kristal and a lady from our Sunday School class, Kathy, made this salad as part of the main course. It was delicious and I made sure to get the recipe. I've been thinking about making it all summer and I finally bought all the ingredients this week so it's what we're having tonight and I'm excited! It's delicious, fresh and full of flavor! Try some tonight!

Spinach Salad

Use mostly spinach and a little spring lettuce
Garlic herb feta cheese
Chopped Kalamata olives (these are very strong but work really well in this salad)
Grilled chicken
Grape Tomatoes

For the dressing, infuse (blend in a food processor) equal parts of olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a dash of black pepper. Toss all together just before serving. This is a very flavorful, delicious salad!

Meatless Tacos

Another great way to use up the abundance of squash this time of year. My husband and I loved this. The jury was split as far as the kids were concerned, but hey, at least one of them liked it! I think other veggies would be good as well, such as chopped bell pepper, onion, garlic, etc.

3 T. olive or vegetable oil
1 cup cubed potatoes
2 cups cubed zucchini
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tsp. chili powder
dash salt and pepper
12 taco shells
Toppings as desired: shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, green onion, chopped cucumber

Heat taco shells according to package directions.

Heat oil over med-hi heat. Saute potatoes for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Add zucchini during the last few minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients except toppings. Fill heated taco shells and top as desired.

Spiced Carrot-Zucchini Bread

Everyone's probably baking lots of zucchini bread right now, and here is a recipe with a slightly different twist. My cousin, who is deployed in Afghanistan, said the zucchini bread I sent him was the only one he got that was still moist. My aunt asked me how I did it, and I'm not exactly sure, as it was a while ago!! The only thing I can think of was that I sent him a loaf of this bread, and the carrots kept it moist. Even if I'm wrong on that part, it's still a yummy, easy bread. The spices seem to be louder than in regular zucchini bread. Perhaps the carrots set them off? I like that aspect, but if you're not a huge cinnamon or cloves fan you may consider reducing them a tad.

from The Pampered Chef


2 1/4 c. flour (I usually use 3/4 - 1 cup of whole wheat)
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder (original recipe calls for 1/2 tsp. I live at high altitude and reduce it)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 c. finely chopped carrots - I don't know who has time to finely chop carrots when you could just shred them! That's what I always use. I've also subbed shredded apple in a pinch
3/4 c. finely chopped zucchini (same as above!!)
1/2 c. coarsely chopped nuts
2/3 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten


Preheat oven to 350. Spray bottom only of greased loaf pan with Pam. In large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients; stir just until dry ingredients moistened.


Spoon batter into pan. Bake 65-70 min. or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 min. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove loaf to cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Amazing Pesto

POWER BASIL PESTO -Osage's infamous recipe

3-OZ OSAGE BASIL
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts, toasted
4 TBS virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp salt
1 to 2 cloves garlic
1-TBS Hot pasta water*

After lightly desteming the basil, blanch the basil for ~1 minute in boiling water. Remove the basil from the water with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander for a short time. This blanching gives the pesto a rich wonderful creamy texture.
In a blender or cuisinart blend the olive oil, garlic, salt and blanched basil. Blend for a minute and clean down the sides of the bowl. Add toasted nuts and blend. Last add the parmesan cheese.
Blend until creamy. * Hot Pasta water as needed. Best served fresh or room temperature.

This recipe is from Osage Gardens and it really is super tasty. They have many other herb recipes as well as other types of pesto recipes. I'll definitely be trying more of their recipes!

The blanching is what sets this pesto apart from other recipes I've seen or made. I don't mind the garlic but if you want the flavor of the basil to be prominent, use a smaller amount of garlic or possibly none at all.

Corn Edamame Salad

In the words of my friend Jen, this "tastes like summer". It came from Parents magazine, as a way to try to get kids to eat veggies. They might try it if they like corn. But adults love it, too!!

3 ears corn
2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame, cooked and drained
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 slivered green sweet pepper, or your favorite color
2 Tbs. red-wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Husk corn and brush with 1 tsp. oil. Grill on medium heat about 15 minutes, or until tender, turning occasionally to brown evenly. Remove and let cool.

2. Cut kernels from the corncobs into a large bowl. Add edamame, tomato and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir dressing into corn mixture. Serve at room temperature or cover and chill for up to 3 days. Makes about 6 cups.

Note: I also have subbed 1 can corn, drained, rather than grilling the corn.

The New York Times No-Knead Bread

This bread is very low-maintenance and tastes like it's not! Be sure to use instant yeast, not to be confused with Rapid Rise. I did, and it took me awhile to figure out what I was doing wrong! Although my friend who gave me the recipe always uses Rapid Rise. Not sure why it works for her and not me! It comes out crusty on the outside, spongy in. Delicious with butter, or jam.

3 c. all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 tsp. instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp. salt
cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 c. water, and stir until blended. Dough will be sticky and shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 min.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450. Put a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into it, seam side up; it may look like a mess but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighen out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 min., then remove lid and bake another 15-30 min, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. Makes 1 1/2 lb. loaf.

Chicken and Barley Soup

We are still having rainy, gloomy weather in Glenwood Springs, which to me is a perfect reason to make soup in my crock pot and smell it cooking all day long! My hubby loves this because of the barley. I served it with No-Knead Bread. From Susan Richardson of Libertyville, IL.

1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, cut into thin slices.
1/2 cup medium pearled barley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cut up whole chicken (about 3 lb)
1 T. olive oil
3 1/2 c. chicken broth (I used 1 cup broth and the rest water as I think the chicken makes its own flavorful broth and doesn't need added salt)
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
3/4 tsp. salt (I left it out)
1/2 tsp. dried basil (I used about 1 tsp., plus 1 tsp. rosemary because I love it!)
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Place celery, onion, carrot, barley and garlic in slow cooker.

2. Remove and discard skin from chicken pieces. Separate drumsticks from thighs and trim back bone from breasts. Save wings for another use. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; brown chicken pieces on all sides. Place chicken in slow cooker.

3. Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker. (I left out the herbs and added them about 20 min. before serving for stronger flavor) Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4 hours or until chicken and barley are tender. Remove chicken; separate chicken from bones and cut/shred into bite-size pieces. Discard bones. Stir chicken into soup. Makes 4-6 servings.

Fondant Frosting & Glaze for Sugar Cookies

I found this recipe on Simple Organized Living and thought it looked like a fabulous idea! My MOPS group was going to make cookies for the Moppet workers and I suggested we try this for the frosting. It was a little bit of trial and error but the cookies turned out beautifully and I will definitely be using this fondant frosting and glaze again.

