Taste Buds are the Best Buds

Healthy but great tasting Red Pepper Cream Sauce

2012-01-14T12:34:00.000-08:00

Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
(from allrecipes.com)

2 large red bell peppers
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups half-and-half ( I used fat-free, as well as many of the reviewers- it was great!)
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese (I used Parmesan)
4 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat broiler. Lightly coat the red peppers with olive oil. Grill peppers under the broiler until the skin is blackened, and the flesh has softened slightly. Place peppers in a paper bag or resealable plastic bag to cool for approximately 45 minutes.
Remove the seeds and skin from the peppers (the skin should come off the peppers easily now). Cut peppers into small pieces.( I skipped steps 1 and 2 and just pureed about 1/2 cup jarred yellow and red peppers- find them in the condiments/pickle aisle)
In a skillet, cook and stir the garlic, basil, and red peppers in 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes, so that the flavors mix. ( Add a tablespoon of flour and mix well- this step should thicken the sauce for later)
Place mixture in blender (careful it is hot), and puree to desired consistency. Return puree to skillet, and reheat to a boil. Stir in the half-and-half and the Romano cheese; cook and stir until the cheese melts. Add the butter, and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Honestly- the kids didn't love this one. They are so used to their plain alfredo sauce that they couldn't appreciate this sauce. However, I can't discard this recipe because I thought it was very easy, a lot different than our usual, and it has a great flavor you can use in different pasta dishes. Therefore, I'm keeping it on file! I didn't think it was too spicy, but it had a definite subtle peppery flavor.

One Pot Macaroni and Cheese

2012-01-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

One Pot Mac and Cheese

(from realmomkitchen.com)

2 cups elbow macaroni or shell pasta
2 cups skim milk , plus more if needed
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp dried mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated Monterrey jack cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Place uncooked macaroni in a colander and rinse with water, then allow to drain.
In a large sauce pan, add the macaroni, milk, butter, dried mustard, and salt.
Bring to a simmer cover medium heat. Once it comes to a simmer, turn down to low.
It this point you need to say right by the pot and stir. You will stir for 15-20 minutes until the milk is mostly absorbed and the pasta is tender. You can add more milk if needed. Stirring will prevent a sticky burnt mess.
Add the cheese and stir to combine.
Remove the pot from the heat and cover with the lid and let sit for 5 minutes.
Stir and taste. Add more salt if necessary. Will serve 4.

This is a lot like my crockpot mac and cheese recipe, but it is obviously faster since it's made on the stove. Probably takes about 20 minutes total for the noodles to finish cooking. It is so easy to make a good mac&cheese that all the kids will enjoy and is healthier than the boxed kind. The kids loved it. It wasn't as good the next day, though- dried out a bit.

Red Curry Chicken- sooo good!

2012-01-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

Red Curried Chicken
(from allrecipes.com)
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection® Red Curry Powder
1 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection® Garlic Salt
1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose apple (Golden Delicious), cut in cubes
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection® Garam Masala
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk

Directions

In large self-closing plastic bag, combine flour, red curry powder and garlic salt. Add chicken; shake to coat.
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add chicken cubes; saute until well browned. Reduce heat. Add apple and onion; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in brown sugar, garam masala and coconut milk.
Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice with condiments such as: chopped pistachios or peanuts, golden raisins, sliced green onions, flaked coconut, and mango chutney.
Substitution: May substitute 1 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice for 1 teaspoon garam masala.

I haven't tried red curry powder before, and I was worried it would be a lot more spicy than yellow curry. Well, it was a little different in flavor, but it was amazing! Our kids even ate this dish. Very flavorful and exotic. We'll add this to our Indian food rotation, definitely.

Big, Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-01-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

Best Big, Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(from allrecipes.com)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Refrigerate cookie dough for an hour or more to prevent the cookies from flattening. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

These cookies were great. They were definitely chewy and pretty. There were about 5000 reviews of this recipe on allrecipes.com, so I had to give it a try. I made mine a little smaller, so it took only about 11 minutes to cook them. Take them out while they are almost, but not quite, done. You don't want them overly crispy!

The best ham ever. Crock pot too!

2011-12-12T11:22:00.000-08:00

Harvey Ham Sandwiches
(from allrecipes.com)
1 (6 pound) bone-in ham
1 (8 ounce) jar yellow mustard
1 pound brown sugar (I probably used about half of this- just add to taste!)
24 dinner rolls, split

Directions

Place the ham in a large pot or slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 8 to 10 hours. Remove the meat from the water, and allow to cool. If it has cooked long enough, it will fall into pieces as you pick it up.
Pull the ham apart into shreds once it is cool enough to handle. It doesn't have to be tiny shreds. Place the shredded ham into a slow cooker. Stir in the mustard and brown sugar, cover, and set to Low. Cook just until heated. Serve on dinner rolls. We don't use any other sandwich toppings with it, but that is a personal choice.

Yum. This was awesome ham, I promise. Eat it plain is divine, in rolls is wonderful...as a snack great...you can't go wrong. The mustard is muted, even though that sounds like a lot of mustard. If you're scared, just add half of the mustard called for and taste as you go. Try this ham, you will not be disappointed!

Chicken Parma Rosa- sauce mix, easy, good!

