Rad Recipes

Black Bean Soup

2012-01-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

4 cans black beans (3 to blend for base, 1 for hearty filling)
1 can corn, drained
2 C chicken broth
1 lb ground beef
1 C salsa

Cook your meat, set aside. Prepare your optional toppings, set aside. Blend 3 cans of black beans with 2 C of chicken broth in the blender. You may have to do a couple sessions if it does not all fit in the blender. Pour it into a large pot. Add sals. I do one cup, but depending on your preferecnes you can add more or less. Add drained corn, cooked meat and last can of black beans. Heat all together. Serve with toppings...i.e. avocado, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, chips.

Looks really gross, but YUMMY!

Freezer meal night!

2012-01-23T10:51:00.000-08:00

Chicken Puffs

Pork burritos

Cheese/bean enchiladas -- 2 cans of refried beans, 4 cans of enchilada sauce (divided), 2 cups cheese. Put mixture in tortillas, rolled them up and put them in a 9x13 pan, covered with enchilada sauce.

Breakfast pockets -- we used Rhodes rolls and let them thaw for an hour or so, pressed them out and then put the filling in and pressed them like a hot pocket! YUM!!!

Pizza -- we got the crust from Papa Murphy's and added our own toppings

Cross Rib Roast
Taco soup
Dressed Up Sloppy Joes

Creamy Baked Taquitoes
Cornflake Chicken Tenders
Chicken Puff

Another successful day of freezer meal cooking! LOVE IT!!! We spent about 4 hours on Saturday morning assembling all of these recipes and now we are stocked up for quite a few weeks! So excited!!

Pork Burritos

2012-01-23T10:49:00.000-08:00

Sweet Shredded Pork Burritos

Meat: (This recipe makes 45-50 burritos)
10 lbs boneless pork roast
4 cans tomato sauce
3 C brown sugar
2 cans coke or Dr. Pepper
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 C or 1 bunch of finely minced cilantro

Put meat in crock pot. Add tomato sauce, sugar and garlic. Add soda and cilantro. Cook on medium heat 4 hours or more. shred when tender.

The following ingredients are based off 1 serving of about 15 burritoes
I used converted rice with a conversion of 2:1, we used 2 cups.
2 C of cheese
2 cans of black beans drained

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. fill burrito tortillas with 1/4 C to 1/3 C mixture. Roll and freeze. Cook at 350* for 12-15 minutes each side. No need to thaw prior to cooking. Or microwave for 2-3 minutes.

Top with your favorite burrito toppings!

Chicken Puffs

2012-01-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

2 pck crescent rolls
6 ounces softened cream cheese
2 cups cooked chicken in small pieces
1 green onion finely chopped
1 package of peas
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 sleeve ritz crackers
1 cube butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 C of milk

Cook and shred chicken. mix cream cheese, chicken, peas, onion and all seasonings together. Freeze in a bag or you can put it into the crescent rolls and then freeze those.

Thaw out chicken mixture. Roll out crescent rolls. fill rolls with chicken filling and roll up. Melt butter, dip rolls in the butter and roll into the crushed crackers. Bake at 350* for 20-30 minutes or until brown.

Mix cream of chicken and milk in a pot and heat over stove on low. pour on top of cooked chicken rolls

Italian Steak

2012-01-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp Honey Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp ketchup2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 3/4 lbs lean flank steak
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, ketchup, garlic and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl. Combine with steak in a large resealable plastic bag shake to coat steak. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

2. Heat broiler or stove top grill pan, lightly grease. Season steak with salt and pepper. Broil or grill steak 3 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 125 for medium rare. Let stand 5 minutes; thinly slice against grain.

Tuna Cakes

2011-12-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

2 cans (5 oz each) light tuna in water, drained, flaked
1 pkg (6 oz) Stuffing mix for chicken
1 cup Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cup water
1 carrot, shredded
1/3 cup Mayo
2 Tbsp pickle relish

1. Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate 10 min
2. Heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Use ice cream scoop to add 1/3 cup portions of tuna mixture, in batches, to skillet.
3. Flatten into patties with back of spatula. Cook 6 min. or until golden brown on both sides, carefully turning patties over after 3 min.

Substitute suggestions:
Substitute 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 4 chopped green onions and 1 Tbsp lemon juice for the cheddar, carrots and relish.
For easier handling in the skillet:
Mix all ingredients. Shape into patties as directed. Place in single layer on baking sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour before cooking as directed.

We thought these were great! I pretty much followed the directions, other than I used light tuna and albacore. And because I was having company right before dinner I made the patties a couple hours ahead of time, put them on a sprayed cookie sheet, covered them with foil and put them in the fridge. Then I uncovered them and baked them at 350° for 25 min. Then flipped them over and broiled on high for 2 minutes on each side. I didn't have to worry about batches that way ! It made 12 good size patties.
Next time I might also add some combination of celery, chopped spinach, and zucchini, just to get a little more nutrition in there.

Pretty sure it is another Kraft recipe

Baked Steaks

2011-12-05T14:44:00.000-08:00

Line 15x10 pan with tin foil. Sprinkle 1 envelope onion soup on bottom of pan. Put in steaks frozen or thawed. Sprinkle with another envelope over top. Completely seal with foil. Bake 3 hours @350°.

This recipe came from a cookbook my sister has. It has no weight or amount of steak. I used 1 BIG steak and only 1 onion soup envelope, and even then I felt it was a bit salty. The steak I used was partially thawed, next time I'm going to try it frozen. A great way to use steak when you don't want to grill.

Chicken Cacciatore w/ Creamy Mashed Potatoes

2011-11-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

3/4 lb red potatoes (about 2) cut into 1" chunks
1 1/2 cups small fresh cauliflower florets
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb)
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
1 pkg (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms
1 green pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup chive and onion 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1. Cook the potatoes and cauliflower in boiling water in large sauce pan for 20 min. or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, cook chicken in a large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat 3 to 4 min. on each side or until golden brown. Transfer to plate cover to keep warm.
3. Add dressing, mushrooms and peppers to skillet; cook and stir 6 min. Add tomatoes; simmer 8 minutes. Return chicken to skillet; spoon sauce over chicken. Simmer 3 min. or until chicken is done.
4. Drain potato mixture; return to pan and mash. Add reduced-fat cream cheese; mash until potato mixture is fluffy. Serve topped with chicken, vegetables and basil.

Got the recipe from Kraft.
* I didn't use peppers. And I just added onion powder and chives to cream cheese that I had on hand, it worked out well.

Oh-so- Easy Salmon Bake

2011-11-18T13:30:00.000-08:00

4 salmon fillets (1 lb)
2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp coarse ground mustard or Dijon mustard
16 ritz cracker, crushed (about 1/2 cup)
1 tsp dill weed (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°. Place fish in single layer on foil-covered baking sheet; spread evenly with mustard.
Sprinkle with crumbs. If using dill mix to crumbs before sprinkling.
Bake 25 min or until fish flakes easily with fork.

I'm not sure where I got this, but I think it was also a Kraft recipe.

Smart Pork Pasta

2011-11-18T13:18:00.000-08:00

1/2 lb whole wheat spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing, divided
1 lb port tenderloin, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped red onion (I just used a yellow onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (I used a can of diced tomatoes)
1/3 cup chicken broth
6 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
1 cup Italian 3 cheese blend, divided ( I just made my own blend with monterey jack, mozzarella, and Parmesan)

Cook chosen pasta as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile heat 2 Tbsp dressing in large skillet over medium high heat. Add meat; cook 5-6 min or until done, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet; cover to keep warm.
Add remaining dressing, onions and garlic to skillet; cook and stir 2-3 min or until onions are crisp tender. Add tomatoes cook 1 min. Add broth and meat; stir. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.
Drain pasta. Add to ingredients in skillet with the spinach and 1/2 cup cheese; mix lightly. Top with remaining cheese.

Another Kraft recipe!

Zesty Marinated Chicken

2011-11-18T13:02:00.000-08:00

1/2 cup Italian Dressing
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1lb)
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (the green can kind)
1-2 Tbsp Italian style bread crumbs
1 pkg sliced fresh mushrooms
1 Tbsp butter
1-2 tsp dried basil
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Pour dressing over chicken and refrigerate 1 hour to marinate.
Heat oven to 375°. Remove chicken from marinade, discard marinade. Mix together Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs and place in shallow dish. Add chicken and turn to evenly chicken breasts. Place chicken in single layer in shallow pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake 30 min. Meanwhile melt butter in skillet, add mushrooms and cook on high heat until mushrooms are tender, stirring frequently. Stir in basil.
Top chicken with mushrooms and shredded cheese; bake 5 min or until cheese is melted.

I adapted this from a recipe I got from Kraft.
The suggested substituting cilantro or parsley for the basil, but I have only tried it with the basil.

freezer meal night

2011-11-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

Another successful freezer meal night happened last night. It took us quite awhile this time with 5 people and quite a few interruptions, but it was so worth it! I love seeing the meals pile up in my freezer in anticipation of the crazy busy nights that happen at my house this time of year! Here is what we did this time...