TIPS: You definitely need a mixer to work with the fondant. It's too tough otherwise. We made one batch of fondant and one batch of glaze. We had two batches of cookie dough (we used store bought and one homemade...but not off Simple Organized Living's website) and ended up with extra fondant for probably another 10 cookies and some extra glaze. All together, we frosted about 40 regular sized cookies. The fondant melts enough to stick to the cookies but still held it's shape and didn't melt as much as we expected. We found that it works better to roll the fondant thin (1/8 of an inch or so). The fondant can become a little dry and more difficult to work with if left out too long. You can actually roll it out and cut out the shapes first. The fondant stacks well and doesn't stick together so it's something you can prep ahead of time if desired. Whatever order you do it in, just make sure that you have the fondant ready to add to the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven!

Fondant:
8-10 oz white mini marshmallows
2 T water
1 T flavoring (1/2 vanilla and 1/2 almond)
1 lb powdered sugar, plus more to add until recipe is right consistency
Vegetable shortening for bowl
Food coloring

1. Grease the inside of a glass microwaveable bowl.
2. Add marshmallows, water, and vanilla -- microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir and microwave on high at 30 second intervals until marshmallows are completely melted.
3. Measure powdered sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and pour melted marshmallows over powdered sugar.
4. Attach the dough hook and knead on low speed until well blended.
5. Continue adding powdered sugar until it's no longer sticky. Add food coloring and mix until combined.
   

I found that it worked well to add coloring to make one color, remove half and then add more coloring to that first color to get a different color. This way I could use the same bowl and mix it in the mixer still. I started with pink and then took half out and added blue to make a purple.

This glaze worked really well and was super easy to use. I would recommend putting it in a Pampered Chef frosting squeeze bottle with a fine tip like the ones below. These worked great!

2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 cu warm water
1/2 T corn syrup
1/2 T flavoring of choice (the almond works great here as well!)
Food coloring

1. Combine ingredients and stir until well combined. {The glaze may be lumpy at this point}
2. Let set for one hour so the lumps melt and the air bubbles come to the surface.
3. After the hour has passed, stir until smooth.
4. {The glaze should be thick, but thin enough to disappear after 10 seconds when it is folded over on itself.}
5. Divide glaze as desired, and add the colors you need and decorate your cookies and let it dry completely.
6. Spoon glaze into piping bags with small round tip and decorate as desired

Wild Rice Soup

This soup is amazingly yummy. It's hearty, healthy and has amazing flavors! My friend Tracey has made a variation of this soup that I've eaten in the past. I also found another recipe for wild rice soup online that looked really good. The following recipe is a combination of the two recipes and I've made it two times in the past three weeks. It comes together quickly, especially if you have cooked, frozen chicken pieces in the fridge. I love making this homemade wheat bread and serving it with the soup. 

3 cups cooked wild rice

5 cups water (you can also start with one can of broth and then add enough water to equal 5 cups)

1 package frozen veggies (I use peas but you can use broccoli, or other veggies that you'd like)

1-2 medium carrots, shredded

2 teaspoons dried minced onion (or 1/2 cup chopped fresh onion)

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed (or 1 container Philadelphia cooking creme)

1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups cooked chicken

¼ cup slivered almonds, optional

Cook rice in a rice cooker or according to your normal method while assembling the rest of the recipe. In a large saucepan or slow-cooker add all ingredients. When rice is finished, add that as well. Cook until soup is hot and vegetables are cooked. Stir in almonds if desired. Yield: 8 servings

Apple-Feta Tossed Salad

Delicious! Perfect for winter when it's hard to find veggies for your salad. From Taste of Home magazine.

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup walnut halves
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
5 cups torn romaine
5 cups torn red leaf lettuce
1 medium red apple, chopped
1 medium green apple, chopped
1/2 to 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

DRESSING: (I added a little olive oil to help tone down the vinegar)
6 tablespoons white wine or rice vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the walnuts; sprinkle with sugar and pepper. Stir until well coated. Spread onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring every 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. (I just used candied walnuts which I bought to save a few minutes)

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the romaine, red lettuce, apples and feta cheese; set aside. In a blender, combine the dressing ingredients; cover and process until blended. Drizzle over salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle with sugared walnuts. Yield: 12 servings.

Creamy Cucumber Bites

These are a big hit everywhere I take them! From Charissa Stiefvater of Schaumburg, IL.

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 oz pkg. ranch salad dressing mix
1/2 t. dill weed (I use at least a full tsp, sometimes more)
1 loaf sliced party rye bread (usually found near the deli)
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
Garnish: dill weed

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; mix well and spread on one side of each bread slice. Top each with a slice of cucumber and sprinkle with additional dill weed. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 2 dozen.

BUFFALO CHICKEN WING DIP

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1715,132180-255196,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

1 can chicken (large size)
1 8 oz. brick cream cheese
1/2 c blue cheese dressing (I left this out)
1/4 c cayenne pepper sauce (or about 2/3 c. wing sauce)
1 pkg. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
celery sticks, crackers or corn chips

Melt cream cheese over medium-low heat. Once creamy, add blue cheese, hot sauce, and chicken.
Remove from heat, fold in 1/2 pkg. of shredded cheese.

Pour into square 8x8 oven-safe dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350°F until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with celery sticks, crackers or corn chips.

Sweet 'n' Sour Ribs

Tasty, easy to prepare ribs that cook up tender in the crock pot. Recipe serves 8.

3 to 4 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs
1 can (20 ounces) pineapple tidbits, undrained
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green pepper
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place ribs in an ungreased 5 quart slow cooker. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over the ribs. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is tender. Thicken the sauce if desired.

I added a little bit of tangerine-clementine juice when I made this, as the tangy sweetness nicely complements the overall character of the dish and I substituted some low sodium teriyaki sauce for half of the Worcestershire sauce (out of necessity, as I ran out of Worcestershire sauce). Also, I used a 15 oz can of tomato sauce and a whole 5 oz can of tomato paste (it's only 1 tablespoon more than the recipe calls for). I also used an orange bell pepper instead of green, which makes the finished product just as flavorful but a little bit less colorful. To save time, I made the sauce the night before, so my actual morning preparation took less than 5 minutes.

Recipe from Taste of Home Winning Recipes.

Instant Oatmeal

OK, admittedly I am not a huge oatmeal fan, but I eat it (and serve it to my kids) often because it's so cheap and so good for you! But compared to cereal or toast, it's a little time-consuming when you've got hungry kids waiting. So when I stumbled on this recipe for making your own instant oatmeal, I was really excited. I hardly ever buy the prepackaged kind because it's so much cheaper (and healthier) to make real oatmeal.

Back to the not-being-a-fan part, oatmeal is much easier for me to eat with various toppings such as chopped apples, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, etc. So I decided to improvise a little bit and made the first batch with Craisins, sliced almonds and dried chopped apples. I'm looking forward to experimenting with some other types of whole grains next time, too. But here is the recipe as it appeared in Woman's Day magazine.

18 oz. container quick-cooking oats.
1 envelope (3.2 oz) nonfat dry milk (which I didn't have, so I just left it out. It still turned out fine)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup raisins

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Transfer to an airtight container. To serve, scoop 1/2 cup oatmeal mix into a bowl and add 1/2 cup water. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Makes about 16 servings.