2011-12-04T19:52:00.001-08:00

Chicken Parma Rosa

this is what it looks like at the store-
I never knew about it until a while ago

1 pkg Knorr Parma Rosa Sauce Mix
8 oz. penne (or other pasta desired)
cooked chicken
parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta. Make sauce from Parma Rosa package (I think only a little butter and milk are used).
2. Add chicken to sauce, pour over pasta, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and eat.

Such a fast meal! I think the sauce is great, especially since it is from a package. I was impressed. Kids loved it (besides one), easy to make, tasty. It is a parmesan sauce with a hint of tomato, very subtle.

Chocolate Mint Brownie Cookies

2011-12-04T19:40:00.001-08:00

Chocolate Mint Brownie Cookies
recipe from stephanieskitchen.com

For the cookies:

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the middle layer:
1 cup Guittard green mint chips, melted

For the frosting:
1/2 c. butter, at room temperature
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
4 1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
milk

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar and mix until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture until well combined.
3. Using a 2 inch ice cream scoop, scoop the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until firm. You don’t want to underbake or overbake these cookies. Let cool.
4. Spread a layer of the melted mint chips over the cookies. Put them into the fridge to let them set for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the frosting.
5. Using a mixer, cream the butter. Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa until well combined. Slowly add to the butter. Add the vanilla and a dash of milk at a time until the consistency is thick enough to spread on the cookies. Beat until smooth. Spread the frosting over the mint layer.

If you are a mint brownie lover then these cookies will be loved. All my kids loved these cookies- how could you not with the two extra layers? The melted chocolate chips do harden, so it's different consistency than mint frosting, but we loved them. Very fancy too!

Coconut Chicken- kid friendly and easy

2011-11-30T11:45:00.001-08:00

Coconut Chicken with Apricot Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

1 egg
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl; set aside. Mix the coconut, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Working with one chicken breast at a time, dip the chicken in the bowl with the beaten egg and then coat with the coconut mixture. Place on the baking sheet. Once all chicken breasts are coated and on the baking sheet, evenly drizzle with the melted butter. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping once halfway.

To prepare the apricot sauce, mix the apricot preserves and the Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Freezer Friendly: After baking the chicken, let cool completely then freeze in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. To reheat, bake in a preheated oven at 400˚F for 20 minutes.

Source: Jamie MacDonald, friend of Pennies on a Platter

This was a good dish! The chicken didn't end up too sweet, even with the coconut. It was fun to dip in the sauce, though my kids ate the chicken plain. Fun.

PW Broccoli Cheese Soup

2011-11-13T10:52:00.001-08:00

Broccoli-Cheese Soup from the Pioneer Woman

(from the pioneerwoman.com)

1 whole onion, diced
1 stick 1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
4 cups whole milk
2 cups half-and-half
4 heads broccoli cut Into florets
1 pinch nutmeg
3 cups grated cheese (mild Cheddar, sharp cheddar, jack, etc.)
small dash of salt (more If needed)
freshly ground black pepper
splash of chicken broth If needed for thinning

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes, then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute or so, then pour in milk and half-and-half. Add nutmeg, then add broccoli, a small dash of salt, and plenty of black pepper.

Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Stir in cheese and allow to melt.

Taste seasonings and adjust if needed. Then either serve as is, or mash it with a potato masher to break up the broccoli a bit, or transfer to a blender in two batches and puree completely. (If you puree it in a blender let it cool first, blend, then return it to the heat and allow to heat up. Splash in chicken broth if needed for thinning.)

I have a few other Broccoli Soups on the blog, but of course I have to try Pioneer Woman's version! I liked how you do everything at once in this soup- no pre-cooked veggies or anything, just all in one. This was a great soup, I had all the stuff handy in my kitchen (well, not the half-and-half; I just substituted a can of evaporated milk). Good, warm, fresh-tasting soup. I'll make it again for sure.

Delicious Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake

2011-11-13T09:20:00.001-08:00

Cinnamon Roll Vanilla Sheet Cake

(from picky-palate.com)

1 box yellow cake
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 c. sour cream
15 oz. can pumpkin (or almost 2 cups)
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4-1/2 c. heavy cream (I just used milk- start with the least amount of milk, then add more if need)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a jelly-roll pan (sheet pan) with cooking spray.
Place ingredients from cake mix to pumpkin in a bowl, mixing a minute or two until blended well. Pour into pan, spreading evenly.
Place butter in microwave-safe bowl, and heat in microwave until melted, close to a minute. Add brown sugar and cinnamon to bowl, mixing until incorporated. Drizzle the whole mixture over cake and then use a knife to swirl into the batter.
Bake cake for 30-35 minutes. Mix powdered sugar and milk and drizzle over warm cake. Cool 20 minutes and serve.

These cake bars are so good! Our family couldn't keep away. Easy to make, just read the directions first, then go! Feeds many...or it should.

Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting- TRY

2011-10-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting

1 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Cream sugars and butter. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients. Drop spoonfuls onto non-greased cookie sheet. Cook at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes.

Frosting:

Boil 3 T. butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar until mostly smooth. (Approx. 2 to 3 min.) Cool and add 1/4 cup milk and 2 cups powdered sugar or until desired consistency, and whip with hand mixer or whisk until smooth. Spread onto cookies.

These were amazing. Addicting. Flavorful. SO good.

