Apple Muffins

These are pretty good, and they freeze well too.

Apple Muffins

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup nonfat milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup chopped apples
raisins (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease one 12-cup muffin tin.
Lightly beat egg whites.
In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients thoroughly.
In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Gently fold in egg white. Add to the dry ingredients. Stir until barely moistened. Batter will be lumpy.
Fill greased muffin tins two-thirds full. Bake about 20 minutes until lightly browned.

From AllRecipes.com

Frozen Blueberry Muffins

These are pretty tasty and very convenient- we usually have all of the ingredients on hand- so this is worth holding onto. I would like to amend this recipe or find one that has more of a streusel topping, but this is a good start.

Frozen Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups frozen blueberries, unthawed

TOPPING:
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, milk and vanilla; mix well. Stir in dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in frozen blueberries. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Combine sugar and nutmeg; sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

From AllRecipes.com

Apple Crisp for Two

Apple Crisp is one of my very favorite desserts. Jason isn't as big on it so I just make this (as is) when I am in the mood for it, and then proceed to eat it all.

Apple Crisp for Two

1/3 cup of flour (I go lighter here)
1/3 cup of oats (I go heavy here)
1/3 cup of sugar
1 pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 pinch of nutmeg
3 tablespoons of butter
2 apples
vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream if you are in a pinch

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Blend together the flour, sugar salt cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter. Set aside.

Peel, core, and slice the apples. Put each apple into individual baking dish. Cover with flour mixture. Set baking dish on a baking sheet with sides.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until apples are soft and the juices bubbly. Serve with ice cream. Yummo.

From StartCooking.com

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Candy Pie

This is really good and basic. I use the oreo crust that is premade but of course you can make your own, if you prefer.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Candy Pie

Oreo Crust
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
2 Tbsp. hot fudge ice cream topping (or Chocolate Syrup)
1/4 cup candy-coated peanut butter pieces

PLACE peanut butter in large bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring with wire whisk until decently blended. My peanut butter never really mixes with the milk, but when you add the dry pudding mix, it is easier to whip it into shape.  Add dry pudding mixes. Beat 2 min. or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.) Stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping. Spread onto prepared crust; top evenly with remaining 1 cup whipped topping.

REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until set. When ready to serve, microwave fudge topping as directed on package; drizzle over dessert. Sprinkle with candies. Store leftovers in refrigerator.


From KraftFoods.com

Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes

These are really cute and because they use boxed cake mix, they are pretty easy to make any time. If you have a big muffin pan (that cooks six big muffins instead of 12 regular ones) then you can probably get away with doing a whole pineapple ring. If not, you may have to cut your pineapple (or use crushed) to make it fit. Definitely WAIT until they have cooled off some to take them out of the pan, or they will not present well! So good, though.

Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes

Ingredients
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 (20 ounce) cans sliced pineapple
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
12 maraschino cherries, halved

Directions
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and butter; mix well. Spoon into 24 greased muffin cups. Drain pineapple, reserving the juice. Trim pineapple to fit the muffin cups; place one ring in each cup.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oils and 1-1/4 cups of the reserved pineapple juice; mix well. Spoon over pineapple, filling each cup two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. After they have cooled down a bit, invert on a wire rack and then place a cherry in the center of each pineapple ring.

From AllRecipes.com

White Chocolate Cherry Cookies

These are really good. Without the white chocolate and cherries, they make a rockin' sugar cookie, too. Also, did you know that you can freeze not only cookie dough but also baked cookies? They taste delicious frozen or they only take a few minutes on the counter to that out.

White Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Ingredients
1 stick salted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup candied cherries (I could never find "candied" cherries so I used dried cherries, and they have turned out really good!)
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chunks or chips
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts (I never have or use these)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375. Grease 1 or more cookie sheets.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and both sugars in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add the milk to the butter mixture and then the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. (The batter should be stiff.)

Combine the nuts, cherries and white chocolate in another bowl. Add the mixture to the batter, stirring until just blended. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

From Paula Deen.

Chocolate Cheese Cake Pie

This is definitely one of the best and richest desserts that I have ever made. The first time I made it we brought it to a friend's house for dinner who had just had a baby and left it there! I swear that the next day I considered breaking in and going back for it. It is SO rich that one piece really is enough- which is rarely the case for me. I think that I used semi-sweet chocolate but I can't remember. I also have a thing against using real whipping cream- so I always use Cool Whip. It worked out fine.

Chocolate Cheese Cake Pie

12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate - chopped
1 small container of Cool Whip OR 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1/4 cup of dark corn syrup
8 ounces of cream cheese - softened
1 pie crust (9 inch crumb crust)
In a heat-proof bowl, combine the finely chopped chocolate, 1/2 cup of the heavy cream, and the dark corn syrup. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. (The bowl should not be touching the water.) Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool fro 5-10 minutes. Using an electric mixer beat in the softened cream cheese.

If using real whipping cream, in a medium mixing bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.

Scrape the filling into a prepared crumb crust pie shell and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Makes 6-8 servings.

From StartCooking.com.

Pumpkin Pie Dip

This is a cute fall dessert for a party and it tastes really good too.

Pumpkin Pie Dip

1 cup canned pumpkin pie mix
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
chopped walnuts, optional

Use a Little Dipper Crockpot if you have one - the measurements are perfect. If you don't have one, you can put an oven-safe dish inside of your large crockpot.

Add the cream cheese to the Little Dipper. Top with sour cream, then pour in the pumpkin pie filling.

Cover and cook for about an hour, then stir well. If the cream cheese isn't fully melted, cook a bit longer. The Little Dipper doesn't have temperature settings, you just plug it in. If you are going to use a big crockpot with an oven-safe dish inside, cook on high for about an hour, or 2 on low.

Garnish with chopped walnuts, if desired.

Serve with gingerbread men, gingersnaps, pretzels, and apple slices.

