Hard Boiled Eggs

I know this seems simple, but I don't boil eggs often enough to remember, so I always go back to the StartCooking video.  I just thought I would condense it here for my own sake.  Enjoy!

Put eggs in bottom of saucepan so that they fit tight- I get six in a small saucepan, probably 10 in a bigger one.  Add one tablespoon of salt so that they don't crack and enough water to cover all the eggs.  Cover the pan and bring to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, remove from heat and set the timer for 15 minutes, leaving them still covered.  After 15 minutes, rinse with cool water- and you're done!

Preschool Games

ABC Move and Match Game

Jack Sprat - Healthy Food Game

Jack Be Nimble - Candlestick Game

Fisher-Price Preschool Games

Pork Carnitas

Pork Carnitas

3-4 pounds pork shoulder roast
1 4-oz can diced green chilies
1 small can chipotle peppers in adobo if you like the heat- otherwise, just do a second can of diced chilis
1/4 cup chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3/4 tsp. black pepper, or to taste

Put the roast in the crockpot.  Combine spices and dump over the top.  Dump can of chiles and peppers.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.  Pull out those chipotle peppers (save for anyone brave who wants them!) and shred about 20-30 minutes before serving.

This was excellent with corn tortillas (fresh, heated on a skillet before serving) with cheddar cheese, lettuce, and salsa.  It would also make excellent burritos, chimichagas, or enchilladas on Day 2.  This will feed a TON of people too, easily 6-8 hungry adults.  And you could do it with chuck roast if you wanted as well.

Enjoy!

Banana Cream Pie

 

This is super easy and very yummy.  It's nice to have a few offerings of pies- one banana cream, one chocolate, etc...  When that happens, I usually have a slice of each.  I am an Equal Opportunity Pie Connoisseur.

Banana Cream Pie
1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Imitation Banana Extract
1 package (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding mix (or use banana flavored pudding without the extract)
2 medium bananas, sliced
1 prepared graham cracker crust (you could also use a traditional pie crust but I prefer graham cracker)
2 cups thawed frozen whipped topping (optional)

1. Mix milk and extract in medium bowl. Add pudding mix; beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended.
2. Arrange banana slices in bottom of crust. Pour pudding mixture over bananas.
3. Refrigerate 3 hours or until set. Garnish with whipped topping just before serving. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

Makes 8 servings.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Refrigerate: 3 hours

NUTRITION INFORMATION
per serving
Calories: 249
Fat: 9 g
Carbohydrates: 39 g
Cholesterol: 4 mg
Sodium: 335 mg
Fiber: 1 g

Goulash

I struggled to find a pretty picture of goulash and I don't really even think I succeeded here- BUT it did taste pretty yummy.  I think this is the sort of recipe that you can pretty much empty your pantry or fridge into- just add whatever you have on hand and it will be OK.  It was satisfying, it was nice that all the veggies and everything was in it already- and I did it with the slow cooker- always a plus.

This is also based on Grandma Squires recipe- but as I said, you can change it to whatever you have on hand.

Goulash
1 lb. ground turkey, cooked
1/2 - 1 onion, chopped
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans chili (store chili weirds me out so next time, I will add two more cans of beans plus cumin and chili powder for flavor)
1 can tomato sauce (or 1 can tomato paste plus 1/2 can of water)
1 can diced tomatoes, if you have it
frozen veggies- mixed, peas, carrots, corn, whatever you have and however much you want
fridge veggies - baby carrots, chopped, whatever else you have
3-5 potatoes, chopped sorta small
Leftover pasta on the side.* 

Put it all in the slow cooker and let it go 8-10 hours on low.  Serve with grated cheddar cheese and enjoy.  The leftovers are fabulous, but you may need to add some water. 

*You can serve this all together with the pasta mixed in, but I don't recommend putting the pasta in the slow cooker as this makes A LOT and if it stays with the leftovers, the pasta will break down and be gross. Much better to just stir it in when you are serving, IMHO.

Pizza Dough

This can be used to make pizza or calzones, or probably breadsticks.  It has to sit in the fridge for 8-24 hours though, so you need to plan in advance- but it is really good if you can manage it!

Pizza Dough

2 1/2 C. flour
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. yeast
apx. 3/4 C. hot water

Knead all of the above ingredients with flour.  Refridgerate for 8-24 hours, toll out, add toppings.  Let rise for about 30 minutes at room temperature.  Bake on the bottom rack at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. 

Yellow Cake

This is a perfect base for Pineapple Upside Down cake, or you can use it as a short cake and add fresh fruit and whipped cream. 

Yellow Cake
1/2 C. margarine
1 1/3 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 C. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients, bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Rum Cake

This seems like a good Christmas party cake- it feels very seasonal.  Of course, I ate it yesterday on a warm May day and it was fabulous.  It is from the Pioneer Woman website, and there are even better directions if you click the link at the bottom of this page.  The rum flavor is strong, but in a good way.  I almost felt a little buzzed from it, which was nice because I was at a faculty lunch at school.  I recommend dark rum and the bundt cake pan worked really well, so I will have to get one of these before I make this.  Enjoy!

Rum Cake
FOR THE CAKE:

1 box (about 18 Oz.) Yellow Cake Mix
1 package (3.5 Oz.) INSTANT Vanilla Pudding Mix
4 whole Eggs
½ cups Cold Water
½ cups Canola Oil
½ cups Rum (dark Or Light Is Fine)
1 cup Chopped Pecans
Brown Sugar (optional)
_____
GLAZE
1-½ stick Butter
¼ cups Water
1-½ cup Sugar
¾ cups Rum

Preheat oven to 325 F.  Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. If desired, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar over the nuts.

Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter into pan over nuts. Smooth out ’til the top is even. Bake for 1 hour, or a little less if the pan is black. Do not overbake!

When the cake has ten minutes to go, make the glaze.  Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off flame and pour in rum. Stir to combine and reheat for 30 seconds.

Remove cake from oven. Immediately drizzle 1/3 of the glaze on the bottom (top) of the cake. Allow to sit for five minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Prick surface a hundred times with a fork (gently, please.) Slowly drizzle remaining rum glaze all over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Cool to room temperature before serving to ensure glaze has soaked in.