EASY Crock Pot Vegetarian Chili and Taco Filling

2011-10-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

Southwest Beans

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can refried beans
1 can diced stewed tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can green chilies
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 envelope ranch dip mix

Combine all ingredients in crock pot on low 2-3 hours or until beans soften. Great as a dip, chili, burrito or taco filling.

Yum! We loved this! We used it as a burrito filling and surprisingly the kids ate it up (with ketchup and sour cream). I liked it plain, too. So healthy and easy. Just open can after can and you're done.

Red Hot Cinnamon Popcorn

2011-10-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Red-Hot Cinnamon Candy Popcorn

8 quarts popped popcorn
1 package (9 oz size) red cinnamon candies
1 cup butter
1/2 cup corn syrup

Place popcorn in a large bowl; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the butter, corn syrup and candies; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over popcorn and toss to coat.
Transfer to two greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Bake at 250° for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from pans and place on waxed paper to cool. Break apart; store in airtight containers.

Fun! It's not too hot, but it is a nice change from typical popcorn flavors. Addictive.

Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2011-10-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Chocolate chip cookie layer:

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt
1 T cider vinegar
1 large egg
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cheesecake layer:

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, sugars, vanilla, salt and vinegar. Beat in the egg, then the baking soda and flour. Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide the dough into two equal portions and set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl cream the cream cheese with the sugar until thoroughly combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

3. In a 9x13 pan, spread 1/2 of the cookie dough mixture evenly across the bottom. (This is somewhat tricky to do. I find it easier to add dollops of cookie dough throughout the pan and then spread all the dollops together. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the top of the cookie dough. With the remaining cookie dough, flatten chunks of dough between your hands into discs, and then place on top of the cream cheese mixture. (The dough discs don't have to touch, just place them near each other so they cover the surface as well as possible.)

4. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is brown and cooked through. Cool completely and store in the refrigerator.

(To make this in a sheet pan double the recipe and press into a 12x17" sheet pan. The cooking time is slightly shorter.)

Of course these are yummy! And easy to make and very fun.

Comforting food- Chicken Pot Pie Crumble

2011-10-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble
(from favfamilyrecipes.com)

1 1/2 Lbs chicken (to save time I used my pre-cooked shredded chicken)
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 c. celery, chopped fine
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c. flour
1 c. milk
3/4 c. frozen peas

Crumble Topping:
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
6 Tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. heavy cream (I used half & half)
FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat (If you don't have a dutch oven, just use a stock pot). Cook until chicken is just done (8 to 12 minutes). Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven.

FOR THE TOPPING: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces onto a baking sheet (I just spooned it onto the baking sheet, cooked it, and crumbled it onto the chicken in the baking dish- easier!). Bake at 450-degrees until fragrant and starting to brown (10-13 minutes). Set aside.

FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 5 minutes). While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer and stir until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce.

Pour mixture into 9x13 pan (or if you have small individual-sized oven-safe dishes, you can use those-- see picture above). Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking at 400-degrees sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned (about 12-15 minutes). Serve hot and enjoy!

This was a little complicated to make- it took a couple readings of the recipe to get what I'd be doing when, but next time will be even faster. The recipe is so good, and it tastes clean, you know? No canned stuff. No cream of chicken stuff...FRESH. And simple flavors. But good. The biscuit topping adds a lot too, and there is plenty of that on top!

Chocolate Cream Angel Food Cake

2011-10-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Cream Angel Food Cake
(melskitchencafe.com)

1 Angel Food cake, baked and cooled completely
3 cups heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar
½ cup cocoa
1/2 cup toasted, slivered almonds (I didn't use these)

In a large glass bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until it begins to thicken.
Carefully add the powdered sugar and cocoa gradually and continue whipping. The cocoa will look like it is separating and lumpy but continue to beat until stiff peaks form and by then, the cocoa should be evenly combined. (If you are worried about lumps you can sift in the cocoa and powdered sugar with a fine mesh sieve.) The frosting should be thick and spreadable - but not overly whipped or it will look a bit curdly. Just beat to stiff peaks.
When the angel food cake has been baked and cooled completely, cut the cake in half to form two round circles. Lay the top half to the side and gently remove pieces of the angel food cake to form a ditch in the bottom portion of the cake (taking care not to dig all the way to the bottom of the cake, you want a layer of cake on the bottom underneath the ditch). Spoon frosting into the ditch you made and lay the top circle of cake back on top. Frost the sides, top and middle of the cake. Top with toasted almonds. Refrigerate until time to serve. A serrated knife works best to cut the cake into slices.

I have had this recipe on my to-make list forever, but I should have trusted myself and made it way sooner than now! Totally delicious....not hard to figure out why. Real whipping cream, chocolate flavored? Winning combo.

Low-fat EASY Vanilla Ice Cream- surprisingly great!

2011-10-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

Vanilla Ice Cream
(from allrecipes.com)
4 cups milk
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Combine milk, sugar and vanilla in freezer canister of ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Makes 1/2 gallon.

