Parmesan-Crusted Chicken in Cream Sauce

Wow! This recipe is so good and the best part about it is that you can have it ready in 20 minutes!

2 cups instant brown or white rice, uncooked

1 can (14 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

6 butter type Crackers, finely crushed

2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese (the stuff you keep in your refrigerator and put on pizzas)

2-4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves ( I just used two)

2 tsp. oil ( I just used Pam and sprayed the pan a lot)

1/3 cup Cream Cheese ( I used the 1/3 less fat stuff and it turned out great)

1. Cook rice as directed on package, using 1-1/4 cups of the broth and 1/2 cup water.
2. While rice is cooking, mix cracker crumbs and Parmesan on plate. Dip chicken in crumb mixture, turning to evenly coat both sides of each breast.
3.Add oil ( I used Pam) in a large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook 5 to 6 min. on each side or until done (165°F). Transfer to plate; cover to keep warm.
4.Add remaining broth and cream cheese to skillet; bring just to boil, stirring constantly. Cook 3 min. or until thickened, stirring frequently; spoon over chicken. Serve with rice and vegtable (we used our canned green beans)

When I cook this I only used two chicken breasts and their was left over sauce.I really liked the taste of the rice mixed with the chicken and sauce over it. This is sooo good. Let me know if you try it!

Olive Garden Fettucine Alfredo

I've made it and it acually is Olive Gardens recipe. Yummy. I also add strips of chicken that I've grilled in a pan with olive oil.

8 ounces Cream cheese -- cut in bits
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese -- grated
1/2 cup Butter or margarine
1/2 cup Milk
8 ounces Fettuccine; cook -- drain
In large saucepan combine cream cheese, Parmesan, butter and
milk, stirring constantly until smooth. Toss pasta lightly with
sauce, coating well. Leftovers freeze well.

Chicken Tetrazzini

2 tablespoons butter
6 green onions chopped
8 oz of fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
12 oz. package of egg noodles, cooked according to package
1 1/2 cubes of butter
3 Tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups whipping cream or half and half
1 1/2 cups sour cream
salt and pepper
3 oz Parmesan cheese (the stuff in the green can just won't do, ya gotta have the real stuff)

Saute the mushrooms and green onion in 2 Tbsp. butter and set aside.Combine butter, whipping cream, and flour in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat. Cook until it starts to thicken then remove from the heat and mix in the sour cream plus salt and pepper to taste. Mix sauce with noodles, chicken, mushrooms and green onion. Put half of the noodle mixture into a 9x13 pan and top with half of the Parmesan cheese. Then top with remaining noodle mixture and top with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake at 300 for 45 minutes.

**Sorry about two posts the last one i've tried and is yummy, but I wanted to have this recipe on hand the next time I make my menu...sounds delicious!

Ravioli Casserole

1 jar (28 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1 package (25 ounces) frozen cheese ravioli, cooked and drained
2 cups (16 ounces) small curd cottage cheese
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Spread ½ cup of spaghetti sauce in an ungreased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. Layer with half the ravioli, 1 ¼ cups of sauce, 1 cup cottage cheese, and 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 6 to 8 servings.

Old World Mac and Cheese

I know this is a busy week for everyone so I figured I'd choose and easy theme for week, I hope other people think it is easy too! PASTA!!!

I saw this recipe in a magazine about a month ago and made it a couple weeks ago and it is really yummy!

• 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (from 3 oz firm textured sandwich bread)


• 2 Tbsp cold butter, cut into bits


• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth


• 1/8 tsp nutmeg


• 2 cups elbow macaroni ( 8 oz)


• 1 large egg yolk


• 1 3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Coat the bottom of a 9 inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a food processor combine the breadcrumbs, butter and Parmesan. Pulse on and off until the butter is completely and evenly blended into the crumbs.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth and nutmeg to a boil over high heat. Stir in the macaroni, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender 8 to 10 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolk.
5. Reserving the cooking broth, drain the pasta. One tablespoon at a time beat 1/4 cup of the reserved broth into the egg yolk. Add the pasta and toss to coat well.
6. Layer the macaroni into the baking dish in three layers, sprinkling with cheddar between each. End with a layer of cheddar, then top with the breadcrumb mixture.
7. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the crumb topping is nicely browned.

I added some ham and used a little bit more cheese and it made for a really easy and yummy dinner!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut Butter Blossoms Ingredients:
48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar
Directions:1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates. 2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. 3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. 4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Bread Bowl Artichoke Dip

Not a goodie, but boy is it YUMMY!!

2 - 16 ounce bread bowls
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 C milk
1 -14 ounce artichoke hearts drained
1 - 1.4 ounce envelope veggie soup mix
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 lemon juiced or 2 TBS lemon juice
1 - 8 ounce soure cream
parmesan cheese

-preheat oven to 450 degrees
-Slice off top of one bread round, remove inside. Place on baking stone. Cut other bread bowl into cubes and put around bread bowl. spray with veggie oil.
- whip cream cheese until smooth
- add milk to cream cheese and whip
- chop artichoke and add it with garlic and soup mix.
- microwave for 5-7 minutes until hot...do not boil
- Mix 2 tbs lemon juice and sour cream to hot mixture. Pour in bowl.
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese overall everything
- Bake 13-15 minutes or until top of bread is golden brown.

---Try not to eat it all :)!!

Peanut Butter Cups

1 lb margarine
1 qt peanut butter
2 lbs powdered sugar**
Chocolate chips melted

Mix first 2 ingredients together and place in refrigerator. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips at a time. Put chocolate in bottom of candy cup. Press in ball of above mixture which has been refrigerated. Put more melted chocolate over top to cover. Refrigerate.
**A little more powdered sugar makes creamier cups.

Easy, Yummy Fudge

My favorite fudge recipe:

3 cups sugar
1 pint cream

Combine in a deep pot and stir until it begins to boil. DO NOT STIR and let boil for 7 minutes. Then remove from heat and cut in 2 cubes butter in chunks. DO NOT STIR. Wait for butter to melt. While waiting, break 3 LARGE Symphony bars in chunks in a big bowl. After butter has melted then dump mixture over Symphony bars and beat for 7 minutes. Pour into a butter 9 x 13 pan and refrigerate until set. This fudge gets soft when left out for very long, so it's best to keep chilled. Yummy!

Toffee

I just made this last night for a Christmas party and it was super easy and turned out pretty good!

Toffee
-Crushed almonds, cashews , or peanuts to fill a 9 by 13 pan
- 2 cubes of butter
- 1 C. sugar
- 3 Tbsp. H2O
- 1 Tbsp. Corn syrup
- 1/2 bag of chocolate chips

- butter a 9 by 13 pan, scatter crushed nuts on bottom of pan
- combine butter, sugar, H2o and Corn syrup on stove top, heat until temp. reaches a hard crack stage, about 290.
- Pour mixture over nuts and spread out
- wait a couple of min for the toffee to harden then put chocolate chips on top. They should melt and then spread the chocolate over toffee.
- The toffee will harden fast, I put mine outside since I was short on time. After it is cooled you can break it up into pieces.
- If you wanted to do a cookie sheet you could double to recipe. This recipe is for a 9 by 13 pan.

Apple Pie

• 4 c. tart apples, pare, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. lemon juice
• 6 Tbsp. flour
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp butter

Put apples in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice. Set aside. Preheat oven 400. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of mixture on the pie crust and add the rest to the apples. Fill pie crust heaping full of apple mixture. Dot with butter and top with topping

Topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/3 cup margarine

Mix together well and put on top of pie. Bake pie about 50 minutes until crust is golden.

Cranberry Sauce

I know that this isn't a dessert but if you are aching for some great homemade cranberry sauce for your turkey tomorrow, look below. It is so much better than the store brand. Happy Turkey Day!

1/2 c water
1/2 c orange juice
1 c sugar

16 oz. whole cranberries in a bag
2 TBS orange rind

Bring the water, orange juice and sugar to a boil. Add the cranberries and boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Take off stove and add orange rind. Refrigerate until ready to use!