Zesty Pecan Pasta

This turned out really yummy. The sauce reminds me a little of artichoke dip, and would be great even without the pecan topping, maybe as a side dish (served over the pasta). From Southern Living magazine.

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 (12 oz) package linguine
1 (14 oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained (make sure they are NOT marinated)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 (3 oz) package cream cheese, softened
3 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves (a litttle strong. One might be sufficient if you're not a huge garlic fan)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
salt to taste

1. Heat pecans in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 5-7 min. or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from skillet. Let cool 5 min. Stir together pecans, parsley and zest.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

3. Process artichoke hearts and next 5 ingredients in food processor or blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid. Pulse 3-4 times until smooth. Toss with hot cooked pasta; season with salt to taste. Top each serving with pecan mixture.

Chinese Chicken Morsels

Yum! The marinade for this is so delicious, and unique. My only change would be to use a little less lemon if you're using bottled juice. If using fresh, the entire amount would probably be OK. Also, I don't know what cut of "dark chicken" the authors used, but I used thighs, and they just don't cut into "cubes"! :) Mine turned out more like little piles, but were still so tender and juicy. I'm a big dark chicken meat fan! But these would be great with white meat, too. From Once a Month Cooking cookbook.

1 lb. boneless, skinless dark chicken
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (gives it a tasty kick without being too spicy for my little ones)
1 c. uncooked rice (Jasmine is perfect for this)

Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes.

In medium bowl, mix next 5 ingredients. Place chicken pieces in marinade and refrigerate, covered, for several hours, or freeze in large ziploc for later use.

Remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade. Place chicken cubes about 1 inch apart on broiler pan sprayed with Pam. Broil 4-5 inches from heat for 7 minutes.

Brush with marinade. Turn chicken cubes and broil another 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare rice according to package directions.

Heat remaining marinade (I boiled mine a few minutes to sort of sterilize it). Serve chicken and marinade over rice. Makes 4-5 servings.

Wine Poached Chicken

I was a little disappointed by this. The flavor of the wine just didn't infuse the chicken as much as I was hoping, and the sauce is so thin it's hard to get much with each bite. Maybe thicken it (the sauce) with corn starch at the end? It is lowfat, though, and very quick and easy. From Simply Colorado cookbook.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/3 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon leaves (which I didn't have, thyme made a nice substitute)
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped
3/4 c. dry white wine

Saute mushrooms over medium heat until just starting to cook down. Add chicken to skillet; sprinkle evenly with salt, tarragon, pepper and parsley. Pour wine over chicken. Cover and simmer for 15 min. or until chicken is tender. Serve with sauce left from skillet. Serves 4.

Smoked Monte Cristos

A FAST, easy lunch or dinner that everyone in my family really enjoyed, even my picky 4 year old. The blackberry preserves sounded weird to me but were surprisingly complementary! From Southern Living magazine.

4 T. whole grain mustard (Dijon works in a pinch)
8 honey-wheat bread slices
1/2 lb. thinly sliced smoked deli turkey
4 (1 oz.) Swiss or mozzarella cheese slices
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
2 T. butter
2 T. blackberry preserves
1 T. powdered sugar (optional)

1. Spread mustard over 1 side of each bread slice. Layer 4 bread slices, mustard sides up, with turkey and cheese slices. Top with remaining bread slices, mustard sides down.

2. Whisk together eggs and milk in a shallow dish. Dip both sides of each sandwich into egg mixture.

3. Melt 1 T. butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; cook 2 sandwiches in skillet 3-4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat procedure with remaining butter and sandwiches. Serve immediately with blackberry preserves. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Grandma Della’s Potato Salad

This is a delicious potato salad. I really don't like potato salads usually but I love this one because the flavor is so great. In the summer time, my favorite meal involves this salad, BBQ chicken with homemade BBQ sauce, homemade biscuits and homemade strawberry jam. You just can't get a better summer meal.

Combine in saucepan and heat to boiling:

2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. Dry mustard

Beat in bowl:
1 egg
2 tbsp flour 

Add small amount of hot mix to egg mix and keep adding until hot and incorporated, then add all to hot mixture and cook over low heat until thickened. Cool in fridge. 

Add 1-2 tbsp or so of turmeric, salt and pepper to taste, and combine vinegar sauce with equal parts mayo to make dressing. I usually start with about ½ cup of each and keep adding whichever it needs until it’s a little tangy but not overpowering.

Pour over cooked potatoes, hard boiled eggs, celery, pepper, relish, onion and anything else that sounds good.

*I usually just make a half recipe of the vinegar sauce because I typically only use half in a very large recipe (about 12 potatoes & 12 eggs).

I’m a little weird when it comes to potato salad. I don’t like crunchy things in it so I only do the sauce with potatoes and eggs. It’s delicious but if you’re more adventurous, add the additional ingredients.

Curried Cauliflower-Ginger Soup

My 3 year old and 20 month old ate their big bowls full of this soup without stopping and without being asked a single time to "take a bite".  That says a lot!  :)  I wouldn't say this is absolutely delicious, but it is pretty good.  Definently do add a chunk of butter to each bowel - it calms the sharpness of flavor from the spices.  (It isn't "hot" spicey).

Curried Cauliflower-Ginger Soup


Serves 4 – 6 as a starter to a meal
Ingredients:
1 medium onion – chopped
1 small stalk celery – sliced
1 whole medium sized cauliflower – chopped in large chunks
1” piece ginger – peeled and minced
4 cups homemade chicken stock or water, or a combination
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon turmeric
unrefined sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Good quality butter for serving
Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
Preparation:
In a small dish, stir together the cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala. Set aside. Place onion, celery, ginger, and liquid in a medium soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 7-8 minutes. Meanwhile heat a small skillet over a medium flame. Add the spice mix and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula to keep it moving over the heat. When it becomes fragrant and barely darker in color remove from the heat and add to the soup, along with the cauliflower. Cover, raise the heat again to boiling, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from the stove.
Puree soup until smooth, and ladle into serving bowls, accompanied with a dollop of fresh butter and some chopped cilantro if you like.

I served this with fried battered fish and steamed sweet potato chunks.  The kids cleaned their plates! 

Recipie from here: http://www.candida-cure-recipes.com/homemade-vegetable-soup-recipes.html

French Dip Roast

My whole family loved this, including my 1 and 4 year old daughters! I think they like the dipping element.

from Patti Boston, out of the Fix-it and Forget-it Cookbook

1 large onion, sliced (fine without it for onion-haters)
3 lb. beef bottom roast (fat trimmed, if desired)
1/2 cup dry white wine, or water
1 pkg. dry au jus gravy mix
2 cups beef broth

1. Place onion, if using, in slow cooker. Add roast.
2. Combine wine and gravy mix. Pour over roast.
3. Add enough broth to cover roast.
4. Cover, cook on high 5-6 hours, or low 10-12 hours.
5. Remove meat from liquid. Let stand 5 min. before slicing thinly across the grain. Serve on Kaiser or French rolls with au jus on the side.

