The Quick & The Hungry

The Vanilla Experiment - Week 10ish

2011-11-04T12:41:00.001-06:00

This has been a really fun process and now I have really good vanilla for my desserts. I have already started using it and it really is better than store bought. I am going to let my big bottle keep soaking (perhaps add a few more beans to the mix) and in four months I hope to have even better, richer, darker liquid gold. I would highly recommend doing this. I'm thinking I should try rum next and see what the differene is. I will keep you posted on how things shape up.

Pie Crust Tips and My Favorite Crust Recipe

2011-10-19T07:30:00.001-06:00

Trust me. It really is "Easy as pie" with this recipe. This is a great no fail method that has unavoidable consequences. You will be in charge of pies for every holiday. So use at your own risk.

First some tips that will make it no fail:

Pie Crust Tip No. 1:

When Measuring your shortening use water displacement. What's that? Let me show you. I have a 4 cup measuring cup and I only need 1 2/3 Cup of Shortening. 4 - 1 2/3 = 2 1/3, so I fill my measuring cup up with water to the 2 1/3 mark and then add shortening until it fills the water up to the whole 4 cups. (You do need to push the shortening down under the water for an

accurate measure) Easy and you won't have to battle air pockets and the shortening sticking to your measuring cup. Eh.... Good tip huh.

Pie Crust Tip No. 2:

Don't use a pastry knife! Use your hands. Just grab the ingredients in your hands and sort of rub it gently between your palms and fingers of your two hands. Do this until you no longer see any dry/white flour. Should be crumbly. Use this method especially if you feel your crust has been tough in the past. This really keeps the crust flaky.

Pie Crust Tip No. 3:
For the love of Pete, DO NOT OVER MIX YOUR CRUST! I have watched several people (who claim to know pie crust) mix their crust into submission. We are talking Kitchen Aides people... Or kneading it like a loaf of bread. Pie crust should be light and flaky. Treat it accordingly.

Pie Crust Tip No. 4:

Rolls your crust between plastic wrap. I like to place two pieces side by side overlapping by about two inches to make it wider. Make two of these then roll the crust between your two wider sheets. This makes table top to pie pan transfer a lot easier. Simply remove the top sheet and flip it onto your pie pan. Then smooth it out and remove the other plastic sheet. There! Done.

Pie Crust Tip No. 5:
After your crust is rolled out and in the pan, let it rest in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking. This will minimize shrinking in the oven. This is particularly important with any pie that requires a baked crust before the filling is added.

Alright. Down to the baking!

My favorite pie crust recipe and it's a mix.
Say what?! It doesn't get better than that (this recipe makes 4-5 crusts):

5 C. Fluffy White or Wheat Flour (Don't pack it in)

1 1/4 tsp. Salt

1 2/3 Cup Shortening

Measure flour, shortening and salt into a large bowl. (Sort of sprinkle the salt around to ensure even distribution and don't forget to use the tips outlined above!) Mix these ingredients together.

Now, at this point you can store it in the fridge for about three weeks or the freezer for way longer. Great if you want to get some of the mess out of the way before a big holiday.

Now that you have your crust mix, for one crust:

1 1/2 C. Mix

Cold Water

Put your mix into an appropriately sized bowl and begin adding water and mixing it in. I like to just add one tablespoon of cold water at a time and gently mix it in with a fork. Continue doing this until the dry crumbly mixture is gone and you have big globs of pie crust ready to roll out. It shouldn't be wet/soggy feeling when you are done. If you get too much water, just add a little more dry mixture and incorporate it in gently. In my opinion, a little wetter is better than too dry.
Form into a ball and squish it flat so that there is minimal tearing around the edges. Begin rolling it out with a rolling pin using tip 4. I like to kind of rotate it around and flip it over a couple of times to keep it round. Then transfer to and press it into your pie dish. Trim edges and decorate your rim how you like. Often I'll just trim it off and call it good, depending on the occasion. Let your crust rest in the fridge. Finish pie according to filling instructions.

*Don't forget to poke holes in your crust with a fork IF you are baking the crust without filling. It allows steam to escape and prevents big bubbles.

If you have any questions about pie making, please just ask. I am happy to help out how I can!

Missing: Have You Seen This Sock?

2011-10-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

I just hung this ribbon in my laundry room today to keep track of matchless socks and, HOLY COW, it was so easy to find the matches as I did laundry today. This idea is a keeper!

Red Ticket, Green Ticket - Easy Reward System

2011-10-12T08:23:00.000-06:00

We have tried A LOT of different job charts and rule enforcements in our almost ten years of parenthood. Some better than others. We had one that was close, but in the end it was too hard to manage and keep track of. So, after a few months of free for all, I am again ready to try yet another system. This is what I came up with.

This idea is a fusion of several methods that we have tried and grew up with. I am very hopeful because of how simple it is. If you do something naughty, you get a red ticket. If you do something good, you get a green ticket. Green tickets buy rewards such as TV/video game time or a treat from a goody cupboard. Red tickets prevent use of green tickets and to remove the red ticket the child must do a job given by the parent. That's it in a nutshell.
To earn green tickets in our house, our kids do homework happily, brush teeth, do their daily jobs, and do acts of kindness for each other without being asked. Red tickets are earned by breaking house rules and general disobedience. We added yellow and orange tickets to place emphases on two house rules we felt need special attention and enforcement. Pretty simple. Now let's see if it sticks.... :)

Here is how I made it:

Materials Needed:
2 Coordinating sheets of double sided 12x12 Sheets of scrapbook paper.
Green Paper
Red Paper
Sewing Machine with Thread

1- Cut one sheet of 12x12 paper in half to make two 6x12 rectangles. These will be the pockets. On mine it's the floral and the red.
2 - Trim other 12x12 paper to 10x12. On mine it's the Brown.
3 - Take one 6x12 rectangle and position it in the middle of the 10x12 paper. 2" above and 2" below of the background showing. Sew along the bottom edge of the smaller rectangle only.
4 - Take the other rectangle and position it on the bottom edge of the background paper. Sew along the entire outside edges of the whole thing.
5 - Sew in the pockets. Just divide it into three equal sections and sew straight up from the bottom to top to make the pockets.
6 - cut 1x6 strips of red and green paper to use as your tickets.
7 - Add names and you are ready to go.

Fruit Fly Trap

2011-09-22T11:37:00.002-06:00

Home canning is so fun and easy and it just tastes better than anything that you can get in a can from the grocery store. Unfortunately it comes with fruit flies. Those tiny little flies that seem to appear from nowhere the moment you bring fruit into the house. I have been doing some canning and boy howdy, I had a cloud of those little stinkers flocking around my kitchen. So I concocted this little getup to trap the little beasties. My Mom used to do something similar to this when she would make grape juice from our concord grapes in Washington. This worked like a charm.

It's super easy!
1-Put some very ripe fruit in the bottom of a mason jar. I used a couple of nectarines that my toddler bit and left sitting around.
2-Then just make a funnel from a scrap piece of paper with a very small opening at the bottom.
3-Tape it into place so they can't escape (we're talking Azkaban prison security here) and let it sit for a day. Eventually they will all check in and they won't check out.
4-Now, how to dispose of the little critters? You can either release them into the wild or (for us blood thirsty types) you can simply fill the jar with water, let it sit for a few minutes, then wash them down the sink.

Happy fruit fly hunting!

My New Kitchen Cutesie

2011-09-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

I have a gi-normous island in my kitchen. It is fantastic. I love having all that wonderful cupboard space underneath, not to mention all of the open counter space. You can really make a lotta pie on this baby.

We have lived in this house for a year now and the whole time I have been wishing I had something to occupy the void in the elbow of this island. So I finally went down to Tai Pan Trading and bought some of their beautiful glass jars that they sell for oh so cheap (at least in my opinion, my hubby didn't agree).

I spent a total of $63 give or take & that includes the cute little bird cage.

I didn't want to spend a bunch of money filling them up (those kind of cutesies can really add up!) so I grabbed a candle I had sitting around and then put the produce I have been harvesting from my garden into the jars. I love how it turned out. It's so fun to look at the veggies, that I grew, displayed in such a beautiful way. It really brings the feeling of fall harvest into the house as well. The beauty of this kind of decor is that I can totally change it up when the season changes. Just add candy canes or Christmas ornaments or candy hearts or sea shells or nuts or pine cones or cookies or rice or dried beans or candy corns... I think you get the picture : )

I am totally in love with this idea!

The Vanilla Experiment - Half Way There

2011-09-14T12:32:00.000-06:00

So it's been a few weeks since I last posted an update on how the vanilla is coming. I'd say it's doing really good. I did a little research on this process and discovered that most people say to split the beans down the center. So I dug them out and used a pair of kitchen shears to do so and my vanilla instantly got a lot browner. Really it makes sense to do this. The seeds inside are where all of the flavor is at. Here are my pictures from week two and week four. Sorry, no week three picture due to travel.

Week Two & Week Four

I am really excited that I am half way to the point that I can begin using my vanilla. In my research I also discovered that eight weeks is a minimum time frame in which to extract the vanilla. Many people say that six months is a better amount of time to wait. I just can't do it though. I am going to reserve a small amount for baking and then let the rest go for the six months.

Preparing & Freezing Kale

2011-08-29T15:13:00.026-06:00

Ever since I started making Zuppa Toscana, I decided I was going to start growing Kale so I would have it on hand. It is so easy to grow that I have had a hard time keeping up with it. I was beginning to drown in Kale when I had the brilliant idea to start freezing it. That way I would have it on hand during prime soup season, winter.

My lovely assistant. What a pretty girl! My kids love helping me prepare Kale. (work slaves!)

Steps to preparing and freezing Kale:

1: Grab the stem with one hand and with the other hand slowly and firmly pull the leafy part off of the stem.

The stems tend to be tough and woody and that is not tasty.

2: Brake the leafy part into bite sized pieces.

You can cut it with a knife, but I like to just tear it with my hands.

3: Give your kale a good washing in a large bowl filled with cold water.

I am always surprised at how dirty it is...

At this point you can throw the kale into your Zuppa, but if you are freezing the kale continue reading the next few steps.

4: Place your kale pieces into a pot that has a few inches of boiling water at the bottom. Then cover with a lid and let it cook for a few minutes and until the kale turns bright green. I like to use my soup pot because then I know I have about the right amount needed for one batch of Zuppa.

5: Use a pair of tongs to remove the kale from the hot water and place it into a large bowl filled with cold water. This helps the kale to stop cooking and also cools it for handling.

6: Drain off water and place your kale into a zipper storage bag. Close it most of the way and then roll it up to get all of the air and extra water out of the bag.

7: Close it the rest of the way and unroll it.

8: Throw it in the freezer to wait for your delicious winter meal!

The Vanilla Experiment - 7 Weeks to Go

2011-08-24T10:56:00.003-06:00

Well, it's been one week and it smells great, but it looks a little like pee.... I would say that it's coming along though!