Rolo Turtles

Ingredients:
Pretzels
Rolos
Pecan halves

Directions:
Pre heat oven to 250.
Line a cookie sheet with foil.
Place pretzels on cookie sheet and top with rolo candies.
Bake for 5 mins.

Add pecan half to each pretzel and refrigerate for approx. 15 mins.

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

The theme for this week is Thanksgiving Desserts:

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

1 cup and 2 tbl. of caramel topping
1 graham cracker crust
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1 cup cold milk
2 pkgs. instant vanilla pudding
1 cup canned pumpkin (without spices)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1- 8 oz. coolwhip

Put pecans in bottom of crust and top with the cup of caramel. Beat milk and pudding mixes, pumpkin and spices. Stir in 1 and 1/2 cups of cool whip. Spread into crust. Top with remaining cool whip, then sprinkle with pecans and caramel. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Have a yummy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Crockpot Sweet Potatoes

6 medium (2 pounds) sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups applesauce
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts, toasted

1.Place sweet potatoes in 2- to 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients except nuts; spoon over potatoes.
2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 to 8 hours or until potatoes are very tender.
3. Sprinkle with nuts.

Glazed Baby Carrots

• 1 packet (1 oz) dry ranch dressing mix
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 package (16 oz) baby carrots- cooked (boiled or steamed)

Melt butter and sugar in large skillet or pan. Add carrots and dressing mix; still until well coated. Cook over medium heat until hot and glazed (about 5 min)

These are really easy and so good! They glaze is pretty thin and there is a fair amount of it so if you don't want them really "saucy" add more carrots than the recipe calls for!

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!!!

So I made some cookies for a friend the other day and she told me I need to put it on the blog. So here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
*1 cup butter or margarine, softened
* 3/4 cup white sugar
*1 cup brown sugar
*2 eggs
*1 teaspoon Vanilla
*3 cups flour
*3/4 teaspoon Salt
*3/4 teaspoon baking soda
*1 (12oz.)bag of Chocolate Chips
**Cream together butter,sugars,eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl sift together flour,salt,and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop onto greased cookie sheet by heaping tablespoons. Bake at 350* F. for 8-10minutes. Makes about 3 dozen.

So try it out and you will be the rave of the party!! (I think anyways!)

~Kathryn Yearsley

Softest Ever Sugar Cookies & Frosting

You may not think that this is a Thanksgiving side, but I'm assigned to bring this to every Family get together, Thanksgiving, Christmas, you name it. Suppossedly they are low-fat, (not the frosting) but they are way too yummy to believe it. I have to quadruple the batch every time. Tip *set out your butter for the frosting before making the cookies

Lowfat Sugar Cookies

Cream together
1 C. Sugar
1/2 C. shortening
1 egg
1 C. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix in
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Add
4 C. flour (may need more, just add enough flour to make your dough firm)

Roll out leaving thick on floured surface and cut into your favorite Shape
Bake at 325 for 10 minutes

makes 2 dozen


Butter Decorator's Icing
(This amount will frost about 4 batches of the sugar cookies)


Mix together and beat for 5 minutes

1/2 C. milk
1 stick of room temp margarine or butter - do not melt
1/4 C. shortening (can add up to 1 cup)
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
7 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar (whole bag)

*add more shortening for firmer icing

*add 1 1/2 C. cocoa for chocolate icing

{ Thanksgiving Yams}

This recipe has been passed down from who knows where and it is the ONLY way my family including extended family will eat yams. They are FANTASTIC but beware they are not for the " Light Hearted" they are fattening!

3 cups cooked, mashed yams
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs well beaten
4 TBSP. melted butter ( I like to use a little less butter)
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Mix together in a mixing bowl and pour into a 9x13 baking dish

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch or flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter
Sprinkle on just before cooking. Bake 350* for 35-40 min. Serve warm.
I guarantee that this will become a family favorite with the young and old a like, Enjoy!

Cinnamon Rolls

I got this recipe from Kristi. She made these and gave me four of them. Lets just say I ate three out of four.:) Anyway whenever I get a recipe from someone I have found it is easier for me to put it here on the website then trying to keep track of a hundred recipe cards.

Cinnamon Rolls
1 C. Sugar
3/4 C. Margarine
3 eggs
1 tsp Salt
1 C. Potato flakes
2 C. warmed milk
5 + C. Flour
(yeast mixture) 3 TBSP Yeast, 3/4 C. warm H20, 1 TBSP Sugar
(to go in middle of roll)1 Cube Margarine melted, Handful of brown sugar and chocolate chips/raisins and a sprinkle of cinnamon


Add warm milk, margarine and potatoes together.
Slowly add eggs and sugar.
Add yeast mixture and salt.
Add flour to soft dough stage. Let rise until double
Roll out dough, melt one cube of margarine and spread on dough. Layer with brown sugar, cinnamon and chocolate chips/raisins.
Roll dough into a long log and cut off in sections of however big you want them to be.
Bake @ 350 for 17 min or golden brown on top

You can also whip up some frosting or icing to top on these delicious cinnamon rolls!

Zucchini Soup

This is my new FAVORITE soup, it is sooo easy and sooo good.
We call it Fish Pond casserole at my house. Yea, I know that sounds gross, but my children will eat soup if you call it casserole with sauce on it. Why the Fish pond. We put Fishy crackers on top!

Saute until tender:
2 medium zucchini chopped
1 medium onion chopped
2 Tb parsley fresh or dried
1 tsp basil
1/3 C. butter

Stir in:
1/3 C. flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Stir in then bring to a boil for 2 minutes:
3 C. water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp lemon juice

Add, then bring to a boil:
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can evaporated milk
1 pkg. corn or 1 can drained
(try the Wal-mart brand no salt added canned corn; it tastes fresh)

Reduce heat. Simmer 5 minutes

Just before serving Add:
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese
2 C. shredded Cheddar

Garnish with fresh parsley (if you are classy) or Fishy Crackers (if you are me)

Butterhorn Rolls

I got this recipe from Brittnee and they are so so good! If my directions sounds confusing let me know, they are really easy to make and I promise if you make them, they will be gone by the end of the night:)

Butterhorn Rolls

MIX:
- 1 T yeast
- 1 T Sugar
- 1/4 C. Water
*let this sit while you do the stove top mixture

HEAT ON STOVE TOP:
- 1/2 C Butter
- 1 C. Milk
- 1/2 Sugar
- 3/4 tsp Salt
*Add above mixture into a large mixing bowl with yeast mixture

ADD:
- 3 eggs
- 4 C. Flour

Let dough raise until double.
Divide raised dough into two sections.
Roll out one section into a circle and brush a thin layer of butter on them.
Use pizza cutter and cut out 12 pieces (just like a pizza wedge)
Roll a piece starting from the wider end into the middle
Let raise on cookie sheet about 20 min
Cook @ 350* for 12-15 min

Hopkins Hero

For those of you that love Quizno's sandwhiches this is a homemade version and it is fantastic as well as big enough to feed a whole family!!!

• 1 loaf garlic Parmesan French Bread (regular french bread works too)
• 1/2 lb. sliced ham
• 1/2 lb. sliced turkey
• 1/4 lb sliced cheddar cheese
• 1/4 lb sliced swiss cheese
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1 bottle Italian dressing

Slice bread in half. Butter each half and broil. Layer meat and cheeses. Pepper entire sandwich and broil again until cheeses are melted. Add onion and tomato slices. Top with romaine lettuce. Drizzle Italian dressing over lettuce.

* The onion, tomato, lettuce and dressing just use as much as you want to.

Ham & Chedder in a loaf

This isn't your traditional sandwhich, but we love this meal and I am ALWAYS searching for this recipe. It is like a homemade hotpocket sandwhich, so I hope it counts :).

1 lb. frozen bread dough, thawed (I use Rhodes bread dough)
1 pkg. (9 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Shaved Smoked Ham
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing (I use Ranch and a little more because I don't like miracle whip)
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat oven to 350°F. Flatten dough on lightly floured surface with hands. Roll into 12x8-inch rectangle with rolling pin. Spread out ranch on bread to within 1/2 inch of edges. Top with ham and cheddar cheese. Fold over in half. Pinch edges together to seal. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Cut three diagonal slits in top of dough with kitchen shears. Brush with egg; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake 35 to 40 min. or until golden brown.

