SWEEDISH MEATBALLS

During my first year of marriage, I was still in the "try to impress with my cooking skills" frame of mind. I had a new husband to cook for and a child who was being introduced to the new world of home cooked meals. So one day I came across this yummy recipe for Sweedish Meatballs in the crock pot. I came home during my lunch break and made the meatballs. I browned them in a frying pan and put them in the crockpot with everything else and turned it on. The plan WAS that by the time I got home, they would be done and the house would have this wonderful mouthwatering aroma. Didn't quite go that way. Scott came home early and yes, there was an aroma filling the kitchen that was tantalizing. Enough so that he picked up the lid to the crockpot to find out what it was. That's when he called me at work a little worried at what I was planning on feeding him for dinner. I got home from work only to find that the meatballs did not hold their form and it was a big crockpot of....MUSH! But good smelling mush. I had used the extra lean hamburger wich did NOT hold together well once I shaped them into meatballs. So, my dear sweet husband gave the entire pot to the garbage disposal Gods and we went out to dinner.
I have SINCE found an easier way to make Sweedish Meatballs. But Scott still cringes at the mere mention of them. He will eat my easier version but never lets me forget my first attempt at homemade meatballs. I have gotten better at making meatballs, but won't make them that way again!
So, for anyone who would like to impress your family with an easy version of Sweedish Meatballs that is NOT in a crockpot, here's my wonderful recipe. My husband eats this one and cleans his plate everytime!

1 large can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 12 oz. can Evaporated Milk
1 Pkg. frozen sweedish meatballs
1 pkg. medium egg noodles
1/2 tsp. (or less) nutmeg
pepper

Place frozen meatballs, soup and milk in a large skillet and place on Med. heat. Sprinkle in your seasonings and cover with a lid and simmer for about 15-20 min. stirring frequently. Cook your noodles according to the package directions. To serve, pour meatballs and soup over noodles and enjoy!

ROASTED PORK LOIN & VEGGIES

I admit, I am NOT the biggest vegeatble fan. I think because growing up my parents only knew one way how to prepare them...BOIL THE HECK OUT OF THEM. That way, they were mushy, soggy and tasteless. And they expected us kids to eat them! GROSS! Now that I'M the parent, I rarely boil any vegetables. This is one of my absolute favorite ways to eat any and all veggies though;and my kids seem to think it's pretty darn good. You can use any type of roast meat or even a whole chicken. It's fast, easy and makes a wonderful Sunday dinner. Or if you need to impress the inlaws who have called to say they are coming over tomorrow night.

With most of my roasts, I pour just a little oil over it and rub it all over. This will help all seasoning stick to the meat instead of falling off as you turn it to season all sides. My rub of choice for my pork loin was Pappy's Prime Rib Rub. Pappy's is a popular seasoning that is made in Fresno and sold throughout California. Here in Utah, it's been a little harder to find. I have found it at the meat market and occasionaly at Kent's market. I'm sorry if neither of these are close to you. Just find a REALLY GOOD rub and cover that hunk of meat!

Place your roast on the rack of your roasting pan. You do NOT want the meat touching the bottom of the pan. Choose all your veggies and dice them up. For this dish I chose: Asparagus, carrots, onions, cabbage, mushrooms, potatoes and fresh garlic. (Fresh garlic is ALWAYS a must for me!) I threw all these veggies in a bowl, added a little oil, Balsalmic Vinegar and my favorite vegetable seasoning. McCormick Perfect Pinch Vegetable Seasoning. Sprinkle generously over your veggies then layer your vegetables around your meat. I baked mine at 435 deg. for about an hour. (MAKE SURE you bake according to your meat thermometer)

The finished product is both beautiful and delicious. I made a Lemon Basil rice pilaf to accompany our dinner. Though my 2 year old would have NOTHING to do with it, my other two boys were raving about it during dinner. The only sad part was, everyone got tired of leftovers so the dog got what was left. Yes, a perfectly wonderful meal had gone to the dog; AFTER the family had their fill though.

New Year, New Beginning

I have decided that I'm not going to put dates on my menu. I will just accumulate a bunch of my recipes and pictures through the month and post them. This way, I won't feel too pressured into trying to keep up with it. Here are just a few recipes I have done during the past month or so. With a house full of sick family and mom being one of them, I have not done a whole lot of cooking. It's been a lot of cereal, mac. & cheese, Ramen, hot dogs, or grilled cheese. Now that we are all on the mend, I have once again picked up the gauntlet to challenge myself as well as my families taste buds at new things. My hardest thing is remembering to take pictures of what I have made. Must do better! Hope you can find something you enjoy cooking and one your family will enjoy eating!!

CONFETTI PASTA AND BRUSCHETTA

This was such an EASY dish and became a big hit with my boys. The nice thing about it is that you can be so creative with it and have endless possibilities

Start with 2 boxes of Pasta Roni Garlic & Olive Oil flavor. Cook according to directions and then get creative. Use any type of meat or seafood and any combinations of vegetables. In this one, I used Johnsonville Sweet Italian sausage, fresh mushrooms, red onions and fresh asparagus. I steamed the sausage seperatly and sauted the veggies in just a little oil until they were firm but not soggy. Once the pasta was done, I threw everything in and mixed it up.

For the Bruschetta I bought a loaf of Baget bread. Slice the bread at a diagnol. In a medium frying pan melt 3-4 TBS. butter on medium heat, add 1/2 tsp. crushed fresh garlic. Be careful not to let the butter burn. Place the sliced bread in the pan and spread around so bottom side is covered with butter. Let toast for about 2 min. and then turn over. you may need to add a little more butter, depending on how many slices of bread you are doing. Once both sides are nicely toasted and golden brown, remove to a cookie sheet.

Rinse out pan or use seperate pan for Bruschetta topping. Pour in 1/2 can diced tomatoes, (Italian stye is a good choice) add in 1 TBS. diced onions, fresh Oregano and Basil. Sautee for about 5 min. on Medium heat. Spoon a small amount onto breat and top with some Mozzerella cheese. Place in the oven to broil until cheese is melted. Serve and ENJOY!!

April 4th - 10th

This was a trial recipe. If you've ever heard of porcupine meatballs, this is the same thing. Except you're just not rolling the meat into balls. I made two HUGE casserole dishes of this because I took dinner to a friend and her family so I more than doubled this recipe! I set a dish aside for my husband to take to work and had a girlfriend come over to eat with us. So between my girlfriend, my two boys and myself, there was only 1 serving left to put in the fridge. I'd say that was a hit!!