Eat. Enjoy. And don’t feel guilty. It’s Christmastime!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/12/christmas-rum-cake/

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake

1 C. water
1 C. butter
3/4 C. cocoa
2 C. flour
2 C. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 C. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.  Put butter, water and cocoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil so that butter is melted.  This makes a sort of fudge base.  Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add the fudge sauce.  Crack the eggs and add them to the milk and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup.  (This helps the eggs not scramble when you add it to rest.)  Add  the milk mixture to the rest and stir up.  Add to sprayed (and flour dusted) cake pan and bake 25-30 minutes for regular cake, 45ish for bundt cake.  Let it sit for a minute or two after you get out of the oven and the flip onto a plate.  Drizze with ganache or dust with powdered sugar.   I think fresh sliced strawberries would be excellent with this!

Cinnamon Bread (or Rolls, or Pockets)

Cinnamon Bread (or Regular Rolls or Cinnamon Rolls or Pockets)

- 1/2 C. butter
- 1/2 C. sugar
- 1 Tbsp (packet) of Yeast in 1 C. lukewarm water
            Make sure the water is hot enough, should be fairly warm to your wrist.  The yeast will
            change the water to a tan-ish color if it dissolves properly.  Wendy puts the yeast in the
            measuring cup first, seems to help activate it.
- 2 eggs - best if they are at room temperature, so they don't kill the yeast- and make sure to add
            them after you've stirred the yeast water into the sugar and butter.)
- 4 C. bread flour (+1/2 C. to knead)  King Arthur's seems to be the better brand, if you can
            find it- it raises better than the other one.
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 C. brown sugar (roughly)
- 3 Tbsp. cinnamon (yes, its a lot)

Mix butter and sugar, then add eggs. 

Add dissolved yeast and stir in as well as you can- it is OK that the mixture has weird buttery things in it. 

Add flour and salt and stir with the spatula until it looks about right.

Add about 1/2 C. of extra flour to your counter and knead the dough into a ball, probably 30-40 times, folding it in on top of itself, so it is always sort of a ball shape.  The dough should be sort of stiff, not like cookie dough.

Add some flour to the bottom of the pan (so it doesn't stick) and let it rise for about an hour, or use the "proofing oven" trick below.

After it has doubled in size, then roll it in ONE direction into a rectangular shape.  You only need to roll one direction because as soon as you start rolling, it is the right width for a bread pan.  After you have the shape you like, flip it over one last time, so the more floured side is on top.

For cinnamon rolls or bread, roll out dough, brush lightly with water making a good paste (with the flour that is already on the bread) and then combine brown sugar and cinnamon.  Rub mixture into dough before rolling up to form loaf. Most of it should rub in to the bread and sort of stick to it- you don't want too much extra.

As you roll the dough, pull it before rolling so that it makes a nice, tight spiral when you cut it later on.  Use a little bit of water to "glue" the edges shut as well, and then put it in the pan with the edge side down.  

After you place it in a greased bread pan, let it rise for another hour. 

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes (rolls) or 30 minutes (bread).


Proofing Oven Trick:
Preheat oven to 350, then turn it off a minute or so before it reaches it.  Super important that the heating element is OFF.  Boil about 2 C. of water in the microwave (3 minutes in a glass Pyrex is my recommendation) and then place an 8x8 pan on the bottom shelf of your oven.  Pour the boiling water in (you can actually grab the handle, its not hot!) through the oven grates if you need to, and then place the dough (also in a glass pan, not metal) into the oven on the shelf above it.  The moisture from the boiling water should add steam, and the warm oven should help the bread to rise faster.  In the winter months, it might take a little longer than normal.

Makes 24 rolls, 12 cinnamon rolls or 2 loaves of bread.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Christopher loves these and asked that next time, I save a strawberry so that I can garnish it like this photo.  I have friends who say that they blend ALL KINDS of things into their kids smoothies (broccoli, spinach, etc...) and that the kids drink it without ever knowing any better- but I've never actually done that.  I suppose you could... but then y boy eats zucchini and asparagus by the fistful so I don't really see a need.

Strawberry Banana Smoothies

8 large strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 banana, fresh (or frozen would make it more ice-cream-y)
1/2 C. whole milk (I am sure you could use skim)
1 C. yogurt - strawberry banana preferred, but I've been successful with strawberry or vanilla

Blend six strawberries, banana and milk.  Add yogurt.  Serveusing the additional strawberries for garnish. 
Enjoy!

Gooey Fudgey Brownies

My lovely sister Kat told me that she was in a doctor's office waiting room and some magazine said that it had THE best brownie recipe ever.  That being a very bold statement, she went and copied the recipe into her phone and proceeded to make it.  The initial reaction was "eh" but it got better as the brownies cooled, and even better the next day.  They really are a special, different brownie.  Very rich, and it would be hard to eat too many of them.  The trick is browning the butter, and pulling them out after 25 minutes, even though they are still gooey.  No clean knives with this recipe! 

Gooey Fudgey Brownies

Cooking spray and aluminum foil
10 T. butter (this is a stick plus 2 more Tablespoons, folks)
1 1/4 C. sugar
3/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla extract
2 t. water
2 eggs
1/3 C. plus 1 T unbleached flour
1 C. walnuts, optional


Place the rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.  Use an 8x8x2 baking pan  and add aluminum foil with overhang on all sides.  Coat the foil with cooking spray.  I wouldn't want to fish these brownies out without doing this step.

Melt butter in LARGE saucepan on medium heat, cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, about five minutes.  Remove from heat. 

Immediately add sugar, cocoa, water, vanilla, and salt.  Stir to blend. Let cool for about five minutes.  Add eggs to hot mixture one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition.  When the mixture is thick and shiny, add flour and stir until it is blended, about 60 strokes.  Fold in nuts. 

Cook for 25 minutes.  The knife will be messy when you pull it out- it's OK!  Keep the faith.  These are just OK hot, but on Day 2 they are amazing.  I would guess that they would also be good on Day 3 and 4, but sweets never last that long in my house. 

Grilled Tri-Tip with Teriyaki Glaze

Grilled Tri-Tip with a Teriyaki Glaze

Tri Tip roast, looks like a big triangular slab of meat when you buy it. 
Montreal Grill Seasoning
Honey
Soy Sauce
Olive Oil
Garlic, minced
Ginger, minced

Preheat the grill.  Sprinkle the grill seasoning on all sides and place the roast on high direct heat.  Close the grill and let it go for a few minutes.  You will grill it for a total of 20-25 minutes on each side, flipping often.  (The meat should be sorta pink on the inside when you slice it.  I am a well-done kind of girl, so I usually choose slices from the outer edges, but it should be a little pink in the middle.  I think it is "supposed" to be cooked medium.) 