Sour Cream Chili Bake

1 lb. Ground Beef
¼ C. Chopped Onion
1 can (16 oz.) Kidney Beans, Drained
1 can (15 oz.) Tomato Sauce
1 envelope Taco Seasoning mix
1/4 C. Dehydrated Onions
1 can of Corn, Drained
1 C. (4 oz.) Shredded Cheddar Cheese
3 ½ C. Fritos
1 ¼ C. Sour Cream

Cook ground beef and onion until meat is browned and onion is tender; drain. Stir in beans, tomato sauce, taco seasoning, corn, onion and ¾ C. cheese. Sprinkle 2 ½ cups Fritos in bottom of 8x8 baking dish. Cover with Chili. Bake at 350 degree for 20-25 minutes. Spread sour cream of chili. Top with remaining corn chips and cheese. Bake 3-4 minutes longer.

Oreo Ghosts

I just made these for my son's preschool class tomorrow and they turned out pretty cute! Just made them up, so there's not an official recipe.

Ingredients:

White Dipping Chocolate (or bark coating)

Oreos

Sprinkles

Melt the chocolate until smooth and creamy. Dip Oreos in chocolate until completely coated. Remove and place on wax paper to cool and harden. Before they harden completely, add a face with sprinkles. I used bat shaped sprinkles for the eyes and then regular chocolate sprinkles for teeth.

Boo Cups

3-1/4 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (3.9 oz. each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
20 OREO Cookies, crushed, divided
30 miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

BEAT milk and pudding mixes with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1/2 each COOL WHIP and cookie crumbs.
SPOON 1 Tbsp. of the remaining crumbs into each of 15 (6-oz.) plastic cups. Cover with layers of pudding mixture and remaining crumbs.
DROP remaining COOL WHIP by spoonfuls onto desserts to resemble ghosts. Add chocolate chips for the eyes.

Frozen Jack-o-Lanterns

Ingredients:
12 navel oranges
12 cinnamon sticks
1/2 gallon chocolate fudge ice cream
Preparation:
Cut off tops of oranges, about 1/2 to 1 inch from the top. Carefully hollow out the bottoms, leaving a sturdy thick shell, reserving the orange pulp for another use. Hollow out tops. Cut Jack-O-Lantern faces into each orange. Pack chocolate ice cream into shells, being careful to keep ice cream from squeezing out the holes. Cut a hole into top of orange top. Set tops back on, over ice cream, and inset cinnamon stick stem through the hole.Place in freezer for at least 3 to 4 hours, or until serving time.
Makes 12 desserts.

Four Layer pumpkin Cake

This is a nice twist on the traditional pumpkin pie.

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix( some people prefer a spice cake instead)

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tub (8 oz.) Whipped Topping, thawed

1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

1/4 cup Chopped Pecans

HEAT oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round baking pans. Beat cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. spice in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Pour into prepared pans.

BAKE 28 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely. Beat cream cheese in small bowl with mixer until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and spice; mix well. Gently stir in COOL WHIP.

CUT each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife; stack on serving plate, spreading cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top layer.) Drizzle with caramel topping just before serving; sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate leftovers.

how to Slice and Stack Cake Layers Place 1 of the cooled cake layers on serving plate. Make 2-inch horizontal cut around side of cake, using long serrated knife. Cut all the way through cake layer to make 2 layers. Remove top layer by sliding it onto 9-inch round cardboard circle. Frost cake layer on plate with 1/3 of COOL WHIP mixture. Slide top half of split cake layer from cardboard circle onto frosted layer on plate. Place the remaining unsplit cake layer on a cutting board. Cut into 2 layers as done for the first layer. Repeat process of transferring cake layers to stacked cake layers on plate using the cardboard circle

Pumpkin Pancakes

My kids love these. You can make them as Healthy as you want as well. I usually freeze the rest of the can of pumpkin in ziploc bags with 1/2 c pumpkin per bag. Just defrost and snip of the corner of the bag to squeeze out. I also make 4 or 5 ziploc bags at a time of the dry ingredient mixes, and freeze them. When I want pancakes it is so easy to grab a mix, grab a pumpkin bag. All I have to do is mix up the wet ingredients.

* 2 cups flour: (I usually use 1 cup whole wheat flour, and about 1/3 C. ground flax, 1/3 C. wheat bran, and 1/3 C. wheat germ or more WW flour, what ever I have on hand that equals up to 2 cups. You can also just use 2 c. white flour)
* 2 Tb sugar
* 4 tsp. baking pwd
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 2 eggs beaten
* 1/2 C. canned pumpkin
* 1/4 C. oil
* 1 3/4 C. milk

Mix together dry ingredients in a ziploc bag. Mix wet ingredients in bowl, add dry ingredients.

Lowfat Pumpkin Cookies

These are my favorite. My husband loves them too! They don't taste lowfat at all!

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup softened margarine
3/4 cup pumpkin
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking pwd
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Cream brown sugar and margarine till fluffy. Beat pumpkin and egg and add to sugar and marg. mixture. Combine remaining ingredients. Add chocolate chips if desired. ( I like it better without them) Drop- flatten top. Bake 350* for 18 min.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Ok so I know I just did Pumpkin stew, but this is more like a casserole in a pumpkin not a soup. I usually try and make this on or around Halloween, it is lots of fun and easy!

• 1 Medium pumpkin
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup minute rice or 2 cups cooked rice
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 can water chestnuts (drained)

Brown onion and beef and then add remaining ingredients. Clean out pumpkin. Put casserole mixture inside pumpkin, bake at 350 for 1.5 hours in shallow baking dish with 1 inch of water.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

1-1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) cold butter or margarine
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1/2 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

HEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; grease foil. Mix flour, 1/4 granulated sugar and brown sugar in medium bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats and nuts.
RESERVE 1 cup oat mixture; press remaining onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min. Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar, eggs, pumpkin and spice with mixer until well blended. Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
BAKE 25 min.; cool 10 min. Use foil to transfer dessert from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Easy Carmel Corn

Made this for a friend and she said it was awesome! Okay well I tried some too and it was pretty dang good:) Thank you to Kristen's mom for the recipe:)

Carmel Corn

1 C. Butter
2 C. Brown Sugar
1 C White Karo Syrup

Heat above ingredients until boil

Add
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Boil 3-4 min. stirring constantly

This makes a ton of sauce so you will need about two big bowls of popped popcorn, sorry I don't have the exact measurement on the popcorn

Pumpkin Spice Cookies or Muffins

1 sm can of pumpkin
1 box of Spice Cake mix
1/3 Cup water
1/2 bag of chocolate chips

Add all ingredients and mix!
Cook at 350* about 8-11 minutes.

***You can drop them onto a cookie sheet for cookies or into muffin papers for muffins. Delicious and EASY!!

Mexican Potato Casserole

4 medium potatoes, with peel
2 Tablespoons butter
2 1/2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cups salsa
1/2 cup chopped peppers (red, green or yellow)
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Cut potatoes into bite-size pieces and place in greased casserole dish.
Melt butter...stir in taco seasoning.
Pour over the potatoes and stir to coat well.
Bake uncovered at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes.
Brown and crumble beef; add onion and cook until soft...then drain.
Stir in salsa and chopped peppers.

Stir...bake 10 minutes longer.

Easy Breakfast Crescent Braid

I'm notorious for NOT posting the theme. Sorry. At least I'm contributing something every now & again:) I do want to tell you that I got this latest recipe from an awesome website called Our Best Bites. The recipe and pictures are courtesy of ourbestbites.com. If you need a picture tutorial to help you understand it, visit the site. There are step by step pictures to help.

Easy Breakfast Crescent Braid

1 roll Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations (these are the ones that are just a sheet of dough; no perforations)
Scrambled Eggs
4-5 strips bacon (sausage would be great too)
1/2 C grated cheese , or more...
optional: Hot sauce

Scramble eggs in a skillet. Since this will cook again in the oven, under cook your eggs. You want them to be cooked enough to hold together, but leave them a bit wet. Cook bacon strips and set aside. (I bake my bacon in the oven. Just lay flat on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 for about 12 minutes or until crisp) Next, use a rolling pin and a lightly floured work surface to roll out the crescent dough to about 10 in x 12 in. Lay the eggs down the center of the rectangle, leaving room on both sides and the 2 ends. Top with bacon, cheese, and a couple shots of hot sauce if you want.