PORCUPINE CASSEROLE

2 lbs. ground hamburger or ground turkey
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 1/2 C. UNCOOKED rice
1 can tomato soup
1/4 C. brown sugar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C. water
Pineapple Rings (optional)

Cook ground meat, onions and peppers together. Once meat is done, drain all grease. Place in a large bowl. Mix in UNCOOKED rice. (DO NOT use minute rice) In separate bowl, mix together soup, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and water. Pour over meat and rice mixture and mix well. Place in 9x11 casserole dish. cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour! (I placed the pineapple on the last 15 minutes and poured a little more sauce over it. This is totally optional.)



HONEY LIME CHICKEN WINGS

Are you a wing lover?? You'll LOVE these and probably end up licking the dish just to get more sauce!!

18 whole chicken wings, split
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (Or juice form 3-4 whole limes)
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

In a large bowl, mix together the honey, lime juice, lime peel, garlic, salt and ground black pepper. Place the flour in a plastic bag and shake the chicken wings in the flour to coat. In a large skillet, fry the chicken wings in hot, 1 inch deep oil until cooked through. Place the cooked wings in the honey/lime mixture and toss to coat well. Serve immediately.

March 29th - April 3rd.

CHICKEN DIVAN

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 bag frozen broccoli florets
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 C. Sour Cream OR Miracle Whip
1/2 C. milk
1 - 1 1/2 C. Grated Cheddar Cheese
2 c. cooked rice
Crushed Keebler Club Crackers or Corn Flakes-OPTIONAL


Dice chicken to bite size pieces. Spray frying pan with a little non stick spray and place chicken in pan. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Cook chicken till no longer ping. Add in frozen broccoli, soup, sour cream OR Miracle Whip and milk. Heat up on med-hi heat until it starts to bubble. Place cooked rice in a large bowl. Once chicken mixture begins to bubble, pour over rice and add grated cheese. Mix together well and place in a 11x13 casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 20- 25 min. (Add crushed crackers or corn flakes the last 10 min.)


SPICY CHEESEBURGER SOUP

I got this from one of my favorite magazines, Taste of Home. My boys loved this soup! We don't like spicy so I omitted the jalapeno, but if your family has the mouth for spicy...GO FOR IT!!!

• 1-1/2 cups water
• 2 cups cubed peeled potatoes
• 2 small carrots, grated
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
• 2-1/2 cups milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces process American cheese, cubed
• 1/4 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

• In a large saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Stir in beef and 2 cups of milk; heat through. Combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; stir in cheese until melted. Add cayenne if desired. Top with bacon just before serving. Yield: 6-8 servings (about 2 quarts).

FANCY RAMEN

I'm almost embarrassed to print this; however, my 7 year old begged me because he loves it! So Colton, this one is for you baby!!

• 1 pkg. Ramen (any flavor!!)
• diced ham or shredded cooked chicken
• chopped bell peppers
• diced green onions
• sliced cooked eggs
• Sesame Seed oil

Cook Ramen according to directions. (Like ANYONE needs to read directions for Ramen!!) Once it's done, let the kids add whatever they want to the noodles. Great way to get some veggies in with that boring package of noodles!!

APRIL FOOLS DINNER

I didn't go all out this year like I have in the past, but thought I would still share some of the fun things I have done. A lot of these you can find online and kids love them. Just make something DECENT for you on the side!!

FROG EYE SALAD

1 C. sugar
2 TBS. flour
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 C. pineapple juice
2 eggs, beaten
1 TBS. lemon juice
3 quarts water
1 TBS. oil
1 (16 oz) pkg. Acini Di Pepe pasta
2 (11 oz.) cans mandarin oranges
2 (20 oz.) cans pineapple tidbits DRAINED
1/2 jar Maraschino Cherries
1 (8 oz) container whipped topping
1 1/2 C. mini marshmallows
1 C. shredded coconut

In a sauce pan, combine sugar, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pineapple juice and eggs. Stir and cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat; add lemon juice and cool to room temperature.
Bring water to a boil, add oil, remaining salt and cook pasta until al dente. Rinse under cold water and drain.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, egg mixture, mandarin oranges, pineapple and whipped topping. Mix well and refrigerate overnight or until chilled. Before serving add marshmallows and coconut. Toss and serve.

GORILLA POOP
You've probably made these before! I have a neighbor that decided to give them a different name. So when I made them and told the kids I was making "Gorilla Poop" my kids grossed out; until they saw what it was! APRIL FOOLS!! (Thanks Jaydan!!)

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter OR Butterscotch chips

Combine sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a saucepan. On medium heat, bring to a boil for one full minute.

Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter (optional), vanilla and oatmeal.

Drop by spoonful onto wax paper. Let cool for at least 30 minutes.

March 21st-27th

CURRY CHICKEN

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 small onion chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 C. diced mushrooms
2 gloves sliced garlic
1 can chicken broth
1/4 C. tomato paste
2 tsp. Curry powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 C. coconut milk (Reg. is fine)
Salt & Pepper
Cooked rice

In a frying pan, coat with non stick cooking spray. Place chicken in pan and brown on both sides on Med-Hi heat. Chicken should be cooked half way through. Remove chicken and set aside. Immediately add diced veggies and saute till slightly tender. Add a little chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Add remaining broth along with the tomato paste, milk and spices. Cover with a lid and lower to Med. heat. Once it begins to simmer, add chicken back in and replace the lid. Let simmer for approx 10-15 min. or until chicken in thoroughly cooked through. Serve over rice.


WHITE BEAN CHILI

So I LOVE watching Paula Deen on the Food Network. Some of her recipes just look so easy and yummy that you almost want to lick the TV screen. This was one of those easy recipes that filled my house with such a wonderful aroma. Thanks Paula!!!

• 1 pound dried navy beans
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 1 small can chopped green chilies
  
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 to 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• Shredded Jack Cheese

Rinse beans well, cover with cool water, and soak for 2 hours. Drain. Put the beans in large pot with the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat.

(I had a whole chicken that was cut up and used it to make home made chicken stock. I then removed the chicken and let it cool so I could shred it. Because the chicken was already cooked, I added it to the chili AFTER it was done.)

In a saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and chiles and saute for 5 minutes. Add chili mixture to pot with beans. Add the chicken, cumin, oregano, pepper, and white pepper. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 1 1/2 hours. (I simmered it for about 2 hours)


MARINADE FOR GRILLED STEAKS

Had some wonderful Rib Eye steaks to cook this week and wanted a yummy marinade for them. After looking up a couple of marinades, I sort of came up with my own idea for one. It was really good. I think I'll try it next time with chicken.