Chocolate Peanut-butter Cookies

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I've been craving a combination of chocolate peanut-butter. One night while I was craving this combo, I searched on allrecipes.com (my favorite place to look for ingredient based recipes) and came across this recipe called "Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies." I made them and thought they were as good as everyone else thought. Try them for yourself!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls on to lightly greased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Wheat Bread

Wheat Bread (Home-Style Yeast Bread)

From Tracey Walter 

This is a very tasty bread recipe. It's not dry like many homemade breads turn out. It lasts a few days and still tastes good. I love eating it fresh and hot but it makes great toast and sandwiches as well. 

• 3 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast (6 ¾ tsp)
• 2 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 Cups Wheat Flour
• 5 ½-6 cups bread flour

Directions

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, butter, salt, eggs and 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough.
• Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down; turn onto a floured surface. Divide into thirds. Shape into loaves and place in three greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 3 loaves (16 slices each).

Cheddar Beer Soup

4 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. milk
3 c. shredded cheddar
12 oz. flat beer
corn starch

Melt butter in dutch oven. Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Gradually add flour, stirring constantly. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Stir in milk and cheese, stirring constantly until cheese melts. Pour in beer, heat through. Thicken with corn starch mixed with water, if desired. Serve piping hot. Serves 6-8.

Cinnamon Toasted Almonds

I first had these in Germany. They were being sold from a kiosk in a train station, and you could smell them all over the station. Then I ran across this recipe at tasteofhome.com and decided to try them as Christmas gifts. They are so easy, and make your house smell equally as wonderful! The only change I would make is add maybe 1/2 cup more almonds, as there was too much sauce.

Prep: 15 min. Bake: 25 min. + cooling

2 egg whites
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
4 cups unblanched almonds
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, beat egg whites until frothy; beat in vanilla. Add almonds; stir gently to coat. Combine the sugars, salt and cinnamon; add to nut mixture and stir gently to coat.

Spread evenly into two well-greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Bake at 300° for 35-45 minutes or until almonds are crisp, stirring once. Cool. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 4 cups.

Cran-Yam Crumble

My sister gave me this yummy twist on traditionally unpopular sweet potatoes! You can mash the sweet potatoes or leave them whole, depending on your texture preference.

2 17oz. cans of yams, drained (I could not find this size, so I used 29 oz and added a little pureed pumpkin)
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 bag of cranberries
handful or so of mini marshmallows

Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon and then cut into it the butter. Mix in the cranberries. Reserve about half of the mixture to use for a topping. Mix all together with the yams and place into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Then put the reserved mix on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 min. adding the marshmallow to the top during the last 10 min. of baking.

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

As a mom of young children, I LOVE using my slow cooker, but sometimes the recipes all start tasting the same! I found this refreshingly different one on kraft.com. Of course it doesn't have the breading of traditional orange chicken but it does come out with a nice caramelized finish. My two daughters even liked it!

Prep: 10 min. Total: 8 hours 10 min.

8 small boneless skinless chicken thighs (1 lb)
3 Tbsp. flour
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. grated fresh gingerroot (I used 1 tsp. ground ginger)

Toss chicken with flour in slow cooker.

Stir in all remaining ingredients; cover with lid.

Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.

Laundry Soap

Okay, another recipe that's not a meal idea but one that I want to make sure to save. I made one batch of laundry soap about 8-10 months ago. The ingredients for 1 recipe probably cost me less than $1.50. (I had to purchase 2 boxes that I only used 1/2 cup and 1 cup worth of ingredients so it's hard to know the exact cost). This recipe makes quite a bit, which is why it lasted so long. Definitely a great way to save money! Although I coupon, I no longer look at purchasing laundry detergents of any kind. I use dryer balls so I don't need fabric softener either.

Here's the recipe for the soap:

Grate 1/3 to ½ bar of Fels Naptha. (can use other bar soap such as Ivory as well)
Cook over heat in 4 cups of water until dissolved.
Fill a 5 gallon bucket half-way with hot tap water.
To this hot water add the pot of melted soap and water from the stove. (I just use a really huge pot that I bought for laundry soap making  at the thrift store to cook the soap and then I fill it up to the five gallon mark with water.)
Next add 1 cup of the Super Washing Soda and a 1/2 cup of the Borax Laundry Booster.

Allow to cool and then mix well and pour into your containers. I have two big containers that hold most of my laundry soap (one is a plastic, washed out kitty litter container). I then just pour some into two smaller, regular sized laundry containers that I continue to refill as they run out. I do have to shake my bottles each time I use them as it tends to separate. I used a full-bar of Fels Naptha the first time and think it was too much which is why I cut the recipe back to 1/3-1/2 bar. Two different recipes said two different things. I tried it one way and now I’m trying it the other.

I don't really like smelly stuff and when you cook the laundry soap on the stove, it WILL make your house smell like a Fels Naptha bar which is pretty strong. This was the only part of making the laundry soap that I didn't like. Thankfully, the smell disappeared within a few hours.

Pot Roast Pie

Here's another one of my favorite meals that was brought to me after I had my son. What a blessing these meals were! If you like pot roast, you will like this recipe. Honestly, my husband was a little skeptical before it arrived and it wouldn't be something I would THINK that I would like but I LOVED it and my family enjoyed it as well and Phil said I could add it to our meal idea list.

If you have a smaller family, like me, you might find it hard to make a yummy pot roast and actually eat all of it before you either get sick of it or it goes bad in the fridge. I often have these roasts that sit in my freezer for awhile because I keep waiting to make them when we have friends over and then, when we do have friends over, it's usually spontaneous and we don't have time to cook a big roast in the crock pot for 6 hours. So, here's what you do...

Cook your pot roast how you normally would. A little seasoning, possibly sear it on both sides before sticking it in your crock pot with an onion or two, carrots, potatoes and anything else you like. It doesn't really matter what recipe you follow. However you normally do it will work fine. I just looked up a pot roast recipe in a cookbook I had and basically followed that.

After you eat your meal, take the remaining pot roast, drippings/gravy left in the crock pot, and any remaining veggies and smush everything up. I just used a fork to break apart the pot roast and cut the potatoes and carrots I had into smaller pieces. I then mixed it all together along with the drippings in the crock pot. My friend, Tracey, who made this meal for us, added a bag of frozen mixed veggies to the mixture and a few more spices. I don't know exactly what spices she used so just use a little of what sounds good to you. :)

Depending on how much you have, you can make either one or two pies. I have some small pie pans so I made two smaller pies with the leftovers which are easier for our family to eat. Make your own pie crust or use a store bought one if you'd like. Put the pie crust in your pan and then pour the pot pie mixture on top. Make a batch of mashed potatoes (which you can make with butter and cream/milk or healthy and plain). Put about a 1 inch layer of the mashed potatoes on top and freeze until later.