Use a pizza cutter to slice even slits on the sides of your rectangle. Fold over both ends.

Now starting on one end, bring the side pieces in and overlap them. You'll want to alternate- one from the right, then one from the left and so on and so on. Keep doing it until you get all the way to the end. When you get to the end, just tuck where you can to make it pretty!

Bake according to package instructions. It might take a little longer than the package directs because of the way it's braided. And actually, if you want it shiny on top, give it a quick egg wash before you bake. When it's done, it should be golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Slice on a slight diagonal and eat immediately!
YUM!

Taco soup

1 1/2 lbs hamburger
1 chopped onion
1 can (15oz) can chili beans
1 can (15oz) Kidney Beans
1 can (15oz) Pinto beans
1 can (15oz) Stewed Tomatoes (pureed in blender)
1 can (15oz) corn (undrained)
1 can (16oz) v8 Juice
1 can (15oz) tomato sauce
1 package of Taco Seasoning

Brown hamburger. Put all ingredients together in a stock pot. Heat until warm. Server over crushed chips and top with cheese, sour cream and olives

Other ingredients
tortilla chips or Frito's
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese
olives

White Chilli

This is yummy and easy! It is one of my favorites!

Saute:
1 lg onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tb olive oil

4 cups cooked chicken, diced
4 cans (15 oz) white kidney beans or canolini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can garbanzo beans
2 cans chicken broth
1 can chopped green chillies
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Add all other ingredients to saute mixture. Cook on low in crockpot for 7 hrs and high for last hr.
Serve with monteray jack cheese and tortilla chips. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Pumpkin Stew

• Large Pumpkin (it needs to be flat on the bottom)
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1-2 bottles spaghetti sauce
• 1-2 bags mixed veggies (and variety you choose )
• 1 onion
• salt and pepper
• you can also add fresh potatoes and carrots if you want

Clean out your pumpkin, it will be your pot. Put it in a shallow dish with an inch or so of water. Brown meant and onions. Put into the pumpkin and add spaghetti sauce. Stir together. Put pumpkin in the oven @ 350 for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Steam veggies. After the pumpkin comes out of the oven add veggies.

I tried to scale this recipe down, a teacher I worked with makes this every year for her class near Halloween, It might still make a lot. I've also known people to make the stew on the stove (and just add everything together plus a little water until you have the consistency you like) and cook the pumpkin separately if you don't want a lot of pumpkin flavor in the soup. Hope it isn't too vague for anyone that really wants to try it!

Chicken Soup with Spinach and Wild Rice

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 3 cup water
• 14 floz low sodium chicken broth
• 10 3/4 floz Soup, cream of chicken, condensed, canned
• 2/3 cup wild rice , rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 cup cooked chicken breast, diced (or turkey)
• 2 cup fresh chopped spinach , shredded

WHAT YOU DO:

• In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker combine water, chicken broth, chicken soup, wild rice, thyme and pepper.
• Cover and cook on low heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
• Just before serving, stir in chicken and spinach. Enjoy! (MAKES 6 SERVINGS)

Idaho Baked Potato Soup

2/3 C butter
2/3 C all-purpose flour
7 C Milk
4 large baked potatoes (peeled and cubed)
4 green onions
12 bacon strips (crumbled)
1 C Sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and heat through.

Cheese and broccoli soup

This is one of my favorite soups, and it's pretty easy, but be warned,

it feeds an army! (well, probably only 8-10 :) )

Cheese and Broccoli Soup

3-4 carrots (grated)

1/2 Onion (chopped finely)

1 bunch broccoli (chopped)

3-4 sticks of celery (chopped)

3 quarts boiling water

6 chicken bullion cubes

1 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cup flour (for thickening to taste)

2 cubes of butter

16 oz Velveeta cheese, cut into small cubes

Bring water to a boil and add the bullion and sugar. Dissolve. Add cut up veggies. While veggies cook, melt the butter in a saucepan and add flour (for best results use real butter and mix the flour and butter with hand mixer). Add flour/butter mixture to veggies stirring constantly. Add cheese and continue stirring until cheese is melted completely. Enjoy!

Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Dip

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1 lb. (16 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1 can (10 oz.) RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
8 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled
Make It
COMBINE all ingredients in microwaveable bowl.
MICROWAVE on HIGH 5 min. or until VELVEETA is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 3 min. Serve with tortilla chips and cut-up vegetables.

**Since there is no theme yet, I made this the other day for a party I had and it was marvelous! I used the extra in the crock pot on chicken and it was pretty good as well!

Mini cheesecakes

I made these for a party we had and they seemed to be a big hit. They are a little on the sweet side for me but they were all gone at the end of the night and the kids especially seemed to enjoy them.

Mini Cheesecakes

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
12 OREO Cookies
multi-colored sprinkles (optional)

BEAT cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping.
PLACE cookies on bottom of 12 paper-lined muffin cups.
SPOON cream cheese mixture into muffin cups. Top with multi-colored sprinkles. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken Empanadas

This is a Paula Deen recipe. I have been loving her recipes lately! I haven't tried this one yet, but it is definitely on the list!

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
Water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and next 7 ingredients. Unroll 1 piecrust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15-inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining piecrusts, making 12 to 15 circles total. Arrange 1 round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush the edges of crust with water. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of the round. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixture. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month). Arrange empanadas on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Cream Cheese Ranch Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

8 baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softenedDIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and mash.
In a large bowl beat the cream cheese and dressing mix until smooth. Stir in mashed potatoes, sour cream and butter; beat until desired consistency is reached.

Pasta with creamy pumpkin sauce

What You Need
1 pkg. (16 oz.) penne pasta, uncooked
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1/2 cup milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
ground nutmeg to taste
COOK pasta as directed on package.
MEANWHILE, place cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, butter and milk in large saucepan; cook on low heat until cream cheese is melted, stirring frequently. Add pumpkin and spices; cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.
ADD pasta; toss lightly. Serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Pumpkin Dip

• 2 cups powedered sugar
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Mix sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining ingredients until well combined. Serve with gingersnaps or grahm crackers. SUPER YUMMY!!!!!!

Cheesecake Bars

O.k. it has been a while since I have posted and I know that I am a little bit late for a theme but better late than never! My theme for this week is anything that has cream cheese in it. I made these amazing bars the other day for my family. Enjoy!

2/3 c. finely crushed graham crackers
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter or margarine, melted
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. finely crushed graham crackers

Stir together 2/3 c. graham crackers, flour, pecans and sugar. Add melted butter; mix until crumbly. Pat into ungreased 9x9-inch backing pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cream together cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs, lemon peel and lemon juice; mix well. Pour over baked layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the 2 T. graham crackers. Cool; cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. Recipe can be doubled.

White Chip Dip

• 1 lb sausage
• 1 green pepper (optional)
• 1 onion
• 1 (16 oz) carton sour cream
• 2 ( 8 oz) packages cream cheese
• 1 can sliced olives
• 1 (4 oz) can green chilies
• 2 medium tomatoes
• Tortilla chips

Saute sausage, chopped green pepper, and chopped onion. In crockpot add sour cream, cream cheese, sliced olives (drained), green chilies and diced tomatoes. Add meat mixture. Stir well. Keep Crockpot on low, stirring occasionally. Server with tortilla chips.

Choke Cherry Syrup

5 Cups Choke Cherry juice
3/8 cup Lemon juice
2 Tbls of powdered pectin
7.5 Cups of sugar

Put Choke Cherry juice in pan with a tsp of butter(to help with foaming). Add the pectin, lemon juice and sugar and heat until boiling. Boil hard for 90 seconds. Poor into jars. Invert jars for 5 minutes to help seal lids. Return to normal side up after 5 minutes.

Enjoy on pancakes, waffles or french toast!