1/3 C. Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 C. Soy Sauce
2 TBS. Dijon Mustard
1/4 C. Honey
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion salt
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Mix all ingredients in a 9x13 casserole dish. Lay steaks in marinade and coat the bottom. Then flip over and marinate for approx. 2-3 hours. Flip 2nd time and marinade for another 2 hours at least. Adjust above ingredients according to your own taste.

FEBRUARY CATCH UP

HOLY COW...I'M WAAAYYY BEHIND!!
Ok, so I'm just going to throw a couple of recipes on here that I remember doing last month then pick up from March. I also receive a weekly email of recipes from Kraft & Taste of Home that I think I'll throw on here too!! SORRY EVERYONE!!

SEAFOOD ALFREDO

Made this for my boys for Valentines day. SOOO YUMMY AND EASY!!

1/2 lb. frozen shrimp
1 lb. King Crab legs
1 lb. Lobster tales (2 small or 1 large)
1 pint heavy cream
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese - (to 3/4)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Fettuccine Noodles

To cook crab legs, boil them in a large pot of water for approx. 5-8 min. Remove legs and insert a large colander that can balance on the lip of the pot. You do NOT want the colander submerged in the water! Place lobster tales in the colander and place lid on the pot. Steam them for about 7-9 min. or until shell is a bright red. (IF you have another method of steaming, GO FOR IT...JUST NOT THE MICROWAVE!!)
Remove all shells and shred/dice up meat. Set aside.
FOR SAUCE:
In a saucepan combine butter, heavy cream, and cream cheese. Simmer this
until all is melted, and mixed well. Add the Parmesan cheese and Garlic
powder. Simmer this for 15 to 20 minutes on low. You may wish to season
with a little salt and pepper. It has been made with half-and-half, but
heavy cream is preferred. Add crab, lobster and shrimp, it will thaw and heat in the sauce. Serve over noodles and enjoy. Just don't lick the plate when you're done...yeah, it's THAT good!!


CHICKEN MARSALA

(CHEESE STUFFING)
1/2 C. provolone cheese
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
1/4 C. parmesan cheese
1/2 C. bread crumbs (OR Keebler Club crackers crushed)
1 clove minced fresh garlic
2 TBS. minced sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 C. sour cream
Salt & Pepper

(CHICKEN)
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 oz. cooking oil
2 C. flour
Salt, Pepper, Paprika about 1/4 tsp. each

(SAUCE)
1 small onion chopped
2 C. diced mushroom (preferably Crimini)
1 1/2 C. Marsala Wine
8 oz. Heavy Whipping Cream

Preheat oven to 350
Stuffing: Combine all cheese stuffing ingredients in a bowl

Chicken:Butterfly thickest section to create two lobes.Place pounded chicken breasts on a plate and place desired amount of stuffing on one half of chicken breast.
Gently press stuffing down and fold over other side of chicken breast. Preheat a large sauté pan on stove top. Add 4 oz. oil; heat oil until shimmering.

Place approximately 2 cups flour in a pan and season it to taste with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess flour. Place stuffed chicken breasts in sauté pan with the preheated oil.

Cook each side until golden. When chicken is seared on both sides remove them from sauté pan and place them in a baking pan and into the oven for 10-20 minutes. Bake until juices run clear and stuffing and center reach a temperature of at least 165°.

Sauce: Add the onions to the sauté pan. Stir with spatula. After 2 minutes add the mushrooms; sauté mixture until onions are translucent. Deglaze sauté pan with the marsala wine (make sure to incorporate particles from bottom of pan). Bring wine to a simmer and add heavy cream. Simmer sauce on low heat until reduced by half.

Place cooked chicken breast on a plate and top with onions, mushrooms and sauce.


(Taste of Home Recipe)
HAM & BROCCOLI BAKE

1-1/4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1-1/2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup crushed potato chips

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the broccoli, soup, ham, cheeses, milk, onion and pepper. Drain macaroni; add to ham mixture.
Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking dish; sprinkle with potato chips. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 4 servings.



(Kraft food&family Recipe)
BACON OMELET ROLL WITH SALSA

8 eggs

1 cup milk

1/3 cup flour

1 red pepper, finely chopped

8 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled

3 green onions, finely chopped

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 cup TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Thick 'N Chunky Salsa, warmed

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

LINE 15x10x1-inch pan with parchment paper, with ends extending over shortest sides of pan. Spray with cooking spray.

BEAT eggs, milk and flour in large bowl with whisk until well blended. Stir in next 4 ingredients. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 14 to 16 min. or until edges are almost set. Top with cheese; bake 2 min. or until melted.

ROLL up omelet immediately, starting at one short end and peeling off paper as omelet is rolled. Place on platter; cut into slices. Serve with salsa.

(Kraft food&family Recipe)
POLYNESIAN GLAZED MEATBALLS

1 tsp. oil

1 large red pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 cans (8 oz. each) pineapple chunks, drained, liquid reserved

12 oz. (3/4 of 1-lb. pkg.) frozen cooked meatballs

2 cups instant white rice, uncooked

HEAT oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions; cook 5 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.

STIR in barbecue sauce, ginger, garlic powder and reserved pineapple liquid. Add meatballs; mix lightly until evenly coated. Cook 10 min. or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook rice as directed on package.

STIR pineapple into meatball mixture. Serve over rice.

(Kraft food&family Recipe)

BEEF & VEGETABLE NOODLE BOWL

1/4 lb. multi-grain spaghetti, uncooked

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

1 cup broccoli florets

1 small red pepper, cut into strips

1/2 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into thin strips

2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce

1/4 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 green onions thinly sliced

COOK spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add broccoli and peppers; stir-fry 3 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add meat and hoisin sauce; stir-fry 2 to 3 min. or until meat is done.

DRAIN spaghetti; return to same pan. Add broth; cook 1 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add meat mixture and onions; mix lightly.

January 31st - Feb. 6th

It's a busy week this week so there will be NOTHING fancy. All meals will be fast and somewhat boring I must say. But at least they will be things the family eats!

Sunday: Actually made the Chop Suey today that was posted on last weeks menu
Monday: Hoagie Sandwiches, jello salad and chips
Tuesday: Beef Fajitas, Spanish Rice and Refried Beans
I used thin Sirloin Steaks for the meat, diced red, yellow and green bell peppers and red onions. Dumped in a packet of Fajita mix then added 2 cloves fresh crushed garlic and 1 tsp. lime juice. Marinate with 1 TBS. Virgin Olive Oil for approx 45 min.
Wednesday: Spaghetti with Italian Sausage
Thursday: LEFTOVERS!!
Friday: Hot Dogs/Chili Dogs

Jan 24th-30th

BBQ RIBS

I don't think I need to post a recipe for these. There's really nothin' to them. Boil in half water half apple juice until they are halfway done. Lay them out on a big cookie sheet and season WELL. Put them in the oven under the broiler. Coat with BBQ sauce the last 5 minutes. In our house, the ONLY sauce we use is Sweet Baby Ray's!!


