Recipes from the Heart

Naan (flatbread)

2011-12-29T00:44:00.000-08:00

I tried this tonight for dinner and served it as wraps for a chicken, red pepper, green bell pepper and onion sauteed and it was good. I couldn't help but thinking that these were yeasty and fat tortillas. ;D

Yummy Chicken Salad

2011-08-27T00:14:00.000-07:00

I tasted this recently and came up with my own version. So Yummy!

Chicken Breasts grilled, boiled or cooked any way. Any chicken meat is great as long as it's deboned.

Celery stalks- chopped up into small pieces

Finely chopped onion

Almond slivers

Green seedless grapes cut in half

Cajun seasoning, Lawry's seasoning, Poultry seasoning, tarragon- whatever you like and have on hand

Cut up chicken, veggies and fruit. Throw in as much almond slivers as you like- they give a great crunchy texture. Bind together with as much mayonaisse as you need to hold it together.

Serve with a great whole wheat bread with lettuce on top. Sprouts would be awesome too! Would be great on crackers too~

Homemade Hummus

2011-06-26T08:22:00.001-07:00

1 can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (I used more!)
2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt- add more to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Paprika

Blend all in blender leaving some of the chunks for texture. Add a bit of the liquid from garbanzo beans- or more olive oil- if you need more liquid to blend. Dust with Paprika.

Serve with vegetables, pita bread or crackers to dip. One of the most wonderful foods in the world! Definitely!

Anything Fruit Salad

2011-06-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

I "made this up" last nite and it came out delicious. Use any fruit and pudding you like.

1 can of mandarin oranges- refrigerated and not drained
1 can of tropical fruit- refrigerated and not drained
frozen strawberries or other fruit
1 box of instant banana pudding
Marshmellows
Cool Whip

Whisk together fruit and pudding in large bowl till dissolved. Stir in desired amount of marshmellows and Cool Whip. Will thicken overnite in ref.

Eggs in a Frame

2011-06-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

These are so easy and yummy!

Cookie Cut a whole in your bread and pull out the center. You can use a glass, cookie cutter or anything your heart desires! (I used a crystal light container cut down that I use for biscuit cutting) Butter one side of the bread.

Make sure your non-stick pan is *really* non stick. If it isn't go ahead and add some butter or oil to the pan just in case or it will get messy. (ask me how I know!) Place butter side up bread in pan over medium heat and...

...crack egg in the middle.
You can break your yolk if you like and add salt, pepper, whatever you like.
When bread is nice and golden brown and eggs are cooked to your desired doneness- FLIP!
Fry the little rounds and add as presentation.
Voila!

Perfect Soft Boiled Eggs

2011-05-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

My dear Mom had these cute little egg cups (like the one pictured above) and we used to eat our soft boiled eggs directly from the shell with a teaspoon. It seemed so luxurious to me as a kid.

Here's my foolproof soft boiled eggs. I love the fact that there is no oil. Break one of these on top of a piece of toast with a tiny bit of salt makes a wonderful breakfast.

Place eggs in small saucepan just till covered. Turn on heat on medium flame. When eggs start 'dancing' turn down heat and cook for 2 minutes.

Pour off hot water and add cold water to pan to stop the egg from cooking any more.

Peel and eat! This is such a wonderful comfort food that reminds me of my childhood. The fact that they are cooked with no added fat is a bonus!

Easy Banana Fruit Smoothie

2011-05-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

One Banana (frozen) or regular (I bought a whole bunch of ripe bananas, unpeeled them, and stuck them in a freezer bag)
Small amount of Korean Yakult yogurt or ordinary yogurt

A bit of fresh fruit such as kiwi, canned peaches, strawberries or whatever you have on hand

Whir in blender. Add an ice cube or two if your banana is not frozen.

Yum!

Baked Ranch Chicken

2011-05-02T15:55:00.001-07:00

1 envelope ranch dressing mix (dry)
several pieces of chicken

Roll chicken pieces in dry ranch dressing mix. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes (about 25 minutes for boneless skinless chicken breasts. Easy and good!

Angela B's Chicken Pot Pie

2011-04-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

Angela brought me this yummy Chicken Pot Pie after I got out of the hospital. SO yummy!

Cook Chicken (poach) in water in pan. Let cool then cut up as desired. Let cool.

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

1 Package Bonleless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 can Cambell's Cream of Chicken Soup +1/2 can of water mixed well
1 pkg Frozen Pie Shell (with bottom AND top crust)

Place chicken in Pie Shell and pour soup mixture on top. Sprinkle top with veggies then put other pastry on top. Crimp edges. Cut slits on top to allow steam to vent.

Cook till Bubbly and Golden.

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

2011-04-26T03:08:00.000-07:00

(from Pinching Your Pennies)

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other type of nut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1 cup oats (instant, quick or old fashioned) Use a bit less and add to desired texture
1/2 chopped unsalted nuts and/or seeds (any combination you like)
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (any that you like)or Chocolate Chips
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Place peanut butter and honey in a small saucepan and heat over low heat just until melted enough to combine thoroughly with a whisk. Mixture does not need to be very hot. It just needs to be mixed and a little bit of heat helps that.

Overlap two pieces of Saran Wrap that will cover the entire bottom, sides and wrap around the top of Bars.

Put the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the combined peanut butter and honey. Stir just until well combined. Add more oats if mixture seems too wet. Pour mixture into pan and distribute as evenly as possible. I bring the Saran Wrap from the sides to the top and press down with my hands.

Refrigerate or freeze till firm. Cut into desired sizes, individually wrap or put in small ziploc bags in freezer.