Cheese Ball

1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 pkg Hidden Valley Rance Dip Mix
Chopped green onion to taste
Milk -- to consistency

Roll into ball and refrigerate.
Serve with any crackers.

(I like to roll mine in slivered almonds or sunflower seeds!)

Cinnamon Twists

2 Cups warm water
1/2 cup powdered milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 Cup oil
2 Tbs yeast
1/4 Cup sugar
1 egg
5 or 6 cups flour

Combine yeast and warm water...let bubble. Add your other ingredients. Let raise in bowl for approx. 20 minutes. Put some oil on the counter where you plan to roll the dough out. Pat dough, with oil on hands, to a rectangle 12" wide and 20" long. Sprinkle sugar and cinammon down center third of the rectangle. Fold right third over sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle again and fold left third over the top. Grease large cookie sheet. Cut in 1" strips. Twist twice as you place each piece on the pan. Let raise on the pain about 30 minutes. bake in 375 degree oven for 12-14 minutes. Brush with glaze of powdered sugar, hot water and vanilla.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Crispies

We can't have a party without these ;) I consider these a game time goody, although they are not an appetizer.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE RICE CRISPIES:

1 C. Sugar

1 C. Karo syrup

Heat and dissolve in a medium saucepan. When it just starts to boil, remove from heat and stir in:

1 C. creamy Peanut Butter

When PB is melted and mixture is smooth, pour mixture over

6 C. Rice Crispies

and mix until evenly coated.

Pour into a 9x13 pan and cool.

Melt:

1/2 bag milk choc. chips

1/2 bag butterscotch chips

together (either in microwave or on stove top on low heat) and spread over rice crispies. Chill until topping is solid. ENJOY!

Game Time Goodies

Lil' Smokies--really good

2-3 bags of lil' smokies
1 jar of grape jelly
1 can of whole cranberries

Crock pot on high for 1 hour
GO BSU!!

Ham Roll-Ups

This is in the bread category, but my mom always made it for dinner & I do for my family now too. Just pick a nice side & walla, you have dinner.

Ham Roll-Ups

DOUGH:
mix:
1 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. margarine (I use butter)

In 1/2 c. warm water add 2 Tbsp. yeast. Mix yeast w/ first mixture. Beat 2 eggs and add to mixture. Add about 5 1/4 c. flour.

INSIDE:
8 oz. cream cheese
ranch dressing (a few dollops)
mustard (tiny squeeze)
ham (use deli thin slices): sorry the measurements are so vague... use your taste to how you like it... it's very flexible

Roll out dough and spread cream cheese mixture all over. Layer ham on next. I like overlapping layers for a good ham flavor. Roll lengthwise and cut 1 1/2"- 2" thick rolls. Place rolls in baking dish, spacing a little. Bake 350 degrees 15-20 minutes.

Hawaiian Chicken

Hawaiian Chicken (can be done in the crockpot as well)

Chicken breasts (4-6)
mix well:
1 1/2 c salad dressing (the kind that is like mayo)
1 pkg. Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 c. apricot jam (preserves)
1/2 c. chili sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour 1/2 mixture over chicken & cook 45 minutes. Turn chicken over & add rest of mixture. Cook another 20-30 minutes (depending on how runny sauce is). Add pineapple chunks for last 10 minutes. Serve over rice.

For crockpot: Just pour all the sauce in with the chicken. Add pineapple chunks for last 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

So easy & yummy!!

Chicken/Beef Pot Pie

While I'm posting, I'm going to do a few more outside of the theme. After years of searching for the right chicken pot pie recipe, I finally found it from my neighbor.

Chicken/Beef Pot Pie

1.2 c. chopped onion
6 Tbs. butter (I use less)
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. chicken/beef broth (=2 cans)
3 c. cubed chicken/beef- cooked
1 c. each of carrots, potatoes, peas, cooked & drained- any veggies you like will work
1 Tbs. parsley flakes
Pie pastry for 1 crust
Evaporated milk or regular milk

In medium saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour & salt & brown. Stir in broth. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until thick & bubbly.

Add meat, veggies, & parsley. Heat through. Taste & adjust seasonings. Pour into a casserole dish. Prepare pastry (I buy Pillsbury pie crusts). Place over mixture. Cut several slits in the top, turn edge under & crimp. Brush with milk. Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Zucchinni Bread

I'm not trying to compete with Amber's zucchini bread, I promise. I just made this recipe and it's AWESOME. So here's another version you may want to try. I got it from Allrecipes.com and it had over one thousand 5 star reviews!!

Zucchini Bread

3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. ground cinnamon: sift these ingredients

3 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil (or 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce + 1/2 c. oil)
2 c. sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
3-4 c. zucchini
1 c. chopped nuts (opt)

Grease & flour two 8x4" pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In mixer beat eggs, oil, vanilla, & sugar. Add sifted ingredients. Beat well. Stir in zucchini & nuts until well blended. Pour into pans. Bake 40-60 min. Cool 10 min. & remove from pans. Finish cooling.

Zucchini Bread

I like to make this recipe a healthier sugar free one, so I put the subsitutes to the side that I use. My husband even actually likes this one!

1 1/2 cup flour (I use 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup white)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 beaten egg
1 cup sugar (I use 1/2 cup honey instead)
1 cup shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/4 cup cooking oil (I use 1/2 cup applesauce instead)

Grease bottom and sides 8x4x2 loaf pan. In medium bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking pwd, and nutmeg. Make well in center of mixture, set aside. In another bowl combine beaten egg, sugar, zucchini, and oil. Add zucchini mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Bake 350* for 45 min.

Pumpkin bread

I wish I had a can of pumpking make this right now! This recipe is one that freezes really well and is SO yummy !!!

INGREDIENTS:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Easy breadsticks

Easy Breadsticks:

so easy and super tasty!

1 1/2 C. warm water

1TBS yeast

2 TBS sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 C. flour

Dissolve the yeast into the water. Add sugar and salt and mix until dissolved. Add flour. Stir until mixed. Put dough on a floured board or counter and knead, adding extra flour as needed, until no longer sticky. Roll out about an inch thick. Cut into strips and place on a sprayed cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic salt. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or with grated cheddar cheese. Let raise for ten minutes (not entirely necessary if you're in a hurry!) Bake for 18-20 minutes at 375*

And now I am off to make them - YUMMY :)

Sugar-Free Oatmeal Cookies

INGREDIENTS
3 Banana, medium, fresh , mashed
2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/3 cup Margarine, 80% fat , melted
1/4 cup fat free milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1 Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 2 Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes so that the oats will absorb excess moisture.3 Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 1 minute on baking sheets and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 36 servings

Canned Mandarin Sauce

8 C. tomatoes, chopped and peeled
6 C. sugar
4 C. onions
8 T soy sauce
4 C. green pepper
3 C vinegar
2 (20 oz.) cans chunk pineapple (do not drian)
1 C water
1- 1 1/2 C cornstarch

Cut onions and green pepper into chunks the size of quarters. Drain pineapple juice , reserving juice. Combine tomatos with pineapple juice, onions and pepper in an 8 10 qt. pan. Add sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and water and bring to a boil. Gradually add cornstarch, stirring constantly, until thickened. Spoon into pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch head and process immediately in water bath canner for 35 minutes (sea level) Add 5 minutes time for elevations of 1,000 to 3,000 feet, and 10 minutes for 3,000 to 5,000 feet.

Oreo Cookies

Cookie:
1 box deviel's food cake mix 3/4 C. solid shortening
2 eggs

Mix together and roll in med size balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350* for
9-10 minutes. Cool

Filling:
1 (8 oz.) Pkg. cream cheese 1/4 C. butter
2 3/4 C. powdered sugar 1 Tbsp. Vanilla

Combine filling. Spread filling between 2 cookies.

Blueberry Muffins

• 2 large Eggs
• 2 c Whole wheat flour
• 1 c Unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 cup Light oil (sunflower, corn)
• 1/2 tsp Baking soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 c Fresh or frozen blueberries (without sugar)

1. Prepare muffin cups with oil or use paper or foil liners.
2. Preheat oven to 425 F.
3. In a large bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl beat eggs;then stir in applesauce and oil.
5. Pour egg mixture into the dry ingredients and beat until well mixed.
6. Gently stir in blueberries.
7. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
8. Bake at 425 F for 30 minutes or until nicely browned.
9. Serve warm or cold.
10. These freeze well.