From A Year of Slow Cooking.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

This is one of my very favorites. It is mostly canned ingredients which can be so convenient. I usually throw the chicken breasts in still frozen and by the afternoon, it is ready to shred. I tried using only one chicken breast one time, and it wasn't enough. Three is a lot, but it tastes really good like that. Two is a happy compromise. I use chicken stock usually but mainly because we rarely have beer in the house. Last time I made this I blended the tomatoes too, and it made it more chili-like, but Jason was happy that there weren't big tomatoes in the soup. Two more things- this soup tastes even better on Day 2 and if there are any leftovers, it freezes beautifully.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can pinto beans, undrained
1 or 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, 1 drained, 1 not
1 cup frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can of chicken stock (original recipe called for a bottle of beer, or water if you are really in a pinch)
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (Rotel)
1 (10 ounce) can of diced tomatoes, undrained (no chilies in this can)
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning*
2-3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded Cheddar cheese
sour cream
optional - crushed tortilla chips, fresh cilantro
nice crusty bread to serve aside

Directions
Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.
Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, crushed tortilla chips and fresh cilantro, if desired.

Original Recipe Yield 8 Servings

*Here is a recipe for homemade taco seasoning for this soup. I think this adds to it and I do it this way if I have the time, otherwise I just sprinkle on regular taco seasoning.

1 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp coarse black pepper

Oven Steak Fries

These fries are so good, and they really aren't that much more work than just heating up frozen fries and they taste much better.

Oven Steak Fries

Ingredients
5 russet potatoes, cut into thin wedges
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme, eyeball it
1 teaspoon dried oregano, eyeball it
1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend, such as Montreal Steak Seasoning or, salt and pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to high. Cut potatoes and spread out on a cookie sheet. Coat potatoes with extra-virgin olive oil, dried herbs and steak seasoning or, salt and pepper. Spread potatoes to the corners of the cookie sheet. Cook potatoes in very hot oven 25 minutes. Turn potatoes once, half way in the cooking process. Serve fries hot from the oven.

Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

This is really good and easy, and you can prep it the day (or morning) before and then cook it later. I imagine that adding ham could make it more of a meal, but it is a great side dish as is.

Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

Ingredients
5 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Paprika

Directions
In a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish, layer potatoes and onion.
In a saucepan, melt the butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add broth, mayonnaise, salt and pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika.
Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours or until tender.

Zucchini Rounds

These are really good and easy and Christopher eats them by the fistful. I adapted the recipe from someone else who said that this is "kid-friendly" so I don't think it is only him!

Zucchini Rounds

zucchini, washed and dried (however many you want to make, I usually do 3-4 at a time)
olive oil spray
salt and pepper
grated (or shredded) parmesean cheese (or other cheese)

Preheat the oven to 400 or so. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstic spray. Slice the zucchini like a cucumber for a salad and lay them out on the cookie sheet. Try to get them all a simmilar thickness, but it is OK if they aren't perfect. Push all the rounds to the center of the cookie sheet so it is easier to get them all with the salt, pepper and parmesean that you sprinkle on top. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or so, watching for when the cheese starts to brown.

Uptown Pork Chops and Applesauce

This is another really good Rachel Ray recipe. I have made it for company before and it was a big hit. It is a fair amount of work but I think it is worth it.


Uptown Pork Chops and Apple Sauce: Roast Pork Tenderloins with Escalloped Apples

Ingredients
2 pieces, 1 package, pork tenderloins - ask the butcher to trim them up for you
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme leaves
3 tablespoons butter
5 Gala, Honey Crisp or Golden Delicious apples, quartered, cored and sliced
Salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
Directions
Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Coat the tenderloins with olive oil. Combine the grill seasoning, lemon zest and thyme. Rub the spice mixture into the tenderloin and roast 25 minutes. Remove and let juices settle then slice on an angle.

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat and saute apples for 12 to 15 minutes until very tender. Season with a pinch of salt and sprinkle the flour over the skillet, toss to combine. Squeeze the lemon juice over the skillet and sweeten with sugar.

Arrange the apples over the pork to serve.

Bowties and Broccoli

This is another really good recipe. I read a suggestion that you should saute the broccoli with the garlic and red pepper flakes, which I bet is good too. Of course, you can use any pasta that you have- although I have to admit that the little bowties are really cute.

Bowties and Broccoli

Ingredients
1 pound dry farfalle (bow tie) pasta
4 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
optional - pine nuts, crushed red pepper flakes, grilled chicken

Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add farfalle pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water.
Place broccoli in a pot fitted with a steamer basket over boiling water. Steam 5 minutes, or until tender.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute, or until golden brown.
In a bowl, toss together the pasta, reserved pasta water, broccoli, garlic, remaining oil, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Lasagna Roll Ups

These lasagna roll ups are so good! I have had this vision of serving these at a party, though it hasn't happened yet. You can freeze them individually after you cook them too, and they are so cute. They are fairly labor intensive, especially for me- but for a special occasion, they are worth it.

Lasagna Roll Ups

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked lasagna noodles
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 pound firm tofu
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach - thawed, drained and squeezed dry
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce

Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles for 5 to 8 minutes, or until just slightly underdone; drain and rinse.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together grated cheese, ricotta cheese, tofu, frozen spinach, and 1 cup Parmesan cheese.
Lay out a noodle. Spread a layer of the cheese mixture on the noodle, then add a thin layer of sauce. Roll the noodle up, and place seam side down in a 13x9 pan. Repeat for other noodles. Top with remaining sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 30 min, or until hot and bubbly.

Pesto Chicken

Pesto Chicken

chicken breasts
pesto sauce (my very favorite is Trader Joe's Sundried Tomato Pesto)
sliced provolone cheese

This is so easy and really good. Grill some chicken (I use my George Foreman most of the time) and then spread some pesto on top. Add a slice of provolone and allow it to melt some.

So good and so easy.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

BBQ Chicken Pizza

pizza dough, either the canned pillsbury kind of Trader Joe's is my favorite
leftover chicken (or rotisserie pieces)
BBQ sauce (honey BBQ, or whatever you have)
shredded cheese- mozzarella, sharp white cheddar, whatever sounds good
optional - peppers, onions

I like to get the fresh pizza dough from Trader Joe's. Spread out the pizza dough the best you can- my pizza's are never round and usually look more like Oklahoma than even a proper rectangle. They taste pretty good, though. Put some BBQ sauce on the pizza (Christopher likes to do this part) and spread it out with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle on your cheese, then top with chicken and veggies.

Cook in preheated oven at 375 for 20-30 minutes or until crust is brown.