While the meat is on the grill, make the glaze.  Combine the rest of the ingredients until it looks sort of like pancake syrup.  Brush on the tri-tip the during the last 3-5 minutes of grilling, saving some for the table.  Let the meat rest for a few minutes, then slice thinly and serve with the glaze brushed on top. 

This would be excellent with fettuccine alfredo or rice pilaf and broccoli.  Or maybe even baked potatoes, cooked on the grill at the same time?  Mmmmm....

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fondue

This was inspired by the Melting Pot's "Original" dessert fondue.  It is AMAZING.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fondue1 C. (6 oz) milk chocolate chips (this is important, don't use semi-sweet)
1/2 C. heavy cream
1/2 C. crunchy peanut butter (I wouldn't sub in creamy, the nuts add a lot to it)

In a heavy saucepan, cook and stir the chocolate chips and cream until smooth.  Add the peanut butter and stir over low heat until well incorporated.  Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy!  (This stayed warm without additional heat for us for about 20 minutes.)   

Serve with:
strawberries
bananas
pineapple
brownies
cheesecake
graham crackers
marshmallows

Mom's Lemon Bars

This is my ALL TIME favorite dessert ever.  My mom makes them in double and quadruple batches, and they never make it to the 24 hour mark.  Which is a shame, because they really do taste better on Day 2, and I would imagine, Day 3.  The hardest part is not eating them right away when they are fresh out of the oven- they really need to set for a few hours first.  But they are oh so worth the wait. 

Mom's Lemon Bars

1 C. flour
1/2 C. butter or margarine, softened (NOT melted)
1/4 C. powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Powdered sugar for sprinkling on top

Heat oven to 350.  Mix flour, butter and powdered sugar using a fork or pastry blender  It should be sort of crumb-y.  Press into ungreased 8x8 pan, building up the edges.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Beat remaining ingredients for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Pour over hot crust, and bake an additional 25 minutes longer, until no imprint remains when touched lightly in the center.  Cool, cut into 25 squares, and dust with powdered sugar. 

OK, that is the directions exactly from the recipe.  The true last sentence goes like this:  Cool, dust with powdered sugar, and sit down on the couch with a loved one and two forks.  Enjoy!  :-)

Salads

So I am now a dressing snob.  I like the Brianna's brand A LOT.  Lots of success so far with both the Blush Wine Vinegairette and now the Poppyseed flavor.  Add grilled chicken and make it a meal!  Here are a couple of my standby salads, that are so good and healthy and filling, and versatile.  Forgive the run-on sentence, please. :-)

Spinach leaves (always my favorite for any salad)
Dried cranberries
walnuts (candied, or more than often, not)
crumbled gorogonzola
Brianna's Blush Wine Vinegairette, or the Poppyseed

Spinach leaves
Chopped bell pepper (yellow, orange or red- not green)
slivered almonds (the curnchy kind, not the flat "sliced" ones that stick to the top of your mouth)
mandarin oranges (opt.)
gorgonzola, optional - not sure what other cheese could go here... ideas?

Spinach leaves
fresh sliced strawberries
fresh blueberries
slivered almonds

Organic spring mix or whatever greens
avocado
dried cranberries
blue cheese, crumbled
red onion, sliced
tomatoes
sunflower seeds
raspberry dressing

One Cup of Everything Cookies

I found this recipe years ago and only this weekend finally got around to trying it.  Very easy and very good, and I think you could add to it without messing it up.  Let me know in the comments if you have any other ideas of things to throw in these cookies! 

One Cup of Everything Cookies


1 C. margarine or butter flavored shortening
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. white sugar
1 C. peanut butter
3 eggs
1 C. oatmeal
1 C. flour
1 T baking soda
1 C. chocolate chips
1 C. pecans or walnuts
1 C. M&M’s

Some other ideas that I am not too hip to, but others may enjoy…
1 C. coconut
1 C. raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat margarine, both sugars, peanut butter and eggs until creamy. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Makes A TON of big cookies, original recipe says 9 dozen.

How to Keep Your Cookies from Going Flat...

This is from my teacher friend, when I asked her why some cookies are super flat.  Yummy, but flat. :-)

Okay, so there could be a couple of things going on with the cookies.  First would be that you have to make sure to cream the fat before you add other ingredients.  Then if you mix too much and put too much air in them they will go flat.  The other would be the type of fat used.  Butter will melt more and make them flatter, margarine will do kind of the same thing but not as much and shortening will help them keep from getting flat but the texture is a little off.  My recommendation is no matter what the recipe says you should use half shortening and half butter (not margarine).  That combination is how I get the best results in my cookies.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Thumbprints / Susans

These are an attempt at the thumbprints that they make at the SoCal chain, Bristol Farms.  They are definitely better from there, but these are pretty good too.  Very easy to make, and the Nutella does fine in the oven.  I've heard of "peanut butter and jelly" cookies that could be good too, made this same way- but I just love chocolate too much to ever try that.  I'll stay on the lookout for a good shortbread cookie recipe for making true "Susan's," but this hits the spot too. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Thumbprints

3/4 C. peanut butter
1/2 C. butter flavor Crisco (I use the sticks)
1 1/4 C. firmly packed brown sugar
3 T. milk
1 T. vanilla
1 large egg
1 3/4 C. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
Nutella

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Beat until well blended.  Add egg, beat until blended.  Combine dry ingredients and then add to wet mixture.  Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet in whatever size you like, as long as it's consistent.  Last time I went for about 2 rounded tablespoons each.  So I drop them all, then roll them all into a bowl.  Then use your thumb to make a "thumbprint" in each cookie, and add a small (or big!) scoop of Nutella.  Then bake for about 8 minutes, but pull out before they look ready- if you like moist cookies like me.  Let them finish cooking on the cookie sheet but outside of the oven.  They taste much better once they are cooled off, and especially the next day, if they last that long.  Yum! 

Kate's First Swear Words

Ever wonder what it sounds like to get cussed out by a baby? Check this out! (For the record, I am a good mom and picked her up after the video ends...)