Chile Relleno Casserole

2011-04-01T02:27:00.000-07:00

6 eggs beaten
3 cups- 24 ounces- cream style cottage cheese
3/4 cup crushed ritz crackers
4 cans green chiles, chopped
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Combine all ingredients (besides half the cheeses)and put in 10X6X2 greased pan. Bake 350 for 45 minutes or till knife inserted comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake till melted. Let stand 10 minutes till casserole becomes more solid.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

2011-03-02T21:22:00.001-08:00

Blueberry Coffee Cake

2 Cups Flour, 1 Cup sugar, 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder, 1 Teaspoons salt, 1/3 Cup Softened Butter, 1 Cup Milk, 1 Cup Blueberries

Struezel Topping

1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts, 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar, 1/4 Cup Flour, 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon, 3 Teaspoons Softened Butter

Glaze

1 Cup Powdered Sugar, 2 Tablespoons Milk, 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla

(Drizzle over cake)

Preheat oven to 350'. Grease 9x13 or 9x9 pan. Spread half batter in pan, sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over batter, top with rest of batter and struezel topping and bake for 40 minutes. Pour Glaze over cake after cake has come out of the oven.

Dissapearing Cream Cheese Delight

2011-03-02T04:43:00.000-08:00

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls
8 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Sugar/Cinnamon mixture (1/4 cup sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cinnamon)
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter or margarine

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray. Gently unroll 1 can of crescents and keeping sections joined, press into bottom of pan.

Cream together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar by cooking in microwave for 45 seconds on high, then stir until smooth. Spread evenly on crescent layer. Layer second can of crescents over cream cheese. Sprinkle sugar/cinnamon mixture evenly on this layer. Melt butter in microwave evenly for 1 minute at 50% power, then pour evenly on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Variations: You may sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans on top before adding butter if desired. May add diced fresh apples (3/4 cup) or a small can well drained crushed pineapple to cream cheese mixture.

NOTE: if you add fruit, you will need to increase baking time an extra 5 minutes

Fruit Fluff

2011-02-12T01:50:00.000-08:00

Salad or Dessert- can go either way.

1 pkg of Cool Whip
1 pkg of instant jello
1 small can of crushed pineapple
1 small tub of cottage cheese

Mix all together and put in freezer till creamy.

Orange flavor jello + mandarin oranges
Strawberry jello + strawberry pieces

Brownie Covered Oreos

2011-01-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

1 Brownie mix (or use your own brownie recipe)

1 package Oreos, I used the Chocolate ones

White chocolate, melted for drizzle, or Wilton White frosting pen works great

White nonpariels Sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare brownie batter according to package directions. Leave in mixing bowl. Dip Oreos in brownie batter then place in bottom of cupcake tins that have been generously sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until brownies are cooked through (doesn’t take long). As soon as you remove, take a plastic knife and run along edges, (this is VERY important so you get the cookie out with brownies not stuck to pan

2. Let cool for 5 minutes and remove.

3. Drizzle with melted white chocolate and/or sprinkles. Or top with a Hershey's kiss.

Makes entire package of Oreos

Chocolate Eclair Delight

2011-01-26T07:13:00.001-08:00

I had this today and it was so YUMMY!

1 box of graham crackers
2 boxes of (french) vanilla pudding- prepared as directions on box (I've used banana pudding and it tasted great as well)
1 container cool whip
1 container chocolate frosting

Arrange graham crackers on bottom of 13x9 pan covering entire bottom. Whip cool whip and prepared pudding together on top of graham crackers. Add another layer of crackers and pudding mixture and, lastly, top with graham crackers. Refrigerate until cold and spread frosting on top. Place back in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

2010-11-24T01:03:00.000-08:00

Tired of rubbery hard boiled eggs? Green around the yolk? Here is the perfect hard boiled egg.

Place eggs in pan and cover with water plus one inch. Turn heat to high and when the water bubbles and the water bubbles and the eggs start to 'dance' cover the saucepan and let the eggs stand for 17 minutes. Don't peek! Pour off hot water and rinse with cold water a few times and fill with cold water. Let sit till cool and peel.

Hens in a Blanket

2010-11-21T06:36:00.000-08:00

1 (9 oz.) pkg. chicken breast tenders
1 (8 oz.) can refrigerated crescent rolls
Cheddar cheese slices

Preheat oven to 400.

Unroll crescent rolls; separate into triangles. Top each
triangle with a chicken tender and slice of cheese. Roll up,
starting at wide end. Bake on a cookie sheet for 10 to
12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Sausage, Cheese, and Grit Casserole

2010-11-20T06:23:00.000-08:00

1 pound bulk spicy pork sausage (Jimmy Dean)
4 cups water
1 cup quick-cooking grits
4 ounces grated cheese
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
3 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until the sausage is crumbly and lightly browned. Drain off the grease and place the sausage in a bowl. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Stir in the grits, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook and stir constantly for 5 minutes until the grits are tender, or follow package directions.

Stir together the sausage, cheese, butter, hot pepper sauce, and eggs. Fold in the grits until combined, then spread into an ungreased, small casserole dish. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown on top, 30 to 40 minutes.

Oreo Truffles

2010-10-28T22:45:00.001-07:00

1 package Oreos
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 package dipping chocolate

Crush Oreos in a food processor until very fine (you could also use a blender). Mix in the cream cheese. Form into 1" balls and chill for 1 hour. Melt chocolate and dip the balls. Set on wax paper to cool. Drizzle with melted white chocolate, if desired. Refrigerate.

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

2010-09-29T04:04:00.000-07:00

Eat it and Weep =)

10 ounces (frozen) chicken tenderloin or 1-2 chicken breasts
3-4 cans of chicken brot
1 stick butter or margarine
frozen mixed veggies of your choice
1 can evaporated milk
1 can Grands Biscuits

Boil Chicken in broth till done. Remove chicken and cut up in bite size pieces. Set chicken aside.