Pork Chops

I love making these pork chops, another StartCooking.com recipe. Jason loves them too, glaze and all, even though he wouldn't think based on the ingredients that he would. Be careful not to cook the sauce too long, or it will get sort of hard and solid.

Pork Chops

cooking spray
4 one-inch thick boneless loin pork chops
1 dash of black pepper
1 dash of salt
1/2 cup of peach preserves
2 tablespoons of dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of water
Spray a non-stick frying pan with the cooking spray and heat over med-high heat.

Sprinkle both sides of the chops with salt and pepper and add to the skillet.

Sear 1 minute on each side, then reduce heat to medium.

Cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and keep warm.


Mustard/Apricot Sauce

Add the peach preserves, mustard and water to the skillet.

Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Spoon the sauce over the pork chops and serve.

Fettuccine Alfredo

This is a basic Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe from StartCooking.com. I think it would be really good with some steamed broccoli and grilled chicken tossed in too.

Fettuccine Alfredo

1 pound of dried pasta
8 tablespoons of butter - unsalted
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of parmesan cheese - freshly grated
1 dash of salt and pepper (adjust to taste)
Optional - steamed broccoli, grilled chicken

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

While the pasta is draining, melt the butter in the same pot you cooked the pasta in. Return the pasta to the pot and add the cream and the parmesan cheese.

Toss over low heat until the pasta is coated.

Season the pasta with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Adapted from: Joy of Cooking

Easy Chimichangas

This is another super easy recipe that is always a hit in our house. In fact, I made these tonight and I can always count on Christopher to eat all of his burrito when I make it like this. These burritos have the consistency and texture on the outside of a deep fried enchillada- way better than just rolling up a plain flour tortilla and really not much more work than that!

olive oil
garlic clove
2 cans of beans, black, pinto, or refried
cumin
chili powder
cheddar cheese, shredded
Flour tortillas
olive oil (or other) cooking spray
Optional - shredded chicken, taco meat, etc...

Preheat your oven to 500 and make sure you have a rack ready about 6" from the top. Spray a cookie sheet liberally with olive oil spray. Heat up some olive oil and garlic in a pan. Add a can of beans, whole if you like- and then mash up the second can of beans so you are sort of making your own "refried beans." Or you can use two cans of mashed, if you like. Season with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add a scoop of beans to each tortilla, sprinkle some cheese and roll it up, burrito style. Place all of the burritos on your sprayed cookie sheet, and give each of the burritos a decent spray of olive oil. Cook in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes. Serve as is or with sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, enchillada sauce or in my house, Taco Bell Mild Sauce.

Enjoy!

Nacho Bread Pizzas

This is another Rachel Ray recipe and one of my favorites too. Now whenever I make beans for tacos or burritos I always season them the way she describes- basically heat some olive oil and garlic and then add beans, one part whole, one part mashed, and then sprinkle with cumin and chili powder, salt and pepper. So good.

I also never use the jalapenos and I dont heat my salsa eiher- I just spoon it on afterwards if desired. And you can add taco meat or shredded chicken if you want- but I always make these vegetarian.

Nacho Bread Pizzas

Ingredients
1 loaf baguette or semolina bread, day old is fine
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped or 1 pickled hot pepper of any kind, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 cup prepared salsa, any variety
2 cups shredded Cheddar, smoked Cheddar, Monterey Jack or pepper Jack
1 heart romaine or 1/2 iceberg head, shredded
1/2 cup green olives with or without pimiento, chopped
1/4 red onion or 2 to 3 scallions, chopped
2 plum or vine tomatoes, seeded and diced
Directions
Split bread lengthwise. Hollow the bread out and cut each half in half across, making 4 boats.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil, 1 turn of the pan, garlic and hot peppers. Drain beans. Add half of the beans then mash the remainder of the beans in the can using a fork. Add mashed beans to the pan and combine with whole beans. Season beans with hot sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. When the spicy beans are hot through, spread them evenly across all of the bread. Top with salsa and liberally sprinkle with cheese, covering bread to all edges. The boats will only be half-full. Melt cheese in the oven until it bubbles and begins to brown.

Top Nacho Bread Pizzas with lettuce, olives, onions and tomatoes and serve. You can pick it up with your hands, but eat over the plate (or the kitchen sink, like me).

Biscuits and Gravy

Jason's mom Wendy gave us this biscuit recipe. It is really good for making biscuits and gravy- one of Jason's specialties. For the gravy, we just use the McCormick "Original Country Gravy" mix and pour it on top of the biscuits. You can crumble in sausage too, if you like.

Biscuits

2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/3 cup of milk (or more)

Cook in preheated oven at 375 for 10-15 minutes. Makes about 15 biscuits.

Banana Bread

This recipe is a merger of two separate ones. The first and bulk of the recipe comes from a "low fat" recipe that I found. Then I saw the picture above in a Raley's magazine and I had to incorporate the smiling, happy gooey layer into my normal bread. I have done bread a few times but I also do muffins and mini-bread-loaves too with this recipe- just adjust the cooking time WAY down and keep an eye on it so you pull it out when it is done.

Banana Bread

2 eggs
2/3 cup white sugar
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup applesauce
1/3 cup nonfat milk
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans)

Nut mixture:
1 1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325. Spray a full sized bread pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust lightly with flour. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in bananas, applesauce, milk, oil, vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture, just until blended. Fold in walnuts. Pour half of batter into bread pan, and then add half of the nut mixture. Repeat the layers one more time, ending with nut mixture on top. Do not fill pans more than half way or they will go overflow while baking. Bake in a preheated oven until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about one hour. Turn bread out onto a wire rack and let cool.

12 servings.

Nutritional Info (of original recipe, minus the nut mixture).
182 calories, 4 g fat, 36 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 207 mg sodium, 4 g protein.

Seven Layer Magic Cookie Bars

These are an Eagle recipe and they really are amazing. You will definitely be sick when you make these, because it is impossible not to eat most of the pan- but it is worth it. Trust me.

Seven Layer Magic Cookie Bars

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch-flavored chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for glass baking pan). In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan.
2.Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.
3.Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

These are REALLY good! This recipe makes a ton, I think that I halve it when it is just us. It is a Rachel Ray recipe that we have adopted as our own. I usually use chocolate chips instead of raisins, mostly for Jason- but they are so good that you don't even need anything on top of them.