Freezing Cookie Dough in Portion Sizes

2011-08-22T15:50:00.015-06:00

My favorite school fund raiser is cookie dough frozen in portions. It's just so nice to be able to throw a batch of cookies in at a moments notice. Love it! But the cookies aren't always the best tasting... I definitely perfer home made cookies. So, why not do it at home?
A little extra effort up front yields oodles of warm fuzzies when the kids come home from school to warm, freshly baked cookies. Plus, who doesn't love cookie dough? Death by cookies, that's what I say!
Here's the skinny (ha!)
1: I like to triple my favorite cookie dough recipe. Go big or go home. Right? Here are some of my faves. I made Heavenly Chocolate Chip Cookies today. It ends up making about 148 cookies. Depending on how many spoonfuls get eaten before I can scoop them all out.
2: Speaking of scooping, use a small ice cream scoop (about 2 tablespoons) to make your portions. So nice and easy to make perfectly portioned cookies. My MIL got me mine at a thrift store for a buck. Works good enough for me.
3: Next, place your dough balls on a cookie sheet. It's perfectly ok if they touch. I am able to fit 96 on one tray. If I have a few extra, I just put them on top of the others. Just don't squish them together.
4: Freeze em. I don't even cover them. It only takes a few hours for them to get nice and stiff.
5: When they are hard, go ahead and bag em up. I like gallon sized zipper bags for this task. Then throw them in the freezer.

That's it. Now you get to enjoy the fruits of your sore scooping arm.

The Vanilla Experiment

2011-08-17T18:28:00.019-06:00

They are here!!! My lovely vanilla beans are here!

I am so very excited to try this. Around Easter my sister told me that you can make your own vanilla with just some vodka and some vanilla beans. Then I found a tutorial from the hungry mouse about making your own vanilla. I am extra excited about this because you just replenish the vodka and vanilla beans as needed. Thus, the bottomless bottle of vanilla. With all of the baking I do, this will come in very handy!

Here is what you will need:

Vodka

I am not a drinker. I had no idea where to begin. So, I bought the cheap big bottle.

Should do the job. Right?

Vanilla Beans

I bought ½ lb. from olivenation.com through Amazon for about $18. I figure I can make some other yummy things with the extra vanilla beans. Can't wait!

Here is how you make the vanilla:
1: Open Vodka.

2: Put in 2 vanilla beans per cup of vodka. My bottle is 1.75 liters. That is about 7 cups, so that means 14 beans. * I did some research on this process and discovered that a lot of people say to use scissors and cut the beans lengthwise leaving about an inch together at the top of the bean to help the process along... Upside, more vanilla flavor. Downside, lots of little seeds floating around in your extract. They are easily removed by filtering the extract through a couple of layers of cheese cloth when it's ready to use.
3: Let it sit in a cool (not cold) dark place for about 6-8 weeks. Oh and give it a shake every few days just to give it a stir.

You will know it's ready when it's got a nice rich brown color.

I am so stinkin' excited that just can't handle it! Come on October! Come faster!

Heavenly Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-08-16T21:50:00.003-06:00

This is a recipe I got from my MIL. My hubby and I used to make them all the time when we were dating. Ah the memories. We haven't made them in years, but they are back and they are here to stay.

Cream together:
½ C. Butter
⅔ C. Shortening
1C. Sugar
1C. Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla

In another bowl mix:
3 ½ C. White or Wheat Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt

Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture until combined.
Then add and mix in:
12 oz. Chocolate Chips
1 C. Coarsely Chopped Nuts
Bake at 375° for 8 minutes

Dishwasher Tune Up

2011-08-09T13:54:00.006-06:00

Over the past 6 months my dishwasher has steadily stopped washing my dishes well. It started with the glass cups, leaving food on the inside, then got worse and worse until two weeks ago when nothing was coming out clean and was actually dirtier than when it when in. Then to top it off, it started leaking like crazy! Arg! This happened in our old home and we ended up selling our home with a brand new dishwasher.
Well, we just financed a fence for our new home and I did NOT want to tack on another $450 to our Home Depot credit card. So, what's a gal to do? Clean baby clean.

Steps to giving your dishwasher a tune up and possibly even stopping a leak:
1: Clean out the filter on the bottum of the dishwasher. I wore gloves for this. *gag* The cover should come off pretty easily with the removal of a screw or just a little leverage of a butter knife. *Caution: Don't force it. It will be pretty easy if it's meant to come off .Clean everything out well and replace cover.
2: Check all of the holes where water sprays out. Water is usually recycled from the bottom so food and even soap granuals can clog the holes. I even found a shard of glass from a cup that broke a few months back. I used a skewer to clear the holes out.

3: Clean out the steam vent on the door. Once again, gloves. *gag* I was SHOCKED how dirty this was and I am fairly certain that this is what was causing the leak. It was full of gunk and wasn't allowing water to drain off properly. Thus, the leak. The cover on the inside of the door should be easy to remove with a butter knife. *Caution: Don't force it. It will be pretty easy if it's meant to come off. Clean it out. Replace cover.

4: Last step. This one is easy. Run the EMPTY dishwasher with a 1/2 cup of CLR cleaner. (found with the cleaning supplies) This helps to remove anything you missed in steps 1-3. And just to be safe, run again to be sure all the cleaner is gone.

That's it! Easy, takes about 15 minutes, and you will be amazed at the difference. No more leaking! :)
Leave a comment if you try it and it works for you. I know it saved me money and time!

Nacho Cheese

2011-04-06T10:18:00.005-06:00

My brother Blaine showed me this trick years ago. It's not quite the same, but it's close. If you're out of cheese on taco night or if it's late and running to the store for nacho cheese sounds daunting, this is a great option.

1pkg. Cheese Sauce Mix from Mac 'n Cheese
1 Can Evaporated Milk
A big handful of shredded cheese (optional, but better)
Diced Bottled Jalepeños to taste
Salt to taste

Place powdered cheese, real cheese & milk in a small sauce pan. Cook and stir over medium high heat until it boils and thickens. Add jalepeños and salt to taste.
You can eat this with corn chips or on tacos.

Chicken Asado

2011-03-17T12:28:00.003-06:00

There are a few reasons I love Filipino food. First, it tastes great. Second, it's so easy to make. Third, it's make-now-serve-later kind of food. (I think we can all get on board with that.) I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Rose. Thank you!
Bone in chicken pieces (dark meat is best)
1 C. Soy sauce
1 C. Lemon or lime juice
2 Cans of diced tomatoes
1 tsp. Oregano
2 Cloves of minced garlic
You can also add onion or potato to this dish and it would be delicious.
Place all ingredients in deep sided electric/regular skillet. Cover with a lid, and cook over medium low-medium heat for about 2 ½ hours until it reduces to a thick sauce. About the consistency of spaghetti sauce. Stir periodically. If it's not thickening and dinner's around the corner, just remove the lid and simmer until it thickens. Serve over rice.
This dish can be stored on the counter top for a day or two. The soy sauce and the lemon juice act as preservatives. No joke! In the Philippines a lot of people don't have refrigerators. What a great solution to a problem. Now that being said, I do have a refrigerator so, I put the leftovers away. Now, if it accidentally gets left out overnight... it's probably fine.

The Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana (It's spot on)

2011-03-10T09:16:00.005-07:00

The Zuppa Toscana is the only thing I get when I go to the Olive Garden. Well, that and the Calamari aka "Sea Creatures". Looking at it, it looks simple enough and boy it is simple! And at around $4 a batch, it rivals going out. So, here is my take on Zuppa.
½ lb. Italian Sausage
1 Medium Onion-diced
2-3 Baked (or nuked) Potatoes-yes baked!
3 Cloves Garlic-minced
9 C. Water
3 T. Chicken Bullion
*Salt to taste
3 C. Chopped Kale
½ C. Milk
Crushed Red Pepper
Brown the sausage and onion in soup pot. Drain off extra fat or you can even rinse it with water if you really want to get rid of extra calories. Add potatoes, garlic, water, bullion & salt. Bring to a simmer and add kale. When kale is tender add milk and serve. Crushed red pepper can be added to individual bowls to taste. Tastes really close to the real thing.
*Some bullions have a lot of salt so taste your broth before you salt it.

How to Soup Up a Cake Mix

2011-03-09T17:57:00.003-07:00

Have you ever tried to make cupcakes or cake with a boxed cake mix and it fell flat or just fell apart? Me too! Well these simple additions to the mix well help it turn out a little more cake-like.
1 Cake Mix
1 Box of a Complimentary Flavor Instant Pudding
1 Extra Egg
That's it!
Make according to package directions adding in pudding and extra egg. Easy peasy and way better.

Peanut Butter Apple Dip

2011-03-05T21:38:00.002-07:00

This is a recipe that I got from Kelli S. from a ward recipe book. I know Kelli is a great cook and this recipe didn't dissapiont. What goes better with apples than peanut butter?

1-8oz. Cream Cheese
1 C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Peanut Butter
¼ C. Milk

Mix together in bowl with mixer. Serve with sliced apples. Yummy!

Snow Ice Cream

2010-11-20T21:50:00.004-07:00

We used to do this when I was a kid growing up in a tiny town called Manhattan in Nevada (population 17, six of which was our family). You can imagine that ice cream and entertainment were in short supply. So whenever we were in the mood and the snow was very fresh we would make this. Definitely not for the Mysophobic in your family, but really fun and easy and fast for the kiddos. Trust me it will be a hit.

Ingredients:

Fluffy Snow

Milk

Cream

Sugar

Flavoring (I used vanilla)

Fill a bowl with snow about half full. Slowly add and stir cream, milk, & sugar in until it's about the consistency of soft serve and it tastes how you like it. Add your flavoring and stir. Enjoy!

If it gets too soft, just add more snow.

Whole Wheat & Oatmeal Pancake Mix - Revised

2010-11-04T10:00:00.001-06:00

I love that I can make these guys any morning I want to and they are done in about five minutes! Added bonus is that they are healthy! And did I mention that they taste great too? I top them with a little yogurt and that helps keep the sugar content down a bit and it tastes good too.

Makes 11 cups of dry mix

3 1/2 cups quick oats
5 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups milled flax seed (oh so good for you)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 cup canola oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle. With mixer on slow speed, drizzle the canola oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. Mix for about a half a minute to distribute oil evenly. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or months in the refrigerator.
To make the pancakes:
Whisk together:
1 cup of mix
1 cup buttermilk (a combination of a few tablespoons of plain yogurt and milk will also work. I also just use milk in a pinch)
1 egg
1tsp. Vanilla
The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don't break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side.
*1 cup of mix will make about 7 4-inch pancakes. 100 Calories Each.

Tip: Use Yogurt instead of syrup or jam for a healthier alternative! Yummy!

Elk (or Beef) and Brown Rice Soup

2010-10-07T10:16:00.011-06:00

ELK?!! Yes, elk... Don't cringe when your husband says he wants to go hunting for one or when a neighbor asks if you would like some. Elk is very good and way lower in calories than beef! You just have to know how to use it (we like steaks for slow cooking and elk burger as a substitution for anything that requires hamburger). And as you all know, I have been counting calories and this recipe is great on calories and way better than any low cal canned soup out there. So easy and delicious! So, give elk a try before you say "YUCK!".

Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for eight hours, high for six hours.

1 C. Chopped Onion

1 C. Chopped Celery

1 1/2 lbs. Cubed Elk or Beef Stew Meat - Any cut will due because of the slow cooking

30 oz. Canned Diced Tomato

12 oz. Frozen Mixed Veggies

1 C. Brown Rice - (or white rice or noodles or pearled barley)

4 C. Water

5 tsp. Beef Flavored Bullion

1/2 tsp. Dried Thyme

1/4 tsp. Coarse Ground Pepper

2 T. Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp. Salt (Save this out for final seasoning at the end. I like my soup pretty salty.)

Makes 10 generous servings. 212 calories/serving for Elk Meat & 246 calories/serving for Beef.