TAMALE PIE

1 lb. ground turkey or hamburger
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 C. chopped green bell pepper(optional)
1 can corn
sliced olives (amount to your own preference)
1 can tomato sauce
1 packet enchilada sauce mix (optional)

CORNBREAD TOPPING
1 C. cornmeal
2 eggs
1 C. milk

In large frying pan, mix you meat, onions and bell peppers. Add Taco mix according to package directions. OMIT THE WATER THOUGH!! Once meat is done, add your tomato sauce and corn. If mixture does not have enough flavor for you, that's when you can mix in part of the enchilada mix. Add in olives and let simmer for about 5 min. Turn off and set aside. Begin mixing your cornbread mix. Pour meat mixture into a 9x9 / 9x11 pan. Spread out evenly and then pour cornbread mix over top. DO NOT pour the cornbread mix all in one spot. It will sink to the bottom instead of staying on top of the meat. Pour this slowly and evenly. Place in oven at 350 and bake for 30-35 min. Serve with Refried beans or Spanish Rice!

CORN CHOWDER
Break out the Crock Pot AGAIN!! This one was a winner!

2 cans corn
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 small onion chopped
2 stalks celery finely chopped
1/2 lb. bacon fully cooked (Crispy)
1 pint cream
2 pints Half & Half
2 Cans Chicken Broth
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. Garlic Salt
1/2 tsp. White Pepper
1 C. flour

Throw everything into the crock pot EXCEPT the bacon and flour. Set the temp. on high and simmer for 3 hours. Add in flour and use a whisk to mix in thoroughly, you don't want any lumps. add in bacon and simmer for another 2 hours.


GRANDMA'S CHOP SUEY

Although this is NOT my husbands favorite thing, my boys love it and for me, that's what matters most! This is a Filipino dish I grew up with and love! It's nothing fancy but very filling.

1 lb. boneless Country Style Ribs
(If they have fat, keep it on it's good to cook with!)
2 cloves crushed garlic
4 small cans tomato sauce
4 equal cans water
1 lb. fresh broccoli florets (NOT frozen)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 TBS. oil
Cooked white rice

First, cut up the pork into about 1/2 in. cubes. Place oil in large stock pan and heat up. (Med. Hi) Once oil is warm, throw in the pork and crushed garlic. Stir until pork is browned but not fully cooked. Add in the tomato sauce, water, broccoli and seasoning. Reduce heat to med. and simmer for approx. 20 min. Or until Broccoli is done. Serve over Cooked white rice. My boys top it off with soy sauce!!

Jan. 17th - 23rd

I had a few repeat recipes this week but will print the new ones for everyone!

GRANDMA'S STEAMED CHICKEN

This is one of my favorite meals that brings back such sweet memories. The smell alone takes me back to running around my Grandma's house with my cousin while Grandma made this meal.

1 lb. Chicken thighs or legs
2 bell peppers sliced
8 C. water
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt
Cooked white rice

Place all ingredients (except rice) into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce hit to simmer for another 20 min. Serve chicken, peppers and little of the juice over the rice. My boys always add the soy sauce and debone the chicken to eat.

BEEF & BARLEY SOUP
(This one calls for the crock pot!!)

1lb. Stew Meat
1 C. chopped mini carrots
2 stalks diced celery
1 small chopped onion
4-5 diced red potatoes
1 can Beef broth
1 can Chicken broth
2 cans water
1 Tbs. A-1 Steak Sauce
1-2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Thyme
1 C. Barley (NOT instant!)

Brown meat in frying pan with 1 tsp. oil. Do NOT fully cook! Just enough to brown on all sides. Place ALL ingredients in the crock pot on high for about 6 hours.


CHICKEN TETTRAZINI

My BF Becca suggested this one and when I make it, I NEVER have leftovers!!

2 C. leftover roasted chicken (The Rotisserie chickens from your Deli are great!)
2 Boxes Tuna Helper Tettrazini flavor
1 C. frozen peas
1 C. sliced fresh mushrooms

Follow instructions according the the box for OVEN preperation. Add all ingredients EXCEPT the peas. Add the peas the last five minutes and mix in well.


YUMMY CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE

1 C. sugar
1/3 C. flour
2 C. Whole milk
2 (1 oz.) squares Bakers Unsweetened Chocolate
3 egg yolks
2 TBS. Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 Ready Made Pie Crust baked and cooled

Prepare pie crust according to directions and cool completely. In medium saucepan, combine Sugar, Flour, milk and chopped Bakers squares. Place over Med. heat and stir with a whisk. When mixture begins to bubble, stir constantly for 2 min. and then remove from heat. Have egg yolks in a separate bowl. Scoop out 1/4 C. of chocolate mixture and pour into egg yolks. Mix immediately to prevent yolks from cooking. Once thoroughly mixed, add back to pan. Place back on heat and begin stirring well and cook again for 1 min. Pour into pie shell and place in fridge. Once cooled, add whipped topping and chocolate shavings for a pretty garnish.

Jan 10th-15th

My family is really getting into this Recipe Blog. Now that I've been taking pictures of things, they want me to try new and different things more often. Colton gets upset if I don't take a picture of HIS plate before eating, how cute!

SAUSAGE MUSHROOM ALFREDO

1 lb. Italian Sweet Sausage
1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
4-5 TBS. butter
1/4 C. flour
1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
2 C. milk
1 C. shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 C. shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder



BEER ROCKS

2 LBS. Ground Hamburger
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt (or more according to taste)
1/3 head chopped cabbage
1 box Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix

Brown hamburger in large frying pan. Half way through cooking, add onions, salt & pepper. When completely cooked, throw in chopped cabbage and cover with lid. The steam will wilt the cabbage.
You do NOT want to fully cook the cabbage.
Prepare roll dough according to package. Knead the dough for the full amount of time given and then begin to roll out the dough. You want it the size of a large pizza; there about. Cut a square in the dough, about 2 in. wide and 3 in. in length. Put 2 spoonfuls of hamburger mix into the middle of the dough. Bring up the corners of the dough followed by the other sides. Pinch together to hold the meat in. Place on a cookie sheet with the pinched side down. It will look like a stuffed roll. Once they are all done, turn oven onto 350 degrees. Set cookie sheet ON TOP of the stove and let them rise for
approx. 25-30 min. Place in oven and bake for about 20-25 min., or
until golden brown.
We open them up and use a country gravy over the top. Sorry, the gravy is a secret family recipe. But use any package country gravy mix and it will do fine!!