I was not sure this would turn out well! I have the kitchenaid ice-cream attachment bowl, and I love how easy and fast it is to make your own ice cream. This recipe had great reviews at allrecipes.com, and I decided what the heck...we'll try it! It whipped up quite nicely, though it was very soft-serve, which I prefer anyway. After being frozen over-night, it was a little more icy than normal ice cream, but still delicious. A great guilt-free recipe. It will be fun to try add-ins, or making this with chocolate milk.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

2011-10-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

(from stressspelledbackwards.com)

Cream Cheese Filling:

1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bread:

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 to 1 1/4 cup(s) pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar

Cinnamon Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 2 1/2 Tablespoons half & half or heavy cream
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 8 x 4 x 3-inch loaf pans.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, egg, and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
In a large bowl, blend 1 2/3 cup flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; set aside.
In another medium bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs and sugar; beat at medium speed for 5 minutes (color will change slightly when ready). Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture just until combined.
Pour half of the pumpkin bread batter evenly into the two prepared loaf pans. Spoon cream cheese mixture on top of the pumpkin batter layers in each loaf pan and then spoon or pour on the remaining pumpkin batter (if you don’t have enough pumpkin batter to cover the cream cheese layer entirely, that’s okay, because you’ll be swirling them together anyway). Take a knife and stick straight down into the top pumpkin batter layer and middle cream cheese layer; swirl the knife around in these two layers, creating a marble effect; this will give the cream cheese filling a nice swirly shape as it bakes.
Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pans for 10 minutes; remove to a rack to cool completely. While waiting for the bread to cool, mix your cinnamon glaze: combine powdered sugar and half & half, blending well; then add cinnamon and mix until smooth and creamy. Drizzle over completely cooled bread loaves and then sprinkle on nuts for garnish. Refrigerate. I think this bread tastes better after a day!

I know it takes a few bowls and a little more time but honestly not that much! You don't need the glaze, the bread is great without, but extra great with the glaze. Who doesn't love a little more sugar? Such a flavorful, delicious bread, more decadent because of the cream cheese addition. Pumpkin bread lovers should really enjoy this!

My new Chicken Corn Chowder recipe

2011-10-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

Chicken Corn Chowder

(adapted from pickypalate.com)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 medium bell pepper, color of choice, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and membrane removed (optional)
1/4 cup thinly sliced or chopped ham or Canadian bacon
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 14 oz cans chicken broth or 3 1/2 cups water and 3 bullion cubes
3 T. flour
2 cups frozen corn
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 oz softened cream cheese
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I skipped and didn't need it!)

Place olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute celery, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno until softened.
Stir in garlic and ham; cook for another 3 minutes.
Whisk the broth with the flour in a large bowl then stir into soup. Stir in corn and chicken.
Bring to a low boil and reduce heat.
Add cream cheese and let it melt in, then add milk along with the salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Simmer until ready to serve.

I liked this recipe better than the other corn chowder recipe I had on my blog so I replaced it with this one. It is a great soup, and we enjoyed it a lot.

Two great Chicken Cordon Bleu recipes

2011-10-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
from melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 6

For the Cordon Bleu:

3 large chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise (to form two thinner chicken breast cutlets)
12 slices deli ham
1 cup bread crumbs (I used Special K crushed flakes--tasted good to me!)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 to 1/2 pound thinly sliced swiss cheese

For the Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (or 1 bouillon cube, crushed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and melted butter. Set aside.

Lay the cut chicken breasts in a single layer in the 9X13-inch dish. Layer each chicken breast with two slices of ham and top with 2 slices of swiss cheese, shingling across the chicken breast to make sure the entire chicken breast is covered with ham and cheese. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the chicken.

Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely, the cheese is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden.

While the chicken bakes, in a medium saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly, while cooking the flour/butter mixture for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking quickly. Stir in the chicken bouillon granules and salt. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Once the sauce has bubbled and thickened, remove from heat and stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep the sauce warm until the chicken is finished baking.

Serve each chicken cordon bleu portion with warm sauce.

This was so easy and delicious! Way better than the recipes using cream of chicken soup as the sauce, and not as hard as the list of ingredients and long instructions would lead to you to believe! I enjoyed the simple prep for the chicken, ham and cheese and not having to roll it up like normal cordon bleu. The sauce has such a great flavor and it's yummy on it's own. My kids all ate it, and thought it was good. Try this!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls

from melskitchencafe.com

*Note: if you don't have apple juice on hand, you can omit the apple juice and increase the chicken broth to 1 3/4 cups.

*Serves 4-6

For the Chicken and Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed (about 2-3 chicken breasts) ((to save time I used ready-cooked chicken and just added it to the sauteed garlic and onions))
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup apple juice
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2-3 cups broccoli florets
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

To Assemble:

4-6 medium round regular or sourdough bread bowls or big rolls

8-10 thin slices smoked ham

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat the foil with cooking spray.

Place the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tight fitting microwave-safe lid. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until tender but still bright green. Remove the plastic wrap and set aside.

In a 10- or 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until the chicken begins to brown but isn't cooked all the way through, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened (when chicken is still slightly pink), about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken/onion mixture and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring, constantly for one minute.

Gradually add the chicken broth and apple juice, stirring constantly to avoid any clumps from forming. Stir in the cream, Parmesan cheese, mustard and thyme. Simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in the broccoli; season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Hollow out the inside of the bread bowls by cutting off the tops and tearing out the insides. I like to leave about a 1/4-inch edge along all sides of the bread bowl. Compress the remaining bread together to firm up the sides and make room for the filling. Place the bread bowls on the prepared baking sheet and toast them for about 5 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove the toasted loaves from the oven and arrange the ham slices in the bottom of each loaf. Using a slotted spoon, divide chicken mixture evenly between loaves, reserving about 1-2 cups sauce in the pan for serving. Top the chicken mixture in each loaf with shredded Swiss and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Bake the bread bowls until the cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes. Serve each bread bowl with reserved cream sauce.