She is about 5 1/2 months old here, taken in October 2010.  I am just posting this here now because I know eventually I will be wondering when this was, like I always am with the "That's Not My Name" post of Christopher. :-)

Conversions

To convert:

One 6 oz. can of tomato paste to tomato sauce, add one cup (8 oz.) of water, then use the amount you need and freeze the rest!  When I make taco soup, I do this, and I freeze the other half for next time.

Wines

Hereis a short list of wines that I like, that are also easy on the budget:

Concannon Chardonnay, Grocery Store, Under $10
Barefoot Chardonnary, Trader Joe's, about $3.99
Robert Mondavi Reds, Grocert Store, Affordable
Ménage à Trois Shiraz, $12ish at Fry's and Costco

Here are some that are a little pricier, but my neighbor with great taste in wine recommends:
Great whites worth the cash are Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay, anything from Wente or White Crane.

Reds worth the splurge: Artessa, Saintsbury Carneros and Chandon.

Tamale Pie

This is adapted from a Pampered Chef recipe.  I made it last week and it went over well, and it was super-easy to do with ground turkey that I had cooked and frozen previously.  This could also be done with canned or homemade leftover chili.   

Tamale Pie

1 1/4 lb. ground turkey, cooked (about 2 1/2 - 3 cups)
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. salt
1 jar (16 oz) salsa
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained, optional
1 c. frozen (or canned) corn, optional
1 package of Jiffy corn bread mix, plus the egg and milk that it requires
cheddar cheese to taste (mix into bread mix)
olives, sour cream, taco sauce, all optional
Preheat the oven to 375.  Cook the turkey, if not already prepared.  Add to skillet, along with spices and salsa, beans, corn.  Stir together and warm.  While the meat is warming up, prepare the corn bread as directed on the box.  Stir in the cheddar cheese.  Transfer the meat mixture to a sprayed 9x13 pan, and then top with cheesy corn bread mix.  Spread the corn bread evenly over the top, and bake until lightly golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.  Let stand for a couple of minutes before serving, and enjoy!

Granola

My wonderful neighbor made a batch of this granola, and I don't think I will buy pre-made granola ever again.  This is so easy and so delicious, and it doesn't have any of the preservatives or mystery ingredients in the commercial stuff.  She made hers plain, but you could add dried fruit, nuts, chocolate or whatever else.

Granola

1/2 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 C. Honey
4 C. Oats (Regular, not quick)
1 T. Vanilla (or a touch more)
1 T. Cinnamon (or a touch less)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and spray cookie sheet.  Mix all ingredients and spread out on a single layer on cookie sheet.  Cook for a total of 30 minutes, but VERY IMPORTANT, flip the granola around with a spatula every 10 minutes of cooking.  The edges will start to cook first, so move them to the middle, etc.  The granola she made was very fine and perfect for mixing in to greek yogurt but if you want it more clumpy, then drizzle some honey and stir it a little in the middle of cooking.  Yum.

Chocolate Croissants

These are super easy to make and usually we have the ingredients on hand.  If you have an unexpected guest sleep over, you can whip these up in the morning and impress with very little effort. 

Chocolate Croissants
1 roll of Pillsbury crescent rolls
1/2 c. or so of chocolate chips
sliced almonds, if you have them

Roll our the crescent rolls into triangles.  Put a small amount of chocolate chips on the wider side and roll into croissants.  Add some toasted almonds on top, if you like.  Cook according to package directions, I think it is 375 for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.  Serve warm, although I am sure they would still be good if they cooled off.  Only thing is that they wont last that long- they are really good hot and people will definitely eat them up long before they cool.

Turkey Meat Loaf

In my former meat-eating days, I was NEVER a meat loaf person.  But I made this and it was REALLY really good, pretty easy and very satisfying.  Great with mashed (or roasted) potatoes and any veggie.  Using ground turkey makes this a little healthier than the ground beef version too, and the flavor is still great. 

Turkey Meat Loaf
1/2 envelope of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1-1 1/4 lb. ground turkey
strong heaping 1/3 c. of bread crumbs (1/2 of 3/4)
1 egg
1/2 of 3/4 c. water
1/6 c. spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350.  In large bowl, combine all ingredients.  In a 13x9 pan, shape into loaf.  I did mine kind of rectangular, probably an inch and a half high and maybe 5" wide and 11" long, maybe.  Bake 1 hour or until done, let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

If you want to, you can drizzle some ketchup (or spaghetti sauce?) over the top for the last 10-15 minutes so it cooks on in a glaze form.  We dipped ours with ketchup and it was also really good.

Our family of 2.5 ate about half the loaf on the original night we made it.  A few days later, I reheated the leftovers, wrapped in foil- in the oven for probably 45 minutes or so at 350, and the leftovers were JUST AS GOOD as the original!  I halved the recipe above because I knew it would be WAY too much to use 2 lbs. of meat for just us- but I think you could double this and pre-cook both loaves, and re-heat the second one later. 

Enjoy!

Real Simple Meal Finder

This is a cool little tool that my sister sent me.  It is called "Dinner in 15 Minutes Flat" and you choose your main meal component (beef, chicken, pasta, etc.) and then the type of dish you want (no cook, soups/salads, surprise me, etc.) and then it generates a list of ideas.

Less Than 15 Minutes and No Planning List

OK, I am going to have a new baby in a couple of weeks and I need to have a list of things to make that require no thawing or planning ahead of time but still at least partially satisfy hunger pains- so here goes.  I plan to add to this list as I think of new things, and if you have any ideas, please add them in the comments!

Ravioli with Marinara Sauce
 Serve with frozen garlic bread (Texas Toast) and a green salad.  Freeze the fresh raviolis (or tortellini), buy them on sale.

Meatball Subs
Microwave and then broil frozen meatballs, put on hamburger or hot dog buns, add marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Serve with a pasta-roni and a green salad.

Chili Cheese Fries
Make a can of chili, pour on top of cooked frozen french fries.  Sprinkle cheddar on top.  Can also do this with nachos.  Definitely not the most figure-friendly idea, but if you throw a green salad next to it- that will cancel out the rest, right?

Spaghetti with Meatballs
Use frozen meatballs and jarred marinara sauce.  Serve with frozen garlic bread and a green salad.  So easy but I forget that this is an option and rarely do it.

4-Way Bean
Make spaghetti, top with a can of kidney beans (optional) and then a can of heated up chili, and then sprinkle with finely shredded cheddar.  An old Cincinnati Chili standby.