Because I am behind on printing up my recipes, I no longer remember WHAT I cooked this week!)

Jan. 3rd - 9th

President Bush's Favorite Brownies

1 1/4 C. flour

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1/2 C. (1 stick) butter

2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips (divided)

3 eggs

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

1 C. sugar

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt.

In large saucepan, melt butter and 1 cup chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, stir until well blended. Add sugar and mix well. Gently fold in flour mixture. Stir in remaining chocolate chips.

Spread into greased 11-by-9-inch pan. Bake in preheated oven 25 - 30 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean. Cool completely and cut into bars.

HAM & PINEAPPLE

We had LOTS of leftover ham and my husbands favorite way to eat it is with pineapple and a sauce. So here's the sauce recipe. I warm up the ham and then pour this over it and serve.

1 can pineapple juice
1/4 C. brown sugar
1 TBS. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 TBS cornstarch mixed with 3 tsp. water


MONTEREY IMITATION CLAM CHOWDER

1 1/2 Cube Butter (I know...A LOT!)
1 finely diced carrot

2 chopped potatoes
2 stalks chopped celery
1 med. onion diced
2 large cloves crushed fresh garlic
1 C. diced raw bacon (optional)
2 Pints heavy Whipping Cream
3-4 C. milk
2 C. 1/2 & 1/2
1 8 oz. bottle clam juice
4 cans chopped clams
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. white pepper
3 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 1/4 c. Flour

In a large (5 qrt.) pot, melt butter on Med. Hi; slowly add flour to create a rue. You want the flour to soak up the butter. (if you add too much flour, simply add more butter) Then begin adding your cream 1 C. at a time. Whisk it in to smooth out the flour paste. Begin adding ALL other ingredients except remainder flour. Bring to a slow boil for about 45 min. In a separate bowl, add the flour and a little milk or cream, use a fork to whisk this around until there are no lumps. Add to soup and stir it in. Let simmer for about another 45 min. stirring CONSTANTLY!!! The soup will thicken as it simmers. If you want it thicker, you can always add more flour!

CHICKEN CORDON BLUE RING

1 lb. chicken Breast tenders
1 lb. ham
1 C. shredded Swiss Cheese
1 C. mayonnaise
2 cans of Crescents

In a food processor, finely grind up both the chicken and ham. Pour into bowl and add cheese. Scoop the mayonnaise in and mix well. (If you have a pizza stone, this will work the best. Otherwise, use a regular pizza pan) Open both cans of crescents; you are going to lay them in a circle on your pizza pan with the tips pointing outward and the short straight edge on the inside. Each crescent needs to overlap just a little. Scoop about 1/8 C. of the ham & chicken mixture onto each crescent. Then take the points and fold them straight over so now the points are in the middle of the ring. Bake for 20-25 min.

2010 NEW YEARS RESOLUTION

Just a note, my goal for this New Year is to not ONLY post my menu each week, but to add pictures of my creations. So this will mean that I will post my menu the following week to ensure that my recipe not only came out right, but it looked pretty and tasted fantastic by those I have fed. I'm getting serious about this can you tell? Everything I post is being double copied over into my file and put in a cook book for my extended family. My husband thinks once it is done I should try and sell it. We'll see!!

NEW YEARS BASH AND HOLIDAY TREATS!!

It has become a family tradition that we throw a New Years Eve or Day bash with friends over. There's lots of kids, noise, games, laughter and most of all....FOOD!!! Here are some of our favorite things to have. I'm sure most of them you know so I won't put a recipe with everything, just those that might be a little new or unusual.
Have a GREAT night and or day and remember to be safe. Make realistic goals for the New Year, that's my motto. ("What's a motto....nothin', what's a motto with you?")

BBQ Weenies
7 layer dip
7 layer salad
Teriyaki wings OR
honey Lime Wings
Chicken Salad Won Tons
Deviled Eggs
Spinach Dip & Veggies
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Cheese Ball & Crackers
Ham & Rolls


7 LAYER SALAD

If you have a Trifle bowl, it is best prepared in that
Layer 1- lettuce
layer 2 - Thawed peas
layer 3 - Mayonnaise spread over first 2
layer 4 - Chopped boiled eggs
layer 5 - Chopped tomatoes (I don't like tomatoes so I substitute green onions)
layer 6 - Crumbled cooked bacon
layer 7 - Grated Cheddar Cheese

TERIYAKI WINGS

One LARGE package of Wings
1 bottle Yoshida Gourmet Sauce

Place wings and 1/2 bottle of sauce in a crock pot on High for 3 hours. (Note, if you enjoy this sauce, you can purchase a LARGE bottle of it at Sam's Club for about $8)

CHICKEN SALAD WON TONS
If you have a favorite recipe for Chicken salad, use it. Other wise try the following.
Boil chicken the night before and place in fridge. Next morning, chop or shred chicken. Mix with the following.

1/2 C. chopped celery
1/2 C. chopped green onions
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
Mayonnaise (Amount is up to your own preference.)

If you have a SMALL cupcake pan, it works best. Place a single won ton wrapper in the cup cake holder. DO not fold down or trip, it will automatically make a small bowl. Bake them at 350 for about10 min. or until lightly browned. Cool and fill with your chicken salad.

STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SALAD

1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
4 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 (16 ounce) package frozen strawberries

MICROWAVE PEANUT BRITTLE

1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 pinch salt (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Grease a baking sheet, and set aside. In a glass bowl, combine peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Cook in microwave for 6 to 7 minutes on High (700 W); mixture should be bubbly and peanuts browned. Stir in butter and vanilla; cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.
2. Quickly stir in baking soda, just until mixture is foamy. Pour immediately onto greased baking sheet. Let cool 15 minutes, or until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container

PEANUT BUTTER BALLS

1/2 C. Softened BUTTER (1 stick)
2 C. Creamy Peanut Butter
3 C. Sifted Confectioner's Sugar
1 ENTIRE PACKAGE Chocolate Almond Bark

Place Almond Bark in med. sauce pan on LOW, repeat....LOW!!! Meanwhile, mix your Peanut Butter and Butter together. Once creamed, add in Powdered Sugar 1 C. at a time. Mixture should be thick. Once chocolate is fully melted, roll peanut butter mix into a small ball, walnut shape. Dip into chocolate. Use a spoon to roll it around to ensure fully covered. (Now is a good time to turn off your stove so the chocolate doesn't get too hot and begin to burn! If while rolling your chocolate gets lumpy, it is burning. Add a LITTLE bit of plain shortening to get the smooth texture back.) Place peanut butter ball on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Once sheet is full, place balls in the freezer for about 2 min. These will last longer IN THE FREEZER, unless of coarse you just CAN'T stay away from them like my family! Take one out, let sit for a couple minutes and it's perfect! If while rolling, the peanut butter mixture gets gooey; place in the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm back up.