Meatballs
Tater-tot casserole
Pizzas (we got the crust from Papa Murphy's)
Savory Breakfast Muffins
Pork, rice, bean and cheese burritos
Creamy Baked Taquitoes
Cornflake Chicken Tenders
Chicken Puff
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Cordon Bleu casserole

Cilantro BBQ Pork Chops

2011-11-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 tsp orange zest
2 Tbsp orange juice
4 bone-in pork chops (1lb) 1/2 inch thick

1. Heat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Mix all ingredients except chops. Reserve half of serving with cooked chops.
3. Grill chops 7-8 min on each side or until done. brushing occasionally with remaining sauce.
4. Serve with reserved sauce

OR Use your broiler (that is what I did) Broil chops 6 inches from heat on broiler pan.

I also didn't use any orange zest and added a little extra orange juice. I also only used about 1/2 a jalapeno since my kids don't really like too much spice. And I used all the sauce to brush the pork chops with. It was a hit for the whole family! I got this recipe from Kraft.

Hearty Taco Soup

2011-10-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

1 lb ground beef - cooked and excess fat drained
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can beans (black, kidney or pinto) drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
1/2- 1 packet taco seasoning (depending on spice preference)
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
1/2-1 cup water

1. Mix all ingredients together in large stock pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 min- 1 hour until vegetables are tender.
2. Garnish with sour cream, cheese and fritos.

The soup was a little thick, so if you want a soupier soup add more water or tomato sauce! I came up with this recipe by combining 3 other Taco soup recipes.

Dinner Quiche

2011-10-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

1 refrigerated pie crust (from a 15 oz pkg)
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 medium red onion, diced
2 packed cups baby spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
5 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
2-3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 400°. Unroll crust and roll out slightly. Fit into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch deep pie dish. Flute edge. Line crust with nonstick foil. Bake @ 400° for 12 min. Remove foil.
2. Meanwhile, cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, 5 min, breaking apart with a spoon. Spoon into a bowl and stir in ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.
3.In same skillet, cook onion for 5 min over medium heat. Add spinach and tomatoes; cook 3 minutes. Season with 1/8 tsp each of the salt and pepper. Stir in beef.
4. Transfer beef mixture to crust. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard and remaining 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese over filling. Carefully add egg mixture. Bake @ 400° for 35-40 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before slicing.

The original name for this was Cheeseburger Quiche, but that sounded a little too scary for me so I liked Dinner Quiche better! It was a big hit with everyone and the only change I made was I used diced tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes. And next time I will bake it on a cookie sheet, we had some bubble over into the bottom of the oven...ick.

Upside-down Pizza

2011-10-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs ground turkey
2 (15 oz) can Italian-style tomato sauce
2 tsp dried basil
1 cup chopped pepperoni
1 tsp pepper
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (13.8 oz) pkg prepared pizza dough

1. Heat the oven to 400 °. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms and garlic and cook stirring frequently, until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the turkey and continue to cook and stir, breaking the meat into small pieces, until it is no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomato sauce, basil and pepperoni and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add the pepper, then transfer the mixture to a 9x13 casserole dish.
3. Scatter the cheese on top and later on the pizza dough. Bake the casserole until the dough is golden, about 20 minutes. To serve, spoon out portions with a large serving utensil.

Kind of fun and different! I made a full recipe but made it in 2 pans so I could freeze one. And even with one 8x8 we still had some leftovers. And I used beef instead of turkey and I also used a big can of pasta sauce instead of the tomato sauce and it was pretty tasty!

Chicken Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes

2011-10-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

One of my all time favorite soups!

3 cups milk
1 cup yellow corn muffin mix (like Jiffy)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 quarts chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup Monterrey Jack Cheese
3 cup frozen corn (not thawed)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Mix muffin mix in a bowl until well combined; set aside. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, chicken and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sweet potatoes are just tender.

Stir in milk and muffin mixture and simmer until soup thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

*I sometimes add a drained 16 oz. can of chicken instead of doing all that work to get the chicken required for the soup.

Cannelloni

2011-10-05T09:16:00.001-07:00

1 pkg Egg Roll Wrappers
1lb lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dried
1/2 tsp Italian herb seasoning
1 cup Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sauce:
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp Italian herb seasoning

1. Crumble meat into skillet; add onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned 4-5 minutes. Discard excess oil. Add spinach and Italian herb seasoning; mix well. Let mixture cool. Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl. Pour half of the sauce into a 9x13 baking pan.
2. For each cannelloni, spoon 1/3 cup of mixture at one end of the wrap, roll wrap around filling and place the seam side down in pan. Pour remaining sauce over top, being sure to moisten ends of each wrap.
3. Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and return to oven; bake until cheese melts about 5-7 minutes.

We really enjoyed this, but I would have liked more sauce so I will be making more for the next batch!

Tasty Pulled Beef

2011-09-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

3-4 lb roast
1 bottle Italian dressing ( I just made mine from a packet)
1 pkg onion soup mix
2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Trim fat off roast, place in crockpot.
Combine dressing and soup mix. Once well combine add minced garlic.
Pour dressing over roast, turning roast to coat with dressing mixture.
Cook on low 8-10 hours. Turning once during cooking time.
Take roast out, and strain juices, reserving juice. ( I even stuck my "juice" in the freezer for a few minutes to get the fat to separate after I strained it) Shred roast with forks and return meat to crockpot. Pour desired amount of juice over meat, I used about a 1 1/2 cups. More or less depending on how juicy you want your meat.

We served it on buns with all the regular condiments. The next day I enjoyed it over rice with tomatoes.

Watermelon Drink

2011-09-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

4 cups seedless watermelon cubes
1 cup water
1 Tbsp honey
Lime juice
Ice

Put watermelon and water in blender and mix until smooth. Strain into a pitcher; stir in honey and splash of lime juice (to taste). Pour into ice filled glasses and enjoy!

Kind of a fun way to enjoy your watermelon!

Creamy Avocado Chicken Salad

2011-09-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken breast, cooked and shredded
¼ cup corn
¼ cup black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup green onions, chopped
¼ cup tomatoes, diced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup corn chips, crushed
2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt to taste
2-4 avocados, sliced in half with pits discarded

Directions:

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken breast, corn, black beans, green onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and corn chips together. Add the vinegar and mayonnaise to mixture and toss to coat. Salt to taste. Spoon salad into halved avocados. Serve immediately with a spoon and fork. Enjoy!

Recipe found HERE...

BBQ Pork Noodle Bowl

2011-09-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp lime juice
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp oil, divided
1 lb pork tenderloin, thinly sliced into strips
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 lb capellini, uncooked
4 green onions, sliced
1 Tbsp minced gingerroot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (or more!)

1. Mix first 6 ingredients until well blended.
2. Heat 2 tsp oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add half the meat; cook 2 min or until no longer pink, turning after 1 min. Remove from skillet; cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining meat. Return all meat to skillet. Stir in BBQ sauce; cook and stir 1 min. Remove from skillet; keep warm.
3. Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile heat remaining oil in skillet. Add onions, ginger and garlic; cook and stir 30 sec. Stir in broth mixture; bring to boil.
4 Drain pasta. Add to broth mixture in skillet; stir to coat. Spoon pasta mixture into soup bowls; top with meat, nuts and cilantro.

You can substitute chicken or beef for pork.

I got this recipe from Kraft, and it is SOOO tasty. I can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch! Things I do differently, I use powdered ginger instead of fresh and I just use a pinch. And if I don't want it to be too runny I let the pasta "cook" for just a minute after I add it too the broth mixture and it soaks it up nicely. Also a word about fish sauce, it is fairly inexpensive, but it is VERY smelly and unfortunately not in a good way. But it doesn't taste like it smells thank goodness! And it is great to use in pad thai too! This is a nice, fast and pretty healthy meal!

Creamy Tomato- Basil Pasta with Chicken

2011-08-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
1/4 cup sun dried tomato vinaigrette dressing, divided
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 oz Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
2 cups grape tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
8 basil leaves, cut into strips

1. Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile heat 2 Tbsp dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cover. Cook 5-6 min on each side if until done. Remove chicken from skillet cover to keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towel.
2. Add remaining dressing, broth and seasonings to skillet; cook 3-4 min or until heated through. Add Neufchatel; cook and stir 2-3 min or until melted. Stir in tomatoes; cook 3 min.
3. Drain pasta. Add ingredients in skillet with Parmesan and basil; mix well. Serve topped with chicken.

I got this recipe from Kraft. The changes I made were I cubed the chicken, used dried basil (and added it when I added the chicken broth) and I used cherry tomatoes cut in half.

Tilapia Veracruz

2011-08-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup sun dried tomato vinaigrette dressing
2 Tbsp lime juice
4 tilapia fillets (1 lb)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1. Heat oven to 400.
2.Mix dressing and juice. Place fish in 13x9 dish; drizzle with 1/2 dressing mixture. Toss tomatoes with remaining dressing mixture.
3. Bake fish 20 minutes top with tomato mixture and cheese. Bake 5 min or until cheese is melted and fish flakes easily with fork.
4. Sprinkle with cilantro.

If using frozen fish no need to thaw before using as directed!
I got this recipe from Kraft

Greek Bulgar Salad with Shrimp

2011-08-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

3 Tbsp lemon juice
3Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 cup bulgar wheat
1/2 pound plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 pound cooked, peeled shrimp
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded ( I also added some romaine and green leaf lettuce)
black olives
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled (which I didn't have so I used shredded Parmesan)
Other add in options:
sliced radishes
cauliflower or broccoli florets
hearts of palm
hard-boiled egg
artichoke hearts
sunflower seeds
asparagus tips
edamame
roasted eggplant
hummus
sun-dried tomatoes

1. In a small bow, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Place bulgar in a large bowl. Stir in 2 cups boiling water. Cover with plastic and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes cucumber, parsley, mint and 2 Tbsp of lemon dressing. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
3.Toss the shrimp with 1 Tbsp of dressing and set aside
4. In a large bowl toss together lettuce, onion, olive and remaining dressing. Equally divide among 4 dinner plates. Top each serving with bulgar shrimp and feta.