Add 1 stick of margarine to the broth. (I tried to make this without and it doesn't taste as good) Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, Heat up veggies in the microwave and roll out biscuits on cutting board, dipping in flour if neccesary to prevent sticking. Cut each biscuit into four strips- they will not be uniform sized. Place biscuit pieces in boiling broth. Cover and cook dumplings until they swell up and then shrink back down- approximately 10 minutes or so. Add can of milk and vegetables and stir gently.

Yum

Snapple Iced Tea

2010-08-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

Who doesn’t love a nice cold bottle of Snapple on a hot day? Maybe it is the “Best Stuff on Earth”, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it better (and cheaper) at home. And if you prefer diet, just replace the sugar with 12 packets of artificial sweetener.

8 cups water
2 Lipton tea bags
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice

Add the water to a large saucepan and place over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the tea bags and turn off the heat. Cover the saucepan and let stand for about 2 hours.
After 2 hours, discard the teabags. Add the sugar to a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the tea into the pitcher. Add the lemon juice and give it a good stir. Refrigerate until cold or serve over ice.

Makes 2 quarts.
*from Recipe Secrets

Lumpia Shanghai

2010-05-19T00:21:00.000-07:00

This recipe was given to me by Sis. Mackert and let me tell you, it is very delicious!!!

3 lbs Ground Beef or Ground Pork or Ground Chicken
1/2 bag of carrots shredded.. I used my food processor.
1 large Onion diced very small or I used my food processor.
5 Stalks of Celery shredded.. I used my food processor.
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp of season salt
a little soy sauce to taste
a little black pepper to taste
4 eggs
2 tsp Sesame oil
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
3 Pks Lumpia Wrappers
Plus if you have it, I added one Pork cube to my recipe for flavor.

Note: With the carrot, onion, and celery, I used my food processor and it worked great and was a whole lot less work.

Directions: Mix all together ( I used plastic gloves because it is sticky ). Now take about a tablespoon or more of mixture and add to center of lumpia wrapper in a line that resembles a long tube across the wrapper and follow directions on how to roll it on the package. Remember to roll these very tight because when you fry them you don't want them coming apart. I make a huge amount of the mixture and roll up several Lumpias and freeze them for a later date for a good fellowship food.

Serve with: Philippino sweet chili sauce or your favorite sweet and sour sauce. Or make your own homemade sweet and sour sauce with. Recipe follows.

Home made sweet and sour sauce:
ketchup, Lemon Juice, brown sugar, black pepper, garlic salt, dried onion, chili sauce, and corn starch for thickening. Add these ingredients to your liking and cook in a small pot on stove. Yummy!

Best Green Beans

2010-05-19T00:11:00.000-07:00

1/2 pound sliced bacon, diced
4 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, diced or minced
2 (15.5 ounce) cans French cut green beans
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

Directions: place bacon in large pan and fry over medium heat. Cook bacon until brown. Add the mushrooms and garlic and reduce the heat to medium low. Let cook for a few minutes to soften the mushrooms. Stir in the green beans and soy sauce and heat through.

Chicken Alfredo Pasta Salad

2010-05-18T23:57:00.000-07:00

Prep time: 30 min. Total time: 30 min. Servings: 4 servings ( 1 1/4 cups each)

1 Box (7.75 oz) classic salad mix pasta cork screw pasta
1/2 cup refrigerated Alfredo sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded or diced deli rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken (w/o skin)
1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup halved sliced cucumber
2 Tablespoons sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions:
In 3 quart saucepan cook pasta as directed on box. Drain; rinse with cold water to cool.

In small bowl mix seasoning mix from packet and Alfredo sauce. Place cooked pasta, chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers and basil in servin bowl. Add alfredo mixture; toss evenly to coat. Sprinkle with topping packet and basil sprig, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time.

Note: I doubled the recipe. I did not use the classic salad mix because I did not have it and I don't think my store carries this. I did use the corkskrew pasta in the different colors and grilled my Tyson garlic flavored chicken breasts on my george foreman and cut it up and it added awesome flavor. I also used extra parmesan cheese in the mix. Besides that difference, I made the recipe the same. Play around with it and add new flavors. This is a yummy cold side dish for a bbq or whatever you plan to do for the summer time.

Porky's Cherry Salad

2010-05-12T20:50:00.001-07:00

Straight from Porky's in Mexico, Missouri.

One can cherry pie filling
One can sweetened condensed milk
2 8 oz cartons of cool whip
16 ounce crushed pineapple- do not drain
One cup chopped nuts - optional
One cup mini marshmellows

Mix all together and chill.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

2010-03-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

This is the bomb!

2 Cups Flour
1 Cup sugar, 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder, 1 Teaspoons salt, 1/3 Cup Softened Butter, 1 Cup Milk, 1 Cup Blueberries

Fluffy White Frosting

2010-03-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

This is a variation of Pioneer Women's frosting and is so delish. Light and fluffy and not too sweet. I think it would make a great dip for strawberries as well.

In saucepan put
1 cup of milk (I used evap) and add
5 Tbsp flour

Whisk together and cook over low heat till thick. Don't overcook. Add 1 tsp of vanilla and let cool completely.

In large bowl cream together
1 cube butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar

Add flour mixture to shortening mixture and cream till light and fluffy and the granules of sugar have dissolved. Even after beating the frosting might be a bit grainy but will dissolve after about an hour.

Serve with Pioneer Women's Best Chocolate Sheet Cake.

*You can substitute brown sugar for banana cake or zuchinni bread.

Fluffy Fruit Salad

2010-03-05T12:21:00.000-08:00

Easy and good!

24 oz. cottage cheese
8 oz. whipped topping
1 large jello mix (strawberry, cherry flavor)
2 cans fruit cocktail
Fresh fruit, like sliced strawberries, blueberries, banana, etc.

Mix all together in a bowl. Let set several hours, or preferably overnight.