These pies are great reheated and taken to a family who needs a meal or for your family to eat later. A family in our church gave us the arm roast that we used so I basically used a half bag of carrots, 4 potatoes and a few misc. ingredients and made 3 tasty meals for my family!!! This is such a great way to use the leftovers for another meal. Hope you try it sometime!

Chocolate Peanut Buddy Bars

This dessert was brought to me by my friend, Aubrey, after I had Brecken. I must admit I ate almost the whole pan by myself since my husband doesn't like peanut buttery foods. Since it was a whole pan and I didn't want to eat it in 2 days, I cut the bars into single servings, wrapped them in plastic and froze them. Then, when I wanted a treat, I would take one out and eat it frozen or slightly thawed. They were DELICIOUS! Thanks Aubrey!

(These are way less time consuming to make than cookies.)
1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
chocolate chips as many or few as you want!
Bake at 350 degrees until brown around the edges, use 13 X 9 pan

Delicious Chicken Casserole

Made by Alyssa Stanley after Brecken’s birth. So yummy that Taeya & Megan each had thirds!

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, bone-in chicken breast halves
• 2 stalks celery, cut into thirds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 6 ounces sour cream
• 2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups crushed buttery round crackers
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bring to a boil the chicken breasts, celery, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and enough water to cover. Cover, reduce heat to medium low; simmer for 35 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup liquid. Cool chicken, remove meat from bones, and cut into bite-size pieces.
3. In a large bowl, stir together sour cream, soup, broth, celery salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in cooked rice and chicken. Spoon mixture into a 9x13 inch casserole dish. In a resealable bag, shake together crushed crackers and melted butter. Sprinkle crackers over the top.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Notes from Alyssa: Here is the recipe. I am glad you liked it. It is my favorite. I subbed a roasted chicken for the chicken breasts just to make it faster and then just use chicken broth for the liquid. I also do 1 can of cream of mushroom and 1 can of cream of chicken.
**Recipe can be found on Allrecipes.com

Satay Chicken Pasta Salad

This is a Pampered Chef recipe which I originally tasted at one of their cooking shows. It is a great main dish for summer because of all the fresh veggies available, but really yummy anytime. It's a good potluck dish, too.

8 oz. uncooked bowtie pasta (I've also subbed penne or angel hair)
1 cup Asian vinaigrette salad dressing (I especially like Ken's brand)
2 Tbsp. Pampered Chef Asian seasoning mix (or 1 1-in. piece peeled fresh gingerroot, finely grated; 2 garlic cloves, pressed; 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper)
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 medium carrots, peeled
1 medium red bell pepper
1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil
3 cups diced cooked chicken (about 1 lb.)
Add'l chopped peanuts, if desired

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse under cold running water. Transfer to large mixing bowl and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, for dressing, combine vinaigrette, seasoning mix (or gingerroot, garlic and cayenne) and peanut butter in small bowl. Whisk well and set aside.

3. Cut carrots into julienne strips. Cut bell pepper lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips. Cut carrot and pepper strips crosswise into 1-in. pieces. Finely chop peanuts and basil.

4. Add chicken, carrots, bell pepper, peanuts, basil and dressing to pasta; mix well. Garnish with add'l chopped peanuts if desired.

If I have shelled edamame on hand, I'll throw that in (cooked) as well. Everyone in my family likes this, even my 3 and 1 year old daughters!

White Pizza

Yum! Something a little different, and incredibly fast.

1 prepared pizza crust
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, divided
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
pepperoni slices if desired
seasonsed salt to taste

Place pizza crust on a lightly greased pizza pan or baking stone; bake at 425 degrees until dough rises, about 3-5 minutes. Spread garlic over crust; sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheeses. Arrange tomato and pepperoni slices on top; sprinkle with remaining cheese and seasoned salt. Bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes.

No-Knead Parmesan-Garlic Bread

This recipe makes a beautiful, tasty loaf of bread (or two!). Great presentation and guaranteed to be enjoyed by all. Although it does take some time to make because of the rise time, it's really not very difficult to make. Try it for dinner with a great Italian meal.

Place oven rack below center of oven. Warm oven briefly.

Scald 1 cup of milk.

1 package active dry yeast

¼ cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

1 cup lukewarm milk from above (scalded then cooled)

¼ cup softened margarine or butter

¼ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ teaspoon salt

4-4 ½ cups all purpose flour

Parmesan-garlic filling:

          ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

          ½ cup margarine/butter softened

          3 tablespoons parsley flakes (I usually use just under 3 Tbsp)

          ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in milk, margarine, sugar, eggs and salt. Stir in a cup of flour. Stir in remaining flour. Continue stirring scraping dough from side of the bowl, until soft sticky dough forms. Cover, let rise in a warm place until double, about one hour. (Dough is ready if indention remains when touched.) Stir down dough by beating about 25 strokes. Turn dough onto well floured surface; roll or pat in rectangle 18x12 inches. Spread Parmesan-garlic filling evenly over dough. Cut dough into 3 strips 18x4 inches. (I often make 2 smaller loaves because it makes one really HUGE loaf if not made into two and I have a hard time putting it on one cookie sheet.) Roll each strip into rope, pinch edges and ends to seal. Place ropes diagonally and close on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Braid ropes gently and loosely. Do not stretch. Pinch ends to fasten. Tuck under securely. Cover, let rise until 1 ½ times original size about 30 minutes. Mix one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water, brush over braid. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional). Place oven rack below the center of the oven if it is not already there. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25-30 minutes until braid is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. If braid is browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.

Chicken Bryan-Carrabba's Recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 30 mins

This meal is delicious! Very fancy looking when prepared and other meats can be substituted for the chicken. The first time I had this was with pork chops and it was amazing then as well. 

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

Servings Size

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2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Kosher salt, to taste

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Olive Oil

4 ounces goat cheese

6 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2-4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

4 teaspoons onions, minced

8 tablespoons butter, divided

6 tablespoons white wine

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon's worth)

Directions:

1. Brush chicken on both sides with olive oil, season to taste with Kosher salt and cracked pepper.
2. Grill chicken until done (internal temp of 165F) - prepare lemon butter sauce while chicken is grilling.
3. Saute onion and garlic in 2 Tbps butter until soft and fragrant.
4. Add white wine and lemon juice, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes to reduce.
5. Add remaining 6 Tbsp butter, a little at a time, until it melts and mixture is emulsified.
6. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and basil, heat until hot (but do not overheat or sauce may break).
7. Top nearly-done chicken breasts with 2 oz each of the goat cheese until cheese warms and softens.
8. To serve, spoon lemon butter sauce over chicken breasts.
9. Enjoy! I serve this dish with pasta tossed in butter or olive oil (the delicious lemon butter sauce will perfect it), garlic mashed potatoes and a green salad -- yummmm!

One tip I saw on the original link was to substitute white wine for the second half of the butter to help make it a bit healthier. It will save lots of calories. I have not tried this substitute as I haven't yet made this dish myself but I'm sure I'll give it a shot when I make it.