Breakfast for Dinner
Beg Jason to make pancakes, french toast, waffles, biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, veggie sausage.  Add some fresh fruit if you can find it, or open a can of fruit if really necessary.  Or if you're really in a bind, go for cereal with milk.

Pizza BagelsSpread some marinara sauce on top of bagel halves, then top with mozzarella cheese, and bake for 10-12 minutes at 400.  Can do this with bread if you are really hard up, but bagels freeze so it should be manageable as is.  Don't forget to slice the bagels before you freeze them!

Silliman Swim Center

This morning Christopher and I went to the Silliman Swim Center in Newark. It was about half an hour from San Ramon, off of the same exit as Fry's Electronics. We went for the Mini-Recreation Swim, where they just open the "small" activity pool. The funny thing is that this pool was HUGE, probably 40' wide by 80' long, with half of it being 2.5' deep, or 3' at the max, and the other half was probably 12-15" deep with an awesome play structure with two slides and water shooters and ropes to climb. One side has a beach entry and the other side has steps, and they had tons of water rings and kick boards for people to use. The facility was very clean, there were family changing rooms complete with a shower and enough room that you could comfortably get ready. Oh, I forgot- it is very reasonably priced: $7.50 for adults and $4.50 for kids ages 3 - 5th grade! There are other prices in between there if your kid is older but it felt like a miniature water park, except it was indoors and the water was heated! Speaking of that- I like my water a touch warmer than this water was- but it was definitely swim-able. Christopher and I swam around for almost the entire two hours. Definitely a worthy family trip if you get a chance. I am not sure how busy it is on the weekends and during the summer months but there was plenty of room for everyone today. Oh, there are lifeguards on duty too, and they have life vests free for anyone (kids) to use too. Check it out if you get a chance!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This is another easy slow cooker recipe. Serves great with chips or a green salad or corn on the cob. It is also perfect for a party, because you can make as much as you want with the exact same amount of effort, and if you use sweet rolls or small buns for the bread, then you have little mini "slider" burgers. Enjoy!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Pork roast, or pork loin- whatever is on sale
BBQ Sauce, whatever your favorite is
Buns for serving, I prefer Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Put the meat in the slow cooker and drizzle liberally with BBQ sauce. As much as you like, but save some for adding on top the burgers when you serve. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours. When meat is done, shred with two forks. Add more sauce if you are so inclined. Slice your sweet rolls in half and serve beside the crockpot for people to make their own dinner! Yummo, and so easy.

Cake Balls

This is one of the very easiest recipes ever and still very tasty, sort of like a donut hole bite but better. And did I mention it is easy? Also, you can do any flavor combo that you want- i.e. chocolate cake and chocolate frosting, carrot cake and cream cheese frosting, etc... Enjoy!

Cake Balls

1 (18.25 ounce) package cake mix

1 (16 ounce) container prepared frosting

Almond Bark or Chocolate Chips, melted for dipping

Directions

Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using any of the recommended pan sizes. When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl, and stir in the frosting until well blended. Use a melon baller or small scoop to form balls of the chocolate cake mixture. Roll the scoops into "balls" and then put on a cookie sheet in the fridge or freezer until they hold together a little better. Melt chocolate coating in a glass bowl in the microwave, or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Dip the balls in chocolate using a fork to hold them. Place on waxed paper to set.

P.S. Check out the photos on this AllRecipes link for creative ideas- everything from reindeer with pretzels for antlers, eye balls and ghosts for Halloween, shamrocks for St. Patty's, etc... Lots of creative stuff that is adorable!

Chocolate Ganache

So my friend made me some "going away" cupcakes before my last day of student teaching, and she used Chocolate Fudge cake mix for the cupcakes and frosted it with this ganache, and they were AMAZING. Dare I say that ganache is even better than your standard frosting? It seemed a little dressier but still just as tasty- which I find that sometimes you have to sacrifice for the pretty stuff. NOT that it is a worthy sacrifice in those cases! Anyway, next time I make chocolate cupcakes, I think I will use this recipe to top them. Enjoy!

Chocolate Ganache

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (Bakers makes this)***
1/4 cup butter
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powder sugar (more if needed)
cream (or milk will work) to thin to consistency you desire.

Melt chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl. Add salt and vanilla. Stir in powder sugar and add enough milk to make it liquid but not too thin. Dip whatever you'd like in it. Cupcakes, marshmallows, graham crackers, strawberries, bananas... yum!

***I just discovered today that you can also do this with melted butter and semisweet chocolate chips- just add the sugar until it seems right.  Good to know, because I always have chocolate chips on hand but rarely do I have unsweetened chocolate!  

Easy Enchiladas

This is a great recipe to use up leftover shredded chicken or beef. You can also fill the enchiladas with cheese or canned chicken if you really needed to. You can also split this into two pans and freeze the second one before cooking.

Easy Enchiladas
Red enchilada sauce, one 15 oz can
Corn tortillas, 5-10 depending how much filling you have to use up
Leftover meat for filling*
Cheese, shredded (I usually use cheddar but cheddar jack would be good too)
Scallions, optional
Black Olives, optional

Preheat the oven to 400. Spray an 8x8 pan (for 5) or 13x9 pan (for 10) with cooking spray. Get a bowl that is big enough to put one corn tortilla flat in the bottom, and pour about 2/3 of the can of sauce into the bowl. Dip one tortilla in the sauce and flip to coat both sides. Then fill with a pinch of your meat or cheese filling, roll up and place seam side down in the pan. Repeat until you have used all of your meat filling or you run out of room, whichever comes first. (In the 8x8 pan we used the other night, we had to have four going one way and one smashed up against the top of the row. Whatever works.) Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top and then coat with cheese. You can add scallions or black olives if you like now. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake or brown for another 5 minutes. Let stand for 5 - 10 minutes before serving. Yum!!!

*An easy way to cook the meat is to put whatever you are going to use (beef roast, pork, chicken) into the slow cooker and top with one 4 oz. can of diced green chiles. Maybe sprinkle some taco seasoning and salt and pepper on top too. I also like to add a can or two of DRAINED pinto or black beans, especially if I am not making a ton of meat. Cook all day on low (or half day on high) and then DRAIN the juice out of the crock pot before shredding the meat with two forks. Then add the shredded meat to the enchiladas as before. Very easy and you can make double if you want to, and then freeze the second half, or pre-make and freeze your second batch of enchiladas! Enjoy!