Ingredients
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ounces, 1/4 cup, chopped walnuts
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 really ripe bananas, mashed up
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 stick butter, 1/4 cup, melted, plus additional for buttering skillet
Maple syrup or honey, for drizzling

Directions
Here's a great tip: if you cannot find really ripe bananas, just nuke them in the microwave for about 15 seconds and they will become super soft for mashing.

Mix dry ingredients, the first 7, in a bowl. In a another bowl, mix the wet ingredients, the next 4. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined, then fold in the mashed up bananas and the raisins. Stir in the melted butter.

Heat a griddle over medium heat and brush with additional melted butter. Cook pancakes, each about 1/3 cup, until bubbles form on the top, then turn. Cakes will cook in about 2 minutes on each side. Keep pancakes tented with foil as they come off the griddle to keep them hot. Serve with drizzled honey or maple syrup over the top.

Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans (and Salmon)

I saw this recipe on Robin Miller's show also. I didn't love the salmon when I made it with the wet teriyaki sauce- I seem to prefer dry rubs on my salmon over the moist stuff. But the side dishes are GREAT, and they can go in the oven at the same time as your salmon or chicken or whatever else you are making. It doesn't get much easier than this!!!

Teriyaki Roasted Salmon with Oranges, Fingerling Potatoes and Haricots Verts

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 pounds salmon fillets, 6 fillets or 2 whole sides
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 pound fingerling potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into thin strips
2 cups haricots verts or string beans

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Coat a large roasting pan and large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Season salmon with salt and pepper and place in prepared roasting pan. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, molasses, brown sugar, and garlic. Pour mixture over salmon in pan. Arrange oranges over salmon, set aside.

Arrange potatoes and haricots verts on baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Roast salmon and vegetables for 20 to 25 minutes, until fish is fork-tender and potatoes are golden brown and tender. Remove from oven.

Serve about 2/3 of the salmon, about 16 ounces or 4 fillets with all of the vegetables. Reserve remaining salmon about 8 ounces or 2 fillets for the linguine, if desired

Roasted Orange Chicken

This is a really easy chicken recipe with a lot of flavor. I love the little pieces of orange rind that stick on top of the chicken- so good. I saw it originally on Robin Miller's Food Network show. I always make all eight breasts of chicken because it is so easy and the leftovers are so versatile.

Roasted Chicken with Smokey Orange Sauce

Ingredients
Cooking spray
8 (5-ounce) skinless chicken breast halves (with bone)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large roasting pan with cooking spray.

Season chicken all over with salt and black pepper. Arrange chicken in prepared pan and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine orange marmalade, soy sauce and liquid smoke. Mix until blended. Pour mixture over chicken.

Roast 35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Serve 4 chicken breast halves with this meal and refrigerate remaining chicken until ready to use.

Yield: 4 servings (with leftovers for additional meals such as Robin's Chicken Quesadillas and Thai Chicken Salad)

Salmon

Whenever I eat salmon, I always feel like a hero to my body. Sometimes, there are some foods that when you eat them, you can almost hear your body saying "Thank You!" It feels even better when I see my boy, and now Jason eating salmon too. Those Omega 3 fatty acids are supposed to be good for brain development and Christopher especially LOVES salmon.

Lately when I have been making it, I have been creating a sort of "Salmon Sampler Platter" where I have several peices but each is prepared a different way. If I remember, I thaw it out in the fridge the night before- but each cut doesn't take too long to thaw. I've gone from frozen to cooking within 20 minutes before by soaking the salmon, still in its vacuum sealed bag in warm water.

I know that wild salmon is supposed to be better than farm-raised, but I just buy the bag of frozen salmon from Costco. Once the salmon is thawed out, open the package and pat it dry with a paper towel. I always forget this step, but just in case you don't, try to remember to feel it to make sure there are no tiny bones left. Last time I ate a bone and it was too far down my throat by the time I realized it. Oops! (I lived so its no big deal if it happens.)

For all the prep methods, I like to bake and broil my salmon. It is easiest and I think cooks it the best. Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil spray. Place seasoned salmon on the cookie sheet. Sometimes I spray the salmon lightly just to help add to the "crunch" factor. Bake for at least 10-12 minutes on one of the highest racks in the oven (about 3-4" from top) at about 400 or so, and then crank up the broiler and give it 3 minutes or so. Watch closely so you don't burn it! I like my salmon well-done. I hear people sometimes say that "salmon can be too dry" but I have not ever felt that way- so if you have, you may not want to cook it as long.

Salmon Rub
This is supposed to be enough for about 5 lbs of fish. I make the spice rub and keep it in a plastic bag to use later.
3 T. brown sugar
2 T. paprika
2 t. kosher salt
1 1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. thyme

Mix it all together and then pat liberally on the fish. The fish will get really red from the paprka and look spicy, but it isn't. Christopher loves this and it is my favorite as well.

Stuffed Peppers

This is one of my favorite recipes and from one of my very favorite cooking sites, StartCooking.com. This lady is a retired home ec teacher and she breaks everything down step by step, has a ton of videos and photos so you can see what it is supposed to look like in the process, etc... I can't say enough great things about the site, and I am sure there will be a lot on this site referencing her.

About this recipe- it is really good, really easy and really filling. If you make too much filling- and that is easy to do, you can freeze it to use later, and it is just as good. Jason isn't too big on bell peppers so I add the stuffing to taco shells for him, and he is as happy as a clam. Same with Christopher. Oh, these peppers heat up nicely the next day in the microwave too.

Stuffed Peppers

6 large bell pepper (red, yellow, orange, or green)
1 pound of ground beef ( I use ground turkey always)
1 can of black beans (15.5 ounces) - rinsed and drained
1 small jar salsa
2 cups of cooked rice - my favorite is the Trader Joe's Wild Rice Medley- it looks like bird food but tastes delicious
1 1/2 cups of grated cheese (Mexican Four Cheese blend preferred)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In large frying pan, brown ground beef well and drain off fat. Add the Rotel tomatoes and the rinsed black beans. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 5 minutes.

While mixture simmers, cut tops off peppers and remove the stem and seeds. Cut a very thin slice from the bottom of each pepper so peppers are flat on the bottom and will stand upright.