I think this is a recipe that came from my diabetic Grandma so I hope it works for you! I've never made them myself but I know I've eaten them and they were pretty good!

Delightful Lemon Mousse with Raspberry Sauce

Delightful Lemon Mousse with Raspberry Sauce
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. (8-serving size) JELL-O Brand Lemon Flavor Sugar Free Low Calorie Gelatin
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
ice cubes
1 cup cold apple juice
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP FREE Whipped Topping, thawed
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen raspberries, thawed, pureed in blender

STIR boiling water into gelatin and lemon peel in large bowl at least 2 minutes until gelatin is completely dissolved. Add enough ice to apple juice to measure 1-3/4 cups. Stir into gelatin until slightly thickened. Stir in whipped topping with wire whisk.

POUR half of the raspberry sauce into dessert dishes. Top with mousse. Spoon remaining raspberry sauce over top.

REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until firm.

Yummy fruit salad

I never did get around to posting a fruit salad when it was the theme so here it goes. My sister in law Angela made it for us one night and I have made it a couple of times.

-2-3oz vanilla pudding,
- 1 cup buttermilk,
- 1-8oz cool whip
-2 cans mandarin oranges
-1 package broken striped fudge cookies

Add pudding, buttermilk and cool whip together and chill. When ready to serve add oranges and cookies

Canned Pizza Sauce

Since I noticed a lot of pizza recipes I thought it would be good to add some homemade sauce to it. It is so nice to have some canned and use it whenever, I can mine in half pint jars and that is plenty for a couple of pizzas but I guess it depends upon how much you like. I will list two recipes below, one a really simple easy one and the other a little more homemade.

Very simple pizza sauce:
- 6lbs of fresh tomatoes
- 1 pouce MRS WAGES pizza sauce
- 5 T sugar

Wash tomatoes. Scald 3 minutes in boiling water. Dip into cold water. Cut out cores. Remove skins. Cut into halves or quarters and blend in blender or food processor to smooth consistency (puree).

Measure 5 pints of puree into a large saucepan, add pouch of MRS. WAGES Pizza Sauce Mix and granulated sugar. Mix well.

Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium for 25 minutes. Stir frequently. Sauce is now ready to eat, or to can or freeze for future use. To freeze, pour into freezer containers, and store

Process 35 minutes in boiling water bath. Boiling water should cover jars by one inch.
(you can get this sauce in Wal-Mart)

Homemade pizza sauce:
- 5 lbs tomatoes
-2 cloves garlic mashed
-1 tsp rubbed oregano
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-1 tsp basil
-1 1/2 C. chopped onions
- 1 1/2 T olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
-2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp chili paste or ground red pepper

Wash tomatoes. Scald 3 minutes in boiling water. Dip into cold water. Cut out cores. Remove skins. Cut into halves or quarters and blend in blender or food processor to smooth consistency (puree).

Run chopped onions through food proccessor

Simmer all ingredients together for 20-30 minutes

Pour into jars and process pints for 35 min.

Another good idea I read about was to make a ton of tomatoe paste to use for whatever and if you wanted to make pizza sauce add the ingredients to the canned tomato paste. Whatever works!

Salsa

• 1/2 bushel tomatoes (blanched and skinned)
• 2-4 garlic cloves
• 10 large Anaheim peppers (seeded)
• 3 green peppers (seeded)
• 3 large onions
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp dry crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 7-10 jalapenos (seeded) or 4-5 if you like a more mild salsa
• 1 tsp pepper

Chop all ingredients in a food processor. Simmer on stove for 2-3 hours, stirring frequently. Pour into pint jars and to each pint add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 2 Tbsp vinegar. Process in hot water bath 55 minutes.

Makes 14-18 pints

Pizza Hut Crust

I know this week's theme is canning, but I just made this pizza dough the other night and was AMAZED at how easy it was so I thought I had better share! I got it from my sister's neighborhood cookbook.

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp yeast
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp butter (slightly softened)
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp oregano

Mix water, sugar and yeast; let stand until yeast rises (about 5 minutes). Add the remaining ingredients; knead for 10 minutes. Let rise until doubled. Roll out and add pizza toppings. Bake 10-15 minutes at 450 degrees.
I made mine in the Kitchen Aid and it was a snap! It makes enough for about 2 pizzas, I made mine in a big jelly roll pan. Jeremy even ate his crusts which never happens so it must be pretty good!

Honey-Spiced Peaches

Honey-Spiced Peaches
Makes about 3 (32 oz) quarts
You will need:
 8 lb peaches (about 24 small)
 1 cup sugar
 4 cups water
 2 cups honey
 1-1/2 tsp whole allspice
 3/4 tsp whole cloves
 3 sticks cinnamon
 3 (32 oz) quart glass preserving jars
Directions:
1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready to use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2.) WASH, peel and pit peaches. Leave peaches in halves or cut into slices, if desired. Treat fruit to prevent browning.
3.) COMBINE sugar, water and honey. Cook until sugar dissolves. Add peaches in syrup one layer at a time and cook for 3 minutes.
4.) PACK hot peaches into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp cloves and 1 stick cinnamon to each jar.
5.) LADLE hot syrup over peaches leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
6.) PROCESS filled jars in a boiling water canner for 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Dill Pickles

Tis the season, I thought since its canning season we could share our best recipes.

Wash 4 inch cucumbers and pack into jars. Add to each jar 2 cloves of garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of Alum, and 2 teaspoons of Dill Seed or 2 heads of Dill. In a pot bring to a boil 2 1/2 quarts Water, 1 1/2 quarts Vinegar, and 1 cup Pickling Salt (which is salt without iodine). Fill jars to 1/2 in from the top.

Pressure Cooker - 2 quarts of water and place your jars inside.
Steam for 7 minutes. Then put weighted topper on until 5 lbs. pressure. Immediately turn off heat. Then let the pressure cool down to zero and take out jars immediately.

Grilled Pizza

Hey- I arrived here late so I want to add to some older themes that I missed out on. This is a new recipe (or idea) that we have just tried this summer. It's unique and a lot of fun. And yes, this is pizza on the grill!!

Ingredients:
your favorite pizza dough recipe
your favorite toppings


Get all your toppings ready to go. Roll out your pizza dough to a size that will fit onto your grill. If you are a beginner, you may want to start with smaller sizes. Baste one side of the dough with olive oil (I added minced garlic to my oil last night & it gave a nice flavor). Place the oiled side down on the grill and close the lid. Here is where you need to really watch it. The temperature of your grill will determine how fast it will cook. It should take about 2-5 minutes. Large bubbles are a sign to turn the dough over. Once the first side has a few charred marks on it, oil the remaining side with oil and then flip the dough over. Close the lid. Again, another 2-5 minutes or until you get those marks. You are not trying to completely cook your dough at this stage!

Remove the dough from the grill and quickly add your sauce and toppings. Place pizza back onto grill until cheese is melted. If your dough finishes cooking before the cheese melts you can throw it under your broiler to finish melting the cheese. Be careful when loading toppings... you want to be able to manage the pizza without losing them into the grill. Remember to pre-cook your meats...I'm not insulting your intelligence, some just might forget. Now get out and try this before the summer is over!

TIPS: Sprinkling oregano on top of the cheese is a secret to great tasting pizzas.
Be adventurous and try different sauces and toppings. ex. alfredo or garlic sauces
You can also add italian spices to the dry ingredients when making your dough for extra flavor.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

Just made this for dinner tonight!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta
1 (16 oz) pkg. pasta
2 packets of Alfredo Sauce or 1 jar
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 to 3/4 C crumbled bacon
1/2 to 3/4 C. sliced ham ( I use Canadian bacon)
1 C grated Mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta and drain. Cut chicken into small pieces and cook in a frying pan on the stove..or you can boil it. Cook the Alfredo sauce as directed on the back of the package. Combine all ingredients, except for half of the cheese, together in a large bowl. Put in a 9x13 pan and top with remaining cheese. Broil for 10 minutes or until cheese on top is slightly browned.