Brownie Goody Bars

2010-03-01T03:48:00.000-08:00

Not for the faint of heart! Definitely sweet!!!

1 box (1 lb 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box
1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
3/4 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
3 cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray or shortening. (For easier cutting, line pan with foil, then grease foil on bottom only of pan.)
2. Make and bake brownies as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan, using water, oil and eggs. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. Frost brownies with frosting. Sprinkle with peanuts; refrigerate while making cereal mixture.
4. Measure cereal into large bowl; set aside. In 1-quart saucepan, melt peanut butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour over cereal in bowl, stirring until evenly coated. Spread over frosted brownies. Cool completely before cutting, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

French Toast Casserole

2010-02-22T07:11:00.000-08:00

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Dubu Buchim (Fried Tofu)

2010-02-12T21:49:00.000-08:00

In Korea and the US Tofu comes in large (approximately) 6by4 inch cubes. Cut in half lengthwise and in approximately 10 slices about 1/2 inch thick or to your preference. Fry gently in oil until brown on both sides taking care to not break the tofu. Arrange on dish.

1 clove garlic minced fine
1 stalk green onion (I used an equal amount of white onion and it was still great)
1 tsp Korean chile powder ( or more to taste)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey sugar (I have ommited and it was still great)
2 tsp sesame oil

Mix all in bowl and keep covered tightly in refrigerator.

This recipe originally came from Maangchi on youtube. You can find her website in the sidebar at right. She has a wonderful channel and has answered so many questions. She is really a sweetheart

Korean Dipping Sauce for Fried Tofu

2010-02-12T21:18:00.000-08:00

This sauce is originally for putting on top of deep fried tofu but is so good for lumpia or anything Asian inspired.

1 clove garlic minced fine
1 stalk green onion (I used an equal amount of white onion and it was still great)
1 tsp Korean chile powder ( or more to taste)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey sugar (I have ommited and it was still great)
2 tsp sesame oil

Mix all in bowl and keep covered tightly in refrigerator.

This recipe originally came from Maangchi on youtube. You can find her website in the sidebar at right. She has a wonderful channel and has answered so many questions. She is really a sweetheart.

Fudge

2010-02-02T15:04:00.000-08:00

Butter sides of a 2 qt saucepan. In it combine:

2 cups sugar
6 oz. evaporated milk
1 heaping tablespoon cocoa
dash salt

Cook and stir continuously over medium heat until mixture reaches soft ball stage. Usually takes approx 13 to 15 minutes. Immediately remove from heat. Add
1 tablespoon butter without stirring. Let cool until lukewarm. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat vigorously until fudge stiffens and looses it's gloss. Quickly add nuts if desired and push from pan onto wax paper.

Zucchini Pancakes

2009-03-01T09:39:00.000-08:00

2 cups shredded zucchini (2 whole zucchinis in my case)
1/2 bread crumbs
1/2 cup italian cheese blend
2 eggs
1 T. minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
olive oil (enough to make a nice frying layer in the pan)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Shred zucchini using a cheese grater. Take towels and pat shredded zucchini to remove majority of water.

Mix together zucchini, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a frying pan to medium heat. Drop in small globs of zucchini into heated olive and press down with fork to flatten. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Serve with ranch dressing or other dipping sauces!

Blueberry Crisp

2009-03-01T09:37:00.000-08:00

4 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Place the blueberries into an 8 inch square baking dish. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in the mayonnaise until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the berries.

3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is lightly browned.

Pumpkin Crunch Bars

2008-12-30T05:46:00.000-08:00

The bottom layer is creamy pumpkin pie and the top is crunchy topping! Better then Pie!

Spray 15 by 10 pan with non stick spray and set aside.

Make topping first~
1 yellow or white cake mix
1 cube (1/2 cup) margarine or butter
(optional) add chopped walnuts

Mix margarine and cake mix together till well combined. If mixture is too wet add some flour till it is crumbly and resembles pie crust dough. (I will give approximate measuremnents next time I make this and add them here) Set aside.

30 ounces canned pumpkin
12 ounces evaporated milk
6 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Bake in 350 oven till browned and pumpkin is set. (Time will vary depending on oven)

Cookie Dough Truffles

2008-12-15T21:47:00.000-08:00

After shaping the dough into balls, I usually freeze them before dipping instead of refrigeration, and these freeze well after dipping, also. I also add about 1/8 to 1/4 cup more flour to the dough for less stickiness than the recipe calls for.

Southwest Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

2008-12-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp Canola or vegetable oil
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil, shiny side up. Spray with cooking spray if desired.

Put first six ingredients in a gallon-size Ziploc bag and shake to blend. Add sweet potatoes. Drizzle oil over potatoes in the bag. Seal bag and shake to coat.

Arrange coated potato wedges on the baking sheet so no fries are overlapping. Bake for 18 minutes. Flip the fries over and bake for another 10-12 minutes.

Serve with ketchup or horseradish sauce.

Makes about 12-15 wedge fries.

Pumpkin Crunch Bars

2008-12-10T07:10:00.000-08:00

15 oz. can pumpkin
12 oz. can evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1 package yellow butter cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup melted butter (2 sticks)
Garnish with fresh whipped cream

Mix the first six ingredients until creamy. Pour into greased 13x9 glass baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with dry cake mix. Then add pecans and drizzle butter. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Cool, then serve each piece with a dollop for fresh whipped cream.

Cheesy Corn Chowder

2008-11-28T14:29:00.000-08:00

3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 cup water

2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillion granules

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (I used about 1/2 of that)

dash black pepper

3 cups milk

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen whole kernel corn

2 Tablespoons flour

8 oz. velveeta cheese

1 Tablespoon snipped parsley

3 slices chopped cooked bacon

In large saucepan, combine the potatoes, water, bouillion granules, ground red pepper, and black pepper. Bring these to a boil, and reduce heat. Cover the pot and cook for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 and 1/2 cups of the milk and all the corn. In a small bowl, stir together remaining milk and flour, stir this into the potato mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until it is slightly thick and bubbly. Cook and stir one minute more. Add the cheese to the soup mixture; stir until cheese melts. Stir in bacon, and spoon the soup into four bowls. Top with parsley.