Let beef mixture cool about 5 minutes, and then mix in cooked rice and cheese. Stuff each pepper with the meat/rice mixture, pushing it down so peppers are tightly filled.

Place peppers in a dish small enough to hold them snugly and cover the dish with foil. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Remove foil, and bake 10-15 minutes more, until tops are slightly browned and pepper skin can be pierced easily with a fork.

Serve immediately.

Zucchini-Pineapple Quick Bread

This is a really good bread and the pineapple adds a lot to the flavor and consistency. I have also made muffins using this mix and that works out well too. This recipe is from Cooking Light.


Zucchini-Pineapple Quick Bread

This recipe makes two loaves. Freeze the extra loaf, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and heavy-duty aluminum foil, for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature. Slices are good microwaved at HIGH for 10 to 15 seconds.

Yield: 2 loaves, 14 servings per loaf (serving size: 1 slice)


Ingredients
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 1/2 medium zucchini)
2/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (8-ounce) cans crushed pineapple in juice, drained
Baking spray with flour
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, and next 3 ingredients (through ground cinnamon) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

3. Beat eggs with a mixer at medium speed until foamy. Add sugar, zucchini, oil, egg substitute, and vanilla, beating until well blended. Add zucchini mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in pineapple. Spoon batter into 2 (9 x 5–inch) loaf pans coated with baking spray. Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Nutritional Information
Calories:167 (32% from fat)
Fat:5.9g (sat 0.5g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.7g)
Protein:2.4g
Carbohydrate:26.5g
Fiber:0.7g
Cholesterol:15mg
Iron:0.9mg
Sodium:151mg
Calcium:16mg

Potato Soup

Jason's mom Wendy makes this soup - it is really good and really easy, and the ingredients are almost always on hand.

Potato Soup

6-8 potatoes
water that the potatoes boiled in- save it!
3/4 stick of butter (wonder why it's so good?)
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
cheddar cheese
optional - broccoli, ham

Cut potatoes into cubes and boil for about 20 minutes. I prefer to leave the skins on. Set aside the potatoes and the water that they boiled in.

Create a roux by melting the butter and then adding the flour in a sauce pan that you are allowed to whisk in. (Jason is always on me to not use metal on the nonstick cookware.... he has a point.) Whisk until it forms a paste. Slowly add milk and cook on medium high until thickened. Add potatoes and some potato water until it is at the desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. Add broccoli or ham if you like. Garnish with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and serve!

Black Bean and Salsa Soup

This is one of my favorite soups because it is so easy and so filling. It also takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. I love to serve it with cheese quesadillas, but corn bread would also be good. Leftovers are even better because the flavors have had some time to blend, I think.

Black Bean and Salsa Soup

Ingredients
3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
1 cup chunky salsa
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 tsp. lime juice, if you have it
1 c. corn, frozen or canned
sour cream or plain greek yogurt
cheddar cheese
thinly sliced green onion
fresh cilantro, if you have it
Directions
In a blender, combine most of the beans, broth, salsa, and cumin. Blend until fairly smooth.

Heat the bean mixture in a saucepan over medium heat until thoroughly heated, stirring in the remaining whole beans and corn.

Garnish with cheese, sour cream, green onion.

Taco Salad

This is one of my very favorite things to do with taco meat, and I swear that the salad is as good as any tacos and a lot healthier.

Taco Salad

Ground beef, turkey, chicken
Taco Seasoning
Lettuce (I like Romaine)
Tomatoes
Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Doritos* - I usually get the neon orange kind, I think they are "cheesy" or "nacho" or something like that.
Optional - chopped carrots, avocado
Catalina Dressing (I use fat free and it is yummy. For Jason I make this with Ranch, and it is also good.)

Brown beef (or I always use ground turkey) and season with salt and pepper. Add taco mix as directed. Let the meat cool down. Add all ingredients and then salad dressing. Toss to coat, crunch some Doritos on top and serve!

*The Doritos are the key to this salad being amazing. The other night my Doritos were stale so we used some Fritos and it was still good, but not as good. I am sure you could use any flavor and have great success.

Deviled Eggs

A coworker friend used to make these Deviled Eggs. We were invited to Thanksgiving at one of our neighbor's parents houses and we brought these, and they were all the rage- so they must be good.

Deviled Eggs

Boil 8 eggs for about 13 minutes. Cool, peel, halve and separate each egg. Mash the yolks in a bowl and sprinkle with Lawry's Season Salt and black pepper. Add about 3 T. mayo (I use Mircale Whip) and 1 1/2 T. mustard and mix until the yolks are a creamy consistency. Spoon back into each half egg, or you could put them yolk mixture in a plastic bag, cut off the corner and try to "squeeze" the mixture back in, frosting-style. Sprinkle with paprika.

Strawberry Bruschetta

This is one of my faves, especially for a girls night in. I usually buy the pre-sliced baguette because I am horrible at cutting on an angle and making it look nice.

Strawberry Bruschetta

Ingredients
24 slices French baguette
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
1/4 cup brown sugar, or as needed (you can use white sugar too)

Directions
Preheat your oven's broiler. Spread a thin layer of butter on each slice of bread. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet.

Place bread under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, just until lightly toasted. Sprinkle the sugar over the strawberries and stir to coat. Then spoon chopped strawberries onto each piece of toast.

Place under the broiler again until sugar is caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Mulled Wine (Slow Cooker)

This is a fun way to make cheap wine taste better, and since it is served warm it works well for a holiday party. I have attached the link where I copied this recipe from under the title- the author of that blog is my hero. She used her crock pot every day for a whole year and I learned so much from her during that time. And she writes in a fun and witty style, which is always fun.

Slow Cooker Mulled Wine

--2 bottles dry red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
--1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3 oranges)
--2 more oranges (one to float on top, and one for garnish wedges)
--3/4 cup white sugar
--1/4 tsp allspice
--1/4 tsp cinnamon
--4 cinnamon sticks
--4 whole cloves

Serves 6-8 (sort of. it really depends if you want your guests to have a taste, or a bunch. I'll double this next time.)

I used a 6 quart crockpot.