Grandma's Pot Roast

This is such a basic recipe, but SO good to have on a cold weekend night. The trick seems to be in two things: browning the meat first, and using the Pampered Chef Deep Covered (Stone) Baker dish. My mom has made beef jerky instead of pot roast a few times when using different but high quality dishes, so if you have the stoneware, you are probably in better shape. Here is what I do:

Grandma's Pot Roast
Beef or Chuck Roast Meat, not sure how big but pretty decent size
Packet of Dry Onion Soup Mix
Potatoes (Yukon or Red or those one-bite potatoes are yummy)
Onion, roughly chopped
Carrots (I usually use a bag of baby carrots)

Olive oil for browning
salt and pepper

Preheat the onion to 300. Get the meat out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start working on it. Open it, salt and pepper it and then throw it in a skillet with some preheated olive oil (just a splash) and brown it on all sides. You aren't cooking it really, just getting some nice color and texture on the outsides. Meanwhile, chop your onion, potatoes and carrots if needed. It will probably take 7-10 minutes per side to brown. Transfer the meat to your baking dish, and then fill in your veggies all around the meat where they will fit. I usually go onions on the bottom, then potatoes and then carrots, but you can do whatever you like. I then sprinkle the onion soup mix over the top of everything and bake for 2.5 to 3.5 hours or so. I wish I would remember one of these times, but it may be interesting to toss the veggies with the onion soup mix and then add them all around. What I do seems to work, though. You will be able to smell when it is done. Let the meat stand for 10 minutes or so before serving. Mmmmmm....

Cheesecake Cups

We made these at school a few weeks ago and they were SO good, especially after cooling for a day or two.

You can garnish with chocolate chips (or sauce) or fresh strawberries, or a strawberry glaze, or cherry pie filling, or caramel, or anything you want. Or you can go au natural and enjoy them pure and simple. So good and worth the multiple steps involved. You can also use this recipe to make a single cake using a spring-form pan- and I am sure the cooking time will have to be adjusted. The cupcakes make an excellent presentation- we served company with them and then had little single serving sizes for the next couple of days. Of course, we had more than one at each sitting- but in theory, we COULD have stopped at one. :-)

Cheesecake Cups

Topping
¾ cups sour cream
1 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Mix together and refrigerate until cheesecake is cooked.

Crust
1 ½ cups graham crackers, finely crushed (about 20 squares)
1/3 stick margarine or butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Get out muffin tin and put papers in each. Mix crumbs, margarine and sugar. Press mixture firmly against bottom of muffin tin. Bake 6 minutes or until light brown, cool.

Filling
2 Eggs
1½ c. Sour cream
½ c. Sugar
2 8oz pkgs. of Softened cream cheese (cut into cubes)
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 tbs. Melted butter

Blend eggs, sugar, vanilla and sour cream for 15 seconds until liquefied. With motor on, remove cover and gradually add cut up cream cheese and melted butter. Pour mixture on crust in each muffin tin. Bake 325º for 16 min. Take out topping and spoon on top of cake. Bake again 3-4 min. Refrigerate over night. Place strawberries on cake just before serving.

Strawberry Sauce
1 ½ cups frozen strawberries, thawed and drained
Sugar to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Place strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in food processor. Blend until pureed and sugar is dissolved. Pour over dessert just before serving.

Tilapia

These are the ways that I know to cook tilapia. I buy the bag of frozen tilapia loins from Costco and thaw for a few hours (or overnight) and then get to work.

Spicy Lime TilapiaBrush filet with olive oil, after patting dry.
Sprinkle on some lime juice.
Rub with cajun seasoning.
Can garnish with fruity (mango?) salsa if you have it.

or

Breaded Lemon Pepper TilapiaBrush filet with olive oil, after patting dry.
Rub with lemon pepper seasoning.
Rub on some bread crumbs.
Spray with olive oil spray.
Sprinkle with lime juice after cooking.

I have not had the chance to get this fancy yet, but I read that you can slice lemon or lime and put the slices over the fish while it is cooking. I bet that is really good.

Bake either of these at 400 for about 30 minutes. I am sure you could broil quicker but this was easy to do yesterday and gives your other food a chance to cook as well.

Update:
I just dicsovered that you can make tilapia in your crockpot in foil packets!  Here are two recipes I know:

Mix up some mayo (Miracle Whip in my case), minced garlic, shredded (or grated) parmesean cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Coat both sides of filet and then wrap up in the foil packet.

Drizzle balsamic vinegar and honey over filet, in additon to salt and pepper.  If you have fresh sliced oranges or lemon, add that too- or you can use mandarin oranges.  Close up foil packet.

Cook in slow cooker on high for 2 hours, or in oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Easy and NO clean up!

Pumpkin Bread

OK, this bread was amazing. It is fairly involved, I had to get out the food processor and had three bowls going at the same time. I spilled about a tablespoon of cinnamon all over both me and Christopher- but we had a lot of fun. My only advice or change is to only fill the bread pans about 1/3 of the way full at the beginning before adding your frosting layer. I overfilled on accident and my frosting layer soaked through to the top, and while it still tasted amazing, I wasn't able to get the pretty white ribbon through the middle of the bread. Yummo. Oh, it also freezes well, so you can eat one loaf in the 24 hours after you make it, and save the other one for another day, or another person.

Pumpkin Bread

Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature or cold if you have a food processor
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Pumpkin Bread:
1 cup pecans or walnuts (I used pecans)
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated white sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 - 15 ounce can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Pumpkin Bread:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter and lightly flour two - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans. Set aside.

To toast nuts: Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 - 10 minutes or until brown and fragrant. Cool completely and then chop coarsely. Set aside.

Cream Cheese Filling: In your food processor, process the cream cheese just until smooth. Add the sugar and process just until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, processing just until incorporated. Do not over process. Stir in the flour. Set aside.

Pumpkin Bread: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Add the sugar and melted butter and whisk until blended. Whisk or stir in the pumpkin, water, vanilla extract, and nuts.

Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until the ingredients are combined. (A few streaks of flour is fine.) Do not over mix as it will make the bread tough.

Divide the batter in half. Take one half and divide it evenly between the two prepared pans. (Only put in about a third of your batter, not half!) Divide the cream cheese filling in half and place each half of filling on top the two pans of batter, smoothing the tops. Top with the remaining half of batter.

Bake the breads for about 55 - 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Place pans on a wire rack and let cool for about 10 minutes before removing breads from pans.