***My brother Bryan and his wife Janelle(on this blog) came up with this recipe and we LOVE it!! Well done guys!!

Zucchini Casserole

My sister in law Angela e-mailed me this recipe. It is nice to have other ideas on what to do with zucchini. She said she usually fries her onions in a skillet before adding them.

zucchini Casserole

3 cups cooked zucchini

2 cups grated American cheese ( Or whatever cheese you have on hand)

1 green pepper diced

1 egg

½ cup chopped onion

½ cube butter

1 t sugar

1 t salt

1 t worchestershire sauce

1 cup cracker crumbs

Combine all ingredients except 1/3 c of cracker crumbs. Place in casserole. Sprinkle with crumbs and dot with butter. Bake until firm, about 30 min at 400 degrees.

Bean Dip

I made this last night for a ward party and they seemed to really like it so I hope you guys do as well! The fun thing about this dip is you can flavor it to your liking.

Bean Dip
- 1 can refried beans
- 1 box of cream cheese ( I used that Neufatchel cheese)
- 1/2 C sour cream ( I also use light sour cream)
- 1-2 C cheese
- 1 C Salsa
- 1/4 tsp Cumin
-1 T Chili powder
- 1-2 tsp taco seasoning

Cook together on stovetop and enjoy with a bag of chips!

Cocktail Meat Balls and Shrimp Cracker Dip

Cocktail Meat Balls

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4- 1/2 cup cooked rice
• 16 oz ketchup
• 16 oz grape jelly
• 5 Tbsp lemon juice

Roll ground beef (mixed with a small amount of cooked rice) into small balls.
Put one 16 oz bottle of ketchup into bowl with one 16 oz bottle of Grape Jelly. Add 5 Tbsp Lemon Juice. Stir and bring to a boil. Add meat balls and simmer on low for 1/2 hour.



Shrimp Cracker Dip

• 1 brick cream cheese
• 1 jar Homemade Chili Sauce (which is not really homemade but the brand name)
• 1 can cocktail shrimp or fresh salad shrimp (how ever many you want)
• crackers or tortilla chips

Put the cream cheese on a plate. Put desired amount of shrimp on cream cheese, pour desired amount of chili sauce on top of that. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1 cup KRAFT Mayo Real Mayonnaise or MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
1 cup DI GIORNO Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 clove garlic, minced

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients until well blended.
SPOON into 9-inch pie plate.
BAKE 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Serve with assorted NABISCO Crackers or pita bread triangles.

Sloppy Jose

Kind of a silly name, but it is soooo good.

Sloppy Jose

3 Chicken Breasts boiled and cut into pieces
1 big can cream of chicken
1 sm can of green chilies
1 Cup sour cream
1 Cup milk
2 Cups grated Monterrey Jack Cheese
corn tortillas
1 med can enchilada sauce or a little taco seasoning (depending on how spicy you want it)

In sauce pan heat soup, milk, sour cream, seasoning and chilies stirring all together. In greased 2 quart casserole dish put a little bit of the sauce. Tear tortillas into pieces and make a layer, top with chicken, then grated cheese and end with the sauce. Repeat this twice more for a total of three layers ending with sauce. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes to an hour at 375. We eat this with corn chips and Spanish rice.

Oven Baked Chimichangas

• 2/3 cup salsa
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken or beef
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 2 green onions or regular diced onion
• 6 flour tortillas
• 1 Tbsp butter

Mix first 6 ingredients. Put 1/2 cup of mix on each tortilla, fold sides in then roll from bottom. Place seamside down on cookie sheet and brush with butter. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

This is the true recipe...I almost always add black beans and/or rice and usually use more salsa and cheese then it calls for. I've also found that we enjoy them more if I keep the cheese out and put that on the tortilla before adding the rest of the mixture! I've also used a variety of different meats and usually just dice them (left over pork or a roast of some sort are perfect). I also use the largest tortillas they make and put more than 1/2 a cup in. This is an easily adaptable recipe to personal preference...hope you enjoy!

Pork Tacos

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground pork
1 large onion, sliced
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, undrained
1/2 cup Rice Vinegar - Original
1/4 cup water
8 (7 inch) corn tortillas, warmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Optional garnishes: diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, salsa verde


DIRECTIONS
Heat salt in a large non-stick skillet over high heat.
Add ground pork, onion, chili powder, garlic, and pepper. Cook and stir 8 minutes.
Add undrained pinto beans, Rice Vinegar - Original, and 1/4 cup water. Cook and stir 10 minutes.
Wrap ground pork in tortillas. Serve with garnishes, as desired.

Cream Soda Biscuits

4-6 cups self rising flour
1 Cup oil
1 12 oz. can cream soda or red cream soda (I use A&W Vanilla cream soda)

Put 4 cups of flour in a bowl. Add the oil and cream soda. Mix all
ingredients to form a soft dough. sprinkle flour on flat surface. Add just
enough flour so you can roll the dough as too much flour makes for a dry
biscuit. Roll out to about 1 inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter, or an open,
clean soup can. Place in a greased Dutch oven and bake 3-40 minutes with 8
coals on the bottom and 14-18 on top.

Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake

Line your Dutch ovens with HEAVY foil, that way clean up is easy and the foil doesn't scrape off into the food
as easily as the cheaper foil)

Dump a chocolate cake mix into the bottom of the oven, spread it evenly
around, then dump a can of cherry pie filling over the top of that,
spreading as evenly as possible, and then pour a can of sprite or black
cherry soda over the top of everything, as evenly as possible. This
will need to cook for about 20-30 minutes. For a 12 inch Dutch oven put 8 pieces of
charcoal evenly under the bottom 16 on top.

Chicken Dinner in a Dutchoven

After I make this for someone, everyone has to have the 'recipe', so it will be nice to have this in a spot I can refer them too! Not hard or not much for a recipe but SOOO good.

Chicken Dinner in a Dutchoven

6-8 Chicken Breasts
1 bag mini carrots
6 potatoes, sliced (or one per person eating)
1 big and 1 small can of cream of chicken soup

Sprinkle your chicken with Montreal Chicken Spice done by McCormicks (this is the key ingrediant ;)). Put a little bit of oil in your Dutch oven and 'brown' the chicken. Add the potatoes, carrots and cream of chicken on top. Cook until the carrots are tender. I usually cook it for about 45-60 minutes depending on how hot your coals are. After the first 40 minutes or so, stir everything up to let it get all the way to the bottom! You can always add cheese if you desire as well!

Enjoy!

Mountain Man Breakfast

• 1/2 lb bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (32 oz) pkg. frozen hash browns
• 12 eggs
• 1 1/2 lls, cheese grated

Brown bacon and onion; take out and set aside. Fry hasbrowns until golden brown. Put bacon and onions back in. Break 12 eggs; beat. Pour eggs over first three ingredients. Cover with lid and cook until solid, 14 briquets on top and 10 on bottom. Sprinkle cheese on eggs, cook until melted.

Moose Balls

This is a girls camp favorite of mine. Never mind the name, though!

Ingredients:
rhodes rolls dough
hersheys kisses
vegetable oil
powdered sugar

Heat oil in dutch oven. Unwrap kisses. Cover each kiss in dough and roll in to a ball. Put in oil to fry. When ball is done frying, roll the ball in powdered sugar. We've also tried it with other chocolate candies, such as reese's peanut butter cups. SO YUMMY!!

Cheesy Potatoes

We are all about doing simple things in the dutch oven. When we go camping, we always make these potatoes! They are super easy, and super good!

potatoes- as many as you need, sliced
chopped onion
bacon (Grizz likes to cook his seperate, I like to cook mine in with everything else.)
shredded cheese

Cook all the ingredients (except cheese) in the dutch oven until potatoes are soft. Add Cheese and melt.

These are also delicious the next day for breakfast!