You don't have to use a slow cooker for this soup. The meat is just more tender if it is slow cooked. If you have left over roast beef or elk from another meal, this is a great way to use it up and you only have to simmer the soup long enough to make the rice tender.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2010-05-28T14:06:00.001-06:00

Who knew that BBQ pizza wasn't really that fancy. I can't believe it's just BBQ sauce. That's it, nothing else is in the sauce.

One batch of McCall's Pizza Dough

BBQ Sauce - Any kind

4 Cooked Chicken Breasts per Pizza

Sliced Red Onion

Shredded White Cheese

Roll out Pizza dough nice and thin (This recipe puffs up quite a bit). Place in a lightly greased pan or cookie sheet or pizza pan. Spread BBQ sauce over crust. Sprinkle on chicken evenly. Sprinkle on some onions. Sprinkle on some cheese. Cook in a HOT 450* oven for about 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Slice and serve! Yummy & easy!

Frog Legs

2010-05-23T15:18:00.005-06:00

Well... Not really, but sometimes giving food fun names can make it funner to eat for the kiddos. Up until about five minutes ago I thought I had honestly eaten "frog legs" as a child, but just now connected the dots when my son Erik came up to me and asked for a frog leg for dinner. My sneaky Dad has been making "Frog Legs" aka Sweet 'n' Sour Chicken for as long as I can remember. This is definately a family favorite.
Sweet 'n' Sour Sauce -

2 Cans of Tidbit Pineapple

4 T. Lemon Juice-depending on how lemony you like it

3 1/2 C. Sugar

5 T. Corn Starch

Add all ingrediants into a medium saucepan. Heat to a boil over medium heat. Mix and heat to a boil stirring often until sauce becomes clear. Set aside while you prepare the rest.

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast -

Sliced into strips (about 1 breast/person)

Flour -

Dip raw chicken into flour and coat evenly. Remove excess flour.

Dip dusted chicken into Batter -

Mix ingrediants until smooth.

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 C. Flour

1 C. Milk

3 Eggs

Dip Chicken in flour, then egg mixture then place into hot deep fat frying oil. Cook until golden brown.

Serve frog legs over rice and top with pineapple sauce. Yummy!

Snickerdoodles

2010-05-18T13:00:00.001-06:00

The best cookie on earth (in my opinion). I love snickerdoodles and this recipe is everything a snickerdoodle should be. Soft and chewy and crispy all at the same time. Yummo!

Preheat oven to 400*

Cream together:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In another bowl mix together:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add dry to wet and mix until well blended.

In a small bowl mix:
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls. Roll balls of dough in cinnamon & sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until you can barely see a little browning. MMmmm. Worth the trouble. My kids love them. It's kind of fun to make a lot of tiny ones.

Rice Pudding

2010-05-18T09:04:00.000-06:00

This is a great way to use up any leftover rice that you might have sitting in the fridge from Chinese night three days ago. Very tasty as a dessert or as breakfast.
6 Eggs
1 C. Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
4 C. Milk (the more fat the tastier, but you can use skim or 1%)
2 1/2 C. Rice

Preheat oven to 350*. Mix the eggs, sugar, and Vanilla in a 9x13 pan. Add half of the milk to the egg mixture. Mix well. Add the remaining milk and the rice. Mix again.
Place larger baking dish in oven. (11x14 ish) Fill about 1/3 full of very hot water. Place 9x13 pan full of mixture inside the water bath. Bake for 30 minutes and stir. Bake an additional 20-30 minutes until set.
Serve warm with cinnamon 'n' sugar, raisins, or fruit.

This can be made the night before and stored in the fridge overnight for breakfast the next day.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-05-13T14:18:00.001-06:00

So I tried an online recipe for this and let's just say it didn't go well...

I'm thinking I needed more flour???

So, I pulled out the old stand by boxed cake mix and it went much better from there. Now, on the other hand, the frosting recipe is great! I think that the white chocolate really adds something to the traditional cream cheese icing. I also liked the splash of Orange Extract. Although I did cut the amount in half that it called for and even then I think I would add just a little less next time. This frosting recipe is a keeper! Great for Carrot Cake or Orange Rolls. If you leave out the Orange Extract it would be great for cinnamon rolls or brownies or pretty much anything else.

2 oz. White Chocolate
1 - 8 oz. pkg. Cream Cheese - softened
1/2 C. Butter - softened
1 tsp. Vanilla
A small 1/4 tsp. Orange Extract
2 lbs Powdered Sugar
2 T Cream or Milk

Melt chocolate in a bowl over boiled water. Set aside to cool. In mixing bowl cream together butter and cream cheese. Add Vanilla, orange extract, and chocolate. Slowly add in powdered sugar until all is incorporated. Add cream or milk to reach the desired consistency.

Frost prepared Carrot Cake Cupcakes and sprinkle with chopped walnuts and shaved white chocolate. Yummy!

Tip: Shave chocolate with a vegetable peeler.

Tip 2: To help cupcakes reach maximum height whip butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy then mix in dry.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2010-05-08T10:00:00.002-06:00

When Bryan and I go to a Chinese Resturaunt, we love to order the lettuce wraps for our appitizer. They are sooo good that we have thought about just getting two orders of them and calling it dinner. Our favorite are from the Asian Star in Midvale, but for the price these are awesome!

Here is the link to the recipe that I found... They taste awesome!

P F Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps from Recipe Zaar

Chicken/Shredded Pork Enchiladas

2010-05-01T14:48:00.002-06:00

Enchiladas is one of my favorite meals to make. The whole family loves them and if you couple it with Mexican Rice and Refried Beans, it feels like you are eating out at Mama Chu's. Well, except the bill and tip. Although, tips are appreciated!
Cooked Chicken or Pork (slow cooked is best in my opinion) - As much as you think you will need

(I usually do enough for two meals so that I can freeze one pan for a busy day)

Cheese - Shredded

Flour Tortillas

Your Favorite Enchilada Sauce - I usually use mild green sauce.

Cook meat. While meat is cooking spray PAM on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread a little enchilada sauce on the bottom. Shred or slice cooked meat into bite sized pieces.

I usually set up an assembly line to make putting the enchiladas together a snap. Tortillas, Meat, Cheese. Start with a tortilla. Add about a 1/2 cup of meat. Add a large pinch of cheese. Roll it up and place in prepared pan. Repeat until you have filled the pan full of enchiladas. Spread remaining sauce over the top of rolled enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese over all. Bake in 375 * oven until cheese is melted and beginning to bubble.

To Freeze: Cover un-baked enchiladas with pan lid or foil or plastic wrap and freeze. To bake remove covering and bake in a 350* oven for about an hour or until hot all the way through.

Mexican Rice

2010-04-24T17:14:00.001-06:00

Now you won't ever have to buy those packages of dry Mexican Rice mix.

2 Cups White Rice

4 tsp. Minced Garlic

3 Cups Cold Water

2 T. Chicken Bullion
1 Medium Onion - Finely Chopped

1 Can Diced Tomato

1 Can Diced Chilis

2 tsp. Cumin

Salt to Taste

Add all ingrediants into a rice cooker and cook until cooker says it's done. It's really that easy.

Tomato & Avocado Toast

2010-03-22T10:38:00.004-06:00

This is one of my favorite summer time snacks. Garden ripe tomatoes coupled with ripe avocado on top of toasted whole wheat bread then sprinkled with salt and pepper. MMmm, I think I'll go make one right now.
Tip: Use avocado instead of mayo on your cold cut sandwiches

Cherry Pie

2010-02-25T16:07:00.001-07:00

I never liked cherry pie until I had the real thing.
Ingredients:
Pastry for a double crust pie
4 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
4 cups frozen pitted cherries (none of that canned yuckiness)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place bottom crust in pie pan. Set top crust aside, covered.
In a medium sauce pan combine tapioca, salt, sugar, cherries and extracts. Let stand 5 minutes. Heat at medium high heat until mixture begins to boil and tapioca pearls become translucent. Turn out into bottom crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust, flute edges and cut vents in top. Place pie on a foil lined cookie sheet --- in case of drips!
Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.

Give Me a Star

2010-01-08T12:15:00.004-07:00

So I figured out how to do a star rating on this blog! Now I can tell you how much I liked the recipes I post and you can rate these recipes when you try them. Anywhere from 1 star/barely edible to 5 stars/manna from heaven. I want your opinion even if you hated it. Thanks!!!

Bacon Mushroom Chicken with Garlic Cream Sauce

2010-01-05T12:55:00.005-07:00

Sounds way harder than it actually is. One of the easiest dinners I have made in a while & sooooo good. A definite keeper. Not good for the body, but oh so good for the soul!
1 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast/person
Bacon - 1 or 2 half slices/person (Do not pre-cook)
1 Cube Butter - Melted
2 Cloves Garlic - Minced
Mushrooms - As many as you like

1/4-1/2 C. Heavy Cream
(can't remember exactly how much... I'm sure it doesn't really matter)

Place chicken in oven safe dish in a single layer. Place bacon on top of each chicken breast. Slice mushrooms and spread over chicken. Melt butter and add garlic. Mix and pour over chicken. Bake in a 375* oven for about 25 minutes or until chicken is done through. Remove chicken and mushrooms and pour juices into a small saucepan. Add cream and heat to a boil over medium heat until thickened. Don't forget to stir often!

To serve: Place chicken breast on top of noodles or mashed potatoes (no gravy needed). Add some mushrooms and pour a little of the sauce over all. YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY! Add a slice of crusty bread & a little asparagus on the side or a lovely salad and you have a restaurant quality meal.

Cinnamon Coated Almonds

2009-12-02T15:19:00.004-07:00

- or any other nut for that matter. This yummy treat will get the Christmas Spirit (and smells) wafting through your house. This would make a great neighbor gift or option for the old cookie tray.

4 C. Or 14 oz. Whole Almonds
1 & ¼ C. Sugar
¼ C. Water
1 t. Cinnamon

Place almonds on a cookie sheet.
Toast at 350* for 10 minutes.

In a medium sauce pan, combine all of the ingredients, including the almonds. Cook over medium heat until sugar becomes golden & starts to crystallize. Mixture should seem dry when done. This takes about 4 minutes. Pour out onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Let cool. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Day Drink

2009-11-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

Bryan's Mom does this every year and it is very good and very pretty.

Apricot Nectar or any flavor that sounds good to you

Apple Juice

Freeze Nectar in a shallow 9x13 dish. When frozen, cut into cubes and fill glasses half full of cubes. Fill the glasses with apple juice. I like it the best when it has had a chance to sit and melt together a little so pour the drinks about 15 minutes before you eat.

Chips & Queso

2009-11-04T09:53:00.006-07:00

I don't know about you but I love going to my favorite Mexican Restaurant and eating the fresh hot corn chips and the house salsa. It is so good when they are fresh and crispy like that. I decided to give it a try at my house and I would say that they turned out rather well.

For this recipe you will need:
Oil for frying
Corn Tortillas-the thinner the better. Trust me on this one
Salt
Queso or Salsa or Guacamole

First get your oil heating up. You want it to be nice and hot. It should start sizzling immediately when you put a chip in.

While the oil is heating up cut your corn tortillas into chips - Like so.

When oil is nice and hot place a handful of chip in and let them cook until the are crispy and golden and begin to get air pockets in the chip. Longer is better as long as they aren't burning.

When you remove them from the oil place them on paper towels and salt immediately.
Enjoy with your favorite dip.