Super easy dessert

2011-10-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

Easy Cherry Cobbler Dump Cake

1 can cherry pie filling
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple
1 package yellow or white cake mix
1½ cube butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 cake pan. Dump pineapple, juice and all, in the bottom of pan and spread as evenly as possible. Spread pie filling evenly over pineapple. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the fruit. DO NOT STIR… Slice 1 1/2 cubes of butter thinly or melt and drizzle the butter over cake mix. Try to cover mix. Never mix this cake. Bake 45 minutes. Serve with whip topping or ice cream. Change flavors by changing the flavor of cake mix or pie filling.

Blueberry Dump Cake
1 package yellow cake mix
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Same instructions as above, only mixing sugar and cinnamon in with blueberries, placing on bottom of dish, followed by cake mix and butter.

Fish Tacos

2011-10-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Fish Tacos
(from favfamilyrecipes.com)

1 lb. mahi mahi, tilapia, whatever you like
Kosher salt, to taste
1/4 c. canola oil
1 large lime, juiced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. diced jalapeno
1 tsp. minced garlic
pinch oregano
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8 flour tortillas (soft taco size)

Garnish options:
Shredded cabbage
Hot sauce
Sour cream
Thinly sliced red onion
Sliced green onion
Chopped cilantro leaves
Avocado
Pico de Gallo
Salsa
Cotija (or feta) cheese

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place fish in a medium size dish and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Whisk together the oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, jalapeno, garlic, oregano and cilantro and pour over the fish. Let marinate for about 20 minutes.

Remove the fish from the marinade place onto a hot grill (flesh side down if flesh is still on). Grill the fish for 7-8 minutes on the first side (or until fish is just opaque) and then flip for 30 seconds and remove. Let rest for 5 minutes then flake the fish with a fork.

Place the tortillas on the grill and grill for a few seconds. Place fish on tortillas and garnish with any or all of the garnishes.

We used tilapia because it was the best price at Sam's Club, and we really liked these tacos. Very light. You can definitely just bake in your oven or cook on your stove as well. I used tinfoil on the grill because the fish falls apart easily.

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

2011-09-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

1 packet Traditional Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not Buttermilk)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk (I use 1 cup milk with 1 T. vinegar cause I usually don't have buttermilk on hand)
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro (I always skip and it's great without too)
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (if you like it spicy keep the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds or just skip altogether)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. Enjoy over salad, on mexican food, whatever!

I know a lot of people make the Cafe Rio Pork a lot and love this famous dressing. I have only made it a couple of times but I am amazed how good it tastes. Don't limit it just to pork!

Oreo Pudding Cookies

2011-09-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

Oreo Pudding Cookies

Source: Sweet Treats and More

1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (4.2 ounce) package instant Oreo Pudding mix
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Hershey's Cookies N Cream candy cars broken into small pieces (I was feeling too cheap so I just used a handful each of white chocolate chips and semi-sweet)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in pudding mix until blended.
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix to combine. Stir in cookies n' cream pieces and chocolate chips. Batter will be thick.
Using a cookie dough scoop or a spoon, place dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. You do not want to over-bake these! Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before moving to a cooking rack. Store in air-tight container. Makes three dozen.

These are a lot like these chocolate chip cookies that use vanilla pudding mix. I love the cookies n' cream pudding mix addition! These are awesome. I think the flavor is best when the cookies cool.

An easy and delicious oven-baked chicken dish

2011-09-18T19:04:00.000-07:00

Anniversary Chicken
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup teriyaki basting sauce (if you just have teriyaki sauce, just marinate chicken for half an hour or so, or thicken with corn starch)
1/2 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 (3 ounce) can bacon bits
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush with teriyaki sauce on both sides of the chicken breasts, then spoon on salad dressing.
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Sprinkle with cheese, green onions and bacon bits the last 10 minutes of baking. Remove pan, garnish with parsley and serve.

This chicken has such great flavor! Seems kind of odd to combine teriyaki and ranch flavors but it works really well. A keeper. Great for serving to guests as well- any chicken with bacon on it is sure to impress, right?

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes- decadent!

2011-09-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon roll pancakes

(from recipegirl.com)

Yield: 4 servings (4 pancakes)

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 10 min

PANCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

CINNAMON FILLING:
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
4 Tablespoons butter
2 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Prepare pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, oil and egg, just until batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).

2. In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a small zip baggie and set aside. You don't want this to remain super-liquidy. It's best if it becomes a consistency similar to toothpaste.

3. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl- heat butter and cream cheese until melted. Whisk together until smooth; whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract; set aside.

4. Heat large skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with nonstick spray. Scoop about 3/4 cup batter onto the skillet. Snip the corner of your baggie of filling and squeeze a spiral of the filling onto the top of the pancake. When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.