Chocolate/Lemon Delight

2008-11-04T15:50:00.000-08:00

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flour
2 cups cool whip
2 pkg 8oz cream cheese
3 cups milk
1 cup powdered sugar
2 pkg instant lemon pudding

1st layer: Mix together like pie dough; butter, chopped pecans and flour.
Press into 9x13 pan, and bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Cool.

2nd layer: Blend cool whip, cream cheese and powdered sugar.
Spread over first layer.

3rd layer: Blend instant lemon pudding and milk. Spread over second layer.

4th layer: Spread wool whip on third layer. Chill. Sprinkle nuts on top.

Variation: Use 1 cup less cool whip and 1 pkg less cream cheese, and 1 cup more flour and butter.

Cream Pie and Variations

2008-10-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

I have many Cream Pie Recipes on this blog and have been searching for one that 'remains standing' when you cut it and doesnt run into of the pan. This recipe is THE recipe. It looks great and stands up!

3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs or 3 egg yolks
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
3 tbsp butter or oleo
1 tsp vanilla

In saucepan mix sugar, flour and salt. Add 1 cup milk; mix smooth.
Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring briskly. Continue to stir and
let boil until smoothly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat;
with fork beat eggs or egg yolks with remaining 1 cup milk; gradually
stir into hot mixture, then put back over heat. Bring to boil, stirring,
and boil until mixture thickens a bit more, about 1 minute. Remove
from heat, stir in butter and vanilla. Top with meringue or chill and
serve with whipped cream.

Pie Variations-

For vanilla cream pie do not add any additional ingredients
For chocolate cream pie increse sugar to 1 cup and add 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
For Banana Cream Pie add sliced bananas in bottom of pie crust and on top of filling
For Butterscotch Pie use brown sugar instead of the white sugar
For Coconut Cream Pie make as vanilla cream adding 1 cup of flaked coconut folded into pie filling.

You can top your pie with whip cream or you can use the leftover egg whites to make a merengue.

Merengue-
Beat 3 egg whites together, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 tsp cream of tartar till stiff peaks form.

Easy Salsa

2008-09-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

1/2 large onion
14 1/2 ounce can stewed tomatoes
1 heaping tbsp canned jalapenos
1/2 tsp cumin (or less)
dash oregano
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp chile powder

Chop then blend in blender leaving some chunks. Refrigerate

Easy Iced Tea

2008-09-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

4-6 small teabags
1 cup sugar or 2 cups sugar for sweet tea
Ice
Water

Run the teabags through coffee maker. In 2 quart pitcher add about 2 trays of ice and 1 cup of sugar or two if you want sweet tea. Pour in hot water and stir till sugar is dissolved. Add water till full. Refrigerate

Garden Spiral Salad

2008-09-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

Another recipe from Debbie. =)

16 ounce garden spiral pasta (rotini, etc)
1/2 cup hard salami chopped
1/2 cup pepperoni chopped
1 cup cucumbers, chopped
1/3 cup green pepper choped
1/3 cup red onion rings
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 cup cheese cubed or shredded (mozzarella or cheddar)
1 1/2 cup Italian style dressing of oil vinegar dressing
(I think olives are good in this too)

Cook Pasta. Drain and chill. Combine all ingredients except dressing. Toss with dressing when ready to serve

You can substitute ranch dressing or use broccoli and cawliflower etc. For the pic in this post I didnt have any salami so I used Polska Kielbasa. It still was delicious!

Homemade Beef, Pork or Chicken Stew

2008-08-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

Rocky Road Dessert Pie (it's more like cake)

2008-08-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

1 pkg. chocolate fudge cake mix
2/3 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 and 3/4 cups whipping cream (heavy cream)
2/3 cup miniature marshmallows
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Chocolate glaze

Oven 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch pie plate with shortening. Dust with sugar. Reserve 1 and 2/3 cups lightly packed cake mix (dry). Beat remaining cake mix, the water, oil and eggs in a bowl on low speed for 30 second, medium speed for 2 minutes. Spread in the pie plate. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched in the center. Cool completely. Beat heavy cream and reserved cake mix until stiff. Fold in marshmallows, nuts and chips. Spread over cake. Prepare glaze; immediately drizzle over top. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.
Chocolate glaze: Heat and stir 1 Tablespoon heavy cream, 1 teaspoon margarine, and 1 0z. chopped semisweet chocolate over medium heat until smooth.

Ranch Potato Casserole

2008-07-30T17:38:00.001-07:00

6-8 medium red potatoes, washed and eyes and dirt removed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup ranch salad dressing (not dry powder)
1/4 cup bacon bits or crumbled bacon
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 cup cheddar cheese

Topping-
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar
2 cups slightly crushed corn flakes
1/4 cup butter

Cook the potatoes till tender. (I do this the night before by baking then instead of boiling) Quarter them and leave skin on. Combine sour cream, ranch dressing, bacon, parsley and 1 cup of the cheese Toss potatoes in dressing mixture and place potatoes in greased 13by9 pan. Top with 1/2 cup of the cheese (topping). Combine corn flakes and butter and sprinkle over casserole. Bake 350 for 40-35 minutes

Italian-Style Pasta Toss

2008-07-30T09:54:00.003-07:00

I love this pasta salad!