I got this recipe from Family Circle. Perfect Summer recipe since you don't have to use much heat!

Freezer Meal Night #3

2011-08-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

This time we did things a little differently. We had 4 of us and we wanted meals that we could take right from the freezer and cook immediately...no thawing, no prep, nothing the night we ate them. We also decided to just double each recipe we chose so we could have more of the same thing. It turned out pretty well. Once again, I am excited to eat the product of our hard work!

The recipes we did this time included....

Creamy Baked Taquitoes

Pork, rice, bean and cheese burritoes

Pesto Stuffed Shells

Cornflake Chicken Tenders

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

2011-08-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

12-16 jumbo pasta shells
water for boiling pasta
4oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese + 1/4 cup for topping
3 tablespoons prepared pesto (homemade or store bought)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

**In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.
**In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping. Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts
** To make ahead/freezer meals - Prepare as directed but place filled shells in an oven- and freezer-proof baking dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells, cover and freeze. When ready to prepare, defrost. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.

recipe found HERE

White Bean Pizza Dough

2011-07-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

I've tried this out multiple times and think I finally have it mastered now. The next step will be making the flour from dry white beans, but that might be aways down the road yet.

1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp yeast
1 can white beans, drained, rinsed and pureed
1 Tbsp sugar
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 cups flour (mixture of any kind - white, wheat or bean)
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp (or more to taste) garlic powder

1. Put water in mixing bowl, sprinkle in yeast and sugar and let stand about 5 minutes.
2. Put beans into food processor and pulse until smooth. Stir beans into yeast mixture. Add about 2 cups of flour and the oil. Stir until dough comes together. Let rest for a few minutes (3-5). Add salt, oregano, garlic powder and the rest of flour to dough until dough is soft and smooth, but don't let it get stiff.
3. Once the flour is mixed into the dough knead for 5-10 minutes on low speed. Cover the dough and lit rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
4. Add favorite toppings and bake 10-15 min @ 450 °

This makes enough to cover a big cookie sheet (11x15 ) and still have some left over. I'm guessing it would make 2 big round pizzas. I usually wrap my leftover dough tightly and put it in the fridge for a couple days and then make bread sticks with it. You could also freeze it. It is a great way to sneak in a little extra fiber and protein and it doesn't change the flavor!

Hearty Healty Chicken Salad

2011-07-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

1 cup small macaroni, cooked
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
2-3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
3 tomatoes, diced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4- 1 cup chicken broth

1. In a large bowl mix together chicken (while still warm), macaroni, tomatoes, celery, red pepper and green onion. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano.
2. Place chicken broth and garlic in small saucepan, bring to a boil over light heat, boil for 10 minutes or until broth is reduced to 1/2 cup.
3. Add vinegar and pour over salad. Mixing well. Chill until cold.

I thought the "dressing" sounded a little too tart so I only used 3/4 cup vinegar and it was still really tangy. It needs some tweaking but I haven't figured it out yet, so if you give it a try and find something that works let us know!

Also I used fun cellentani noodles instead of macaroni, and added more green onions and celery in place of the pepper.

Thai Beef Salad

2011-07-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

1 packet Ranch Dressing Mix
3/4 cup mayo
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 lb thinly sliced roast beef
1 cucumber, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 cup sliced bamboo shoots
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Combine mayo, coconut milk, dressing mix and lime juice in small bowl or jar; chill at least 30 mins. Arrange beef, cucumber, cilantro and bamboo shoots on a large platter. Pour dressing in a thin stream over salad. Sprinkle with peanuts.

I used left over roast from the cross rib roast for this and it was great. I also had to substitute water chestnuts for the bamboo because the store was out, and I used light coconut milk to cut down on fat and calories and it worked great (and then I used the left over coconut milk in a smoothie mmm mmm good). Also we halved the dressing recipe and still had some leftover. I also added more salad greens to the salad served it with bread sticks. It was pretty tasty!

Cross Rib Roast

2011-07-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

2 lbs Roast (the recipie calls for cross rib, but I have never used that cut)
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
2 tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil

1. Brush Roast with balsamic vinegar
2. Make a paste with remaining ingredients and apply to meat.
3 Roast meat @ 450° for 15 min, reduce heat to 350 and cook for 40-60 mins or until internal temperature is 125°.
4. Remove from oven; cover loosely with foil and let stand 15 to 25 min.

If I have a big roast I've found it easier to cut it in 2 pieces and cook it so it is actually done in about an hour, otherwise it can take up to 90 mins. We love this recipe because the vinegar makes the meat so tender. And it is great in "left over" recipes, like the Thai Beef Salad.

BBQ Chicken Pasta with Bacon

2011-07-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

1 pound penne or other short pasta, cooked according to package directions
1 pound bacon, chopped
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
1 red onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste (I used about 1/4 tsp.)
Green onions, bacon, and shredded cheese for garnish, if desired

Cook the bacon to a 12" dutch oven over a full spread of coals, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towel. Add the chicken and red onion to the bacon grease in the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the chicken is browned and cooked through and the onion is softened. Drain off any excess grease and stir in the reserved bacon, barbecue sauce and sour cream. Once mixed, add in the shredded cheese. Add pasta and stir to combine; heat through. Serve immediately. Serves 6-8

Baked Ziti

2011-07-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

1 lb ziti noodles
1 onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 26 oz jars pasta sauce
6 oz provolone
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 oz mozzarella cheese (about 3/4 cup)
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

1. Brown beef; drain. Add onion and sauce to beef, simmer 15 min.
2. Cook ziti noodles 8 min; drain. Grease 9x13 pan.
3. Layer 1/2 ziti, all provolone, all sour cream, 1/2 sauce, 1/2 ziti, all mozzarella cheese, rest of sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan on top.
4. Bake at 350 for 35-45 min.

You can substitute penne or any tubular noodle that is similar to ziti. Also buy the slices of provolone and just lay them over the noodles and it works great! You can slice or shred the mozzarella, but I like mine shredded best.

I got this recipe from a co-worker years ago.

Cabbage Rolls

2011-07-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

12 Cabbage leaves
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked instant rice
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 (4 oz) can mushroom pieces and stems, undrained
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water

Side note from the recipe- Cabbage leaves will separate easily if you first remove the core from the head of cabbage and let the cabbage stand in cold water for 10 min. - I didn't try this but next time I will!

1. Cover the cabbage leaves with boiling water. Cover and let stand about 10 minutes or until leaves are limp. Remove leaves; drain.
2. Heat oven to 350.
3. Mix beef (RAW), rice, 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, the salt, pepper, onion, garlic and mushrooms.
4. Place about 1/3 cup beef mixture at stem end of each leaf. Roll leaf around beef mixture, tucking in sides. Place cabbage rolls, seam sides down, in ungreased square baking dish 8x8x2. ( I had to put mine in a 9x13 I don't know how they fit it in an 8x8)
5. Mix remaining tomato sauce, the sugar and lemon juice; pour over cabbage rolls.
6. Cover and bake about 45 minutes or until beef mixture is no longer pink in center.
7. Remove cabbage rolls to platter. Pour liquid from baking dish into 1 quart saucepan. Mix cornstarch and water; stir into liquid. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour sauce over cabbage rolls.

The recipe looks a lot more labor intensive than it is. I try to keep cooking simple at our house. And with a little planning this one is pretty easy! We did think it was a bit bland and next time might try and add more onions and garlic or maybe even some sausage to spice it up a bit. And I will cut the mushrooms up a bit before adding them also. Also I used 16 oz of Tomato sauce since I had 2 8 oz cans and I just divided them evenly where it calls for the tomato sauce! I will be making this again!

The recipe came from Betty Crockers Cookbook- Bridal Edition.

Savory Breakfast Muffins

2011-07-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

1 lb sausage
2 C Bisquick
1 C Cornmeal
2 eggs
1 3/4 C milk
1/4 C green or red bell peppers, chopped
1/2 C finely minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Line muffin tins with paper liners (I sprayed mine), fry, crumble and drain sausage. Preheat oven to 375*. Mix togehter bisquick, cornmeal, eggs, garlif and milk. Add drained sausage, peppers and onions and cheese. STir well. Ladle the filling into the prepared muffin tins. Bake for 11-15 minutes. ALlow to cool completely.

Store in freezer in a large airtight container. Remove, thaw for a few minutes and then microwave on high for 90 seconds.

** I doubled this recipe and we really enjoyed it. Great for a quick breakfast. Next time I won't do peppers and will do sausage and ham! Recipe found HERE.

Chicken Manicotti

2011-07-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

2 TBL garlic powder
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 boxes manicotti
4 to 5 C bulk spaghetti sauce (alfredo)
1 pound jimmy dean sausage, cooked and drained
4 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1 C water, divided

Rub garlic powder over chicken; cut chicken into 1-inch strips. Stuff chicken into manicotti. Spread 1 C spaghetti sauce in each of three greased 8-inch square foil pans.

Divide stuffed manicotti equally between three pans. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over top. Be sure to cover all noodles or they will dry when cooked. Sprinkle with sausage and top with cheese.