Dec. 27 - Jan. 2nd 2010

I hope everyone had a WONDERFUL & FILLING Christmas. The week of Christmas I didn't do a whole lot of cooking, mainly because I was busy doing other stuff to get READY for Christmas. It was a few nights of grilled sandwiches, hot dogs and what not.
I was HOPING to have some leftovers from my in laws for this weekend, but we all ate too much and didn't even get that! So, here's what I will HOPEFULLY be cooking this week!

MUSHROOM CHICKEN

1.5 lb. Chicken thighs
1 large can + 1 reg. can Cream
of Mushroom Soup
1 can Evaporated Milk
1/2 C. reg. milk
1/2 lb. (or more) fresh sliced mushrooms
1 tsp. white pepper
1/2 C. Whit wine (optional)

Place all ingredients in a crock pot on high for 3-3 1/2 hours. Serve over rice.

TERIYAKI CHICKEN & SHRIMP

It has always been a family tradition while growing up that on Christmas Eve, we went out for Chinese. It is a tradition I love to carry on....but the wallet doesn't always cooperate. So, I have learned to improvise.

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 lb. small frozen shrimp (already cooked kind is easier)
2 C. shredded cabbage
1/2 onion sliced
1 C. shredded carrots
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms sliced
1 jar Kikkoman Teriyaki Glaze
2 Tbs. oil
1/2 C. Brown Sugar

Dice chicken into bite size pieces and place in a bowl. (you can marinade this for a while in a mixture of Soy Sauce, Sesame oil, a little Ground ginger and some Garlic powder) In a large frying pan or Wok, pour in oil and coat sides. Once heated on Med. Hi, pour in chicken and cook through; set aside. In same pan, add in all your veggies and saute on Med. heat. You don't want to FULLY cook these, you still want them a little crunchy. When done, place in a separate bowl. Add chicken back to pan and pour in your frozen shrimp. Place a lid on. The water from the frozen shrimp will create a thin sauce on the bottom of your pan. DO NOT OVERCOOK THESE SHRIMP. Add in the entire bottle of Teriyaki Glaze. Pour a little water in the bottle, shake it around to get remaining sauce out and pour into the pan as well. Toss meat and shrimp well to fully coat. Add in your brown sugar to sweeten. (add more according to own taste) If the sauce is too thin, thicken it up with a cornstarch and water mixture. Pour into separate bowl and serve with veggies over rice. (Yeah, we are a big rice eating family!)


SAUSAGE & SPINACH QUICHE

8 oz. mild sausage
1 C. torn fresh spinach
3 eggs, beaten
8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 c. half and half
1 pie shell

Arrange pie shell in your pie dish and set aside. Cook sausage and drain grease. (You can also run warm water over the cooked sausage to get rid of extra grease) Place sausage, spinach and cheese in a bowl. Add eggs and half and half. Mix well and pour into pie shell and bake at 375 for 45 min. Serve immediately.


HAM & FUNEREAL POTATOES
For those of you who are not of the LDS religion, this might sound like a foreign dish. But like every church, it's one of those famous "Church recipes" that has been around for years!! Whenever there was a funeral, these potatoes were sure to be there for the luncheon for the family. Thus the name became "Funeral potatoes." In our house, we put just a little twist on it though.

1 bag frozen hash browns
1 large can Cream of mushroom soup
1 C. sour cream
1 C. milk
1 small chopped onion (Saute a little before you add in if you like)
1 tsp. pepper
1-2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, mix together soup, sour cream, onions and pepper. Mix in half the cheese and then fold in the frozen hash browns. Try to coat as evenly as possible. Pour into an 11x13 casserole dish and bake at 350 for approx. 45 min. Top off with remaining cheese the last 4 min.
THE WOOD TWIST: When we have leftover ham, I chop that up and add it into these potatoes. It's a complete meal and we just add a salad on the side. My boys inhale it like no tomorrow!

CHICKEN K-SO

My sister laughed at me when I told her the title of this one. She says I'm such a "white girl." This is an honest to goodness made up recipe and it turned out GREAT!!

6-7 Boneless Skinless chicken Breasts
1/2 can chicken broth
1 C. Tostito Queso cheese dip

Place ALL ingredients in a crock pot and cook oh high for 3-3 1/2 hours. (For me, it was cooking while we were at church, done by the time we got home!) Remove chicken and shred completely. Pour some of the cheese sauce from crock pot over the top. We used this and made soft tacos with it. Try eating it with Tortilla chips too....it's YUMMY!!!

Dec. 13- 18th

OK...CALL ME A SLACKER!! I have not been as diligent about keeping up with my recipes as I should have been. Please tell me your life gets hectic and that sometimes it's all you can do just to shower and get dressed! Two of my boys had birthdays over the past week and we were busy celebrating them. PLUS....I haven't done a ton of new and fun cooking, just a lot of easy boring stuff.
After watching Julie & Julia, I decided that I needed to get back to my blog PRONTO. Like her, I wonder if anyone really reads this or tries these recipes. I have one thing though that Julie didn't have.....CHILDREN!!! She was diligent and posted daily and tried new recipes for an entire year. Sorry folks, I can't commit to that. Doing so would also commit me to the looney bin!! SO, for those that have been waiting....(ARE there any that have been waiting??) I give you my weeks recipes!! :)


BAKED POTATO SOUP

6 C. water
3-4 chicken Boullion cubes
8-10 chopped red potatoes
1/2 yellow onion chopped
1 PT 1/2 & 1/2
3 C. milk
1 TBS. dried parsley (fresh if you want)
1 lb. Velveeta Cheese
1-2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
6 strips crisp bacon

Add water, bouillion, onions and potatoes to pot and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are half way cooked. Add all other ingredients except bacon. Simmer soup until cheese is melted and potatoes are soft; but don't let them fall apart! Serve and top with crispy bacon.

BBQ PORK NACHOS
Cooked a small pork roast last night and shredded it. Now have all this WONDERFUL meat to do so many things with. Tonight we are doing BBQ Nachos. Here's how it goes! Line plate with tortilla chips, spread shredded pork over, pour on BBQ sauce, top with shredded cheddar cheese OR use cheese queso and then warm up in the microwave. EASY RIGHT?? My husband likes this as a meal AND a late night snack!