7 oz. corkscrew macaroni or one 7 oz. pkg. cheese tortellini
1 and 1/2 cups cubed swiss or provolone cheese (6 oz)
6 ounces sliced salami, cut into strips
1 cup cauliflower flowerets, thinly sliced
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped green or sweet red pepper
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup snipped parsley
1/2 cup olive oil or salad oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 medium tomatoes, chopped

Cook pasta according to pkg. directions. Drain. Rinse with cold water, drain again.
For salad, in a bowl, toss together pasta, cubed cheese, salami, cauliflower, green or red pepper, onion, olives, parmesan cheese, and parsley.
for dressing, in a screw top jar combine oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, oregeno, and pepper. Cover, and shake well. Pour over salad. Toss to coat. Cover, chill 4 to 24 hours before serving. To serve add tomatoes, and toss gently. 6 main dish servings, or more if a side dish.

Glazed Chicken and Vegetables

2008-07-30T09:54:00.002-07:00

1 (2 and 1/2 lb. to 3 lb.) broiler-fryer chicken
cooking oil
3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered, or 6 new potatoes
6 medium carrots, bias-sliced into 1/2" pieces
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup prepared mustard
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 medium apples, cored

Rinse chicken, and pat dry. Tie legs to tail, twist wing tips under back. Place, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan (I've made this without the rack). Brush with oil. Roast chicken, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for one hour.
Cook potatoes and carrots in boiling water for 20-25 minutes, or til nearly tender. Drain.
For glaze, in a saucepan combine honey, mustard, onion, curry powder, garlic salt, red pepper, and ginger. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; set aside.
Discard fat in roasting pan. Cut apples into wedges. Arrange potatoes, carrots, and apples around chicken in the pan. Spoon glaze over poultry, vegetables, and apples. Roast for 15-20 minutes more or til chicken is no longer pink, the drumsticks move easily in their sockets, and the vegetables are tender. Makes 6 servings.

Butterscotch Fudge

2008-07-30T09:54:00.001-07:00

1 teaspoon + 2 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 and 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 (10-11 oz. pkg.) butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Line an 8 inch square pan with foil, and grease it with 1 teaspoon butter. In a saucepan combine sugar, milk, salt, and remaining butter; cook over medium heat til it boils. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, and add the marshmallows, chips, nuts, and vanilla. Stir until the marshmallows and chips are melted. Spoon into pan, let it stand until set. Using foil, lift out of pan, and cut into squares. Store at room temperature. About 1 and 1/2 lbs.

Buttered Egg Noodles (no drain)

2008-07-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

I had to fiddle around with the amount of water and ended up adding about 4 Tbsp extra.

2 Wyler's chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup real butter
8 ounces egg noodles

Bring water, 2 boullion cubes and 1/2 stick of butter to boil using med to high heat. Add egg noodles. Cover and Cook until noodles are desired texture stirring frequently. (I added an extra 4 TBSP of water) The recipe calls for adding the remaining 4 TBSP of butter which is entirely unneccesary. Sprinkle with Parsley.

Menu Ideas

2008-07-23T00:13:00.001-07:00

Chicken
Baked Chicken
Chicken Teriyaki
Chicken Enchiladas
Jalapeno Chicken
BBQ ChickenChicken Cacciatore
Peach Glazed Chicken
Shredded Chicken Enchiladas
Sweet and Sour Chicken (whole or breaded)
Hot Wings
Buffalo Wings
Chicken ala King
Traditional Turkey
Salsa Chicken
Chicken Fajitas
Chicken Fried Rice
Honey Chicken
Fried Chicken
Chicken Cordon Bleu
King Ranch Casserole
Chicken and Gravy
JMac’s Chicken
Teriyaki Chicken
Adobo Chicken

Pork
Fried Pork Patties
Pork Burritos
Pork Roast
Pork Chile
Pork Fajitas
Pork Ribs
Ham
Ham Fried Rice
Pork Chops

Ground Beef
Beef Enchiladas
Meatloaf
Salisbury Steak
Lasagna
Spaghetti
Hamburgers
Manicotti
Soft Tacos
Nachos
Swedish Meatballs
Pizza Casserole

Processed
Italian Sausage/Smoked Sausage
Fish
Hot Dogs
Meatball Variations

Casseroles
Jalapeno Chicken
Night Before Casserole

Misc
Pizza

Side Dishes
Red Beans and Rice
Mashed Potatoes
Red Rice
Noodles Alfredo
French Fries
Noodles
White Rice
Scalloped Potatoes
Potato Salad
Roasted Potatoes
Yakisoba Noodles
Macaroni Salad
Baked Potatoes
Wild Rice
Fried Rice
Mac and Cheese
Stuffing/Dressing
Spanish Rice

Korean Style Meatballs

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

While these are not meatballs they are close except that they are flat. I just dont know the real name but they are delish.

onion chopped
green pepper chopped
carrotts chopped
ground pork and/or beef
tofu

flour
eggs

Combine first five ingredients. Form into balls and flatten so they are easier to fry. Dip in egg then flour. Fry till meat is cooked through and done.

Orange Cream Cheesecake

2008-07-21T11:52:00.001-07:00

This is worth the many steps, and no bake! Fantastic flavor, and pretty layers.

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Filling:
1 package (3 oz.) orange gelatin
3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 and 1/4 cups sugar
1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 carton (8 oz.) cool whip, thawed

Topping:
2 cups whipped topping
1/4 cup sugar

Combine the cracker crumbs cinnamon, orange peel and butter. Press into the bottom of a greased 10 inch springform pan. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Prepare gelatin according to package directions. Set aside 1/2 cup at room temperature. Chill remaining gelatin until slightly thickened.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar for 2 minutes. Gradually beat in milk and lemon juice. Beat on medium-high speed two minutes longer. Gradually beat in orange juice concentrate, vanilla, and room temperature gelatin. Fold in whipped topping. Pour over prepared crust.
In a mixing bowl, beat whipped topping and sugar. Beat in refrigerated gelatin (mixture will be thin). Chill for 30 minutes. Gently spoon over the filling (pan will be full). Refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight. 10-12 servings.