Can serve warm, cold, or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or else freeze for later use.

Makes 2 loaves.

Healthy Turkey and Black Bean Chili

So I made this today, for Superbowl Sunday, and I lost count of how many bowls I have had. It is very healthy and very tasty, so a good combo.

Healthy Turkey and Black Bean Chili

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 1.5 lb ground turkey, cooked
3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, undrained
1 large (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Cook the turkey on the stove. While you are doing that, add all of the other ingredients to the crockpot and stir. Add in the turkey when it is cooked through and cook on low for 4-8 hours.

Garnish with cheese, sour cream, chives, fresh diced onions, whatever.

We dug in after about 4 hours, it smelled so good! I am sure that it would just keep tasting better, the longer you let it go- but we couldn't wait. I am sure that it would freeze well too.

I have heard some people say that you can put uncooked ground meat into the slow cooker, like in this recipe, and it will cook up just fine. I don't have the guts to try this! I like my meat pretty well done and just afraid that it might be mushy if I didn't pre-cook it.

Also, this picture shows corn in the chili. I didn't add it, since corn just adds calories and doesn't even count as a vegetable. I am sure it would taste great in it, though.

I served this with corn bread muffins, using the Jiffy Mix. I like to make "corny corn bread" by adding some frozen corn in with the batter before cooking it. Jason doesn't like it like this, so muffins are a great compromise- some of them have it, some of them don't. Just remember to reduce your cooking time from what it says on the back of the box! 10 minutes is probably enough.

Food Storage Information

Still Tasty

This website has a ton of information about how long food will keep- everything from ketchup to produce. It also tells you the best way to store things, which is really helpful to me.

Easy Brownies

I don't think that I will ever buy brownie mix again, these are so good and so easy! I still love the Caramel Toffee Brownies from this site- and they are my favorites- but these are easy and I always have these ingredients on hand. And IF you can resist eating them on the first day- or at least SOME of them- they get better on Day 2 and Day 3.

Brownies

1 1/2 C. flour
1/2 C. cocoa
2 C. sugar
4 eggs
1 C. oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 C. chocolate chips
optional - walnuts

Mix all ingredients. Spread in greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe makes 4 dozen cookies, and they are really moist and tasty, and any time I can sneak a "vegetable" into a baked good, I think it is a good idea. I like to add semi-sweet chocolate chips too- to balance out the nutrition.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 15 oz. cup canned pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups rolled oats
optional - chocolate chips
optional - chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350. Beat together butter and sugars. Add pumpkin, eggs, vanilla; beat. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients and then mix in to wet mixture. Stir in oats. Drop rounded tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes.  These cookies don't really spread at all, so you can pile them on the cookie sheet.
74 calories, 2.6 g fat per cookie (excluding chocolate chips, of course)

Breakfast Potatoes

These are really good as a breakfast side dish. To be honest, they are good later in the day too. I have a rosemary plant in my backyard that I haven't managed to kill yet, so it is nice to send Christopher out to get some fresh herbs.

Breakfast Potatoes

potatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
rosemary, chopped, fresh if you have it

Preheat oven to 425. Chop potatoes to about 1/2" cubes. Toss in olive oil and rosemary, stirring to coat. Lay out on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with coarse ground pepper and sea salt. Roast in the oven on a high rack for about 15 mibnutes or so, until fork tender.

Garlic and Dill Salmon

Garlic and Dill Salmon

salmon
chopped garlic or garlic powder
dill weed
lemon wedge or juice

My Vietnamese friend turned me on to this combination and salmon all together for that matter. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Rub the fish with pre-chopped garlic in your fridge, or use garlic powder if you like. Then sprinkle liberally wih Dill Weed. Squeeze some lemon juice on top when it comes out of the oven, if you have it.

Dijon Salmon

Dijon Salmon

salmon
dijon mustard (I like Grey Poupon)
bread crumbs
olive oil spray

Spread salmon with a layer of Dijon Mustard. I use Grey Poupon. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top. This gets really crispy- I always hit it with a blast of the olive oil spray to help that along. The original recipe I read said to melt butter to pour on top- which I am sure is good but is not necessary in my opinion. Also, it is not spicy at all somehow when it cooks. Christopher and Jason both like this one too.

Shredded Beef Tacos

Just made these tonight for the first time and they were amazing! We will definitely need to have salad tomorrow night to make up for it, but it was well worth it. He told me it tasted as good as he would expect at a nice authentic Mexican restaurant! I definitely recommend frying your own taco shells. It just wouldn't be right to put this meat into a pre-made taco shell. My opinion, anyway.

Shredded Beef Tacos

2-4 lb. beef roast
taco seasoning
1 can (4 oz) green chiles in juice
corn tortillas
canola oil
cheddar cheese, shredded
salt
optional - sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, taco sauce

Put the roast in the slow cooker and sprinkle with taco seasoning. Dump can of chiles on top and set the slow cooker for low. Mine was cooked after 5-6 hours on low, and the roast was NOT thawed out ahead of time. I have heard that you can do this with frozen meat too and it may just take a little longer. When you notice that the meat is done, shred it with two forks. It is easiest to take a chunk out and shred in a separate bowl, and then put it back. This was definitely the hardest part of the meal for me. I tried to scrape away the fatty pieces that were present too... I just know that the texture would kill me to bite into. Yuck. So put all the shredded beef back in the crockpot until ready to serve, still in the juices.

In a small skillet, heat up about an inch or so of oil. When you put the top of a wooden spoon in the skillet, it should get bubbles around it, and that's how you know it is hot enough. Place one tortilla in the oil and let it cook for a minute or so, and then with tongs, fold the tortilla in half and form it into a taco shell. It wont be perfect but that is part of the beauty. When it starts to get a little hard and before it browns too much, take it out of the oil and put it on a paper towel on a plate to dry. Salt it lightly too when it is fresh out of the oil.

Drain the juices out of the crockpot before serving. Place some shredded beef in a taco shell and then top with cheese and whatever other toppings you want.

The leftover beed would be great in Easy Chimichangas (also on this site) or maybe enchilladas or even quesadillas. Lots of optons. You can also freeze the leftover cooked shredded beef to use another day.

Santa Fe Rice and Beans

I made this once and modified the original recipe so much that I am going to call it my own. This reheats really well and is a tasty and filling lunch as leftovers.