5. When ready to serve, spoon warmed glaze onto the top of each pancake.

Tips:

*Keep the heat low or your pancakes might cook up too quickly. Don't flip them until you see those bubbles starting to pop on top. Flip them with a wide spatula so you can grasp the whole thing without batter and filling dripping all over the place!
*It's best if you pour the batter onto your skillet, wait a minute or so and then swirl the cinnamon onto the batter. That'll give it a chance to set a little before you add the swirl.
*If your baggie of filling begins to get too thick, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it up again. On that same note, it shouldn't be too runny. The consistency of soft toothpaste is perfect. If it's melty and runny, it will tend to run all over your pancakes. Once you micro it, let it sit on the counter at room temp for a while until it thickens slightly.

Ok, these are a little more time-consuming than Krusteaz but they are so good! Great for a birthday breakfast or other special occasion. Be forewarned- the cinnamon filling is quite tricky to add to the batter on the griddle. It tends to want to spill outside the pancake and sizzle everywhere. It still tastes great this way, but not as pretty! I also didn't wait for the filling to set; mine was too runny. Don't do that. I also skipped the cream cheese glaze because i thought the kids would be satisfied with pancakes as is plain or with maple syrup. And they were. But the cream cheese glaze would definitely be awesome!

Great pancakes for Fall- Pumpkin Pancakes and Cinnamon Syrup

2011-09-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon Syrup
(from allrecipes.com)

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup water

Stir together the white sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Stir in vanilla extract and water. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring often. Continue to boil and stir until mixture thickens to syrup consistency. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 eggs

1-1/4 C. buttermilk

4 T. melted butter

5 T. pumpkin puree

1/4 C. sugar

1/4 t. salt

1-1/4 C. Flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. all-spice

orange food coloring (optional)

1. In a medium sized measuring cup, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice.

2. Combine eggs, buttermilk, butter, pumpkin, sugar and salt in large bowl. Mix well. Add dry ingredients. Mix in orange food colour to desired liking (if you want orange pancakes for Halloween).

3. In preheated skillet, pour about 1/4 c. batter. Once you start to see bubbles form in your pancake it's time to flip it. Continue until you've made all of your pancakes.

--makes about 16-18 medium sized pancakes.

The pumpkin flavor in these pancakes are subtle. They are good to eat plain as well. The syrup is such a fun addition to this flavor pancake, but it would taste great on any pancake/waffle/french toast. Try!

Green Spinach Salad with Craisins and Poppy Dressing

2011-09-06T14:49:00.000-07:00

Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

1 bag spinach leaves
1 bunch red leaf lettuce, torn into pieces
1 bag craisins (1 cup or whatever)
1 bottle real bacon bits (optional)
1 1/2 c. swiss cheese, mozarella, or feta
1 c. slivered almonds, toasted
3-4 green onions, chopped

Toss all together. Add dressing just before serving.

Dressing:

3/4 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1 T. dry minced onion
3/4 c. oil
1 T. poppy seeds
1/3 c. + 2 T. white vinegar

Mix together in a blender. Voila!

This was a tasty salad! Fancy and flavorful.

Herb and Cheese Focaccia Bread

2011-09-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Herb & Cheese Focaccia Bread

Adapted from Taste of Home, (from wonintheoven.blogspot.com)

2 1/4 tsp. or one packet of active dry yeast (not quick rise) (I actually used SAF yeast (instant), just used almost 2 t., and it worked fine- just mix it into the dry ingredients)
1 cup warm water (110-115 F)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
Dash of Pepper
2 to 2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water for 5 minutes.In the meantime mix salt, sugar, garlic powder, oregano, basil, parsley, and pepper in a little bowl.
After yeast is dissolved, add the olive oil, spice mixture, and 1 1/2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
Knead with dough hook for about 6-8 minutes OR alternatively turn onto floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic.
Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled about 1 hour.Punch dough down. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Shape into a 13x9 inch rectangle. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 F.Brush with oil; sprinkle with cheeses and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack.

This made great sandwiches! A nice change from bread or rolls, and not that hard to make, I promise. You just have to work it into your meal plan timing-wise.

Ranch Chicken Salad

2011-09-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

Ranch Chicken Salad

(from cucinafamiglia.com)

3 chicken breasts
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup Hormel Real Bacon Pieces (I skipped but I'm sure it's great with them!)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
5 teaspoons Ranch dressing mix

croissants or rolls

Cook chicken, then chop. Chop celery and green onions as well. In blender blend mayo, milk and ranch. Then add seasonings. Let chill for at least two hours. Serve on croissant.

My favorite bean burrito crockpot/stove recipe

2011-08-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

Beef and Bean Burritos

1 can refried beans
1/2 lb. lean ground beef, cooked and drained
1-2 T. taco seasoning
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 c. salsa

Combine all ingredients and either warm on stovetop or keep in crockpot on low for 2-3 hours. Serve in tortillas with desired toppings.

These are so kid-friendly even my 1 year old was eating them! The brown sugar just adds a touch of sweet to offset the spice. You can definitely forgo the sugar altogether if you'd prefer. But we really enjoy this burrito filling. Very versatile, easy, and tasty.

Zucchini Bread- of course!

2011-08-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

Zucchini Bread
(from allrecipes.com)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil (I do 1/2 c. oil and 1/2 c. applesauce- you won't miss the oil!)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini (I use 3 cups and it's great!)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Such a great recipe- I think it is much healthier with the revisions I made and still tastes like a dessert. I just wish my garden was growing a little bit more zucchini!