Pineapple Rice Pudding

2008-07-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

This is rich, creamy and delicious! Hands down the best rice pudding I've ever eaten!

4 cups milk, divided
3 cups COOKED long grain rice
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pkg. (3 0z.) cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pineapple sauce:
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks, undrained
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon corn starch
1 Tablespoon margarine
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In saucepan, combine 3 and 1/2 cups milk, rice, sugar and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until thick and creamy, stirring occasionally. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese. Beat in eggs and remaining milk. Stir into rice mixture. Cook and stir for 2 minutes over medium heat until mixture reaches 160 degrees. Stir in vanilla. Spoon into 6 dessert dishes. Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set the pineapple aside. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, butter, salt, and reserved pineapple juice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for two minutes or until thickened. Stir in vanilla and pineapple. Spoon over pudding. 6 servings.

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

2008-07-21T06:52:00.002-07:00

1/4 lb. bulk pork sausage
2-3 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 and 1/4 or 1 and 1/3 cups milk
Warm biscuits

In a skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until no longer pink: drain. Stir in flour, butter, salt and pepper; cook and stir until butter is melted. Gradually add the milk stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Serve over biscuits. 2 servings.

Beef Burritos

2008-07-21T06:52:00.001-07:00

2 chuck pot roasts (2 and 1/2 to 3 lbs. each)
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup water
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chiles
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup cold water
4 drops hot pepper sauce
18 flour tortillas, warmed
Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and salsa

In dutch oven over medium heat, brown roasts in oil; drain. Add water, onion, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 to 2 and 1/2 hours or until meat is tender (keep an eye on the liquid in the pot, and don't let it boil dry). Remove roasts; cool. Remove meat from bone and cut into bite-sized pieces. Skim fat from pan juices. Add tomatoes and chiles; mix well. Add meat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes. Combine flour and cold water; mix well. Stir into beef mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Add hot pepper sauce. Spoon down the center of tortillas; fold top and bottom of tortilla over filling and roll up. Serve with cheese, sour cream and salsa. 18 servings.

Holiday Ham with Pineapple

2008-07-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

1 whole bone-in fully cooked ham (12-14 lbs), spiral-cut or thinly sliced
2 cans (6 oz. each), pineapple juice
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 and 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
20-30 whole cloves

Place ham in a roasting pan. Slowly pour pineapple juice over ham so it runs between slices. Spoon pineapple over ham. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cloves. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Discard cloves. Cover and bake ham at 325 degrees for 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 140 degrees, basting every 20 minutes. 20-28 servings. If a spiral sliced ham isn't available, ask your butcher to cut a fully cooked ham into 1/8 inch thick slices, and tie it securely. This is a delicious ham recipe!

Pineapple-Mandarin Orange Cake

2008-07-19T06:17:00.000-07:00

Yellow Cake Mix
3/4 Cup of oil
4 eggs
1 small can of mandarin oranges (drain 1/2 of the juice off, then pour into mix)
1 Large can of crushed pineapple (pour 1/2 of the can into mix. Save the other half for topping)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a mixer. Then pour into pan or glass dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. As soon as cake comes out of pan, put it in the refrigerator for 20 min. (refrigeration is optional, you can just allow it to cool)

ICING:

One 12 oz. carton of cool whip
One package of instant vanilla pudding (do not prepare, put it in the bowl like it is.)
Drain the rest of the pineapple and put all ingredients into the bowl and mix with mixer. When the cake is cool put the icing on cake. The cake should then be refrigerated if you have any left overs.

Lemon Cheese Coconut Cake

2008-07-19T02:10:00.001-07:00

I made this up today and it was delicious!

Grease 13by9 cake pan. Sprinkle coconut in bottom of pan.

Mix a white cake mix as box recommends and pour into pan.

Combine one container of lemon frosting with 1 block of cream cheese. (I defrosted the cream cheese in the microwave to make it softer) Thoroughly combine and spoon over top of cake. Marble with knife. Bake until nice and brown and done in center.

I am looking forward to trying this with other variations. Chocolate Cream Cheese sounds wonderful.

White chip orange dream cookies

2008-07-15T13:28:00.001-07:00

2 and 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2-3 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 cups (12 oz.) Nestle white chocolate morsels

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Beat in egg and orange peel. Graduallly beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop dough by Tablespoons on an ungreased cookie sheet. bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes, or until the edges are light brown. Let stand for 2 minutes on cookie sheet, remove to cool.

Apple Goody

2008-07-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

3 cups apples (peeled and sliced)
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
cinnamon to taste

Put above ingredients in a greased pan and top with the following items after mixing them together:
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar

Bake at 350 degrees until the apples are done (approx. 25-30 minutes).

Pizza Salad

2008-07-15T08:28:00.003-07:00

1 lb. spiral macaroni, cooked and drained
3 medium tomatoes, diced
1 lb. cheddar cheese, cubed
1 to 2 bunches green onions, sliced
3 ounces sliced pepperoni, cut in halves
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, combine cooked drained and cooled macaroni, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, green onions, and pepperoni. In a small bowl combine oil, parmesan cheese, vinegar and seasonings; pour over macaroni mixture. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. 16 servings.

Delicious Pumpkin Bread

2008-07-15T08:28:00.002-07:00

5 eggs
1 and 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 packages (3 0z each) cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add oil and pumpkin, beat until smooth. Combine remaining ingredients; gradually beat into pumpkin mixture. Pour batter into 5 greased 5 inch x 2 and 1/2-in.X 2 inch loaf pans (miniature pans). Bake at 325 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks. Bread may also be baked in two greased 8 in. X 4 in. X 2 inch loaf pans for 75-80 minutes. When baking the larger loaves cover with foil after 60 minutes to prevent over browning.