Drizzle 1/3 C water around the edge of each dish. Cover and bake 1 pan of manicotti at 375* for 65 to 70 minutes or until chicken juices run clear and pasta is tender.

Cover, label and freeze remaining casseroles for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours, then bake at 375* for 65 to 708 minutes. To bake frozen, cover with foil and bake at 350* for 2 1/2 hours. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

*** I thaw mine straight from the freezer in the morning and good it like normal at night and it turns out yummy!!!

Baked Egg Rolls

2011-07-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

1 head of cabbage, cut up
1 can bean sprouts, drained
1/2 C water chestnuts
1/2 C frozen peas
2 C grated carrots
2 C finely diced cooked chicken
4 TEAS cornstarch
1 TBL water
1 TBL light soy sauce
1 TEAS vegetable oil
1 TEAS brown sugar
1 pinch cayenne pepper
16 egg roll wrappers

Coat a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray; add the first 6 ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add chicken; heat through.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, water, soy sauce, oil, brown sugar and cayenne pepper until smooth; stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil (simmer). Cook and stir for 2 minutes; remove from heat. Spoon 1/4 C of chicken mixture on the bottom third of one egg roll wrapper; fold sides towards center and roll tightly. Place seam side down on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Spray tops of egg rolls with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 425* for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Creamy Frozen Key Lime Pie

2011-07-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

1 - 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 - 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 - cup evaporated milk
1/2 - cup freshly squeezed key lime juice
or regular lime juice (key limes are the best)
1 - prepared graham cracker, shortbread or vanilla wafer crust

In a medium size mixing bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the condensed and evaporated milk. Beat until smooth. On medium speed, add lime juice and beat for one minute. Pour mixture into prepared pie crust and freeze at least 2 hours. Let stand at room temperature 10 - 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with whipped cream, key lime slices or mint. Store leftover pie in freezer.

Found the recipe at Mommy's Kitchen

I had some extra limes from my bountiful basket and decided to make this pie. It was so yummy, even worth me cutting my finger while cutting the limes :)!!!

Bowtie Chicken Caesar Salad

2011-07-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

1 bunches green leaf lettuce, chopped
1 bag Marie Calendars Fat Free Croutons
1 bag Almond Accents/ Roasted Garlic Caesar
2 Chicken Breasts, boiled with an onion and salt and pepper
2 cups bowtie pasta, cooked
4 - 6 oz. shredded parmesan cheese
Brianna’s Asiago Caesar Dressing or other yummy Caesar dressing.

Toss all the above ingredients with Caesar dressing right before serving. Serves 20-25

Recipe Found at The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Paremesan Pretzel Bites

2011-07-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

PRETZEL BITES

Texas size Rhodes Frozen roll dough

*as many as you like – each roll makes four bites

coarse salt, parmesan, garlic, cinnamon & sugar

Vanilla glaze (optional)

Take a thawed roll. Cut it in four equal sections. Place dough bites on greased sheets. I placed five across and five down on large baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and let dough rise until double in size. (about 35-45 minutes) Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. When dough has risen, plop about 10 pieces into the boiling water, tossing gently for about 45 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon, and place bites on paper towels to drain slightly. Move bites to greased baking sheets, and bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until done and golden brown.

Brush bites with melted butter, sprinkle with Kosher or Sea Salt, garlic and toss in Parmesan cheese. You can also make Cinnamon and Sugar bites. Make a mixture of Cinnamon and sugar: About 1 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon, and mix together well. After you butter the pretzel bites, toss in cinnamon and sugar mixture.

You can serve the Parmesan Pretzel bites with a cheddar dip, and the Cinnamon and Sugar Pretzel bites with Vanilla glaze. So yummy . . . so simple!

VANILLA GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Combine sugar, milk, butter and vanilla and mix well.

CHEDDAR DIP

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 1/2 to 2 cups of grated Cheddar Cheese.

Melt the butter in a med. size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until blended, and

butter has turned lightly golden brown. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thickened slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar Cheese until smooth and all of the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper. Shake a few red pepper flakes into sauce for added zing!

Recipe found at Get off your butt and Bake...

Freezer Meal Night...

2011-07-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

My friends and I did another freezer meal night and I wanted to post the recipes for future reference...

Empanadas

Cross Rib Roast

Ham & Cheese Braid

Shish K-bobs

Stuffed Shells

Chicken Manicotti

Pork tacos with chili verde (Our Best Bites Cookbook)

Cornflake Chicken

Glass Block Holiday Jello

2011-07-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

4 3-oz. packages assorted Jello (in coordinating colors)
2 packets unflavored gelatin
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Spray 4 small food storage containers (like Tupperware/Gladware/Rubbermaid) with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Bring 5+ cups of water to a boil. Combine 1 c. boiling water with 1 package of Jello, stirring until dissolved. Place the dissolved Jello in one of the prepared containers. Repeat with the remaining packages of Jello. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferable overnight.

When the Jello has set, bring another 1 1/2 c. of water to a boil. While the water is heating, sprinkle 2 packets of unflavored gelatin over 1/2 c. of cold water. Allow to stand for about 4 minutes. When the water is boiling, pour 1 1/2 c. boiling water over the dissolved gelatin and stir to combine. Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix well. Allow to come to room temperature.

Lightly spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick cooking spray. Carefully cut the colored Jello into cubes and gently toss to combine in the 9x13" pan. Pour the cooled milk mixture over the colored Jello and, if necessary, rearrange some of the colored Jello to make sure it is evenly distributed and not sticking out of the white mixture too far.

Place the 9x13" pan in the refrigerator and chill overnight. Cut into squares, rectangles, or various shapes with cookie cutters and serve.

From Our Best Bites

Mix and Match Muffins

2011-07-01T12:51:00.001-07:00

3 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar, brown sugar, or sucanat
1/2 cup oil
1 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 eggs
Mixins: 1 teaspoon extract, 1 1/2 cups any combination of fruit*, chopped nuts, chocolate
*Possible fruit to use: mashed bananas, blueberries, finely chopped apples, raspberries, coarsely chopped cranberries
Preheat oven to 350 °. Line muffin tin with papers or spray with nonstick cooking spray. In large mixing bowl, combine, flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. (If preparing as a mix, simply combine all these ingredients in a ziptop bag, label well, mark with the wet ingredients and baking instructions.)
In a separate bowl, combine oil, milk, yogurt, and eggs. Whisk to blend. Add wet ingredients to dry. Fold gently until mostly moistened, but still lumpy. Fold in mix-ins.
For 12 large muffins, fill muffin cups completely, even mounding past their tops. For 18 kid-size muffin, fill almost full. Bake 25 – 35 minutes, depending on how much you fill them.

Corn, Black Beans & Beef Empanadas

2011-07-01T12:45:00.001-07:00

Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Filling
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 pound 85% lean ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup taco shredded cheese blend

1 package empanada dough rounds

To make the filling, heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onions and garlic until softened. Add the corn, black beans, cumin, cayenne, and cloves and cook until fragrant. Crumble the beef into the pan and brown. Add the chicken broth to the pan to deglaze and transfer the beef mixture to a bowl; cool.

Stir in the cilantro leaves into the beef mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cool completely in the refrigerator. Once cooled completely, fold in the cheese.
To assemble the empanadas, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place a large baking sheet in the oven. Using the premade empanada dough, place 1/3 cup of filling mixture in the center of each dough round. Brush the edges of the dough with water and fold dough over the filling. Press the edges to seal and crimp the edges using a fork.

To bake, drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil over the surface of the large preheated baking sheet and then return to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the empanadas onto the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the empanadas with oil. Place the baking sheet of empanadas in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until well browned and crisp. Cool empanadas on a wire rack for 10 minutes and serve.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare the empanadas as directed above. Once assembled, place empanadas in a gallon sized freezer bag in one layer. Remove any excess air from the bag and freeze flat. When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 425 degrees and place a large baking sheet in the oven. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil over the surface of the large preheated baking sheet and then return to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the frozen empanadas onto the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the empanadas with oil. Place the baking sheet of frozen empanadas in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until well browned and crisp. Cool empanadas on a wire rack for 10 minutes and serve.

Cornflake Chicken Tenders

2011-07-01T12:31:00.001-07:00

Recipe adapted from Pennies on a Platter

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) butter, melted
2 cups finely crushed corn flakes cereal

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400˚F. Place an oven-safe cooling rack on a baking sheet and set aside.

Combine the flour and spices in a small bowl; set aside. Place melted butter in another small bowl; set aside. Place the crushed cereal in a medium-sized bowl or pie plate.

Dip the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, then the butter, then the cereal. Place the coated chicken strips on the rack in the baking sheet.

Bake the coated chicken pieces in the preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. Serve with your favorite sauce.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare as directed to coat the chicken and spread them on a wax paper lined baking sheet after coating. Place the baking sheet in the freezer uncovered and flash freeze for half an hour, until mostly firm. Transfer the strips to a gallon sized freezer bag labeled with the date and cooking instructions. When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 400˚F and bake from frozen (do not defrost) for 25 minutes on the baking sheet with the cooling rack.

Ice-Cream Dessert Bars

2011-05-10T14:15:00.001-07:00

For Mothers Day my husband made these yummy little treats! They were good but very rich- I got the recipe off the back of a Crispix box.