Sprite Dutch Oven Potatoes

Sprite Potatoes
(for a 12" dutch oven)

- 10-12 potatoes sliced
- 2 sweet onions sliced
- 1 can of sprite
- 1/2 cube of butter
- 1 C shredded cheese

Heat your dutch oven on coals or camp chef.
Add butter to melt.
Add layer of onions on melted butter.
Add sliced potatoes then add remaining onion slices on top.
Add can of sprite.
Add about 10-12 coals on dutch oven lid
Cook 25-30 min then take the lid off for another 15-25 min and let the sprite evaporate. Add cheese and enjoy!!

Black Bean Salsa

Black Bean Salsa

1 - 15 oz. can Black beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 11 oz. can White shoe peg corn
½ cup chopped green or red pepper
½ cup chopped red onion (Vidalia…)
1 large tomato diced
½ tsp. garlic powder

Dressing:

½ cup Italian dressing
¾ tsp. hot pepper sauce
½ tsp. chili powder
2 tablespoon cilantro – chopped

So just mix all together, add the dressing and toss.

I got this recipe from great-salsa.com. Hope this fills your void for your black bean salsa Becky!

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

So I've never actually tried this recipe, but I have wanted to because it sounds super yummy to me!! Maybe I'll try it this week :)

Prep Time:
30m
Cook Time:
5m
Ready in:
1h
Yield:
32 servings

Ingredients:

1 Fuji apple - peeled, cored and diced
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup oil for frying
6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix together Fuji apple, strawberries, kiwis, bananas, lime juice, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 20 minutes.
Heat oil in a medium heavy saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Slice flour tortillas into triangles. Carefully place tortilla triangles into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Place white sugar and cinnamon in a large ziplock plastic bag. Drop fried tortilla triangles into the bag and shake to coat.
Serve the cinnamon chips warm with the chilled fruit salsa.

Garden tomato Salsa

INGREDIENTS
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper. chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper chopped, or to taste
6 fresh tomatoes, quartered
1 radish chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
sprinkle in season salt to taste


DIRECTIONS
chop all ingredients and mix together add salt at very end and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Easy Black Bean Salsa

INGREDIENTS
1 (14.5 ounce) can Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, undrained
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro or parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained



DIRECTIONS
Drain tomatoes, reserving juice. Cut up tomatoes; place in a bowl. Add juice and all remaining ingredients; stir until combined. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Serve with tortilla chips or as an accompaniment to Mexican food.

Fresh Corn Salsa

Fresh Corn Salsa

1-1/2 lb. tomatoes, chopped
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or fresh parsley
1 medium jalapeño pepper, chopped
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing

COMBINE all ingredients except dressing in large bowl.

ADD dressing; mix lightly.

Salsa Fresca

I decided that it would be fun to do a "Salsa" theme this week. I really hope people participate and I'm hoping that someone has a fantastic black bean salsa recipe, my favorite one is stuck on our crashed hard drive !

Salsa Fresca

• 4 med tomatoes, diced
• 2 green chilies, seeded and diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 sprigs cilantro, cut up
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients and mix. It does taste better if you give it a couple hours in the fridge for the flavors to blend, but is still good right away!

Yogurt Salad

2 8oz boysenberry, raspberry, or strawberry yogurt
1/4 C. Sugar
3 or 4 bananas
1 lrg can fruit cocktail, drained
2 c marshmellows
12 oz cool whip

Stir yogurt and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Drain fruit cocktail and save juice. Slice bananas and place in juice. Fold remaining ingredients. Drain bananas and fold in. Stir in cool whip. (May substitute pineapple for cocktail)

Mixed-Fruit Salad

What you need:
8 oz Yogurt, vanilla, nonfat
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 tsp grated orange peel
2 tbsp orange juice
6 cup Fruit, strawberry peach & pineapple, frozen (or fresh, or your mix of melon, berries, grapes, etc)

What you do:
1 Mix mayonnaise, yogurt, orange juice, and orange peel in large bowl and stir in selected fruit.
2 Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 12 servings

Fruit Salad

This recipe is from Katie really :) Thanks!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pears
• 2 apples, cored and chopped
• 2 ripe bananas, sliced
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
• 3 cups seedless grapes
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 8 ounces strawberry cream cheese
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup pretzels, broken

DIRECTIONS: Combine the pears, apples, bananas, strawberries and grapes. Add lemon juice and toss.Blend together the cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; add the fruit and pretzels. Fold together. Serve immediately with a dollop of lite whipped topping or refrigerate until chilled.I don't add my pretzels until almost time to serve because they get soggy!!

Delightful salad :)

This recipe can be adapted to any flavor of fruit and yogurt you want to mix in...so it is usually called raspberry delight...but delightful salad is even better because it can be any flavor!!

1 pkg of cool whip
1 Big container of raspberry yogurt
2 pkgs of frozen raspberries
1 big and 1 sm pkg of vanilla pudding

Make up pudding as directed, add the rest of the ingredients, chill and serve! Prepare to eat it all!!!

Lemon Grilled Vegetables and Garlic

What you need:
1/4 cup chopped parsley (flat leaf)
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dry italian seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
1/2 tsp salt
2 medium red bell peppers , cut into strips
6 oz Mushrooms, portabella, dried, sliced
1 red onion, halved and cut into 1" thick slices

What to do:
1 Coat a grill rack with cooking spray. Preheat the grill to medium-hot.

2 Combine in a large bowl, the parsley, lemon juice, oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and salt. Add the peppers, mushrooms, and onion and toss to coat well. (The mixture can be prepared ahead to this point and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

3 Place a vegetable basket or grill screen on the grill rack and place the vegetables on the basket or screen. Grill, turning often for 15 minutes, or until very tender and lightly charred.

Grilled Chicken Divan

This recipe is from Becky...THANKS!

Chicken Divan
2 chicken breasts cut in strips
1 C uncooked instant rice
1 sm can cream of chicken soup
1/2 C water
2 C frozen broccoli florets
1 C Fresh Mushrooms, sliced
4 Ice cubes
1/2 C grated cheese

Use two sheets of heavy duty tin foil and create two packets of food. Grill on covered grill for 14-16 minutes or until chicken is done. Enjoy!

Marinated Grilled Salmon

• 1 can (20 oz) pineapple slices
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 lb salmon fillets (or mahi mahi or orange roughy work too)
• 2 Tbsp vinegar (balsamic is best)
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 6 cups fresh spinach, washed
• 4-5 Tbsp feta cheese (optional)
• 20-30 grape tomatoes

1. Open pineapple and drain juice into a cup. Combine 1/3 cup pineapple juice with soy sauce, garlic, ginger and brown sugar. Stir to blend
2. Cut salmon into 4-5 serving and place in shallow dish (I try to find skinless fillets to make it easier). Pour marinade over fish. Marinade each side 15-20 minutes
3. Heat grill or broiler in oven. Remove fish from marinade, keeping marinade. Spray fish with non-stick spray; grill or broil 3-4 minutes per side (10 min per 1 inch) Grill pineapple slices at the same time.
4. While fish is grilling, place marinade in small saucepan and bring to full boil ( I usually let it boil for a good 5 minutes because I'm a nervous nelly about these kind of things) Remove from heat, cool, and whisk in vinegar and oil.
5. Serve on bed of spinach with tomatoes and slice of pineapple on top. Pour "dressing" over top and add feta if desired

Caramelized Beef Skewers

Mmmnn.. I love to grill, the food always seems to taste so good! I tried this recipe tonight and it was excellent. Steve gave it two thumbs up:) I really liked it because I had all the ingredients on hand. We are also big A-1 steak sauce people so when I saw it was in the recipe I had to try it. This came from Kraft.

Caramelized Beef Skewers

1 lb beef (sirloin works best) steak, thinly sliced
1/4 C. A-1
1/4 C BBQ sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Marinate steak in 2 T. steak sauce and BBQ sauce. ( I did a lot more than that, I did about 1/8 of a cup of each) I marinated mine for about 4-5 hours, it would have probably been even better if I did it overnight.

Make sauce mixture using 2 T of steak and BBQ sauce and 1 tsp. Dijon mustard set aside for grilling.

Grill skewers until steak is cooked through, turning about every 3 minutes and brushing generously with the sauce mixture.

A tip using wooden skewers: soak them in water for about 30 min. so they do not burn.