Oven-baked Spanish Tortilla

Can be served hot or cold for any meal. Traditionally served in small cubes as Tapas with beer.

Oven-baked Spanish Tortilla – Tortilla Español al Horno
modified from: http://spanish-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/traditional_spanish_omelette

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb onion (about 2 medium onions), chopped
• 2 1/2 lbs potato (about 8 medium potatoes), peeled & thinly sliced
• 10 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 4 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.


2. Boil potatoes until not quite soft (about 7 min) and drain.


3. Heat olive oil in frying pan and fry onion until tender. Add garlic and saute a few more minutes.


4. Let potatoes, onion, and garlic cool slightly.


5. In a bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together. Add the cooled onion/garlic mixture and stir.


6. Mix egg mixture into the potatoes.


7. Grease a 9 x 11-inch dish fairly liberally with oil.


8. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking-dish and flatten the top surface of the mix – no peaks wanted!


9. Bake in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes until its golden brown - make sure its set in the center using a sharp knife to test it. When ready remove from the oven and leave it cool to cool and set a little more. (about 5 minutes)


10. Loosen the edges with a knife and serve.

Stuffed Bleu Cheese Potatoes

I discovered this wonderful food blog the other day called "Our Best Bites." When I started looking through the website, I was very impressed by the type of recipes they posted. They not only look great but appear relatively simple to make. I just found the website last week and have already made two of the recipes. I was going to use the blue cheese in this recipe but when I went to the store, the Gorgonzola was a better deal so I used it instead and they turned out delicious!! I often take about 10 baked potatoes and make a big batch of twice baked potatoes that I freeze for side dishes later. They take just a minute to reheat in the microwave or I can throw them in the oven with my main course if I have the time. I will definitely be switching my twice baked potatoes recipe to this recipe though! They were worth every calorie! 

4 medium baking potatoes
½ Cup sour cream
1 oz (1/4 cup) crumbled bleu cheese (or Gorgonzola)
¼ Cup milk or buttermilk
4 Tbs real butter, cut into chunks
¾ tsp salt
Dash pepper
½ t garlic powder
8 pieces bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (I used crumbled bacon bits from the salad section)
Grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry potatoes. Rub them lightly with a bit of shortening or vegetable oil (helps crisp the skin) and place directly on oven rack, or a cookie sheet. Bake for one hour or until potatoes are done.
2. Remove potatoes and let cool just a bit. Cut an opening on the top and hollow out each potato, OR cut each potato in half (as shown in photos) to make 8 servings. You may want to hold them with a potholder as they will still be hot!3. Scoop out the insides and place in a bowl. Mash, and add butter, sour cream, bleu cheese, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic. Beat with a hand mixer until fluffy. Carefully spoon mixture back into potato shells. Place in a baking dish.

Return to hot oven and bake for 12-15 minutes.
4. Remove and sprinkle bacon and cheddar cheese over each potato bake an additional 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Original recipe found here:

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/03/stuffed-bleu-cheese-potatoes.html

These were just a little on the soft side. I might cut back a little on the milk next time so they're not quite so mushy. Also, I usually bake my potatoes and don't have time to make the recipe while they're still warm. I often don't make them until they've completely cooled and have never had a problem. 

Chicken Ranch Pizza

I made this yesterday and it was delicious! I love Little Ceasars Chicken Garlic Pizza and wanted to make one just like it - well, this came pretty close! It was my second time making a Pizza, and first time making Pizza dough - it was easy and I'll be making this again and again.

Chicken Ranch Pizza

Ingredients:
3 chicken thighs, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
Italian seasoning (about 1 tsp.)
1/3 – ½ cup Ranch dressing
2 Roma or 1 large tomato, diced
½ red onion, sliced
½ lb. cheese, Mozerella or Monterey Jack
and whatever other toppings you like!

Saute chopped chicken thighs in olive oil with 3 minced garlic cloves & Italian seasoning.

Make the crust and spread it out on a cookie sheet with sides.

Mix Ranch dressing with 3 minced garlic cloves, spread onto the crust. Add toppings: cooked chicken, tomatos, red onion, etc. Top with shredded cheese.

Quick & Easy Pizza Crust
4 ½ cups flour
1 ¾ tsp salt
1 tsp yeast
¼ cup olive oil
1 ¾ cup ice cold water
Mix in bread machine for 7 minutes.
Makes 2 rectangle-cookie-sheet sized pizzas.
Make sure you make the crust thin as this dough does not work with a thick crust! If we only want one pizza, we put the other half rolled in flour into a zip lock bag. It can be refrigerated for about a week or frozen and later thawed.

Baking Pizza Tips
When the oven is at temp, place pizza in the center of the middle rack to allow for maximum air circulation around the pan. A simple cheese and pepperoni pizza prepared in a 12" diameter pizza pan will bake evenly and thoroughly in a 450° F oven on the middle rack in only 12 min.

Adding more toppings to the pizza adds more moisture and mass to cook through. For example, a deluxe pizza with four or five different toppings generally requires a longer baking time at a lower temperature, perhaps 325° F to 350° F for 25 to 35 minutes.

1) The cheese has melted on top and is beginning to brown,
2) The crust edge has browned, from a medium to a golden brown, and,
3) Carefully lift the edge of the pizza to inspect its bottom - should be evenly browned.

(Baking tips from: http://pizzaware.com/howtomakepizza7.htm)

Fiery Volcanos

This is from my mom's kitchen, I don't know where she got it. But it's good! And easy to make. I often serve this to company.

Fiery Volcanos
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups rice
1 lb. ground beef
¼ cup onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 15oz. can pineapple tidbits
1 4oz. can mushroom pieces
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
2 TBSP. vinegar
1 TBSP. cornstarch


Directions:
Prepare rice.

Brown and drain ground beef. When meat is half cooked, add the onion. Then add the salt, pepper, pineapple, mushrooms, tomato sauce & vinegar.

Remove ½ cup of the broth and wisk in the cornstarch. Return it to the pan and bring to a boil to thicken. To serve, spoon over rice “volcanos”.

Scrambled Egg Breakfast Enchiladas

Scrambled Egg Breakfast Enchiladas
recipe from: http://hubpages.com/hub/Scrambled-Egg-Breakfast-Enchiladas-A-10-Minute-Recipe-for-a-Great-Mexican-Breakfast

(This recipe is for one, multiply the recipe as needed.)
3 eggs whisked in a bowl with a pinch of salt
3 corn tortillas
A spicy and smooth tomato based salsa (A red chili sauce would also work here)
A bit of grated mild to medium cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey jack or other mild cheese
Sour cream
A few thin slices of white onion and cilantro sprigs (if you have any)

Heat 2 pans on the stove, both at medium. One pan should be a non stick fry pan suitable for scrambling eggs – the other needs to be a very heavy flat surfaced fry pan or skillet, suitable for dry frying the tortillas. Cast iron or something of a similar heft will shine here.