Oh and it always helps to have good company in the kitchen.

Pumpkin Seeds

2009-10-13T17:33:00.004-06:00

One of the perks of the weather getting colder.

It wouldn't be Halloween without this yummy classic. Ingrediants:

The seeds from all of those pumpkins your kids/grandkids carved.

(Leave them covered in that yummy pumpkin slime)

Kosher Salt

As your carving the pumpkins place seeds in a medium sized bowl.

Sprinkle with kosher salt to taste.

Spread out on a greased cookie sheet w/sides.

Bake in a 400* oven until dry and toasty.

Stir seeds often-about every 5-10 minutes.

Easy Peasy!

Best Bread

2009-10-06T13:01:00.007-06:00

Do you remember that talk a few conferences ago? The one that talked about good, better, & best? Well, I have made a lot of bread over the years and this is the BEST recipe. Dad brought this home from my sister's house this summer & there is something about it that is a little different. Maybe it's that it's crispy & flaky on the outside or maybe it's that it's really soft & chewy on the inside. Whatever it is, it is YUMMY! A definite must try! (and trust me you will try it again & again) OH and there is a secret tip for these rolls. You have to use an aluminum pan to bake them in. Some how it just crisps them up on the outside.

Makes two loaves or 24 rolls

1 ½ Cups Warm Water
½ Cup Warm Milk
2 T. Yeast
3 T. White Sugar
2 T. Butter - melted
2 tsp. Salt
5 ½ - 6 Cups Flour

In Kitchen Aide bowl, add water, milk, yeast, & sugar. Let stand 5 minutes. Add melted butter and salt. On slow speed with the dough hook attached, gradually add flour until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl. Let mixer knead the dough for five minutes. Watch to see if the dough begins to stick to the sides again & needs more flour. Turn off mixer and form the dough into a nice smooth ball. Let stand covered in a warm place until doubled in size. Spray counter top surface lightly with PAM & punch down and knead to remove all air. Divide dough in half and form into loaves. Let rise ‘til double and cut a slit in the tops – or – divide in half and roll out like a pizza crust and cut into triangles like a pizza. Roll wedges starting at the big end into crescents. Place on greased pan with the tips on bottom. Let rise ‘til double and butter tops of rolls or loaves. Bake in a 400* oven for 25-30 minutes for bread loaves or 12-15 minutes for rolls. Brush with butter one more time. MMmmm….

Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Salmon

2009-10-01T10:27:00.002-06:00

This is my favorite meal to make when I have guests coming for dinner (that is if my guests like salmon). It's easy, quick, low mess, & Yummy! It's very pretty too.

Salmon fillets-One per person*
Lots of Fresh Spinach
Tomato
Mushrooms
Kraft sun dried tomato salad dressing

–or-
Light/Regular Italian Dressing

I Fill up a 9 x 13 Pyrex dish with as much spinach I can stuff in it. Then I cut up tomato and mushrooms and put that on top of the spinach. Then, I place the fish fillets on top of that and squirt the salad dressing over all (Probably about ¼ or more of the bottle, but really what ever you like more or less). Bake in a 375 oven for about 20 min or until the juices are bubbly and the fish is done. Serve over rice and spoon some of the juice over the rice as well. This dish is very pretty presentation and very tasty as well. Baking it is nice because you can do your rice at the same time. I bake my rice in a covered baking dish at 375 for about 30 min. It works way better than stovetop.

*Depending on the amount of fish, you may need to do a second pan.

Looks tasty!

Chili & Cornbread

2009-09-26T08:00:00.002-06:00

The perfect fall meal. MMMmm... so good there will never be leftovers.
I like to start with the cornbread then make the chili while it's cooking.

Cornbread
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
6 T. Cornmeal
3 Cups Bisquick Or Krusteaz
3/4 tsp Baking Powder (Leave this out if you are using Krusteaz)
2 1/4 Cubes Butter - Melted
1 1/2 Cups Milk
3 eggs

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and then mix wet in a smaller bowl. Pour wet into dry and mix. Do not over mix, it should be lumpy. Place in un-greased 9x13 pan and cook at 350* for 30 to 40 minutes.

Next the Chili: I love my Chili Recipe. It's kind of a fresher take. And I don't want to brag or anything, but my chili won first place in my ward's chili cook off.

Chili:

Make chili and let simmer until the cornbread is ready.

Serve chili over bread or on the side. Yummy!!!

Hot Fudge Topping

2009-09-18T22:38:00.002-06:00

The first time I made this, the recipe said to boil it for eight minutes... Boy howdy! It turned out like hard tack candy. It about pulled out all of my fillings! So I adjusted it to only three minutes. Much better. Anyway... I love fudge topping and this recipe doesn't disappoint. The only thing this was missing (besides the fat in the ice cream) was some peanuts.
Bring the following ingredients to a boil:
1/3 C. Water
6 T. Cocoa
2 T. Margarine

Remove from heat, stir in:
½ C. Sugar
¼ C. Corn Syrup
Dash of Salt
3 T. Margarine
½ t. Vanilla

Return to heat to boil and boil 3 more minutes until thickened, stirring constantly. It will cool thicker so don’t boil too long.

Homemade French Fries

2009-09-14T22:10:00.003-06:00

This is a great late night snack to make for the family. Trust me, your kids and hubby will love it! My Dad used to make this all of the time. MMmmm Mmmm! There was nothing more exciting than when my Dad would fire up the oil and start cutting up the potatoes for this delightful golden treat!

Preheat your oil to 350* - 360* (I don't measure the temp, but for those who need a number... there you go) I usually just eyeball it.
Cut up as many potatoes as you want into french fries. You can use a knife, a mandolin, or there is even a kitchen tool designed specifically for french fries.
Often times homemade fries can be a little soggy so I like to lightly coat the raw french fries in a little flour. I think it adds some nice crispiness.

Place floured fries in hot oil in small batches. Maybe a couple of handfuls at a time. This will help to keep the oil temperature hot so they will cook nicely and end up nice and crispy.

You will know that the fries are done when they begin to float to the surface of the oil and then become golden brown.
Remove from the oil and place on paper towels to drain off the oil. Don't forget to salt the fries immediately while the salt will still stick.

I like to dip my fries in just plain old ketchup. Sometimes I will mix up a little BBQ sauce and mayo.

Freezer Jam

2009-08-27T13:11:00.004-06:00

Yummy and fresh~ I hate how cooked jams ruin the flavor of fruit. It doesn't taste like the fruit much after it's been cooked and all of that sugar is added. So that is why I like freezer so much. It's easier and tastes like summer! MMMmmmm Mmmm!
3 ¼ Cup Crushed Raspberry (or Strawberry)
¼ Cup Lemon Juice
1 Pkg. of Pectin
1 Cup of Light Corn Syrup
4 ½ Cups White Sugar

Prepare fruit: Wash and crush the berries. Remove stems from strawberries.
In a large bowl mix together crushed berries and lemon juice. Add pectin slowly to berry mixture while stirring. Mix well and stir every five minutes for 30 minutes (This is a great job for the kiddos). Add corn syrup to berries and mix well. This prevents sugar crystals from forming later on. Stir in white sugar gradually and continue stirring until all sugar is dissolved. Pour your fresh jam into plastic storage containers leaving about ½ inch space at the top. Wipe off any drips from the lip of the container and put the lids on. Freeze. Don't bother labling the jam with a date. It won't last that long because it's so yummy!

Oven Baked Sandwhiches

2009-08-24T16:07:00.008-06:00

This is a fun dinner idea that is great when you're feeling like the old menu is getting kind of old. You could do ham and cheese with soup, tuna, hot chicken salad filling or any yummy melty gooey filling that you can think of. For this particular one I used:
Bread or Pizza Dough Recipe or a store bought bread
-maybe croissants or pizza dough
Corned Beef
Sauerkraut
Swiss Cheese
Mustard

Prepare dough according to directions and roll out into a large rectangle (about as long & wide as a cookie sheet). Place mustard, beef, sauerkraut, & cheese down the center of the bread dough (or any filling). Cut slits along the long sides of the dough about 1 inch from the filling. Overlap alternating sides to make a braid. Fold ends over to seal. Place braided loaf onto greased cookie sheet and brush with egg whites and bake at 375* until golden brown. Maybe 30 minutes? Not sure. Let cool for 10 minutes and slice. Yummy!

Beef Taquitos

2009-08-22T20:59:00.004-06:00

This is a recipe that I picked up from my kids' pre-school recipe board. It is really good and really easy to make. A definate winner!
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic
¾ lb. ground beef
½ cup salsa
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
2 tsp. chili powder
10 (6 inch) flour tortillas
½ cup shredded cheese

Brown the hamburger with garlic and onion. Stir in the salsa, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place tortillas on plate and cover with damp towel. Microwave until warm and pliable (about 45 sec.). Top each tortilla with ¼ cup of filling, spreading to an inch from the edges. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up tortillas and put on a foil lined baking sheet with seam side down. Brush lightly with vegetable oil or spray quickly with Pam. Bake at 400* for about 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Serve with salsa, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, Spanish rice, and refried beans. You could smother it with enchilada sauce. Maybe try chicken instead of beef?

Easy Samoa Smores

2009-08-20T14:59:00.012-06:00

These little babies are sooooo good! I don't really like smores all that much but I would eat this little guy any day of the week. I call them Samoa smores because they taste a lot like the Samoa Girl Scout Cookies.
Coconut Coated Marshmallows
Chocolate Covered Cookies

Lightly toast marshmallows over a fire and place atop a chocolate covered cookie of your choice. Try not to burn the marshmallow though (they taste pretty bad if they get burned).

Indoor Marshmallow roaster-
1- empty one quart paint can (metal)

1- single roll of toilet paper (take out the cardboard center)

1- bottle of rubbing alcohol

1- large finish nail

1- book of matches

Open the paint can and put the toilet paper inside. Poor the rubbing alcohol over the toilet paper. Put the lid on tightly. You can decorate the outside if you like with stickers and paper. Tape the nail and match book to the outside. Use the nail to pry open the paint can and the matches to light the rubbing alcohol. This is the perfect marshmallow roaster (or emergency preparedness item if you want to be responsible). I gave one of these to Kaden's old best friend who moved to Washington as a going away gift. He loved it!

White Chili - Oh So Good!

2009-07-10T11:51:00.005-06:00

This is one of my favorite soups to make. It's so yummy and it's so easy to make. It's a favorite with my family and everyone I feed it to just loves it.

Chili:
6 Cups Chicken Broth
1 lb. Uncooked Chicken Breast - Chopped
1 Large Onion - Chopped
6 Cloves of Garlic - Minced
1 - 4 oz Can Diced Green Chilies
2 Cans Great Northern Beans - Drained
2 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 1/2 tsp. Oregano

Toppings:
Carton Fat Free Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese - Just a pinch
1 or 2 Chopped Tomatoes
Chopped Fresh Cilantro
Tortilla Chips or Tortillas

Put first group of ingredients into pot and bring to boil. Boil until chicken is fully cooked. Serve chili over chips or a tortilla in a bowl. Add a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle on cheese, tomato, and cilantro. Serve with a salad. Yummy!!

Marchant Family Cookies

2009-06-19T11:52:00.003-06:00

This recipe comes from my Aunt June! I love these cookies! I remember eating them whenever I had sleepovers with my cousins!! The trick is to take them out of the oven early! Before they really brown! Enjoy!!