5 cups Crispix cereal

3/4 cups chopped peanuts

1/2 cup toffee bits

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup light-colored corn syrup

1/2 tsp salt

1 quart chocolate ice cream, softened

1 quart strawberry ice cream, softened

1. Line a 13x9x2 inch pan with foil, allowing foil to extend over the two edges, butter the foil. Mix cereal, peanuts, and toffee in a large bowl, breaking up the cereal slightly with the back of a wooden spoon ask you stir; set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat. stirring constantly to melt butter and dissolve brown sugar; remove from heat. Add cereal mixture and stir to coat evenly. Spoon 4 1/2 cups of the mixture into prepared pan. Using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, spread and press the mixture firmly into bottom of pan to for an even crust. Freeze for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, spread remaining cereal mixture in an even layer on a cookie sheet or tray lined with buttered foil. Freeze, until needed

3. Spread softened chocolate ice cream evenly over cereal layer in baking pan; freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove layered dessert from freezer. Quickly spread strawberry ice cream over chocolate ice cream. Remove cereal mixture from freezer; sprinkle atop strawberry ice cream. Cover and freeze until firm, about 4 hours. Lift out of pan using foil. Cut into bars. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

We took some liberty and changed our ice cream flavors to banana split and vanilla...mmm mm good. But the crust was very rich. We also didn't have a lot of luck with the buttered foil in the 9x13. Next time I think we'll just grease a glass 9x13 and cut them in there.

Also I'm sorry about the weird spacing, Blogger won't let me fix it no matter what I try!

Chicken Noodle Casserole

2011-04-11T07:26:00.001-07:00

1 Can mushroom soup
1/2 C. milk
1/4 Tsp. ground pepper
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese
1 C. frozen mixed veg.
2 C. cooked cubed chicken
2 C. cooked egg noddles
1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

Stir soup, milk, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, vegetables, chicken, and noddles in 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until hot. Stir and then top with cheddar cheese.

Found this recipe at sistersstuff.blogspot

YUMMY!!

Cider-Glazed Chicken with Roast Veggies

2011-03-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

Vegetables

3/4 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 lb red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary

Chicken

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/4 lbs thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup flour

1 cup apple cider

2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Heat oven to 450 Coat a large baking pan with cooking spray.

Veggies- Place parsnips, carrots and potatoes in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. Spoon into the prepared pan and roast @ 450 for 35 min turning after 15 minutes.

Chicken- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil. Coat chicken in flour and add half to skillet. Cook 2 minutes per side. Remove to plate and repeat with remaining Tbsp oil and chicken. Remove chicken to plate.

Reduce heat to medium and pour cider into skillet. Cook 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from pan. Stir in mustard, thyme, salt and pepper. Add chicken and simmer on medium-low, covered, for 4 minutes.

Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with roasted vegetables.

My Changes- I used dried not fresh rosemary. I used regular chicken breasts, but cut them into 1/3's- I'm not sure I've ever seen "thin cut" you'll have to adjust cooking time on chicken if using the regular chicken breasts. And I used the Dijon mustard I had on hand, which was not grainy. I also flipped the chicken a couple times after putting it back in the pan with the sauce.

The chicken was a hit- even with the vegetarian 2 year old.

Quick yummy desserts

2011-03-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

Ok girls I have a really yummy quick dessert.

Hershey's Perfectly chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

* 2cup sugar

*1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

*3/4 cup Hershey cocoa

*1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

*1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

*1 tsp. salt

*2 eggs

*1 cup milk

*1/2 cup veggie oil (or olive oil)

*2 tsp. vanilla extract

*1 cup boiling water

How to make: Heat oven 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch round baking pans. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk,oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with " Perfectly chocolate" Chocolate frosting 10-12 servings.

" Perfectly chocolate frosting":

*1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

* 2/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa

* 3 cups powdered sugar

*1/3 cup milk

* 1 tsp vanilla extract

Milt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

** this is way yummy and quick!

Chicken Parmigiana

2011-03-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

Cook Time: 45 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 6

Ingredients

4 whole (up To 6) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Trimmed And Pounded Flat
½ cups All-purpose Flour
Salt And Pepper, to taste
½ cups Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
¾ cups Wine (white Or Red Is Fine)
3 cans (14.5 Oz.) Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Sugar
¼ cubes Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 pound Thin Linguine

Preparation Instructions

Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large plate.
Dredge flattened chicken breasts in flour mixture. Set aside.
At this time, you can start a pot of water for your pasta. Cook linguine until al dente.
Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted and oil/butter mixture is hot, fry chicken breasts until nice and golden brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and keep warm.
Without cleaning skillet, add onions and garlic and gently stir for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape the bottom of the pan, getting all the flavorful bits off the bottom. Allow wine to cook down until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add sugar and more salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Toward the end of cooking time, add chopped parsley and give sauce a final stir.
Carefully lay chicken breasts on top of the sauce and completely cover them in grated Parmesan. Place lid on skillet and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly heated. Add more cheese to taste.
Place cooked noodles on a plate and cover with sauce. Place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with more parsley. Serve immediately.

Okay so the pioneer woman is my new favorite cooking website. Click on the label and it will take you to her website with details and pictures. Who would of thought that adding butter to olive oil will help the chicken brown and not burn?

Tres Leches Cake

2011-03-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

Prep Time: 45 Minutes | Cook Time: 1 Hour | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 12

Ingredients

1 cup All-purpose Flour
1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ teaspoons Salt
5 whole Eggs
1 cup Sugar, Divided
1 teaspoon Vanilla
⅓ cups Milk
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk
¼ cups Heavy Cream
_____
FOR THE ICING:
1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping
3 Tablespoons Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.
Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.
Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.
Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, (or not) pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture onto the cake—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.
Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.
Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

This cake is just pure goodness. Very moist and will keep you coming back for more. This is one of Rachel's favorite cakes.

Beef with Snow Peas

2011-03-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

Prep Time: 5 Minutes | Cook Time: 15 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8
Ingredients

* 1-½ pound Flank Steak, Trimmed Of Fat And Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain
* ½ cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
* 3 Tablespoons Sherry Or Cooking Sherry
* 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
* 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
* 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
* 8 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, Ends Trimmed
* 5 whole Scallions, Cut Into Half-inch Pieces On The Diagonal
* Salt As Needed (use Sparingly)
* 3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil
* Crushed Red Pepper, For Sprinkling
* Jasmine Or Long Grain Rice, Cooked According To Package

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Add sliced meat to bowl and toss with hands. Set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (iron is best) or wok over high heat. Add snow peas and stir for 45 seconds. Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.

Allow pan to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Turn meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.

Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it. (Trust me it doesn't need more salt). Mixture will thicken as it sits.

Serve immediately over rice. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over the top to give it some spice.

This recipe is very yummy and restaurant quality! I would add water chestnuts and maybe some mushrooms next time. Click on the title and it will take you to pioneer woman with step by step photo directions.

Freezer meals night...

2011-03-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

I did a freezer meal group with a few friends last week in preparation for the last few weeks of pregnancy when I HATE to cook. Here is a list of the recipes we used and the hyperlink for where you can find them...

Navajo Tacos

Cafe Rio Pork Style Burritos

Chicken and Beef Fajitas

Breaded Ranch Chicken

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Meatballs/Meatloaves

Salisbury Steaks

Chicken Puffs

We got together beforehand and 'rated' the 8 recipes we wanted to do, each of us taking 2 meals to prepare beforehand and bringing them ready to assemble. We got together 1 night so we had no kids to take care of and worry about and started around 7:30. It was our first time so we didn't go as fast as we probably could, but we finished up around 11:15.

I will get about 13 meals from what we did that night and couldn't be more thrilled. We all brought our receipts, added up the prices, divided them by 4 and made sure we all payed the same amount.

I cannot wait to use them and do it again before baby comes!!

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

2011-03-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

1/3 C (3 ounces) cream cheese
3/4 C green salsa
1 TBL free lime juice (half a lime)
1/2 teas cumin
1 teas chili powder
1/2 onion powder
1/4 teas granulated garlic
3 TBL chopped cilantro
2 TBL chopped green onions
2 C cooked, cubed chicken
1 C grated cheese
6-inch corn or flour tortillas (as fresh as possible)

Combine ingredients, put on tortillas and wrap up. Place unbaked taquitoes in a single layer of a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 2 hours or until frozen enough to hold their shape. Pack in freezer safe container for up to 3 months. To bake, 25-30 minutes or until crisp at 350*

Recipe from Our Best Bites

Meatball/Meatloaf Mixture

2011-03-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

4 lbs ground beef
3 C Bread crumbs
6 eggs, beaten
1 large onion, hopped
3 cloves garlic
2 TBL dried parsley
1 TBL dried basil
1 teas kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Don't mix too much, just enough to distribute ingredients throughout mixture.

Form into meatballs or divide into four parts and form four meatloaves. These are not very salty meatballs since you will them with sauce or gravy.

For meatballs, bake in 350* oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through for meatballs. Cool, label and freeze.

For meatloaves, wrap, label and freeze. When ready to serve, thaw and bake 45-60 minutes or until cooked through.

***I just flashed froze my meatballs and will cook them when we want to eat them. This is A LOT of meat. I wouldn't put as much onion in it the next time either.

Easy Bistro Chicken

2011-03-14T13:37:00.001-07:00

2 tsp oil
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 can (15 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/4 Italian Dressing
3 Tbsp tomato paste
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb)
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions; cook 5 min, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, dressing and tomato paste. Add chicken; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 12 min or until chicken is done. Top with cheese and bacon; simmer, uncovered 5 min or until cheese is melted.