Open the wine. This was really very hard for me. I need one of those fancy wine opener thingies. It seriously took a good twenty minutes for me to open one of the bottles, and I got all sweaty and frustrated. ugh.

Squeeze the oranges to get 1 cup of juice. I'm sure you could get away with using store-bought juice, but the pulp floating around is what's kind of neat about mulled wine; it's more rustic this way. And oranges are in season.

Stir in the sugar, and add the ground spices. Float the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves on top. Slice one of the oranges in rings, and float the rings on top.

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4.

You want the wine to get as hot as a traditional hot beverage.

Ladle into mugs, and serve with a fresh orange wedge.

When serving, leave the lid off and the crockpot on "low."

The Verdict.

I liked this much more than I thought I would, and look forward to making it again. I will on Thanksgiving. I like that you can use terribly cheap wine (Adam went shopping the night before and Trader Joe's was already closed, but this is a great use for 2 Buck Chuck---although he assures me that the Sutter Home was on sale for $3.99) and still wow even the toughest wine snob.

Puppy Chow

This is a good munchy to have for parties or movie nights. It is easy to eat too much of it, but it is oh so good.

Puppy Chow

corn chex
1 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. peanut butter
powdered sugar

Melt the chocolate and peanut butter in the microwave. Fold in the chex. Spread in a single layer and cool on wax paper. When it is dry, toss with powdered sugar.

Yummo.

German Cheddar and Beer Fondue

A friend of mine had us over for a fondue dinner a few days ago, and it was really good and easy! I like this recipe because you don't have to spend $30 buying fancy cheese. I would think that shredding it yourself may be better than buying pre-shredded, and I have seen a lot of fondue recipes call for dusting the cheese with corn starch instead of flour. Other than that, it was really good.

She served it with Cajun Sausage chunks, Diced Ham, Bread (of course), Baby Carrots, Tomatoes, Blanched Broccoli and Cauliflower, Hot Dogs for the kids... I am sure there was more but that is what I focued on.

German Cheddar and Beer Fondue

Ingredients
1 sack, 10 ounces, 2 1/2 cups, shredded sharp Cheddar, available on dairy aisle
1/4 to 1/3 pound, 4 to 6 ounces, Gruyere, shredded
1 rounded tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup German lager beer
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
A few drops hot sauce
A few drops Worcestershire sauce
For Serving:
1 1/2 pounds cubed or thick sliced and browned wursts: knock, brat or brot,
1 package mini party franks (recommended: Boars Head)
1 head cauliflower, separated into florets
1 small jar mini Gherkin pickles, drained
1 small jar pickled onions, available on vegetable aisle
1 small, round loaf rye, pumpernickel or sour dough bread, cubed
Directions
Combine cheeses in a bowl with flour. Add beer to a small pot and bring up to a bubble over medium heat. Reduce the heat to simmer and add cheese in handfuls. Stir constantly, melting the cheese in batches. Stir in a figure-eight pattern with wooden spoon. When the cheese has been incorporated fully, stir in the mustard, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Transfer fondue to warm fondue pot.

In a large skillet, bring 2-inches of water to a boil and blanch the cauliflower for 2 to 3 minutes, drain and arrange around the fondue pot.

In the same pan, bring the cooking water back to a boil and add the mini franks and sliced wursts. Cook, uncovered until all the liquid has evaporated. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan to crisp the casings. Pile wursts and dogs near fondue. Complete the dipping selections with dishes of pickles, onions and cubed bread.

Spiced Nuts

My friend made these Spiced Nuts for Christmas and they were really good. Not spicy, but some kick- and with some sweetness. They turn a really pretty color too!

Spiced Nuts

Directions
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups unsalted mixed nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon salt

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and set aside. In a small bowl, mix the spices and set aside.

In a large dry skillet, place the nuts and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until they begin to toast, about 4 minutes. Add the butter and cook, stirring, until the nuts begin to darken, about 1 minute. Add the spices, the sugar, water, and the salt and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and the nuts are glazed, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the nuts to the prepared baking sheet, separating them with a fork. Let the nuts stand until cooled and the sugar has hardened, about 10 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Baked Apples

I made these a couple of weeks ago when I had some friends over for dinner. I think apple crisp is better, especially if you have vanilla ice cream to put on top - but this was good enough that it is worth holding on to.

Baked Apples

6 apples, sliced (and peeled if you like, I leave the peels on)
1/2 c. white sugar
3 T. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves
1/2 c. raisins or dried cranberries
walnuts
1/2 c. whole milk (I think I used skim and it was fine)
splash of vanilla
brown sugar
oats (?)

Preheat to 350 and spray baking dish. Combine sugar, flour, spices and toss with sliced apples. Add raisins and walnuts. Put all of this in the baking dish.

Combine the milk and vanilla. Pour over the top of the apples. Sprinkle brown sugar (and maybe some oats?) on top. Bake covered for 45-60 minutes, until apples are soft.

Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, whatever you have.

Salsa Chicken

My mom and I made this last week, and it was so good and very easy. Jason said it was the best and most moist chicken he has had ever!


Salsa Chicken

1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 t. sea salt
1 t. pepper
lime juice
4 chicken breasts
16 oz jar of salsa (My fave is Safeway Select Black Bean Salsa)

Make a rub using the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Rub over 4 chicken breasts that have been patted dry with paper towel. Spray a 9x13 pan (I use olive oil spray) lightly and then put chicken down in pan. I only season the top side, which seems to be plenty. Give each of the breasts a squirt of lime juice if you have it.

Dump the salsa over the top of the chicken breasts, and cook uncovered at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Cut into the fattest breast when you think you are done to make sure there is no pink left. Add some shredded cheddar cheese for the last 10 minutes of cooking time. (I did this after I cut into the first breast. I didnt see any pink for sure, but it seemed a little too juicy still, so I added cheese and cooked for 10 more minutes, and it was very moist still.)

I served with Spanish Rice (Mahatma brand, but you can also use white rice seasoned with chicken rub and some salsa) and a can of black beans, which I added some chili powder and cumin to and simmered for 10-15 minutes, to help the juice thicken a bit.

Yummy and healthy!!!