1 Cup Butter (room temperature)

1 1/2 Cups White Sugar

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

3 Eggs

3 Teaspoons Vanilla

1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda

1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt

1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

3-4 Cups of flour (next time I will do 4 c for thicker cookies)

tons of chocolate and white chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

Enjoy and Your Welcome!!

Lion House Rolls

2009-03-19T10:44:00.003-06:00

I love this bread recipe. I use it all the time for rolls and loaves. Recently I have tried bread flour for the first time and I think it really does make a difference. My bread it turning out better. Also, another thing I like to do is do half white flour and half wheat flour. That way you get the taste of wheat, but it's still light and fluffy.

2 T. Yeast
2 C. Water or Warm Milk if you don't have Dry Milk
1/3 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Shortening
2 t. Salt
2/3 C. Dry Milk
1 Egg
5-6 C. Bread Flour

Mix yeast and water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add sugar, shortening, salt, dry milk, egg, & 2 cups of flour. Beat for 3 minutes on high. Gradually add the rest of the flour until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl. Knead in mixer for 5 minutes till smooth and elastic. Rise for 45 minutes or till doubled in size. Punch down and form into rolls, crescents, or loaves. Place on greased pan and let rise till doubled. Bake at 400* for 15 minutes for rolls and 375* for loaves or cinnamon rolls.

Bacon & Mushroom Cheeseball

2009-02-24T10:59:00.004-07:00

Warning! This is extremely high calorie and tastes reeeeeaaaallly good. So if you are dieting, refrain from consuming even one bite or you won't be able to stop!

7-10 fresh mushrooms - finely diced
1/4 Cup onion - finely diced
1 clove garlic - minced
1/2 lb. Bacon
12 oz. Cream Cheese - Room Temp.

Begin cooking bacon in a frying pan. Keep an eye on the bacon while you do these next few steps. Wash and drain mushrooms and finely dice enough for about 1-1 1/2 cups. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Remove cooked bacon and drain on a paper towel. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat and sautee mushrooms, onion, and garlic until tender. Let cool. Finely chop cooled bacon & cream together bacon, mushroom & onion mixture, & cream cheese. Form into either one large cheese ball or lots of little ping pong ball sized ones. Roll in finely chopped nuts, cool for 2 hours for large ball and 1 hour for small balls. Serve with your favorite crackers. I like Multigrain Club House Crackers.

This is basically the Bacon Stuffed Mushroom recipe, so if you make those you can use the leftover filling to make a small cheese ball.

Southwest Rice and Bean Burgers

2009-02-19T11:57:00.003-07:00

This is surprisingly really good and really healthy! Makes a good dinner and an even better lunch item. I like it for lunch because you can keep the uncooked mixture in the fridge and cook one up at a moments notice. Which is really nice with Bryan working from home. I even froze half for later and it cooked up nicely. The only trick is that you really have to flip it carefully and be careful not to make the patties too big or else they tend to fall apart when you flip them. After both sides are cooked they hold together pretty well.
2 cups brown rice, cooked
1 can black or kidney beans, drained
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1-3 tablespoons minced jalapeno or green chilies, (canned is fine)
1/4 cup salsa
1 egg white
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
cheese, if desired

Mix rice, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic, onion, cilantro, chilies, salsa, and egg white in large bowl. Mixture will be very moist. Add flour, using only enough so that you can shape the mixture into patties. Dust the outside of the patties lightly with flour. Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and warm. Add patties and cook until nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Sprinkle with cheese, reduce heat to low and cover with lid to melt cheese. Think of them kind of like a taco in how you dress them up. Lettuce, Tomato, Salsa, Sour cream, guacamole, just to name a few toppings.

Eat Your Food!!!

2009-02-12T10:51:00.005-07:00

One of my friends is a nutritionist and put this up on her blog! I stole the pics and did make them myself the next day! They were so fun, because the boys helped me make the faces and then loved it when I would yell and say OH NO you ate his nose!!! They ate everything!!! Thought it was cute enough to share!!

Burritos for Kids

2009-02-10T08:20:00.004-07:00

I don't know about you all, but when it's taco night and it's time for the kiddos to eat their tacos it is a mess. They just can't keep the fillings inside of the taco. Everything goes spilling out of the end. But I have the perfect solution. I saw this on tv a while back and tried it and it works great.Take any of the clips that you have to keep chip bags closed and just clip it onto the end of the burrito. Whether you have this kind or the kind that you pinch to open, it doesn't matter. They both work great. My only suggestion is to warm up the tortilla first so that it doesn't tear as easily.

My Superbowl Lineup - BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2009-02-02T11:18:00.005-07:00

We had a great spread for the Superbowl. Truthfully, I could care less about the Superbowl, but it's a good day to say thank you to the hubby and let him have a guy day. It was so easy too! I did all of the prep work the night before while the kids watched a movie. Then on Sunday all I had to do was cook the Mushrooms and put everything onto trays. Here's the lineup:
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Garden Salad
Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms
Chunky Fresh Salsa
Mini Cheese Balls
Fresh Fruit dipped in Raspberry Yogurt
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Enough boneless pork roast or boneless spareribs or any other really cheap pork cut of meat to feed your croud. I'd say about 1 lb per adult and 1/2 lb. per kid.

Your favorite BBQ Sauce.

Yummy rolls. I used French bread rolls.

Do this right before you go to bed. Place meat into a heavy duty foil envelope with all seems sealed tightly. In a large crockpot place a few canning jar ring lids on bottom to keep roast from cooking too much on the bottom. Pour water in to just cover the lids. Place meat on top of rings and put lid on the crockpot. Cook on low for about 13 hours. Remove foil envelope, rings, and water. Drain and reserve juice from the meat and place meat back into the crockpot. Separate the fat from juice and put the juice back with the meat. Keep warm until ready to serve. Serve on a bun then top with BBQ sauce. Yummy and easy!

Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

2009-02-02T10:40:00.008-07:00

I have had stuffed mushrooms before with sausage and I have never really liked them all that much. My friend Ashlynn introduced me to these babies. These ones have bacon and I think everyone knows that everything is better with bacon. I couldn't stop eating these bad boys. Here comes 3 more lbs of "baby" weight....
24 - 30 large fresh mushrooms
1/4 Cup onion - diced
1 clove garlic - minced
1/2 lb. Bacon
12 oz. Cream Cheese - Room Temp.
Cheese

Begin cooking bacon in a frying pan. Wash and drain mushrooms and remove stems. Dice about 1-1 1/2 cups of stems, the onion, and garlic. Remove cooked bacon and drain on a paper towel. Dice bacon into small pieces. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat and sautee stems, onion, and garlic until tender. Let cool. Cream together bacon, onion mixture, & cream cheese. Spoon into mushroom caps and place on a greased cookie sheet. Top with a thin square of cheese. Cook at 375* for 8-10 minutes. Yummmy!

The leftover filling makes a great cheese ball as well! Way yummy!

Cindy's Fresh Chunky Salsa

2009-02-02T10:27:00.006-07:00

I love this kind of snack. It's sooooo good and it's practically no guilt. 1 Can Kidney beans - drained
2 Cans Black beans - drained
1 Can Corn - drained (you can use frozen corn also)
2 Bell peppers - any color & diced
1 Red onion - diced
6-8 Roma tomatoes - diced
1 Avocados - diced
2 Fresh jalapenos - seeded & finely chopped
Juice of 4 limes
2 Cloves of garlic - minced
1 Bunch of cilantro - leaves only - chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
(all of the above are optional and the amounts can be more or less)

Mix all ingrediants in large bowl. Enjoy with tortilla chips, on quesodillas, on salad, or basically anywhere you might use regular salsa. I like to wear rubber gloves when I chop the Jalapenos because it never fails that a little juice will stick with you and it only takes one wipe of the eye to learn.

Cheese Ball

2009-02-02T10:04:00.006-07:00

It's safe to say that I am a bit of a germ-a-phobe. I don't mind my kids and hubby's germs, but other than that, NO THANKYOU. So I took a classic cheese ball recipe and made mini cheese balls. That way our guests can each have their own cheese ball and no one has to worry about sharing germs or the occasional stray cracker pieces left behind in the cheese ball.
1 Cup finely shredded cheese
4 oz. cream cheese
2 T. milk
1 T. finely chopped green onion
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Dash of hot sauce
1/2 Cup finely chopped nuts

Bring cheeses to room temperature. Cream together all ingrediants except nuts. Form into golf ball sized balls and roll in nuts to coat. Refridgerate overnight. Enjoy with crackers.

This would be really tasty with some fresh veggies mixed in. Maybe bell pepper or cucumber.

Too many great foods... Too little time!

2008-12-31T02:04:00.002-07:00

There were sooooo many tasty Holiday foods that I wanted to show you all! Aaahhh, but time tip toed past me this holiday season! My Christmas tree was lucky to get decorated let alone keep my blogs all updated and current! So don't be surprised if I post Peppermint Icebox Cake in the middle of March or some other random holiday treat during some random month. I am looking forward to settling back into a nice routine with no plans and a little time to cook something tasty.

Fried Rice

2008-11-20T16:37:00.008-07:00

Leftover rice & mixed veggies tend to just go bad in our house so this makes the perfect quick meal to use those up. Probably about 15 - 20 minutes, one pan, and you will have a tasty meal for your family. Can't beat that! Tip: If you keep your cooked rice out of the fridge it won't get hard and gross. Downside is that it won't last as long. Maybe a two or three days.1 1/2 C. Chopped Ham or Chicken or Beef or Shrimp or Spam-(tastes pretty much the same as ham. Main difference is fat content, but it's handy because you can have it readily available in the pantry)

2 Eggs

1 1/2 C. Mixed Veggies (as much as you like really)

About 6 C. Cooked Rice

1/4 C. Soy Sauce

Heat a large tall sided skillet, pot, or electric skillet to medium high heat. Fry ham until you get some beautiful browning and push to one side of pan. Spray available space with a little Pam or oil and scramble eggs with no S&P. Try not to let egg spread into ham, but really no big deal if it does a little. Push cooked eggs on top of ham. Heat veggies through in empty space and then mix everything together. Add cooked rice and mix well. Add soy sauce and mix well again. It's ready to go! Yummy!

Quesadillas Any Way You Like 'em

2008-11-17T09:44:00.004-07:00

In our household quesadillas are a regular lunchtime event. My picky daughter will eat them any time, any where. I don't usually mind because I quite like them too.
I perfer cooking them in a pan over microwaving. You get golden delicious crispiness and a more even melt of the cheese. We have tried a lot of different combos at our house and here are some of our favorites:
Plain old cheese and tortilla dipped in sour cream & salsa or hummus
Cheese and Ham dipped in Mayo and Mustard
Cheese and Turkey Pepperoni dipped in Pizza Sauce
Cheese and Enchilada Sauce
(if I have to open a can of sauce I usually freeze the leftovers in Icecube tray to use later)
Cheese and Chili
Cheese, Chicken, and Cream of Chicken Soup all mixed to gether then cooked inside the tortilla
You can put pretty much anything into a quesadilla and kids will love it!