The recipe is from Kraft. I doubled the bacon and next time I make it will add just a tiny bit more cheese. It was SO good.

Mahogany Roasted Chicken

2011-03-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp hot sauce
6 large skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 lbs)

1. Heat oven to 450. Coat roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray
2. In medium bowl, whisk soy sauce, honey, Orange juice, ketchup and hot sauce. Set aside half for basting, half for serving.
3. Place chicken, skinned-side up, in a pan. Brush generously with soy mixture for basting. Roast @ 450 for 40 minutes, brushing every 10 min with sauce. Remove from oven when internal temp registers 160 on instant read thermometer.

This one came from Family Circle.

Catalina Chicken

2011-03-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

2 tsp oil
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 lbs)
1/2 cup Catalina dressing
1/2 cup apricot jam
3 Tbsp (1/2 of 1 oz pkt) onion soup mix

Heat oven to 350. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 min. on each side or until browned on both sides. Transfer chicken to 3-qt casserole dish. Mix dressing, jam and soup mix; pour over chicken. Bake 35-40 min or until chicken is done.

I got the recipe from Kraft.

Chicken Puffs

2011-03-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

2 packages refrigerator crescent rolls
2 cups crushed buttery crackers (ritz)
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/4 C diced onion
1/2 C chopped celery
4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese
1/2 C sour cream

dash of garlic powder
dash of salt & pepper

Press together 2 crescent-roll triangles to form a square. Repeat with remaining dough. Place crushed crackers in a shallow dish. Stir together remaining ingredients in a large bowl and scoop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto dough squares.

Fold and pinch edges together. Roll each chicken puff in the cracker crumbs. Place puffs on a greased cookie sheet and put cookie sheet in freezer for 1 hour. Then place chicken puffs in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze.

To Serve:
Place frozen chicken puffs on a greased cookie sheet and back at 350* for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

This recipe came from the Fabulous Freezer Meals book. I am stocking up for the next few months since I never want to cook this late in pregnancy! Hopefully I can do another freezer meal night before baby comes to get even more meals in!!

White Chicken Chili

2011-03-10T14:35:00.000-08:00

3 lbs chicken cubed
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 TB veggie oil

4-6 cans of great northern beans
2 can chicken broth
2 can green chilis
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cayan pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp pepper

1 C sour cream
1/2 C heavy whipping cream

Brown chicken, onion, garlic and veggie oil. Add beans, broth and spices. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Right before serving stir in sour cream and heavy cream. Enjoy!

Thai Noodle Bowl

2011-03-08T13:41:00.000-08:00

4 cups low sodium beef stock
2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 cups cooked roast beef cut into strips
6 oz soba (buckwheat) noodles, broken in half
1 1/3 cups shredded carrots
2/3 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup shredded baby spinach
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro

1. Bring stock & soy sauce to boil on medium- high heat. Stir in beef and noodles. Return to boiling; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 3 minutes.
2. Add carrots and broccoli. Simmer 12-15 more minutes, then stir in spinach and cilantro. Simmer 2 more minutes.

This was a hit at our house. The buckwheat noodles I bought this time had yams in them and the kids loved them. They are usually in the Asian section. I also added a bit of lime juice to my bowl and thought it was a nice touch! And I used steak instead of roast this go round and it worked just as well if not better than when I made it with leftover roast.

Spaghetti Squash

2011-03-08T13:32:00.000-08:00

1 spaghetti squash
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp olive oil
chopped parsley
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds. Place cut-side down in roasting pan with 1/2 inch water; cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until tender. Using a fork, pull the squash into strands. Stir in remaining ingredients and top with cheese.

Three- Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

2011-03-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked
1 pkg (9 oz) fresh spinach leaves
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1 jar (14.5 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
2 oz (1/4 of 8 oz pkg) Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375. Cook pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water the last minute. Cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium -high heat 3 min. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 3 min or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchatel. Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2 qt casserole or 8-inch square baking dish. Bake 20 min; top with remaining cheese. Bake 3 min or until mozzarella is melted.

I got this recipe from Kraft.

Quinoa Pilaf

2011-03-04T08:39:00.000-08:00

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped or 1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cups quinoa
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon parsley flakes

In large fry pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and quinoa. Saute until the quinoa starts to brown and the onion becomes clear.

Add chicken broth and parsley flakes and bring to a slight boil. Cover and reduce heat. Cook for 12 minutes, covered, until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork, recover and allow to steam for another 10 – 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Found this recipe HERE.

2011-02-21T15:23:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! When the weather turns cold I look forward to my favorite soups and casseroles. When the weather starts yo turn a little warmer I start to get spring fever. So in honor of spring here is your new THEME: Spring Fever!
Share with us recipes to look forward to or are new to try. Happy cooking.

My favorite spring time dish is Asparagus!
We put it in boiling water and blanche it for just a few min. Then put a pat of butter on it and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you like lemon, lemon pepper is good too! Start watching for Asparagus when the spring flowers pop up through the ground. Simple, beautiful and so yummy.

Crockpot Spanish Chicken

2011-02-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

1 1/3 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 lb turkey Italian sausage cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp tsp crushed red pepper flakes
28 oz can diced tomatoes- undrained
1 can tomato paste
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered and drained
4 oz can sliced olives, drained
3 cups hot cooked rice or couscous

Put everything but the artichoke hearts, olives and rice in crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours. When chicken is cooked take out and shred. After returning shredded chicken to crockpot add artichoke hearts and olives. Serve over rice.

This was really good and so so easy. Next time I make it though I will be using regular sausage or no sausage at all. The turkey sausage was a little too sweet for me and didn't quite flow with the rest of the tastes, Jeremy thought the same thing. But other than that it was SO good.

Crockpot Italian Chicken Lentil Soup

2011-02-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

1 lb chicken thighs
2 cup rinsed and sorted lentils
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes - or 1 can stewed and 1 can diced
2 cups chopped carrots
1 med chopped zucchini (or you can use spinach)
1/2 cup chopped onions - diced
4 1/2 - 5 cups chicken broth
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup mushrooms (optional)

Cook on high for 5-6 hours

A friend gave me this recipe and it was tasty and easy!

Breaded Garlic Chicken in Lemon- Butter Sauce

2011-02-17T13:26:00.000-08:00

4 chicken breasts
1 cup seasoned flour (1 cup flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper)
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 eggs
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
5 Tbsp butter

Place the seasoned flour in a large gallon-sized ziploc bag. Set aside. In a shallow pie plate, beat the eggs until mixed and add the Parmesan cheese. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Let it begin to heat and sizzle while you prepare the chicken but be careful not to let the butter burn and turn brown.

Put the four chicken breasts in the bag with the seasoned flour, close the bag, and shake to coat the chicken in the flour. One by one, take the chicken out of the bag and dip into the egg/ Parmesan mixture. Place the chicken carefully in the skillet with the hot oil/butter. Repeat with the other chicken breasts. Let the chicken cook on the first side, without moving or flipping the chicken, for 1-2 minutes until a nice, golden crust has formed. Carefully, using a wide spatula, flip the chicken and let it continue to cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side until it is golden brown. The chicken will flip easiest if it has had time to sizzle and cook to form a nice crust.

Remove the chicken to a 9x13 inch pan. Set aside while you make the sauce.

In the same skillet that you browned the chicken, melt the remaining 4 Tbsp butter. Add the minced garlic, lemon juice and parsley. Simmer the sauce for 1-2 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits that were on the bottom of the skillet.

Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts and bake for 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Serve over noodles, rice or potatoes.

My sister told me about this recipe and it came from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (http://www.melskitchencafe.com/) it was absolutely delicious and pretty easy to make! If you like things saucey you might want to double the sauce portion of the recipe.

Broccoli, Cheddar and Ham Strata

2011-02-17T13:12:00.000-08:00

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 bag (1 pound) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 loaf Italian bread (14 oz), cut into cubes (about 1 inch)
1/2 lb sliced deli ham, chopped
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups 2 % milk
2 Tbsp chopped fresh or freeze dried chives
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar

1. Heat oven to 375. Coat a 2 quart oval baking dish with nonstick spray (I used a 9x13)
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Add broccoli and cook another 3 minutes.
3. Place bread cubes in a large bowl stir in broccoli-onion mixture and the ham.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, chives, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over bread mixture, stirring to mix. Transfer to prepared dish and top evenly with cheese.
5. Bake at 375 for 40-45 min or until strata registers 160 on an instant read thermometer.

I got this from the magazine Family Circle. We really enjoy this at our house, I've made it a couple times now the changes I made were: I use whatever kind of broccoli I have on hand, I also use whatever ham I have around and I've only used 1% milk and it still turned out fine both times!

Stew

2011-02-17T09:53:00.001-08:00

2 lbs stew meat
2 medium onions sliced
6 potatoes, peeled, cut into large cubes
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 ribs celery, diced
large can or jar of tomato juice (V8 or generic)
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoons pepper
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons dry tapioca pudding

This takes 5-6 hours on high in my crock pot

Lemon Sauce

2011-02-15T17:24:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

* 1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Stir the chicken soup, water, lemon juice, butter, and garlic powder together in a pan and place over medium heat. Cook until hot, about 5 minutes.