Apple Oven Cake

Christopher and I made this over the weekend and it was so good. I found the picture in a Sunset magazine, and was motivated enough by it to go to the website and search out the recipe. I was able to use up the last sad apple in the house, that didn't look appetizing enough to eat raw. It always feels good to not waste food. :-)

Apple Oven Cake

Time: 30 minutes. This puffed pancake works nicely as either an elegant breakfast dish or a rustic dessert.

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 sweet apple such as Fuji, peeled and sliced
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Melt butter in a 12-in. ovenproof frying pan over high heat. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, swirling to combine. Add apple and cook until just starting to soften, about 3 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a blender, whirl together eggs, salt, flour, and milk. Pour egg mixture into pan and bake until puffed and brown, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutritional Information
Calories:189 (43% from fat)
Protein:5g
Fat:9g (sat 4.8)
Carbohydrate:23g
Fiber:0.7g
Sodium:203mg
Cholesterol:124mg

Barbara's Recipes - Table of Contents / Master Plan

You may have guessed that some of my New Years goals revolve around meal planning. If you've guessed that, you are right!!!

So this seems like the best way to save and update my list so that I can be organized and know what my plan is. It will of course be a work in progress and this post will be edited a lot, especially now as I am super motivated to get these all compiled in one place! An "x" before the recipe means that it is already posted on this site.


Appetizers
Strawberry Bruschetta
Pizza Bites
Fondue
Lasagna Roll Ups


Main Dishes, Ground Turkey (Beef)
Taco Salad
Tacos
Taco Ring
Taco Casserole
Stuffed Peppers
Taco Soup
Spaghetti Pie
Mini Meat Loaf
Enchillada Casserole
Baked Ziti - (I use turkey sausage)
Manicotti - (I use turkey sausage)

Main Dishes, Chicken
Roasted Orange Chicken
Salsa Chicken
Chicken Fajitas
Honey Chicken
Chicken Taco Soup (Slow Cooker)

Main Dishes, Leftover Chicken
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Chicken Enchilladas
Chicken Enchillada Casserole
Bowties and Broccoli
Chicken Pot Pies w/ Biscuits on top

Main Dishes, Pork
BBQ Pulled Pork with Sweet Rolls
Pork Loin Medallions with Apples
Pork Chops with Apricot Dijon glaze (sounds fancy but even Jason loves it)
Oven Fried (Breaded) Pork Chops

Main Dishes, Vegetarian
Black Bean and Salsa Soup
Easy Chimichangas
Minestrone Soup
Potato Soup
Nacho Bread Pizzas
Fett. Alfredo
Santa Fe Rice and Beans
Macaroni and Cheese Casserole
Cheesy Baked Tortellini
x Mediterranean Pasta

Main Dishes, Beef
Grandma's Pot Roast
Machaca Beef

Main Dishes, Fish
Salmon

Salad Options
Taco Salad (above)
-Lettuce, Avacado, Dried Cranberries, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Sliced Red Onions, Tomatoes, Sunflower Seeds (or other nuts) with Raspberry Vin. dressing

Sides
Spanish Rice
Cocounut Rice
Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans
Broiled Zucchini (Kids love this)
Scallopped Potatoes
Oven Steak Fries

Breakfast Recipes
Breakfast Casserole
Hash Brown Casserole
French Toast Casserole
Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes (RR)
Apple Oven Cake (Ducth Baby Pancake Style)
Biscuits and Gravy (Jason's specialty)
Pancakes, eggs, french toast (these are mostly for meal planning purposes...)

Desserts
Apple Crisp
Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Dessert Squares (WS)
x Popcorn Balls
Molasses Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie
Puppy Chow
Chocolate Cheese Cake Pie
x Chocolate Caramel Toffee Brownies
Nestle Toll House Cookies
Cool Caramel
3 Layer Chocolate Pie
Kat's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tuxedo Cookies
Eskimo Cookies
White Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Seven Layer Magic Bars (Eagle)
Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
Rice Crispy Treats
Baked Apples

Misc. Holiday Stuff
Halloween - Witches Brew (Slow Cooker)
April Fools Day Ideas
Holidays - Mulled Wine (Slow Cooker)

Mediterranean Pasta Toss

My awesome neighbor made this for me right after I had my son. It is so good, and I swear that it is even better reheated- although it is so good fresh too. I also usually use wheat pasta, which I love. I now know that my husband doesn't love it, but he is usually scared of spinach and tomatoes anyway, so I will continue to make it with wheat. :-)

Elaine's Mediterranean Pasta Toss

1 pkg pinenuts
5-6 cloves garlic (chopped well)
1 box penne pasta, cooked
5 oz crumbled feta cheese
1 frozen pkg chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
1 jar sun dried tomatoes in oil (julienne cut) - you can find them in the produce section

In olive oil, brown pinenuts and add garlic. Saute and add tomatoes (including oil), spinach and saute and warm through. Throw over cooked pasta, add a little more olive oil and the feta cheese. Toss and serve.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Toffee Caramel Brownies

These brownies REALLY are the best that I have ever had. They remind me of "Fairytale Brownies," which is a company out of Phoenix that I got turned on to when I was working for a home builder and the subcontractors would send us goodies during the holidays. Fairytale Brownies really are the best ever, but these are the closest I have ever had- and you can make them at home! And they don't cost $50/dozen!

Chocolate Toffee Caramel Brownies

Vegetable oil spray or Crisco w/flour for misting the pan
1 pkg (18.25 ounces) plain German chocolate cake mix
12 tbs (1 ½ sticks) butter, at room temp
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
1 bag (11 ounces) caramel balls (these are in the baking section, or you can use real caramels. (42-45 small caramels) unwrapped. Takes time to unwrap over 40 caramels – do this before or while the first layer is baking. (42-45 comes in a 14-ounce bag; a 9 1/4 ounce bag contains about 30).
2 cups semisweet/dark chocolate chips – the bitterness of the semi sweet keeps it from becoming too rich.
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts) - I prefer roasted pecans pieces from Trader Joe’s
1 cup of Heath Bar “Bits O Brickle” comes in a bag in the baking section (Safeway) or any toffee bits, or you can chop up 4-5 Heath or Skor bars.  (The Bits of Brickle/plain toffee is my first choice.) 

1. Place oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly mist the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch pan with vegetable oil spray or similar. Set the pan aside.