Hummus

2008-11-05T15:01:00.004-07:00

Hey! Isn't Hummus one of those healthy, vegetarian, tree hugger, hippie foods? No it isn't! I was really hesitant to try it because I don't really consider myself to be any of those things, but boy am I glad I did! I haven't really explored all of the avenues of Hummus yet, but I can tell you the ones I like. It's great with corn chips, quesodillas, & pita bread. My favorite kind is from Costco. It's just under $5 for almost two pounds and worth every penny. You may be thinking to yourself, "Why not make your own? The ingredients are cheap and easy to find. This is a RECIPE blog after all." It's because I have tried several times to make it and it NEVER tastes as good. So if you're feeling a little adventurous, you should definitely give this one a try. You'll never go back to salsa again. Well, maybe that's a little extreme, but it's definitely a great alternative!

Fudge Pops

2008-10-28T18:53:00.003-06:00

Ok, so I know 'tis not the season, but I don't know any Mom who can't appreciate something fun to do with her kids. Who cares if it's getting a little cold outside. These are fun any time and are super easy to make. And trust me, your kids will love them and you might even find yourself sneaking one once in a while.
Buy your favorite instant pudding mix and make according to package directions. Spoon into cute ice cube trays (I got these at IKEA) or Popsicle molds. Personally I like the ice cube tray size because I have small children and they can't make as much of a mess. Place some sort of handle in each Popsicle (I used tooth picks) and freeze. It's that easy and they taste great! If it's hard to unmold them just turn upside down and run hot water over the bottom of the try for a few seconds and they should come right out.

Apple Cinnamon Pie

2008-10-22T16:09:00.005-06:00

Tis the season for anything apple! And what better apple recipe is there than apple pie? Well... I can think of one (apple pudding cake), but this one is really good too! I had been having this hankering for apple pie for quite some time now and I finally satisfied it a few nights ago. Boy I wasn't disappointed! I have never in my life made an apple pie so I wasn't sure it would be any good. I decided to just use the recipe out of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and it didn't disappoint.

Look at that flaky golden crust....
And all of that appley goodness...
It was so good that between Me, Bryan, Kaden, & Grace we ate 3/4 in about 15 minutes! Nothing to brag about!

Double Crust Pie Pastry:

2 C. Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

2/3 C. Shortening

6 - 7 T. Cold Water

Mix together flour and salt. Add shortening and cut in with pastry knife until shortening is the size of peas. Sprinkle a little water at a time and mix in gently with a fork. Keep adding a little water at a time until you reach the desired amount of moisture.

Use half of the dough to make bottom half of pie crust. Form into a ball and flatten it on a piece of plastic wrap. Place another piece of plastic wrap on top of the flattened ball and begin rolling with a rolling pin. Roll out until it's the right size for your pie pan. Take off the top layer of plastic wrap and pick up the pastry and place in the pie pan. Remove other plastic wrap.

Apple Pie Filling:

Peel, core, & thinly slice 6-8 apples.

(I like using my twirly apple peeler/slicer thing)

Be sure you use nice firm apples that are kind of sweet & tart. It's nice to use a couple of different kinds to add a little variety such as Granny Smith, Yellow Delicious, & Fuji.

Add: 1 C. Brown sugar

2 T. Flour

1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

Mix together well and place on bottom crust. Repeat crust steps for top crust and seal edges with a decorative edge and poke holes in the top. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar (that's the secret to that golden brown crust).

Bake at 375* for about 50 minutes or until the pie begins to bubble around edges and in the middle. Let cool for 20 minutes and serve with some yummy ice cream or whipped cream. Trust me, it's to die for!

Variation: Instead of cooking you could freeze it for later!

Soft Pretzels / Pretzel Dogs

2008-10-15T19:02:00.006-06:00

This is a great, easy meal that is sure to please the pickiest of eaters.
1 c. Warm Water
1 T. Yeast (or 1 pkg.)
2 ¾ c. Flour ½ t. Salt (regular)
1 T. Sugar
2 T. Margarine

1 Egg Yolk
1 T. Water
½ t. Kosher Salt (To sprinkle on before baking)

Combine warm water and yeast in a medium glass bowl and let it set 5 minutes. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients. (Flour, regular salt, & sugar). Now cut up the margarine into the yeast mixture. While the yeast is sitting mix the egg yolk and 1 T. of water in a tiny bowl and set it aside. Pour the yeast mixture into a well in the dry ingredients. (Margarine may not be melted yet, it’s ok.) Stir the flour off of the sides of the well into the yeast mixture until it is all in. Knead 3 minutes. Let dough rest for 10 minutes then form pretzels. Place on greased cookie sheet. Brush with egg yolk mixture. (Use a pastry brush.) Sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake at 475* for 12 minutes. Dip in Pizza Sauce

Variation: Wrap around uncooked hot dogs and brush with egg yolk then sprinkle with salt or Leave off egg yolk & Cook. Rub with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar – or – powdered sugar.

Toasted Peanut Butter & Jelly

2008-10-13T07:58:00.003-06:00

If you have never had a toasted peanut butter & jelly sandwhich you really should try it. They are better than the cold version because the peanut butter gets all melty and delicious.

Just pop your bread into the toaster and make it like you normally would. Above I have classic jelly & banana. Then I threw in peanut butter and chocolate frosting. Quite good!

Whole Wheat Honey Glazed Fruit Muffins

2008-10-10T20:37:00.006-06:00

This was demonstrated at enrichment night by a lady in our ward and at first I thought they were going to pretty gross considering how healthy they are, but boy was I wrong. They are phenomenal! You should really at least try them once before you decide they look too healthy.

1 Cup White Flour
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 Cup Chopped Nuts (add to dry)
2 T. Ground Flaxseed (for added health) Optional

2 Eggs
1 Cup Buttermilk (regular milk can be substituted)
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Cup Cinnamon Applesauce (or regular with cinnamon added)
1/4 Cup Fruit - Fresh or Dried Blueberries, Apricots, Pears, Peaches, Raisins, Mangoes, or any fruit that you like cut up into small chunks. (Add to wet)

Mix dry ingredients in a larger bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a smaller bowl. Add wet to dry and mix until just moistened. Spoon into muffin tin or bread pan. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes for muffins. 20-25 minutes or till toothpick comes out clean for loaf.

When finished cooking dip them in warm honey to glaze.

Flaxseed - Good and Good For You

2008-10-01T17:05:00.004-06:00

I have heard a lot about Flax Seed lately. Two tablepoons a day and you are set to go. Check out this website to learn about the health benifits and how to use it. http://www.healthcastle.com/flax.shtml I have a great muffin recipe that will be coming soon that is awesome. Really healthy and really good. Really you can add it to anything though. Yogurt, salad, smoothies, cereal, pancakes, you name it. I get mine at Costco and because it's cold milled you can keep it in the pantry.

Earthquake Cake

2008-09-29T09:48:00.010-06:00

This is a recipe that Ann gave me way back when that Jean Christiansen gave her back when she and Klint first got married. It is easy & delicious & you can see why it's called an Earthquake Cake. You have got to try it. Ingrediant Line up

1 chocolate cake mix (prepared according to package directions)
Nuts - I like walnuts or pecans

Coconut

Sprinkle nuts and coconut on the bottom of 9x13 cake pan (as much as you like), pour cake batter over nuts and coconut. Do not cook cake yet! Prepare Icing.

Cream Cheese Icing
1/2 pkg. Cream Cheese (reduced fat tastes just as good as regular)
1/2 Cube of Butter
1/2 - 3/4 lb. Powdered Sugar
Vanilla

Cream butter & cream cheese together then add powdered sugar & a bloop of vanilla. Mix it until smooth, thick, and creamy (The frosting should be nice and thick or the cake will not turn out right). Use a tablespoon to dalup frosting on top of uncooked cake batter. (Usually about 12 big dalups) Bake in 350* oven for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. This is soooo yummy especially if you like German Chocolate.

Credits - Nut Crackers

My Hubby Bryan

My Dad

My Brother Cliff

My Niece Katelyn

Thanks for being such great Crackers!

Costco Chicken Frier

2008-09-24T15:34:00.005-06:00

I love Costco's Chicken Friers. They are big and plump and a great price and great for a day that I just don't want to cook dinner. I usually just serve it with salad and buttered french bread. I also love it because I can make other things from the leftovers. I will be making Chicken & Dumplings with today's leftovers. Click here to get more recipes that would be great for leftover chicken.

I like to take the breast off like this so that it's easier to slice up and serve.

Chicken & Danish Dumplings/Chicken Noodle Soup

2008-09-24T14:58:00.008-06:00

This is a old family favorite, passed down from generation to generation. I am pretty sure that the soup recipe has changed throughout the years, but the dumplings will always be the same. Click here for My Dad's Recipe. You can use your own favorite chicken noodle soup recipe just omit the noodles. Here is a recipe that I like (I love my Dad's, but I can never get it to taste just like his. Probably because he doesn't use a recipe, just to taste).
Soup:
Bring 11 Cups of water to a boil. (8 Cups if you are making Chicken Noodle Soup)
Add 11 tsp. chicken bullion to make a nice broth.
Reserve three cups of broth for the dumplings.

Add to the 8 Cups of soup broth:
Cubed chicken - from leftover chicken frier.
1/2 C. Onion
1/2 C. Celery
1 1/2 C. Frozen Mixed Veggies
Basil
Rosemary
Thyme
Salt
Pepper
Bring to a simmer.

Dumplings:
3 egg -
3 cup broth -
2 3/4 cup flour

Put the 3 cups of broth into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix in the flour. Cook and stir until it forms a ball in the pan. Mix in the 3 eggs until smooth (don't worry it will mix eventually).

Bring the chicken soup to a simmer. Use a teaspoon to get little lumps of the finished dough mixture and drop them into simmering soup. After dropping each dollop of the dough into the soup, dip the teaspoon into the soup and the next dollop will not stick. * If the dough is just right, they will swell up and sort of float to the top. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

If you want home made noodle taste without making your own, these noodles are great.

Tom Yum Goong

2008-09-22T21:21:00.006-06:00

Hot and sour Thai soup... I LOVE it!

When Bryan first introduced me to Thai food I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. After hesitantly trying it I LOVE IT! I have since learned to make two dishes. Yellow Curry & Tom Yum Goong. I would love to learn to make Pad Thai. Here is my Tom Yum Goong recipe.
6 Cups Water
4 T. Tom Yum Paste (click here to buy some)
3 tsp. Salt
2 T. Lime Juice
1 Small Onion
1 Can Straw Mushrooms (found in the Asian food section)
½ Cup Baby Corn +/-
I Tomato cubed (optional)

Thawed Shrimp with tails off
Garnish with Cilantro

Bring water to a boil. Add all ingredients except shrimp and cilantro and bring back to a boil. Add shrimp just before you serve & serve over rice. Garnish with Cilantro. Yummy!!

(adding the shrimp too early will make them tough)

Easy Lasagna

2008-09-05T18:24:00.006-06:00

Really Easy and Really Good!

Easily Kaden's favorite meal. I like to double this recipe and freeze one lasagna for a night that I don't want to cook or for an easy meal to take to someone.Meat Sauce
Brown:
½ lb. Breakfast Sausage, Hamburger, or Ground Turkey (Optional)
Add:
About 2 lbs Prego Traditional Spaghetti Sauce (it’s better than Ragu, trust me)

Cheese Filling
Mix together:
24 oz. Cottage Cheese
a generous 2 C. Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
3 Eggs

Package of Lasagna Noodles (9 uncooked noodles)

Layer in a 9x13 pan:
3 Noodles (it's ok that they don't cover the entire bottom, they'll get bigger)
Cheese Mixture (1/3 at a time)
Hamburger Sauce (1/3 at a time)

Repeat

Top with shredded cheese

Bake covered for about 1 hour at 350*
*You can freeze this and bake 1 & 1/2Hours.