When the pans have pre heated, add a splash of oil to the non stick fry pan, and scramble your eggs. Remove the pan from the heat before the eggs are entirely cooked, as they will continue to set after you add them to the tortillas. Take them off about 30 seconds before they would look like you would want to eat them and place in a bowl off the heat.

Once your eggs are waiting at the side, take your corn tortillas and dip them to completely cover them in the spicy tomato salsa. Add another scant splash of oil to your heavy cast iron like pan, and place both tortillas face down beside each other to sear.

Let the tortillas cook for about 1 minute (checking to see that they are not burning) and then flip them over. Once you have flipped them, pile your eggs onto the tortillas, dividing evenly, and then cover the eggs with a bit of grated cheese. After another minute or so, fold the tortillas over the eggs (Don't bother trying to roll them up, just fold them like mounded quesadillas) and then move to a serving plate. The tortillas should be very softened and the sauce should be browning up and crisping in places.

The tortillas may stick a bit, but don’t worry about it. Use a heavy metal spatula and just scrape them firmly off the pan. They will look fine on the plate.

Top your finished enchiladas with sour cream and more spicy salsa and place cilantro leaves and thin slices of crispy onion over the sour cream. These are great with refried beans on the side, but quite substantial enough without them if you don't have any handy.

Georgia's notes: I made this for the first time this morning. I used a mild red enchilada sauce. As I was in a hurry, I forgot the sour cream etc. on top, but it was still quite good. The top two tortillas in the package didn't hold together very well (as is often the case) but the second two turned out looking better. I'll be making this for breakfast the rest of the week! A nice change from fried eggs & toast every morning. :)

Sarah's Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the best cookies ever. The key is to add just the right amount of flour and take them out of the oven at the right time.

1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Place sugar, brown sugar and margarine in bowl and mix. Then add eggs and vanilla and mix.

Gradually add baking soda, salt and flour to the sugar mixture and beat until mixed well. Add chocolate chips and mix briefly.

Drop onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Take out of oven when outside of cookie is just turning brown (the middle will look slightly undercooked) Let sit on cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes then cool on wire racks.

Boston Cream Pie

This recipe makes a beautiful and very tasty cake. It looks like it could be difficult to make but it really doesn't take very long and is not hard to make. The most difficult part is slicing the cake in half and moving the top off and back on without breaking it. Try it for a special occasion! Makes a great birthday cake. This recipe can be made and eaten immediately although I think it's best after it's been chilled for awhile so the chocolate on the top is hard and cold.

From the kitchen of Laurie Reynolds from Lee Hake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cake
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¾ cups milk
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Split cake to make two layers. Fill bottom layer with cream filling. Place top layer on cream and spread the chocolate glaze over pie. Refrigerate.
Grease and flour 9 inch cake pan. Mix all ingredients in bowl. Beat batter on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed scraping bowl occasionally for 3 minutes. Pour into pan and bake until a wooden toothpick comes out clean, approximately 35 minutes. Cool on cake rack.

Cream center
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar, cornstarch salt in quart pan. Stir in milk gradually. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mix thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute stirring constantly to avoid burning. Stir at least half of hot mix into egg yolks very gradually. Blend into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil another 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and cool to room temperature.


Chocolate Glaze
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
3 Tbsp margarine or butter
1 cup powdered sugar
¾ tsp vanilla
Approx. 2 Tbsp hot water

Melt chocolate and margarine over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla. Stir in water 1 Tbsp at a time until right consistency.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I found this recipe easy to make and it turned out great! Not as tasty as a cream cheese frosting but it was a good frosting. I love peppermint frosting and I'm sure you can replace the vanilla with peppermint.

This recipe is used at a bakery although I'm not sure where online I originally found this recipe.

The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners’ sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.
Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes*

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

*Note:
If you are icing a 3-layer cake, use the following recipe proportions:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
8 to 10 cups confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Restaurant Styled Salsa

From the blog of The Pioneer Woman. This salsa takes minutes to make and is sooo good! Guaranteed to be devoured if you have a party. I think it tastes best chilled so make a day or a few hours ahead of time.

Ingredients
• 1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
• 2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
• ¼ cups Chopped Onion
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
• ¼ teaspoons Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin
• ½ cups chopped Cilantro (more To Taste!)
• ½ whole Lime Juice
Preparation Instructions
Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I found this recipe while blog hopping and copied it down and made it for dinner. It was wonderful and everything you think of when you want a pulled pork sandwich. Enjoy!

2 ½ - 3 lbs. pork shoulder or pork butt
¾ cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. red wine or cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
½ tsp. liquid smoke, optional
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Sandwich rolls

Place roast inside crock pot. Combine all remaining ingredients (except rolls) and pour over meat. Cook on low heat for 8-9 hours. Shred meat (discarding fat and bones) and return to sauce. Serve on sandwich rolls with Barbecue Table Mop.

You can easily double this recipe. The cooking time might need to be lengthened.


Barbecue Table Mop

1 cup hickory flavored bottled barbecue sauce
¾ cup ketchup
1/3 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes about 2 cups sauce.

Treasure Island Chicken “Orange Chicken”

We had dinner at our friend’s, Annette & Brian’s, home and Annette made this dish for us. Both Phil and I had seconds. It was a simple meal but it was very good.

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts (I’d recommend cutting them in half)
½ stick of butter
3 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
1 ½ cup orange juice

Directions
Place the chicken breasts in a greased shallow “stove to table” baking dish. Brush with melted butter or margarine. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, melt ½ stick of butter. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a small bowl, mix, add to butter. Stirring constantly, add orange juice. Cook slowly until thick and smooth. Pour over chicken and bake 40 minutes longer. Serve over rice.

Homemade Hummus

Hummus
This recipe is originally from MckMama's Blog.

1 16 oz can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans)
The liquid from said can of chickpeas (I personally use just a little of the liquid so it's not too runny)
4 tablespoons lemon juice (or lime if you want to get crazy)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 crushed garlic cloves (I often use one)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Variations: I made this without the Tahini. Only used 2-4 T of liquid from chickpeas. Tasted great when finished. Might try some cumin powder next time.

This tastes amazing with homemade pitas. I'll try to post that recipe soon.

Mango Lassi

This is my version of a mango lassi. A mango lassi is a delicious Indian drink and can be found on the menu of most Indian restaurants. Some blend the ice into the drink, some just add ice to the drink but I always prefer mine blended.

1 1/2 cups diced fresh mango (2-3 mangoes)
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
Scant 1/4 cup sugar (or less depending on preference)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (optional)
1/2 cup-2 cups ice cubes
In a blender, combine the mango, orange juice, and sugar. Once well-blended, add ice cubes and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Zucchini Bread

This bread is a tried and true good zucchini bread recipe. It tastes delicious and is very moist. It's my all-time favorite zucchini bread recipe and was found on allrecipes.com

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Ready In: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
Yields: 24 servings

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts (or chocolate chips)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Megan’s notes: When I make this, I substitute pureed vegetables for about 3/4 of the oil and it was great. You can’t taste the veggies but it makes it much healthier. (Pureed veggies consist of: sweet potatoes, tomatoes, squash and carrots blended smooth in my blender)

Cheesecake Factory Buffalo Blasts

These are wonderful appetizers. My husband loves to eat them and even loves to make them. It’s his “show-off” recipe and it is just as good as I remember from the Cheesecake Factory.