SPLIT PEA SOUP IN CROCK POT

2 c. DRIED split peas
1 C. chopped onion
1 C. chopped celery & greens
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 can chicken broth
2 C. water
3-4 ham hocks
2-3 C. chopped cooked ham

Place each ingredient in a crock pot except for chopped ham. DO NOT MIX. Place lid on and cook on low 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Remove ham hocks the last hour and replace with the cooked ham. Mix in well and add salt if needed. The natural salt from the ham hocks should add plenty.

BAKED PARMESAN CHICKEN

5-8 Chicken thighs with skin
Keebler Club crackers
1/2 C. Parmesan Cheese
1-2 TBS. Garlic Salt
4 TBS. melted butter
2 C. Buttermilk

Crush crackers in a ziplock bag. Pour into bowl and add Parmesan Cheese and garlic salt. In separate bowl, pour milk and set aside. (If you don't have Buttermilk, pour 2C. milk in bowl with2 tsp. lemon juice and let sit for 5 min. WHALA....homemade Buttermilk) Preheat oven to 400 deg. Dip chicken in milk, then dip into cracker crumb mixture and coat well. Place in a glass dish. Drizzle melted butter over chicken and place in oven to bake for approx 45 min. or until juices run clear.


HONEY ROLLS
(With permission from my friend Angela, I give you the EASIEST ROLL RECIPE EVER! YES, you CAN make rolls)

1/4 C. really warm water
2 TBS. yeast (NOT those little Red Star Packets from the Store...BUY A BAG OF YEAST!!)
1 tsp. honey
MIX THESE FIRST AND SET ASIDE

1 3/4 C. milk heated until warm
ADD:
1/2 butter and melt
THEN ADD
2 large eggs
1/3 C. honey 3 tsp. salt
MIX WELL THEN ADD TO MIXING BOWL WITH YEAST MIXTURE

Mix in 6 1/2 C. flour 1 C. at a time. Dough should be slightly sticky to the touch but will not stick to your finger. Cover bowl with a towel and let rise until doubled. Tear off pieces of the dough and shape into a ball. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover with a towel and let rise again until doubled in size. Bake at 400 for 15-18 min. Remove and spread homemade honey butter over top or just plane butter. SEE, YOU CAN DO THIS!!

STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

1 box large shells
1 lb. ground sweet sausage
2 lb. Ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce
2 C. shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Boil shells until slightly firm. DO NOT OVER COOK THESE; they will finish cooking in the oven!
Cook sausage and set aside. In a bowl, combine the Ricotta cheese, garlic salt, sausage and egg. Mix well and then spoon into the shells. Pour 1 C. of sauce in the bottom of an 11x13 dish. Place shells in dish. You will need to place these close together so they stand up. top off with the sauce and bake at 350 for 25 min. Sprinkle shredded cheese over and bake additional 8 min. Remove and serve.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
My husbands favorite thing at Thanksgiving is the sweet potatoes with the melted marshmallows. Personally, I've NEVER like that. In fact, I don't even like sweet potatoes!!! Until I tried this recipe! I thought it was FABULOUS and prefer making this around the Holidays instead!

4 cups sweet potato, cubed (or use 2 large cans sweet potatoes DRAINED)
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
4 TBS. butter softened
1/2 C. evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

TOPPING:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
3 TBS. butter
1/2 C. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash. (OR Drain canned sweet potatoes and mash well) In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.In medium bowl, mix the sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.

Nov. 16th -21st

CHINESE LEMON CHICKEN

Ingredients:
2 1/2lbs boneless-skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” cubes)
Marinade-
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
Batter-
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch white pepper
1 Tbs. milk
oil (for frying)
Sauce-
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup chicken broth
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¾ teaspoon salt
3 slices of lemon (peeled)
2 tablespoons oil
yellow food coloring (optional)

Step 1: Place cut chicken breast pieces into a bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Step 2: To make the batter – beat 2 large eggs with 1/4 cup of cornstarch, a pinch of white pepper and baking powder. Coat the chicken with the batter.
Step 3: Heat deep fryer to 350 degrees and deep-fry in batches until chicken is fully cooked. Drain on paper towels and set aside. You can also cook the chicken using a wok if you don’t have a deep fryer.
Step 4: Now, to make the lemon sauce – combine 1/3 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 3/4 teaspoon salt (if using food coloring you can add it now). Mix until well combined and add 3 slices of lemon to the sauce mixture.
Step 5: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in your wok and stir in the lemon sauce mixture and heat until well mixed and sauce becomes clear. Remove lemon slices and pour the sauce over the chicken and mix. Best served with rice.


AMY'S POUND CAKE

1 1/2 C. Butter
3 C. sugar
6 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 3/4 C. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
3/4 C. milk


In a large mixing bowl cream butter, add the sugar and mix well. Beat in eggs and vanilla on med. speed. In separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Alternately add flour and milk to butter batter. Once batter is mixed well, pour into a greased and flour bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Serve with fresh strawberries or French Vanilla ice cream.


CHEATERS VERSION OF CHICKEN BROCCOLI ALFREDO

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken
1 small bag frozen broccoli florets cooked
2 boxes Pasta Roni Fetuccini Alfredo

Cut up chicken in 1" cubes and cook until done. Cook broccoli according to preference. Prepare pasta according to directions on back of box. Add chicken and broccoli the last 3 min. of cooking.



TASTY TURKEY MEATBALLS

I can HONESTLY say that I made this recipe up! It was simple and QUICK, just what I like!

2 rolls of Jenni-O Ground Turkey
1 roll Ground Pork Sausage
2 eggs
1 package turkey flavored stuffing
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Mix Turkey, Sausage, Stuffing and eggs together. With and ice cream scooper, scoop out meat and form into a ball. Place in 11x13 casserole dish. Once meatballs are done, if you have meat leftover, use it to add to the smaller size meatballs. This recipe will make 24 good sized meatballs. Place in oven and bake at 375 for 45 min. Remove dish from oven, pour jar of sauce over meatballs and sprinkle cheese on top. Place back in oven for additional 10 m in.


BROILED GARLIC ASPARAGUS

When I make this, I usually have to tell my boys "No more Asparagus until you eat the REST of your dinner." I know, sounds wrong huh!

1 lb. fresh Asparagus
3-4 Tbs. melted butter
Garlic Salt

Lay Asparagus evenly on a cookies sheet. Drizzle melted butter over and sprinkle generously with Garlic Salt. (I prefer the Lawreys Garlic Salt to all others) Place top oven rack on top setting and set oven to broil. Place asparagus in oven for3-4 min. Turn Asparagus over and return to oven for additional 3-4 min. Remove and serve. DELICIOUS!!