Santa Fe Rice and Beans

1 T. olive oil
1/2 C. onion, chopped
2 C. long grain rice*
2 C. water
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken brother (water is OK if you are in a pinch)
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste
1 cup corn, thawed
1 can black beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can enchillada sauce, I use red
1 can (4 oz) diced chiles, drained
1/2 C. sour cream
2 cups cheddar jack cheese, shredded

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm oil and saute onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat. Stir in water, broth, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 25 mintues. Remove lid and cool slightly. Gently stir in corn, chiles, beans, enchillada sauce and sour cream.

Preheat oven to 350. Transfer rice mixture to a sprayed casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake uncovered until heated through and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

*You can probably make this with pre-cooked rice too. I have a rice cooker that I love and I think that might be easier and still taste just as good. Omit the water and chicken stock if your rice is cooked already.

Minestrone Soup

My sister turned me on to this recipe, and I haven't made it in far too long. Serve it with a crusty bread and some fresh grated parmesean on top... yum.

Minestrone Soup

1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 1/2 C. uncooked small pasta (shells, spirals, ABC's, etc.- I use whole wheat)
1 can chopped tomatoes
3 T olive oil
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 C. onion, chopped
1 C. celery, chopped
1 C. carrot, chopped
1 C. zucchini, chopped (I leave this out sometimes for Jason)
2-4 medium red potatoes
1-2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
5 C. water or vegetable stock

In a large kettle, saute the garlic and onions until soft. Add celery, carrots, salt, oregano, black pepper, basil. Mix well and cook covered over low heat for 10 minutes.

Add potato, zucchini, kidney and garbanzo beans in their juice, and stock. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes and their juice. Keep at low heat until you are ready to serve.

If you want to freeze some of this- STOP HERE and add the pasta when you are ready to eat.

10 minutes before serving, add pasta and boil gently for 10 minutes. Top with parsley and grated parmesean cheese, if you like.

Calzones

This is one that Jason and I actually made up on our own. It is really easy to customize each calzone for whatever each person likes. For toppings, I like frozen spinach (make sure and get out all of the moisture!) and frozen broccoli (heat it up first in the microwave), Jason usually uses meatballs and black olives.

Calzones

1 package of pizza dough (we usually use the Pillsbury roll kind but any would do)
toppings - about 1/2 - 3/4 cup TOTAL per calzone
small amount of pasta sauce
mozzarella cheese

Preheat to 400. Lay out the pizza dough and make two sections. You can do triangles if you are fancy, although ours are usually rectangles. Put your dough on a cookie sheet. Place your toppings in the lower half of one of your dough pieces and then top with a few spoonfulls of pasta sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top of that, and then fold over the top and seal along the edges. We just press with our fingers but you could probably make it prettier with a fork. If you like, you can add some parmesean cheese and Italian seasoning on top of that, but I have never done it that way. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown on top.

I serve with ranch and/or extra pasta sauce.

Molasses Cookies

A friend of mine made these and they are different. I wouldn't want them all the time, but every now and again they hit the spot.

Molasses Cookies

3/4 C. shortening (butter or margarine)
1 1/2 C. sugar + extra for rolling
1 egg
1 pinch of salt
4 T. molasses
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cloves

Cream the sugar, butter, egg and molasses. Add the dry ingredients. Make dough into balls the size of walnuts and roll them in granulated sugar. Place the balls on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes.

Pumpkin Dessert Squares

This is a recipe from a sample I had at Williams Sonoma. This recipe is specific to their pumpkin pecan butter, although I would imagine that any "pumpkin pecan butter" would work just as well.

Pumpkin Dessert Squares

1 box yellow cake mix
1 jar Muirhead Pumpkin Pecan Butter
3 eggs
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 C. sugar
3/4 C. butter
3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp. cinnamon

Reserve 1 cup of the cake mix and set aside.

Mix remaining cake mix with 1/2 cup of melted butter and 1 egg. Press mixture lightly into the bottom of a 13x9 pan.

Mix pumpkin pecan butter with 2 eggs and 3 T. milk and pour over cake mixture in pan.

Mix to a crumble reserved cake mix with 1 T. flour, 1/4 c. sugar, 1/4 c. soft butter and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Crumble over the top of the pumpkin layer.

Bake 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees until golden.

Cool and serve!

Tuxedo Cookies

These are also some of my favorites. They present really well and they are even better after you let them cool or the next day, if they last that long!

Update: I forgot to give proper credit when I did this entry, so here it goes: My sister Kat is the originator of this recipe.  I am not sure where she got it, but it was hers originally, with semi-sweet chocolate chips.  I suggested white chocolate, and the "tuxedo cookie" was born.  Joint effort.  :-)

Tuxedo Cookies

2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 C. white chocolate chips
1/2 C. (1 stick) butter
1 C. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 C. flour
1/3 C. cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Melt 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips and set aside. Cream butter and sugars, add melted chocolate and eggs. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt. Gradually add to the wet ingredients and then mix in white chocolate chips. Cook for about 20 minutes.

Kat's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are some of my favorites. I like my cookies extra moist and chewy, so I always pull them out before they look ready and let them finish cooking on the countertop. Yummo.

Kat's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 C. butter/margarine
1 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 C. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 C. oats
1 1/2 - 2 C. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. Beat together margarine, brown sugar, white sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually beat flour mixture into the egg/sugar mixture. Use a spoon to mix in the oats and then chocolate chips. Bake for 8-12 minutes.

Eskimo Cookies

This recipe came from Jason's mom and they are so good. One time we made a huge batch of these and set them on the floor in our living room before cozying up for a movie. Jason went to get some milk and I went to the restroom, and when we came back, Daisy had demolished the entire plate. It was probably a lot of chocolate for our girl, and we were crushed, but thats my funny Eskimo Cookie story.

Eskimo Cookies

1 1/2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp Vanilla
3 Tbsp Cocoa
2-3 cups Oatmeal

Cream butter and sugar. Mix in water, vanilla and cocoa. Add oats until proper consistency, I usually go closer to 3 cups. Refrigerate for 3 hours or so and then form into small balls, just smaller than golf balls. Roll in powdered sugar and serve.

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

No cookbook is complete without this recipe included. I actually prefer Grandma Squire's recipe to this one lately, although it is made with shortening. These are of course, amazing too. Chocolate chip cookies- you can't really go wrong.

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks, 1/2 pound) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated [white] sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups (12-ounce package) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts


COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE in preheated 375-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.