Parmesan Chicken

2011-01-25T18:28:00.001-08:00

1/2 C. Mayonnaise
1/4 C. parmesan cheese
4 chicken breasts
4 tsp Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Combine Mayo, and parmesan cheese. Spread on chicken and roll in the bread crumbs.
Bake at 425* for 20 min or until done.

Chicken Mushroom Supreme

2011-01-24T12:48:00.000-08:00

1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1lb)
3/4 cup chicken broth
4 oz (1/2 8 oz pkg) cream cheese, cubed
1 tsp tarragon

1. Cook and stir mushrooms in 1 Tbsp hot oil in large skillet on medium heat 2-3 min or until lightly browned. Spoon to one side of skillet.
2. Add remaining oil and chicken to other side of skillet; cook chicken 5-6 min on each side or until done. Transfer chicken to platter; cover to keep warm.
3. Pour broth into skillet with mushrooms; stir and cook 3 min. Add cream cheese; cook 2-3 or until cream cheese is melted and sauce is slightly thickened, stirring constantly with whisk. Stir in tarragon. Pour over chicken.

I didn't have tarragon so I substituted marjoram it still turned out pretty tasty!

Indoor Smores

2011-01-12T14:43:00.000-08:00

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1 pkg. chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla

3 tbsp. butter

1 box of Golden Graham Cereal

3 c. mini marshmallows

Heat syrup, butter, and chocolate chips to a boil (be sure to stir constantly). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal in a bowl. Be sure to coat all of the cereal. Add marshmallows 1 cup at a time. Finally, place cereal in a 9×13 pan. I like to press down the mix and let stand for one hour before serving.

***This recipe used to be on the box of Golden Grahams but it isn't any more so when I found it I had to write it down somewhere! So good!!

Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread

2011-01-12T14:41:00.001-08:00

2 T. yeast

2 T. sugar
2 c. hot water

6-7 c. flour (white, wheat or half & half)

2 T. rosemary

2 t. salt

Add yeast, sugar, water and 1 c. of the flour in a bowl. Let rise in bowl for 10 minutes. Add the salt, rosemary and the rest of the flour until the dough ball is smooth and slightly sticky to the touch. Roll dough into two large round loaves, or four small. Place the round loaves of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Let the bread rise until they double in size (about 30-40 minutes). Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until top is golden brown. When out of the oven, melt butter over the top of the bread and then sprinkle with extra salt.

Strawberry Oatmeal Smoothie

2011-01-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

1 C Fruit juice
1/2 cup instant oats
1 banana, broken into chunks
14 frozen strawberries
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

I put the oatmeal in first, mix that around a little, then add the other stuff and mix it up. I substitute just about any frozen fruit I have on hand. Makes a healthy, filling breakfast!

Wendy's Chili

2011-01-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

1 lb. Ground Beef (Browned)
1-15 oz. Tomato Sauce
1 15- oz. Can Kidney Beans (I used black-eyed)
1-15 oz. Can Pinto Beans
1 C. Onion Diced (I used dehydrated)
3 Medium Tomatoes cubed

1/2 Tsp. Cumin
1 1/2 TBSP. Chili Powder
3/4 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Salt

1 1/2 C. Water

Add all ingredients into crock pot or onto stove top. Simmer for a a few hours.

Found this recipe at Sister's Stuff but halved it.

Easy Break Sticks

2011-01-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

1 Tablespoon Yeast, dissolved in 1 1/2 C warm water
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon salt
3 C flour

Mix and knead for 3 minutes. Melt 1 cube of Butter (I use 1/2) and put in cookie sheet. Roll dough on floured board. (use lots of flour). Cut dough into strips. Roll strips in butter and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Let raise about 10 minutes. Bake at 375* for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies

2010-11-20T16:59:00.000-08:00

These are really yummy and unique with the Hickory Farm Melt Away Mints. Try them! I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

* 2 ½ cups flour
* 1 tsp baking soda
* ¾ cup margarine, melted
* 1 ½ cups brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 2 tsp vanilla
* ½ cup chocolate chips
* ½ cup, Hickory Farms melt away mints
*

Preheat oven to 350*.
Line 3 cookies sheets with no-stick foil.
In a bowl combine margarine and sugar. Mix.
Stir in egg and vanilla. Mix.
Add flour and baking soda.
Stir in chips.
Drop cookies onto prepared sheets, about 1 tablespoon each. Place them about 2 inches apart, as these do spread a bit.
Bake for 9-11 minutes.

Dough will be sticky.

Parmesan Fondue

2010-11-19T13:21:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 C Milk
2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, cubed
1 1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 loaf french bread, cubed

In a large saucepan, cook and stir in milk and cream cheese over low heat until cheese is melted. Stir in Parmesan and garlic salt; cook and stir until heated through. Transfer to a fondue pot or mini crockpot, keep warm. Serve with bread cubes.

Crockpot Lasagna

2010-11-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

1 (26 oz) jar pasta sauce
1 (10 oz) box lasagna noodles
1 (11 oz) container pesto
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
1 (12 oz) bag baby spinach
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 cup water

Use a 4 quart slow cooker. Put a spoonful of pasta sauce (about 1/4 cup) into the bottom of your cooker and spread it around. Add a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (you'll have to break them to make a layer. Smear some ricotta cheese and pesto onto the noodles. Add a handful or two of baby spinach, and top with a layer of Parmesan and sliced mozzarella cheeses. Repeat layers until you've run out of ingredients. The spinach is fluffy so you'll have to swish it to make it all fit.

Before closing the pot, put 1/4 cup water into empty pasta sauce jar and shake. Pour this saucy water over the top of everything . Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for about 3-4. You'll know when it is done with the top layer begins to brow and the cheese is melted and bubble. It will also pull a bit away from the sides. Taste test a noodle to check texture. Uncover and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

I got this recipe off of crockpot365.blogspot. I did make a few changes to it, but it turned out great! I used a box of no boil lasagna noodles, because I have never had a successful crockpot lasagna and thought it was worth a try and for me it paid off! I also used 6 oz of spinach because that is all I had. And I used shredded mozzarella cheese except for the last layer and I used sliced there. And I also added a layer of 2 cups cooked, cubed and still frozen chicken, near the top of the layers. And I increased the water to 1/3 cup. It was pretty easy to put together and really yummy! It was a bit expensive with the pesto and all, but next time I make it I might try to make my own pesto, still worth the price though!

Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie

2010-10-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

4-5 C diced potatoes
3-4 C baby carrots
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp garlic salt and pepper
2 Tbs dry onions
2 can cream of chicken
1 1/2 C frozen peas
1 pkg refrigerated Pillsbury biscuits
1 C shredded cheddar cheese

Fill crock pot 2/3 full with veggies. Place chicken on top and sprinkle with seasons. Spread cream of chicken on top. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low 6-7 hours. Shred chicken using two forks. Add peas. Replace lid and cook for 20 minutes. Bake biscuits according to package directions. Break biscuits in half, top with crock pot mixture and shredded cheese.

Italian Chip Dip

2010-09-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

4 Tomatoes
3 Avocados
2 green onions
2 Italian dressing packets
1/8 to 1/4 C vinegar
2 TBL olive oil
1 can shoepeg corn--drained
1 can black-eyed peas
1/2 TBL lime juice

Whisk Italian dressing, vinegar and olive oil together. Dice tomatoes, avocados and green onions. Add to mixture along with corn and peas. Add lime juice last. Eat with chips...I especially like the lime tortilla chips.

Roasted Veggies

2010-09-22T06:54:00.001-07:00

1 small butternut squash, cubed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1 Red onion, quartered
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 C olive oil
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees

In a large bowel, combine veggies. Add oil and spices and toss until coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.

Roast for 35-40 minutes in the oven stirring every 10 minutes or until veggies are cooked through and browned.

***I got this recipe on allrecipes.com but didn't really follow it :). I used garlic powder, dehydrated onions, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese as my toppings with olive oil. I also added mushrooms, a green squash that I had and green peppers. It was very delicious and the kids even asked for more!

Best Fresh Salsa EVER!

2010-09-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

Mr friend introduced me to this recipe a while ago and I love it! It makes a lot which I just freeze in freezer containers. I have found that by freezing this it tastes a lot more like fresh salsa than the canned version. It is nice to have some salsa canned and some frozen.

- 51 Roma Tomatoes
- 8 Purple onions
- 17 jalapenos
- 8 green peppers
- 34 garlic cloves
- 17 tsp salt
- 17 T Apple Cider vinegar
cilantro to taste ( usually use at least one to two bunches, just depends on how much you like cilantro:)

Down- Home Pork Chops

2010-09-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

I just had the Down-Home Pork Chops and they were excellent! I sauteed some mushrooms and only used two pork chops. If you are serving four I would double to sauce so you can have some extra to serve on mashed potatoes. Try it out!

Baked Egg Rolls

2010-09-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

2 Cups crated carrots
1 can bean sprouts, drained
1/4 C chopped green peppers and green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
2 C finely diced cooked chicken

4 tsp cornstarch
1 TB water
1 TB light soy sauce
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp brown sugar
1 pinch cayenne pepper
16 egg roll wrappers

Coat large skillet with nonstick cooking spray; add the first six ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Add chicken; heat through.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, water, soy sauce, oil, brown sugar and cayenne until smooth; stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes; remove from the heat. Spoon 1/4 C of chicken mixture on the bottom third of one egg roll wrapper; fold sides toward center and roll tightly. Place seam side down on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Spray tops of egg rolls with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned turning half way through.