Drunken Chicken

2008-08-22T21:47:00.003-06:00

I saw this recipe on The Next Food Network Star and thought it would be fun to try and I don't think I am brave enough to use beer (even thought it will cook out) so I am going to try sprite lol! This is a fun way to prepare a whole chicken! It even sits up! I have hear you can grill this as well!

Smoky BBQ Rub:
1 cup kosher salt
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup smoked paprika
1/2 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon dried rosemary (crushed slightly with spice mill)
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 cup granulated garlic

You don't use the whole amount on the one chicken, give it a good coat of rub and bottle up the rest to keep refrigerated/frozen for probably up to six months.
Then take the beer (I'm pretty certain any beer would do, he used Old Chubb) and pour half in the roasting pan. Add some garlic cloves, rosemary and about a tablespoon of rub to the beer IN the can.

Situate the bird on top of the can and transfer to the roasting pan. Tuck the wings so they are behind the bird and put on the lowest rack in your oven.

Cook like you would any other roaster at 350 ' for probably about 1 & 1/2 - 2 hours depending on the size.

If you buy a one with a pop-up timer, that should make it easy. Let me know when and if you try this! It might take me a while to get to it!

New York Cheesecake

2008-08-22T21:36:00.001-06:00

Oh baby. I'm a cheesecake lover. And I've tried lots of different recipes, with various levels of success. But this one, is probably the best one I've ever made. And it's easy, don't get fooled by all those people who are scared of cheesecake. There are just a few simple tricks.

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1-1/2 pounds cream cheese
4 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
grated zest of one lemon
2 cups sour cream

The first trick is to make sure your cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature.
This is actually crucial.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Mix the graham cracker crumbs with 1/2 cup sugar and the melted butter, and press into bottom and sides of a 9 inch ungreased spring-form pan. Chill while preparing the filling.

Beat the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar till smooth. This is the second trick. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to get ALL the cream cheese and sugar mixed together. It must be completely smooth before you add any liquid or eggs. So now mix in the eggs, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth. Pour into chilled crust and bake 50 minutes. But check often. The recipe says to bake for 50 minutes, but I actually took mine out at 40 minutes because the top was beginning to brown in spots, which is what you want.

Remove from the oven (leave oven on) and cool for about 15 minutes on a wire rack.

Stir together the sour cream, remainging 1/4 cup sugar, remaining teaspoon of vanilla and spread over cooled cake. Return to oven for 12 minutes until glossy and set.

Cool completely, cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Cafe Rio Salad

2008-08-22T21:27:00.004-06:00

Ok so I couldn't locate the one I was sent from my cousin, but I found this one online and hope to try it soon and see how comparitable it is! I hope it tastes just the same. You can also get a big homemade tortilla from the latin market in Provo.

Cafe Rio Salad: 8 flour tortillas, uncooked and large enough to cover bottom and sides of dish. Can be purchased at Macy's or Bajio grill. 2 cps. cooked spanish rice (lipton), bbq pork or chicken, Pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes and cilantro), 8 lime wedges, Creamy Tomatillo dressing, 2 cups canned black beans or Pinto beans, 2 bags romaine lettuce, Gaucamole, and corn tortilla strips. (Purchase at Bajio's)

Barbequed Pork/chicken: Place 3 lbs. Pork Roast in crock pot with 1 cup water and cook on high heat overnight of for several hours until tender. Shred with two forks. Season with 1 tsp. Garlic salt 1/4 cp. barbeque sauce, 3/4 cp ketchup, 1/2 cp sugar. These measurements are relative, of course, to your taste and the size of your roast. The Pork at Cafe Rio is very sweet, and I think it adds to the taste of the salad. Leftover Pork roast can be frozen.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing: 2/3 cp. tomatillo salsa verde (can), 1 1/2 Tbs. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1 cup salad oil (vegetable or canola), 2/3 cp mayo, 2 Tbs. lime juice, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1/4 cp. cilantro or to taste.

Layered Enchilada Bake

2008-08-22T21:24:00.003-06:00

Makes:8 servings
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained, rinsed
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
2 Tbsp. TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix
6 flour tortillas (8 inch)
1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 400ºF. Brown meat with onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Add salsa, beans, dressing and seasoning mix; mix well.

ARRANGE 3 of the tortillas in single layer on bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of half each of the meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat all layers. Cover with foil.

BAKE, covered, 30 min. Remove foil. Bake an additional 10 min. or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve. It is MMGOOD

Chicken Salad Croissants

2008-08-22T17:51:00.004-06:00

My mom gave me this recipe after serving it for years at weddings and special gatherings! It is super easy and really yummy!

2 large cans of chicken (you can use baked or boiled chicken too, just more work), drained
Mayo (enough to cover all the ingredients you put in, just up to your taste)
2-3 stalks of grn onion, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice (or more if you like)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the above ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside in the fridge for at least an hour to absorb all the flavor. Then as you are ready to serve add....

Pineapple tidbits
Purple or green grapes (depends on how much color you want), I sometimes use both!
Cashew or almond slivers (or really any nut you prefer, you can toast them too if wanted)

You can really add your own things too like mandarin oranges are good in it, celery really whatever you enjoy, be creative!!

Make or buy Croissant rolls and just put a good serving in the roll and ENJOY!! So yummy and a little goes along way too! Sorry no pics! I should start posting some for fun!

Coming Soon!

2008-08-22T09:26:00.003-06:00

Chicken Divan
My very own Salmon Marinade
Cliff's Fire Roasted Crawdads
Aunt Bonnies Strawberry Butter

Hormel Turkey Pepperoni

2008-08-13T10:18:00.002-06:00

Who doesn't appriciate something that tastes like the real thing and has 70% less fat?! These are great and they are only 70 calories per 17 slices.

Butter & Herb Rice

2008-08-08T13:01:00.004-06:00

I love this stuff. I normally don't buy Rice a Roni because they tend to use that weird stuff that you can't tell if it's fake rice or some weird pasta, but in this they use real rice and this yummy little pasta and it goes great as a side especially for fish. Our family loves it and at 2 for a dollar you can't really beat the price.

Heavenly Blueberry Tart

2008-08-05T16:46:00.000-06:00

My friend Ashlynn made this when

we went to dinner at their house.

It's not too sweet & with a little vanilla icecream...

Can I just say Blueberrylicious!

This is the photo from the

Taste of Home Cookbook

This is a piece from the one I made.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1 tablespoon vinegar
FILLING:
2 pints fresh blueberries, divided
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions: In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Add vinegar, tossing with a fork to moisten. Press onto bottom and up the sides of a lightly greased 9-in. tart pan with removable bottom. For filling, place 1 pint of blueberries over crust. Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; sprinkle over blueberries. Place tart pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 55-60 minutes or until crust is browned and filling is bubbly. Remove from the oven; arrange and press remaining berries in a single layer over top. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Pizza Rolls

2008-07-29T13:51:00.001-06:00

I saw this on Taste Buds & really wanted to try it.

Pizza rolls are fun to make, the kids helped out,

it was pretty easy, & it tasted wonderful!

It was absolutely a winner!

The one on the left is spinach, ham, & cheese dipped in Alfredo Sauce.

The one on the right in cheese & pepperoni dipped in marinara.

The kids helped me to put the toppings on. (no sauce-you dip them in the sauce later)
Seal 'em up tight.
Mmmm... They look tasty!
Use your favorite pizza dough recipe or just buy pre-made pizza dough. I used McCall's. It was really good. Make it like you would any other pizza except leave off the sauce. Roll 'em up like you would a Cinnamon roll and make sure to seal them up tight. Brush with egg yolk for color. Sprinkle a little cheese on top for pretty sake. Bake at 375* for about 20. That's just a guess so keep an eye on it. Slice up and dip in your favorite pizza sauce.

McCall's Family Pizza Dough Recipe

2008-07-29T13:31:00.000-06:00

½ cup warm water
2 pkgs. Dry yeast or 2 T. Yeast
½ teaspoon sugar
4 cups hot tap water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons salt
9-12 cups hard wheat or high gluten flour

(I used regular all-purpose flour and added 2 T. Dough Enhancer-found in the baking isle)

Place warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle in the yeast and add ½ teaspoon of sugar. Set aside. In mixing bowl, mix the tap water, sugar, salt and ½ of the flour until smooth. Mix in the yeast mixture. Continue adding flour and knead for 10 minutes. Let it rise until light. Makes 3-4 pizzas.

Quiche-Bryan's Mom

2008-07-26T19:07:00.001-06:00

My family loved this! Kaden said, and I quote,

"I don't like it, I LOVE it!"

Even Grace liked it.

This makes a great dinner or breakfast.

Really good & easy to make.

Crust:
You can either use a store bought pie crust, make your own pie crust, use hash browns, or use biscuit dough. You choose. If you use biscuit dough make sure you put a really thin layer down on the bottom. Biscuit dough rises quite a bit. Place crust in a large tart or pie pan.
Bake pie crust at 450* for 6 minutes and biscuit crust until golden brown.

Filling:
Whip for 2 minutes:
6 Eggs
1 C. Cream or Milk

Add:
1 C. Cubed Ham or Bacon
1 C. Grated Cheese
1 Can Drained Mushrooms
1 Chopped Green Onion
1/2 C. Chopped Fresh Spinach

Basically anything you want to throw in... Any of the these are optional. Pour filling into baked crust. Sprinkle with Chili Powder and Parsley (I always forget this part). Bake at 350* for 35-40 Minutes.

Cutting Corn Off the Cob

2008-07-26T15:47:00.000-06:00

This tip is especially for Jon & Christine. I can't remember where I saw this trick initially, but it's a good one. I think a picture is worth more than me telling you.

Taco Salad

2008-07-25T19:11:00.002-06:00

Get your mexican food fix with this quick and easy dinner.
Oh so GOOOOD!

1 lb. Ground Beef
1 Pkg. Taco Seasoning
Chopped Green or Red Onion-Chopped
1 Lg. Avocado-Sliced
4 Roma Tomatoes-Chopped
1 C. Olives-Sliced
1 Can Kidney Beans-Drained
1 Head Lettuce-Chopped
2 C. Shredded Cheese
Tortilla Chips-Crunched up slightly
Sour cream or Ranch dressing

Place beef in pan and brown over medium high heat. While browning chop and slice all of your veggies and cheese. Drain meat and add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Place all veggies in a large bowl and toss. Add cheese, crunched chips, & taco meat to salad just before serving. Add sour cream or dressing if desired. Serves 5-6 adults.

Ashlynn's Teriyaki Chicken

2008-07-22T23:15:00.000-06:00

I got a migraine today at the grocery store and Bryan told my friend Ashlynn about it when he dropped off Kaden to play at their house. She took mercy on me and brought my family this to eat for dinner. Totally good & totally appriciated!
1 C. Soy Sauce

3/4 C. Brown Sugar

1/8 C. Sugar

1 tsp. Minced Ginger (the kind in the jar)

1 tsp. Minced Garlic

1 C. Water

Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

Put all ingrediants in a big pot and boil on medium for at least 1/2 hour. More is better. Serve over rice with your favorite veggie. SOOOO GOOD! SOOOO EASY!!

You can grill this right before you serve it to add a little extra flavor.

Pacific Rim Salmon

2008-07-21T19:09:00.000-06:00

This is a pretty good way to grill salmon in the summertime. My whole family loved it & the pineapple was awesome! I just wish I had done a salad or something.