2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup buffalo-style hot sauce
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
24 wonton wrappers
oil (for frying, peanut suggested)

NOTE: all amounts are suggested; feel free to adjust to your personal preference.

Put about a tsp into the center of a small wonton, seal edges using a little water. Keep covered until all wontons are done. You can make these with the large wontons as well. Just add more filling.

Heat oil to about 325 degrees F.

Fry wontons, a few at a time, until lightly brown and crisp.

Serve with bleu cheese or ranch salad dressing/dip.

NOTE: The filling can be made the day ahead and refrigerated, and the flavor intensifies.

Almost Too Much Chocolate Cake

This is a recipe I found on Allrecipes.com. It's super easy to make and tastes delicious. It calls for a bundt pan and it tastes great made that way without frosting. However, my favorite way to make this cake is in two cake pans. I then frost the cake with homemade peppermint frosting. It's so delicious this way as it's such a moist cake and the peppermint and chocolate just go so well together.

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil (I usually use applesauce)
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate. If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Alterations:
There are times when I don't have the exact ingredients and need to alter the recipe a little. I always use a chocolate cake mix of some sort whether or not it's a devil's food cake. If I don't have chocolate pudding, I've used vanilla before. Also, I've used white chocolate chips when I run out of semi-sweet chocolate chips. It's always turned out great!

Banana Bread

This recipe is from the home of one of my 5th grade students. It was one of the best banana bread recipes I've ever had. I usually omit the nuts and add chocolate chips instead. Do whatever works best for you though!!

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter
2 eggs
1 ½ cups of ripe bananas (4)
1/3 cup water
¼ teaspoon of baking powder
1 baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups of all-purpose flour
½ cup chopped nuts (I always use chocolate chips instead of the nuts)

Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom only of loaf pan.

Mix sugar and butter in bowl. Stir in eggs until blended. Add bananas and water; beat for 30 seconds. Stir in remaining ingredients except nuts until just moistened; stir in nuts. Pour into pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes; cool for 5 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely before slicing.

I often double this recipe and make one large loaf and two small loafs that way I have one or two to freeze or give away.

Chicken Fajitas

I love fajitas, but have never tried to make them before. I found these recipes on about.com and the fajitas tasted fantastic.

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Fajita Seasoning Mix
source:http://busycooks.about.com/od/homemademixes/r/fajitaseasonmix.htm

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2-1/2 tsp. crushed chicken bouillon cube
• 1-1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. cumin

Preparation:
Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Pour into small glass or plastic container, seal tightly and store in a cool, dry place.
Makes the equivalent of 3 packets of commercial or purchased Fajita Seasoning Mix.

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Chicken Fajitas
source: http://busycooks.about.com/od/chickenbreastrecipes/r/chickenfajitas.htm

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 3 Tbsp. Fajita Seasoning Mix
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
• 6 flour tortillas

Preparation:
Cut chicken into thin strips. Cut green pepper into strips. Heat oil in large skillet and add chicken. Cook and stir over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Then add three tablespoons of the Fajita Seasoning Mix, water, green pepper and onion. Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir over medium heat until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and grated cheese in warmed tortillas.

Crepes

We just made these for a delicious summertime treat. It was a perfect ending to a great day!

This crepe recipe is from my Vita-mix cookbook. It is so quick and easy to make and can be made in any blender.

4 eggs
1 cup skim evaporated milk
1 Tablespoon sugar or other sweetener
1 cup flour

Blend. Pour a small amount into lightly greased pan. Move pan around so it spreads the crepe mixture thin. Cook for a minute until it dries out enough to flip. Flip and cook until slightly browned. Remove and fill with your favorite toppings.

For a sweet crepe, I love homemade whipping cream and fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries) or whatever you like.

TIP: I also use this crepe recipe to make manicotti. It is delicious and cuts down on prep time because you can put a spoonful of filling in and roll it up rather than having to stuff the pasta shells with the cheese.

Pampered Chef Lemon Blueberry Trifle

1 frozen prepared pound cake (16 oz)
2 lemons
1 1/2 cups milk
1 container (8oz) sour cream
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
2 packages (3.4 oz each) lemon instant pudding and pie filling
1 pint fresh blueberries (about 2 cups) (or 1 can blueberry pie filling)
1 square (1oz) white chocolate for baking

1. Cut pound cake into 1-inch cubes; place in large colander or bowl. Using a lemon Zester, make several lengthwise scores in one lemon, top to bottom; slice into 6 slices. Cut each slice in half and set aside for garnish. Zest remaining lemon using short strokes; set aside. Juice lemon. Sprinkle lemon juice over pound cake; toss. (I feel like this step is unnecessary as the lemon zest is overpowered by the lemon pudding. I leave it out of the next step as well)

2. In a bowl, combine milk, sour cream, half of the whipped topping and reserved lemon zest; whisk until smooth. Add pudding mix; whisk until mixture begins to thicken.

3. Set aside 12 blueberries for garnish. To assemble trifle, place 1/3 of the cake cubes into bottom of chilled trifle bowl or clear glass bowl. Top with 1/3 of the blueberries. Grate 1/4 of the chocolate over blueberries. Top with of the pudding mixture, pressing lightly. Repeat layers 2 more times, reserving the remaining grated chocolate for garnish. Spread remaining pudding over entire top of trifle, creating a smooth surface.

4. If desired, decorate top with whipped topping by piping 12 rosettes around edge of bowl. Place one lemon slice between rosettes and one reserved blueberry on each rosette. Or, spread remaining whipped topping over top. Place lemon slices and blueberries on top. Grate remaining chocolate in center. Chill until serving.

Yield: 10 large servings or 20 sample servings

Agua de Sandia (Watermelon Water)

I found this traditional Mexican recipe in a magazine, where the author described how the second half of her watermelon usually sits in her fridge, leaking everywhere, until it goes bad. This totally describes our family's use of watermelon, too! So I was very excited to try this recipe that uses up lots of it. I had actually had something similar on a trip to Belize once, and loved it. If it's not watermelon season, you can also try other types of chopped fruit such as mango, cantaloupe, strawberries or grapes. We've only used watermelon, and it is so refreshing on hot summer days.

2 cups diced watermelon
3 cups water, divided
sugar to taste (up to 1/8 cup)

Puree watermelon and 2 cups water in a blender until very smooth. Pour into a pitcher. Stir in remaining water and sweeten if desired with sugar. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Chill at least 1 hour, pour over ice and serve.

I altered the amounts a little bit, because if you don't dilute it as much, you don't need to add as much sugar. My adjustments are: 3 cups watermelon, 1 1/2 cups water (total), 1 Tbs. sugar.