What to do with all those cherry tomatoes!

2011-08-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Tomato Feta Salad
(from allrecipes.com)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped sweet onion
1 pound grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

In a bowl, combine the vinegar, basil and salt. Add onion; toss to coat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oil and feta cheese; toss to coat. Serve with a slotted spoon.

This was really tasty! We have so many cherry tomatoes coming out of our garden right now. I wish they'd come out at a more relaxed pace throughout the whole year...

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

2011-08-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

Chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes

(from allrecipes.com)

cookie dough:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate

chips

Cupcake:

1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix

1 1/3 cups water

1/3 cup canola oil

3 eggs

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt; set aside. Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1 egg and the vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Form the dough into tablespoon-sized balls; place onto a baking sheet, and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
2.	Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
3.	Beat 3 eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer to break up. Add the cake mix, water, and canola oil; continue beating for 2 minutes on medium speed. Spoon into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each 2/3 full. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion of the cupcake (not the cookie dough ball) comes clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. These were good! I wasn't addicted to them, but my kids liked them really well and they are great for a change of pace from plain cupcakes. The cake mix makes it easy, you can switch up the flavor from vanilla to chocolate if you'd prefer.

Buffalo Chicken Wraps in the Slow Cooker- easy and YUMMY

2011-08-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Wraps
(from bettycrocker.com)

2 lbs chicken thighs (I used breasts)
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. buffalo wing sauce (I made my own using 1/3 c. hot pepper sauce, 1/3 c. ketchup, and 2 T honey and blended it together, throwing it in the crockpot with the chicken)
3/4 c. ranch dressing
8 tortillas
shredded lettuce or spinach

Place chicken in the crockpot, cover with salt and wing sauce, cook on low for 6-7 hours.
Drain as much of the liquid from the crockpot after finishing cooking, and shred chicken. Add ranch dressing, mix and serve in tortillas.

These were so good! Luckily they weren't too spicy for the kids. You can make them more spicy by adding more hot sauce. Ranch, of course, tames the spicy flavor. The kids like dipping these in ranch and the flavor is awesome. Of course you can make these even quicker using rotisserie chicken, canned chicken and heating it up on the stove or microwave.

Ice Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-07-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

Ice Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

(from pickypalate.com)

2 sticks softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 Tablespoons pure vanilla
Heaping 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream (frozen from container)
4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 bag chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Add in ice cream until combined.

2. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix. Add to wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips; mix until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are cooked through. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

3-4 dozen cookies

I felt like trying these because I was curious about the ice cream addition. Well, I really didn't taste that much of a change, because there was already a lot of vanilla extract in these, which helped with the more enhanced vanilla flavor. But I did use vanilla ice cream, next time why not some crazy chocolate brownie or cookies and cream and chopped oreos? I did like the softness of these cookies, and they tasted real and clean. That sounds weird, but they had a nice homemade taste. Try these if you are feeling fun and have some ice cream hanging around you want to use!

Granola, second recipe

2011-07-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

Granola take 2

4 cups rolled oats (mine were quick-that's ok)
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds (skipped)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 c. canola oil
1/4 c. honey
1 t. vanilla

In a large bowl mix the oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a small saucepan or microwave safe bowl, warm the oil and honey. Carefully stir in vanilla (it bubbles up). Pour liquid over oat mixture and stir with a spoon. Stir with spoon or by hand until it is all evenly incorporated.

Place mixture on greased cookie sheet and place in oven at 200 degrees, stirring every 10 minutes until crunchy, not browned. It takes about an hour. Makes 6 cups.

I wanted to make this recipe because it was lower in sugar and fat than my really yummy granola posted here. I honestly didn't taste that much difference! This recipe is still sweet, still addicting, still snack-worthy. Of course you can add anything you want in after cooking: craisins, raisins..nuts...I like it plain. Try it!

Summer Corn Salad- something different from normal steamed corn!

2011-07-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

Summer Corn Salad

from melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 4

6 ears of corn, shucked (I used frozen sweet corn I cooked as usual and drained)

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (I used cut regular tomatoes)

3 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves (I skipped)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add one tablespoon sugar and one tablespoon vinegar. Add the cobs of corn to the pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Cover the pot, remove from the heat and let the corn sit for 10 minutes. Remove the corn from the pot. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss the kernels in a medium bowl with the red onions, tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve cold or at room temperature.

I have never thought outside the box when it comes to corn. I cook the bagged or canned corn in the microwave, add a little salt and butter, and call it good. Well, this recipe is such a NICE change! Great for summer, great for anytime. I loved the tanginess. I imagine it would taste even better with fresh corn but we just didn't have that available (waiting for it to be 4 for $1.)

Sticky Coconut Chicken- grill on bbq!

2011-07-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

Sticky Coconut Chicken

from melskitchencafe.com

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used breasts)

1 cup canned coconut milk

1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger

1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Marinade chicken in coconut milk, ginger, pepper and red pepper flakes at least one hour (I let mine marinade four about four to five hours). Grill on barbecue.

Glaze:

3/4 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

While the chicken is grilling, bring above ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is reduced and thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Be patient because it takes a little while. But once it starts getting really thick, immediately take it off the heat! Glaze both sides of chicken the last few minutes of grilling and serve chicken over rice.