Fiesta Pasta Salad

2010-09-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

10 oz bow tie pasta

1 can black beans

1 can corn ( I prefer shoe peg)

1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

green onion

green pepper

(4 ck breasts)

Dressing

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 pkg. taco seasoning

ranch dressing (about 1/4 cup)

Directions

Cook the pasta until al dente. Chop up all the veggies. Mix together the dressing. Add as much ranch dressing as you like to the dressing- I did about 1/4 cup. Add the veggies, corn and beans to the pasta. Add the dressing and mix everything together. It's even better the next day!

I found this recipe...HERE

Apple Pie Filling

2010-09-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

6 qt sliced fresh apples
5 1/2 C sugar
1 1/2 C clear jel
1 TB sinnamon
2 1/2 C cold water
5 C Apple juice
3/4 C bottled lemon juice
7 drops of food coloring (optional)

Use firm, crisp apples. If apples lack tartnes,s use an additional 1/4 c of lemon juice for each 6 quarts of slices.

Procedure:
Wash, peel and core apples. Prepare slices 1/2 inc wide and place in water containing ascorbic acid to prevent browning.

For fresh fruit, place 6 cups at a time in 1 gallon of boiling water.

Boil each batch 1 minute after the water returns to a boil. drain, but keep heated fruit in a covered bowl or pot. Combine sugar, clear jel and cinnamon in a large kettle with water and apple juice. (if you put the liquids in first and whisk in the sugar and clear jel already combined it doesn't lump as much). If desired, food coloring may be added. Stir and cook on medium high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice an boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Fold in drained apples slices immediately and fill jars with mixture without delay, leaving 1 inch headspace. Adjust lids and process immediately for 35 minutes in a water bath.

Let's get started again!!

2010-09-07T09:06:00.001-07:00

I don't know about you guys but now that the weather has turned cooler, school has started and things from the summer have settled down, I am ready to start cooking again. This blog cannot work without everyone who says they will post will actually post a recipe....so lets all get back into it. Thanks Becky for staying strong and posting your YUMMY recipes!

For this next week, lets post a link to your favorite NEW recipe you've tried from this blog. That way we can find the old ones that are on here but are still so GOOD!

Cannot wait to see what you have tried on here!

This Zucchini bread is one of our favorites!!

Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Loin

2010-09-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

Rub ingredients:

2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin cut into 4 chunks
2 Tbsp olive oil

Glaze ingredients:

1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and cinnamon. then coat the pork with the spice rub. Heat the oil in an ovenproof heavy skillet over medium high heat until the oil is hot. Brown the pork, turning on each side. Leave pork in the skillet.

Stir together the brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco and pat on top of each tenderloin. Roast in the middle of the oven until a thermometer registers about 140, usually about 25 minutes. Let pork stand in skillet at room temperature for 10 minutes. The temperature will rise to about 155 while standing.

I can't remember where I got this recipe from, but it was sure a hit at our house. Even my 2 year old vegetarian loved it! I went a little easier on the Tabasco and Chili powder so it wasn't too spicy for the kids, I will definitely be making it again!

Simple Italian Grilled Chicken

2010-08-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

No-Stick cooking spray
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1. Coat grill pan with no-stick spray. Heat over medium heat.
2. Combine Olive oil, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, garlic salt and pepper in medium microwaveable bowl. Microwave on High for 1 minute, stir.
3. Dip chicken in olive oil mixture to coat evenly. Place on hot grill pan.
4. Cook 6 to 8 minutes per side until juices run clear and thermometer reads 165. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

I got this out of a magazine, it was from Crisco in one of their adds! It was really simple and truly tasty!

Things I did different....didn't microwave the olive oil mixture, only because I forgot to, and we didn't use a grill pan because we don't have one, we just put it straight on the grill and it worked fine. We also basted the chicken with the olive oil mixture once on each side while it was cooking...watch out for the flames when it drips onto the grill though!

Peach-Glazed Chicken

2010-07-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

1 can (about 16 oz) peaches in heavy syrup, undrained
1 pouch dry onion soup
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1. In covered blender or food processor, combine peaches, soup mix, brown sugar and lemon juice. Blend until smooth; set aside.
2. Meanwhile in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat, in hot butter, cook half the chicken 10 minutes or until browned on both sides. Remove; set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken. Spoon off fat.
3. Stir in peach mixture. Return chicken to skillet. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium. Cook 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.
4. Serve chicken and peach sauce with rice.

This is a super fast and easy meal and a nice summer meal too!

DANISH APPLE BARS

2010-07-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

These are super YUMMY!

DOUGH:
2.5 Cups flour
1 Cup Margarine
3/4 Cup milk
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 egg yolk, beaten

FILLING: Mix all together
5 apples, peeled and sliced
3/4 Cup sugar
2 TBSP cornstarch
Cinnamon

Mix flour, margarine and salt. Mix egg and milk into the dry ingredients to make pastry dough. Divide the dough in half and roll to fit a 12x16 cookie sheet (the cookie sheet I used was only 9x13). Fill with the apple filling. Roll top dough and crimp the edges together. Brush the top with milk. Bake at 400* for 20-25 minutes. Drizzle with glaze made with powdered sugar, water and vanilla.

Chicken Tetrazzini

2010-07-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup celery
1/4 cup butter
1 can (13 3/4 oz) chicken broth
1 package (8 0z) cream cheese, cubed
3/4 (3 oz) grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1 package ( 7 oz) spaghetti, cooked, drained
1 jar or can (6 oz) whole mushrooms, drained
1 cup chopped cooked chicken or turkey

1. Cook and stir onion and celery in butter in large skillet on medium heat until tender. Add broth, cream cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; stir on low heat until cream cheese is melted.

2. Add remaining ingredients except remaining Parmesan cheese; toss lightly. Spoon into 12 x 8 inch baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

3. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

* I used 1/3 fat cream cheese and about 1/2 the butter and it turned out fine!

Tomato and Basil Baked Fish

2010-07-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 slices whole wheat bread
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
4 firm mild white fish fillets (cod, flounder) about 1 1/3 lbs
1/2 cup chopped and seeded tomatoes (or more)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil

1. Heat oven to 375. Coat bottom of 13x9 pan with 1 Tbsp oil. Chop bread to form bread crumbs (I used my food processor).
2. Saute crumbs in remaining oil over medium -high heat. Stirring often, until they begin to brow. Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook and stir until golden brown. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper.
3. Pat fish fillets dry; place skin side down in prepared pan. Season with salt and pepper. Combine tomatoes and bread crumbs; cover and top fillets with mixture. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Bake 20 to 25 min until fish flakes easily. Top with fresh basil.

* Thing I did different I used skinless tilapia fillets. And I used dried basil not fresh and then I mixed it in with the tomatoes. It was a really simple dish and super delicious.

Bacon Turkey Southwestern Wrap

2010-07-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

I had a great wrap at hoagie place and duplicated it at home. It was nice to have something different than a sandwich for a change.

- Spinach Tortilla ( That is what I had at the sandwich place but didn't have any at home so just used my whole wheat tortillas)
- Shredded Lettuce
- Turkey breast deli meat
- Cooked bacon
- Shredded cheese
- Chipotle Mayo ( this is the key ingredient. I got it at my local Ridley's, trust me it is awesome!)

Warm tortilla, add everything inside of tortilla and wrap it up.
Simple, easy and delicious!

Berry Baked Oatmeal

2010-07-19T20:49:00.001-07:00

I stumbled across this recipe about a month ago and I make it on a regular basis now! Love it! Here is the site I got it from http://joyinmykitchen.blogspot.com/2010/05/berry-baked-oatmeal.html

Berry Baked Oatmeal - SnoWhite

1/2 C applesauce
1/2 C brown sugar
1 egg
3 C oats (quick-cooking)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 C milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 C frozen berries (or fresh)

Combine the dry ingredients together in a bowl and stir well.
Add in the milk, vanilla, egg and applesauce.
Stir until moistened.
Then, gently stir in the berries.
Pour into a lightly greased 8x8 inch glass baking dish.
Bake at 350 for 40ish minutes, until center is set.
Serve warm.

Super Granola Bars

2010-06-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

I have been making these for the last couple of weeks and think they are delicious. The best thing about this recipe is you can add whatever you like. Not to mention they are good for you and a lot better for you than store bought granola bars. Anyways, try it out!
I got this idea from, Alli 'n Son's blog.

3-1/2 cups old fashioned or quick cooking oats
1 cup craisins
2/3 cup honey roasted sunflower seeds ( I use just regular unsalted)
1/2 cup crushed almonds (slivered would work too, or any kind of nuts)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup ground up oats – grind to the consistency of flour (you can also use oat bran or whole wheat flour)
3 tablespoons flax seeds
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil ( I haven't substituted apple sauce yet but plan on trying it)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350º. Line a 9 x 13 pan with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl combine the oatmeal, craisins, sunflower seeds, crushed almonds, wheat germ, ground up oats, flax seeds and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, honey, oil and vanilla. Add to the dry mixture, mix until combined.

Press very firmly into the prepared pan. If you don’t press them enough, the bars will end up crumbly. Bake for 15 minutes, then pop into the fridge to harden, 30-45 minutes. Cut into 30 bars. You don't necessarily have to put them in the fridge to harden but it might allow them to bind better.

Pizza Sauce

2010-06-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

1 lrg Can of Tomato sauce
1 small can of Tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Oregano
1 TBLSP dried onion flakes

warm on stove, blend well.