PUMPKIN SPICE RICE KRISPIE TREATS

Had a crazy idea and went with it, turned out pretty good! At Halloween time, Hershey Kisses came out with flavored Kisses, I bought the Pumpkin Spice one. While making the "normal" Rice Krispie Treats, I also melted the Kisses with the Marshmallows. They came out with a very subtle hint of pumpkin spice, perfect for Thanksgiving time! Experiment and try another flavor for your family!! My husband thought the idea sounded gross, then ate half the tray when they were done!!


KIDS RECIPE: TATER DOGS

2 cooked hot dogs
2 servings instant mashed potatoes
2 Tbs. shredded cheddar cheese

Quick and easy recipe my 6 year old LOVES to help make. Cut hot dogs length ways. Lay on plate open faced. (cut side up) Spread mashed potatoes over top and sprinkle with cheese. Place in microwave for a few seconds until cheese is melted. Serve and eat

Nov. 8th - 13th

Okay, so I'm back home and enjoying getting back to my regular routine. First things first, what do I have in my freezer and pantry that I can make for meals and what do I need to go shopping for? The rest of this week will be meals with stuff I already have. A few items might need to be purchased though.

CHICKEN ALFREDO SOUP

This is another favorite of my boys. (Not my husband though, he can't eat broccoli so I usually make it on a night when he has to work!)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken (I like the thighs for this one)
6 C. water
8 oz. angel hair pasta
6 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
1/2 onion diced
3 C. milk
3 C. 1/2 & 1/2 (For thicker soup use real cream)
1 1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese
1 package frozen broccoli florets cooked
2 tsp. garlic salt
2 tsp. pepper

Cut up chicken and cook ahead of time. Set aside. In large soup pot over Med-Hi heat, pour in water& bouillon cubes and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add onions and pasta; cook for 2 min. Add milk, cream, seasonings & chicken. Mix well and let heat up for approx. 5 min. Add cheese and broccoli. Let simmer until cheese is fully melted, about 15 min. Serve immediately but be sure to have spoons and forks to eat this with! French bread on the side goes great!


HAM & BEAN SOUP

1 1/2 lb. dried Navy Beans
7-8 C. water
1 pkg. Ham Hocks
1/2 onion chopped
2 celery stalks finely chopped (optional)
1 Tbs. salt (approx.)
2 C. chopped cooked ham
2 tsp. pepper

Pour beans in a dish and pick out any rocks or broken pieces. Pour into large soup pot with water. Add onions and Ham Hocks and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to Med. heat and let boil for approx 5 hours. In the middle of the boiling time, add seasonings. (Add the salt slowly and taste for preference) The last hour, add the cooked ham. If you have dogs, they will love the Ham hocks. These are mainly just for flavoring, NOT TO EAT!!


MEATLOAF

There are A LOT of recipes for this out there and after reading several of them, I kind of combined a few and came up with my own recipe! The boys love it so I kept it!

1 1/2 lb. ground hamburger
1 1/2 lb. ground pork sausage
1 package stuffing mix (I use the cornbread flavor)
2 eggs
1 small onion chopped
2/3 C. BBQ sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 C. ketchup
4-5 slices raw bacon

Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, place hamburger, sausage, stuffing, onions and eggs. mix together will with your hands. Add in BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Mix again. Shape into a casserole dish. Spread ketchup over top and lay bacon over. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour. DRAIN ALL GREASE WHEN DONE!!


BANANA PUDDING DESSERT

1 5 OZ. packet French Vanilla Pudding Mix
3 C. milk
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Small container Cool Whip
3-4 Bananas sliced
Vanilla Wafers

Mix pudding, milk and Condensed Milk. Once thick, FOLD in Cool whip. In 11x13 in. casserole dish, line bottom with vanilla wafers. Place sliced bananas on top. Pour pudding mix over bananas and place in fridge to set. Just before serving, Place more Vanilla Wafers around edge of dish or crumble over top.

Nov. 1st -7th

This will be a short week for me since I am leaving for California for my mothers wedding. Might do some cooking there though, if it's anything worth sharing, I'll post it! HAPPY NOVEMBER!!

CHICKEN STEW

1 lb. boneless/skinless thighs
3 C. chicken stock
3 C. water
1/2 C. chopped celery
1 C. chopped carrots
1 C. diced red potatoes
1/2 onion chopped
3 crushed cloves garlic
1/2 TBS. Poultry Seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
sprinkle of rosemary & celery salt (optional)
1 C. pearl barley (NOT THE INSTANT!!)


Place ALL ingredients in a crock pot on LOW for 5 hours. The barley needs at LEAST that long to cook in a crock pot. Turn off and shred chicken. This is a yummy recipe that you can add whatever veggies you like.

Halloween Recipes!!

I wanted to share some of my favorite holiday recipes that we enjoy at our house.

EASY CARAMEL

Thanks to my girlfriend Angela, this is a memorized recipe that we have found many uses for lately!

1 C. butter
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. white sugar
1 C. light corn syrup
1 small can sweetened condensed milk

Pour ALL ingredients in a saucepan and place on MED. heat. Let fully melt and simmer stirring constantly. (lower heat if boil is too hard) The longer it boils, the darker and chewier it will be. Use the candy ball method to test. Place small bowl of water nest to the pan. With the spoon you are using to stir, drip a little into the water. If the caramel forms a ball and is firm, it is done. If you want it firmer, keep boiling and test again.

We have used this recipe over popcorn, dipping apples or just pour into a greased cookie sheet and let set. Cut into squares and enjoy as caramel pieces!

CARAMEL APPLES

Use above caramel recipe. We then melt chocolate and white chocolate almond bark to dip the caramel apples in and coat with our favorite candy toppings. Crushed heath bar, crushed Oreos, chopped nuts, cinnamon and sugar, mini M&M's, etc...


WITCHES FINGERS

This was a new one this year and it was a lot of fun!

1 bag pretzel sticks
1 C. Peanut Butter
2/3 C - 1 C. powdered milk
2 Tbs. honey
1 pkg. slivered almonds

In a mixing bowl, mix together peanut butter, powdered milk and honey. Add more milk to make mixture more doughy. Once fully mixed, take about 2 tsp. dough and shape around a pretzel stick to look like a finger. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Place a slivered almond at the tip for a fingernail. Use a toothpick to draw lines for knuckles.


BLOOD CUBES

Use a DARK type of fruit punch or Cranberry Juice. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze. (For extra fun, you can put in gummi worms too) Before you serve these, you'll want to take them out and let them begin to defrost a little to a slushy stage. Place cubes in a glass of Sprite and watch the color dissolve, it looks like blood swirling in water!


APPLE BITES

Slice 2 apples red or green, spread one side of each apple with some peanut butter. Place 2 small marshmallows on each apple. (peanut butter side) Put 2 slices together with skin side facing you, should look like a mouth with teeth.