2 Cans of Pineapple Rings - More if you want more pineapple

1 C. Pineapple Juice from Canned Pineapple Rings

1/2 C. Soy Sauce

4 T. Prepared Horseradish

4 T. Minced Fresh Parsley

6 T. Olive Oil

4 tsp. Honey

1 tsp. Coarse Ground Pepper

Salmon Fillets-one per person

1 Bunch of Green Onions, Coarsely Chopped

In small bowl combine Juice, Soy Sauce, Horseradish, Parsley, Oil, Honey, & Pepper. Mix well. Pour half of the marinade into a tupperware bowl with lid or Ziplock bag. Place salmon and onions into resealable container and marinade and stir for 1 1/2 hours. Marinade pineapple rings in remaining marinade for 1 1/2 hours stirring periodically.

Coat BBQ grill with PAM and preheat to medium heat. Place salmon and pineapple on grill and cover for 5 minutes. Turn salmon & pineapple; brush with remaining pineapple marinade. Grill for 3 more minutes and brush with pineapple marinade once more. Grill 2-5 minutes more until salmon is done. Serve with rice or salad.

Biscuits

2008-07-16T19:12:00.001-06:00

Served warm with sausage gravy, with butter and fresh raspberry jam or honey, or maybe as a dessert with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Any way you like 'em they are great! Here is the batch of biscuits that I made today... As you can see there is only one left.
2 C. Flour
1 T. Baking Powder
2 tsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar (I usually leave this out)
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 C. Shortening, margarine, or butter
2/3 C. Milk

In med. bowl mix dry ingredients. Add shortening and cut in with pastry knife or two butter knives until butter is evenly distributed and resembles crumbs. Make a shallow well in center and pour milk in all at once. Stir with fork just until dough clings together. DO NOT OVER MIX. On lightly greased surface (I use PAM) turn out dough and knead gently about 5 times. Pat dough flat to about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thickness. Cut with a cup or mason jar lid or if you are fancy a biscuit cutter. I like my biscuits big so I double the recipe and use the biggest cup we have. Place on nongreased cookie sheet and bake @ 450* for about 11 minutes.

Oriental Chicken Salad

2008-07-15T22:21:00.001-06:00

Surprizingly Good! The first time I saw this I wasn't quite sure that I would like it or not, but after trying it I am hooked.

Could pass as a lunch or a light dinner.

Salad:
1 Large Head of Cabbage - Cut up
1 Bunch of Green Onions - Cut up
2 ounces Toasted Sesame Seed
4 ounces Toasted Sliced Almonds
2 packages Ramen Noodles - Crushed
1/2 Rotisserie Chicken - Deboned and Chopped up

Place all ingredients in large bowl and mix.

Dressing:
1 cup oil
1 T. salt
6 T. Apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. pepper
6 T. sugar

Mix in a small bowl and pour over salad. Mix salad well and enjoy!

Scripture Cake

2008-07-14T15:02:00.000-06:00

Fun for a family night treat and activity! We made it then gave to a needy neighbor, so again I haven't tried this myself lol! It smelled good!

1 cup Judges 5:25 (butter)
1/2 cup Exodus 27:20 (olive oil)
2 cups Proverbs 16:24 (sugar)
2 Tbls 1 Samuel 14:25 (honey)
3 Isaiah 10:14 (eggs)
1/4 cup Joshua 5:6 (milk)
2 cups 1Kings 4:22 (white flour)
1 cup D&C 89:14 (whole wheat flour)
1 tsp. Leviticus 2:13 (salt)
1 tsp. Amos 4:5 (baking soda)
2 tsp. Exodus 30:23 (cinnamon)
3 cups Proverbs 25:11 (apples, peeled and grated)
1 cup Genesis 43:11 (chopped pecans or walnuts) (optional)

In a large bowl beat together butter, oil, sugar and honey. Add eggs and milk and beat until creamy. In a seperate bowl, sift together white and wheat flour, saly, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir into batter. Add grated apples and nuts. Stir to blend. Pour into greased pan (9x13). Bake at 350F for about 50 - 60 minutes. Great plain, with your favorite frosting, or vanilla ice cream. Makes 12 serving.

Essential Mormon Cookbook

Bear Lake Raspberry Shake

2008-07-14T14:55:00.000-06:00

I found this in my essentail mormon cookbook and I thought Cindy would like it! Camping memories! I really haven't tried it so I don't know how close it is to the real thing, so I will have to try it! - McCall

3 cups vanilla ice cream, divided
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup fresh raspberries, divided

Place 2 cups vanilla ice cream in blender. Add milk and 1/2 cup rasp. Blend well. Pour into bowl. Add remaining 1 cup ice cream. Stir in by hand. Gently stir in remaining rasp. Pour into tall ice cream glass. Makes 2 servings!

Peanut Butter Playdough aka Peanut Butter Balls - Cindy

2008-07-09T13:11:00.000-06:00

Aunt Bonnie used to make these for us kids all the time. They are a favorite childhood memory.

1 C. peanut butter
1/2 C. honey
2 C. nonfat dry milk
1 C. powder sugar for sweetness (optional)
Toppings like Sprinkles, Nuts, Powdered Sugar, or Coconut (optional)

1. Mix together the peanut butter and honey first.

2. Add half of the dry milk and mix; then continue to add a little at a time until it feels soft and playful! Use less than 2 cups of dry milk if the clay seems to be getting dry or if you decide to use powdered sugar as well.

3. (Optional) Add your favorite toppings for color or flavor. Could include raisins, coconut, chocolate chips etc. -or- You can roll the Peanut Butter Balls in things like sprinkles, powdered sugar, mini m&ms, nuts, corn flakes, Rice Krispies, graham cracker crumbs, crushed Oreos (or other cookies), chocolate chips, or dip in melted chocolate.

4. Have fun using your dough to make fun sculptures or to eat or both!

Pasta Salad Any Way You Like It - Cindy

2008-07-07T15:39:00.000-06:00

I love pasta salad in the summer time with BBQ steak and some corn on the cob. MMmmm...

1 Package of any Pretty Pasta cooked according to package directions.

Use any of the following that you like:
Broccoli
Carrots
Olives
Canned Kidney/Black Beans
Cucumbers
Radishes
Avocados
White/Green Onions
Cabbage
Bell Pepper
Fresh Herbs
Shredded Cheese
Hard boiled eggs or Cooked Chicken (if you want to make it more of a main dish)

Johnny's Garlic Spread & Seasoning - optional: Just adds more flavor which equals less dressing which equals less calories
Any Salad Dressing you like.

Cut all veggies into little chunks. Put pasta and veggies & cheese into large bowl. Add Johnny's Seasoning to taste. Add enough dressing to coat everything. Or leave the dressing off and have a variety of dressings for everyone to add to their own.

Avocado Salsa for Salmon Avocado Tacos- Cindy

2008-07-03T23:31:00.000-06:00

1 3/4 C. diced (1/2-in. chunks) firm-ripe avocados
3/4 C. chopped firm-ripe Roma tomato
1/2 C. minced green onions
1/3 C. chopped fresh cilantro
3 T. olive oil
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. minced, seeded fresh jalapeño chili - optional
1 tsp. minced garlic
Salt

In a bowl, combine avocados, tomato, onions, cilantro, oil, lemon juice, chili, and garlic. Add salt to taste.
Yield

Salmon Avocado Tacos - Cindy

2008-07-03T19:19:00.000-06:00

This is light and very tasty. Perfect for a summer day.

1 boned salmon fillet (1 in. thick, 2 lb.)
1 onion (6 oz.), cut into rings
2 T. lime juice
1 T. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 T. olive oil

8 flour tortillas
Batch of Avocado salsa
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 cup crumbled feta cheese or queso fresco
Salt

1. Place salmon in a heavy-duty plastic food bag. Add onion, lime juice, garlic, pepper, and oil. Seal bag. Turn fish often for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, stack the tortillas and seal in foil.

3. Cut a piece of heavy-duty foil the same size as salmon. Lift fish from marinade and place skin down on foil.

4. Lay foil with fish on a barbecue grill over a solid bed of medium coals or gas grill on medium. Evenly distribute onion from marinade over fish. Close lid on grill; open vents for charcoal.

5. After 5 minutes, place tortilla packet next to salmon. Turn tortillas every few minutes. Cook until salmon is no longer translucent but is still moist-looking in center (cut to test) and tortillas are hot in center, about 8 minutes more.

6. Pull off salmon skin and discard. Cut fish into 1-inch chunks and put in a bowl.

7. To assemble tacos, wrap chunks of salmon, salsa, cabbage, and feta in tortillas. Add salt to taste.

Yield
Makes 8 tacos; 8 servings

No-Bake Cookies Bryan

2008-06-28T12:59:00.000-06:00

1 C. Butter
2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Milk
3 T. Cocoa
Pinch of Salt

Bring to boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add.

3 C. Quick oats
1 C. Coconut
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 C. Walnuts

Mix well and drop by spoonfulls onto a cookie sheet and let cool.

Berry Cobbler - Kaye

2008-06-28T12:45:00.000-06:00

Sooo tasty and really good with blackberries too!

Cream together:
1 C. Soft Butter
1 C. Sugar
4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 C. Flour
1 C. Milk

Spread onto bottom of 9x13 pan.

Mix together:
4 C. Berries - Fresh or Frozen
1 1/2 C. Sugar (if you don't like it so sweet try just 1 Cup)

Put berries & sugar on top of dough.

Boil 1 3/4 C. water & pour over top of berries in pan. (a little less water if berries are frozen)

Bake @ 350* for 30-40 minutes.

Maple Syrup

2008-06-24T22:32:00.001-06:00

Our family loves homemade syrup. It's really easy to make and tastes way better than store bought. Basically it's a two to one ratio of sugar to water.

Water
Sugar or Brown Sugar
Corn Syrup - optional
Maple Syrup Flavoring - in the baking isle w/other flavorings

Bring to boil:
1 C. Water

Add:
2 C. Sugar or Brown Sugar
1 Nice Bloop of Corn Syrup (this is optional-it just helps to keep the sugar from crystallizing as it cools)

Return to boil. Once all sugar is dissolved, remove from heat* and add enough Maple Syrup flavoring to make the syrup a nice rich maple syrupy color, but be careful not to add too much.

Enjoy!

*Do not add the flavoring until after it is off the heat because it will boil over really fast. I learned that one the hard way.

Pretzel Jello Salad

2008-06-23T11:00:00.002-06:00

This is the recipe that McCall had at Cameron's baby blessing. It was so popular that I didn't even get to try it. So, I thought I would make some and I am in LOVE! One of my favorite desserts now.

Crust:
2 C. Crushed Pretzels
2/3 C. Butter, melted
3 T. Sugar
Mix ingrediants together and pat into a 9x13 pan. Bake @ 375* for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Cream Cheese Layer:
8 oz. Cream Cheese-room temperature
1 C. Sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip-not frozen
Mix together and spread evenly over cooled crust.

Raspberry Layer:
1 Lg. Pkg. Rap spberry Jello
2 C. Boiling Water
12 oz. Frozen Raspberries
Dissolve jello in boiling water. Add frozen fruit to jello and pour on top of cream cheese layer. Refridgerate to set.

Variation: Use a large strawberry jello, dissolved in 1 1/2 C. boiling water and add 20 oz. frozen strawberries.