2. Place the cake mix, butter, and 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. The batter will be thick and well combined. Turn a little more than half of the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with a small metal spreader/frosting knife or rubber spatula. The cake mix tends to stick to the rubber spatula, so do the best you can to spread a thin layer of cake mix over the entire bottom. Place pan in pre-heated oven.

3. Bake the bottom layer until it puffs up but is still soft, 6-8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, set a side. Leave the oven on.

4. While the first layer is baking, place the caramels in a medium size saucepan with the remaining 1/3-cup evaporated milk. Stir and cook over medium low heat until the caramels melt and the mixture is smooth and thick, 5-6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the hot caramel mixture over the cake layer. Quickly scatter the chocolate chips evenly on top, and then add heath bar bits. Dollop teaspoonfuls of the remaining cake batter randomly over the chocolate chip and toffee bit layer. Sprinkle the nuts on top of the batter, if desired. Place the pan in the oven.

5. Bake until the batter on top lightly browns and a crust forms around the edges of the pan, 22 – 30 minutes. The brownies should still be a little soft in the center.  You may have to poke the top layers if they get too puffy- they will deflate and continue cooking.  Err on the side of a little more done than you would expect for cookies.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely, 30 - 45 minutes. 

6. Cool the brownies for AT LEAST an hour if you can.  (No judgement from me if you just have to dig in... I understand.)  If you can find it in your willpower to wait until Day 2, then they are even better. 

Breakfast Recipes

Here are a few easy breakfast casserole recipes- perfect if you are hosting a brunch.

The cool thing about these recipes is that you can make them the night before and then just stick them in your oven in the morning- and they make a ton of food- great for company- and it is nice because one is sweet and one is more "meaty" even though I make it vegetarian. Add some fresh fruit salad and you have a respectable spread for not a lot of work.

Here goes:

Hash Brown Casserole
1 can cream of mushroom (or whatever, I use potato) soup
1 16 oz tub sour cream
1 2-lb package frozen hash browns
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
optional - diced ham, bacon, etc.

Combine all ingredients and pour into lightly greased 13x9 pan. Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

French Toast Casserole
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter
3 apples- sliced (and peeled if you prefer though I love cooked apple skins)
1/2 cup raisins or cranberries (optional)
1 loaf french baguette, cut into apx. 1" cubes
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk (or cream if you are so inclined)
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 tsp ground cinnamon
powdered sugar

Grease 13x9 baking dish. In large bowl, mix brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, melted butter. Stir in apples and raisins until evenly coat. Pour into greased pan.

In bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, 2 tsp cinnamon. Stir in bread and make sure each piece is evenly coated. Pour bread and any leftover egg mixture over apples, arranging in an even layer. Cover with foil and stick in fridge overnight. (OK if you cook it right away too).

Preheat oven to 375. Remove dish from fridge and let stand while oven is preheating. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes and then dust with powdered sugar.

And this last one is from a friend who turned me on to the Hot Artichoke and Baked Brie recipe posted here, so while I have not yet tried it, I am certain it will be yummy.

Breakfast Caserole
sourdough bread (torn up)
breakfast sausage - crumbled (i like 'hot' and sometimes I use 2 - can also use bacon if you want)
1 large can mild green chilies
extra sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)
6 eggs (beaten in bowl)
2 cups milk

Butter 9x11 casserole dish
line bottom with torn pieces of bread
cover with sausage
spinkle with cheese
mix eggs with milk and chilies in separate bowl and pour entire mixture over the casserole

Bake: 45 mins or so, until set

Can be made day before and reheated. I can imagine other good things to layer in like fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, or even spinach.

Artichoke Dip

My friend had a cookie exchange party and served this Artichoke Dip. It is somewhat low-cal too, at least compared to the real thing- and tastes delicious with little wheat-y crackers.

Hot Artichoke Dip
1 can artichoke hearts in WATER (not oil)
1 can mild green chilies (either large or small size, depending on how much 'spice' you like)
1 package cream cheese (you can use low fat, but I usually get the fully loaded)
1/2 cup (minimum) grated parmesan cheese (I eyeball this just depending on taste)
1 can cream of celery soup

Mix all ingredients together in a baking dish or glass bowl. Sprinkle paprika on top if desired. Heat until warm at 350 (usually half an hour or so). Serve with stone wheat crakers or fresh baguette. Can be made a day or two in advance, just store in fridge.

Wise Women and The Plan

So my mom sent me this card last week and I thought it was adorable- very cute, don't you think?

Also I am now planning on posting all of my favorite tried and true recipes here on this site- mostly so that I have them all saved somewhere other than in my e-mail box and also so that I can easily share them. And hopefully edit as necessary.

:-)
Happy 2010.

Sweet Popcorn Balls

Last Friday night I made these popcorn balls to try to add some variety to our movie night routine. Christopher thought they were OK, I thought they were awesome and I hear that my neighbors kids liked them too. They were easy to make and all ingredients that are normal to have on hand, so I thought it was worth writing up the recipe in case others may like to give it a try! Enjoy!

Sweet Popcorn Balls

10 cups of popped popcorn (this is about two microwave bags)
2 T Butter
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. honey
1/4 tsp. salt
optional - peanut butter, m&m's, raisins, cranberries, etc...

Pop the popcorn, set aside. Try to get out all of the unpopped kernels- it is MUCH easier now than later!

Melt the butter, sugar and honey over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to bubble.

Place the 10 cups of popcorn in a large bowl. Pour the butter mixture over the popcorn and add the salt. Mix gently with a spoon.

Grease hands (I used cooking spray) and you and your preschooler can shape the popcorn into balls the size of golf balls. If you do golf-ball sized, then this recipe yields 30 balls. I did something more like softballs, and I think I got 10 out of a half batch, so it makes a lot. Place on a sheet of wax paper to harden up.

You can also add raisins or dried cranberries, or nuts, or even peanut butter I bet to the mix. I am thinking M&M's would be my favorite addition.

It says on the original recipe that you can shape them into bars or "thin logs" but I was unsuccessful at this. You kind of have to use a bit of pressure to make the things stay together. You will see what I mean if you make these.

The original recipe also has some creative ideas: Make a popcorn ghost with raisin eyes for Halloween, a popcorn wreath with dried cherries or cranberries, popcorn bat and baseball for birthday party....

Enjoy!