Sidenote: You can use the extra coconut milk left in the can as part of the liquid in my rice. It ends up mildly sweet and tasty.

This was really delicious. It is grill season after all!

Cookies from a cake mix-- fast and easy!

2011-07-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies
(from Paula Deen)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting, about 1/2 cup
1 (18 ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature (I used reduced-fat)
1 egg
1 stick of butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner’s sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and gooey. Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

I have been waiting a while to try these because I usually don't like cake mix as a base for cookies! I have a few exceptions, like my rolo cookies, but in general I don't like the box-ey flavor that is sometimes evident. With these cookies the cream cheese took any flavor like that and wiped it away! Sam had said he wanted "chocolate donut" cookies, which I sadly don't have a recipe for, but surprisingly when I tasted these I thought they had a very similar flavor! All right!!

Wraps and Chicken Salad- the Summer way to go!

2011-07-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

Chicken Salad Wraps with Strawberries

from realmomkitchen.com)

4 cups chopped cooked chicken
4 medium green onions, chopped
1/4 -1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup creamy poppy seed dressing (Brianna's or Kraft or make your own)
1 (8-ounce) cup cream cheese spread (I use the reduced fat)
8 flour tortillas
lettuce or spinach leaves
1 1/2 -2 cups finely chopped strawberries

Mix chicken, onions and walnuts in food processor bowl. Cover and process by using quick on-and-off motions until finely chopped. Add 1/3 cup of the poppy seed dressing; process only until mixed.
Mix remaining dressing and the cream cheese spread in small bowl with spoon until smooth. Add chicken mixture and combine until well mixed,
Spread chicken mixture evenly over the surface of tortillas leaving top 1 inches of tortillas uncovered.
Press lettuce on top of chicken mixture . Sprinkle strawberries over chicken.
Firmly roll up tortillas, beginning at bottom rolling toward the 1 inch tortilla that is uncovered. As you roll some of the chicken mixture will squish toward the uncovered part of the tortilla, eventually covering it with the salad mixture to help seal the tortilla roll.
Wrap each roll in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Cut each roll in half on a diagonal.

These are so good! The salad is better if it has some time in the refrigerator to blend all the flavors. Of course, slice the strawberries in last minute so they don't go brown. I love having easy, cold, quick dinners in the summer. The strawberry and poppy seed dressing do add a lot to this chicken salad. A keeper!

A nice summer wrap!

2011-06-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

Roast Beef Coleslaw Wraps

uncooked tortillas (my preference but use your favorite)
coleslaw
coleslaw dressing (Kraft makes one)
deli roast beef
pickles, yellow peppers, onions (optional but recommended!)

Of course, cook your tortillas, then add roast beef, coleslaw with dressing, and any extras. Enjoy!

I think these make a great, quick lunch or dinner! Easy, fast, no oven....exactly what you're looking for in the HOT summer!

Brownies that make me sooo happy inside

2011-06-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Brownies for a Crowd
(from realmomkitchen.com)

8 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups of butter, melted
1 1/2 cups Hershey’s cocoa
4 cups sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour

Beat eggs with a mixer in a large bowl. Then add sugar, salt, vanilla and beat for 1 minute.

Add melted butter and blend. In another bowl, mix flour and cocoa with a whisk until well blended.

Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix until well combined.

Spread onto a greased jelly roll pan (12 x 17) and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. You could probably half this recipe and bake it in a 9X13 pan. Cool for 15 minutes and spread with frosting.

Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup cocoa
milk

Blend powdered sugar, butter, and cocoa along with enough milk to make the frosting a spreadable consistency. You do not want to add more than 1/2 cup of milk or your frosting will be too wet. You want a thick frosting that's barely spreadable. Spread over the brownies after they had cooled for 15 minutes. Keep spreading as the frosting melts making it even on the brownies. Allow brownies to continue to cool. Makes 30 good sized brownies.

Okay, initially I wasn't going to make these brownies because the recipe calls for 8 eggs and 2 cups butter! I know there are plenty of great recipes out there that use a lot less of both of those. However, I did need to make a ton of brownies and when I rationalized with myself it made sense that if I am going to get 50 brownies from the recipe, then using that much butter and eggs was natural. And these brownies are fudge-ey and amazing! The frosting just sinks in, with some left on top. Just cut them up small and you'll be okay. You can share with the whole neighborhood after all!

Raspberry Jam Diagonal Cookies

2011-06-09T13:01:00.000-07:00

Jam Diagonals
(yourhomebasedmom.com)

1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt
1 1/4 c. flour
1/3 c. raspberry jam (or any jam or nutella works too, just don't use the glaze with the nutella)
3/4 c. powdered sugar
4 t. lemon juice

Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until creamy and fluffy.
Gradually stir in flour until blended. Divide dough into fourths. On lightly floured surface (or just your hands if you're comfortable) roll each fourth into a 9 inch rope.
Place 3 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Press down the center of each rope so you can spread the jam in the indentation.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Cool.
Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice and spread over jam. Cut diagonally after frosting is set.

I didn't expect to try these or like these, because I usually don't do the fruity cookies or treats. I just think they're second-rate to chocolate! However, one taste and I was happy I tried the recipe. It is fast, and you don't need to do the ropes, you can just form regular cookie dough balls and make an indentation for jam that way, too.