Make Ahead Potatoes

2008-07-15T08:28:00.001-07:00

10 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 package (8 0z) cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons margarine, divided
2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
paprika

Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain and place in a bowl; mash. Add sour cream, cream cheese, 4 tablespoon butter, onion and salt; stir until smooth and the cream cheese and butter are melted. Spread in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Melt remaining butter, drizzle over potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate, or bake immediately, covered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes; uncover and bake 20 minutes longer. If potatoes are made ahead and refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. 12 servings.

Stuffed Chicken Rolls (crock pot)

2008-07-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

6 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
6 slices fully cooked ham
6 slices swiss cheese
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 can (10 and 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 cup chicken broth

Flatten chicken to 1/8 inch thickness. Place ham and cheese on each breast. Roll up and tuck in ends; secure with a toothpick. Combine the flour, parmesan, sage, paprika, and pepper; coat chicken on all sides. Cover and refrigerate one hour. In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil over medium-high heat. Transfer to a 5 quart slow cooker. Combine soup and broth; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Remove toothpicks, garnish with fresh parsley if desired. 6 servings.

Easy Coffee Cake

2008-07-13T07:21:00.001-07:00

1 cup flour
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar (brown is best, or a mixture of brown and white or whatever you have will do)

Yellow or White Cake Mix
Ingredients called for on box of cake

Mix together flour, shortenings and sugar with pastry cutter or hands. Mixture will be crumbly. You can add more flour if you like. Set aside for topping. Prepare cake batter as box says and pour into prepared pan. Top with topping and bake per directions on box or toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Serve with Whip Cream or Cool Whip

Oreo Pie

2008-07-11T01:07:00.000-07:00

1 graham cracker crust or homemade pie crust
2 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
dash of lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)
Large Tub of cool whip
Oreos

Crush about 8-16 oreo cookies in plastic bag with rolling pin. Set aside. Mix cream cheese with mixer in large bowl. Add sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and mix till blended making sure there are no lumps. Fold in half of a large tub of Cool Whip into filling and 3/4 of cookies. Spread on cooled pie crust. Top with thin layer of Cool Whip and sprinkle with remaining cookies. Enjoy!

*this is pretty sweet. Use as few or as many Oreos as you desire

Classic Crisco Pie Crust

2008-07-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

FOR THE SINGLE CRUST:
Spoon flour into measuring cup and level. Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in Crisco® using pastry blender (or 2 knives) until all flour is blended in to form pea-size chunks.

Sprinkle with water, one tablespoon at a time. Toss lightly with fork until dough will form ball. Divide dough in half, if making double crust. Press between hands to form one or two 5 to 6-inch pancakes.

Flour dough lightly. Roll into circle between sheets of waxed paper on dampened countertop. Peel off top sheet. For single crust, trim one inch larger than inverted 9-inch pie plate. Flip into pie plate. Remove other sheet and press pastry to fit. Fold edge under. Flute.

FOR THE DOUBLE CRUST:
Flour each half of dough lightly. Roll into circles between sheets of waxed paper on dampened countertop. Peel off top sheet for bottom crust. Transfer bottom crust to pie plate. Remove other sheet and press pastry to fit. Trim edge even with pie plate. Add desired filling to unbaked pie crust.

Remove top sheet from top crust. Lift top crust onto filled pie. Remove other sheet. Trim to 1/2-inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold top edge under bottom crust. Flute. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake according to specific recipe instructions. For single baked pie shell, heat oven to 425 degrees F. Thoroughly prick bottom and sides with fork (50 times) to prevent shrinking. Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. For recipe calling for unbaked pie shell, follow baking directions given in that recipe.

Easy Fried Rice

2008-07-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

For every two servings or one HUGE monster serving =)

In wok or frying pan heat up 1 Tbsp oil

Add your choice of whatever you have on hand- only need a little of each-

sliced onion
baby carrots grated- grated (essential imho for taste and color)
green peppers
peas
mushrooms
zucchini- grated
finely chopped chopped cabbage
fresh garlic (it aint the same without!)

Saute till tender.

Add one chicken breast chopped up (optional), pork or tuna drained VERY well and fry for a bit.

Meausure out one cup of refrigerated leftover rice in measuring cup and add to pan. Make sure rice is broken up- that there are no chunks and oil coats all of the rice grains.

Add 1 Tbsp of sesame oil- really makes the dish taste awesome

In your pan, spread the rice over to the sides so there is a only pan in the center. Scramble up one egg in a bowl. Add a little tad of oil if neccesary and cook egg in center well. If you like you can also fry an egg after and place it on top if you like it better. Mix egg in rice.

Heat through. When every thing is heated add 1 Tbsp of soy sauce. I know to some this might seem overkill but I add salt to the dish. Soy sauce is salty but I like the taste of salt in my fried rice too.

Serve with kimchi- yum!

* When you have leftover rice it is best to store it in an airtight container such as a plastic container or a ziploc bag. If air gets in it the rice will turn into rice pellets that will not soften up. I like to make extra rice and chicken breasts and store it in the refrigerator for easy lunches.

I wanted to mention how Koreans make Home Rice (ome rice) pretty much as above. For the egg part they fry egg in a skillet with oil and put the egg lying in a bowl pushed down on the bottom. Then they take the fried rice and pack it in the bowl and flip the bowl over for a very nice presentation. They also use Ketchup swirled on top. Yum.

Chicken Parmigiana

2008-07-08T00:11:00.000-07:00

1 whole chicken boned and skinned or 1 bag of boneless skinless chicken
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp flour
1 egg
1/4 c. soft white breadcrumbs
6 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Tomato Sauce: recipe follows
3 oz. Mozzarella cheese

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sprinkle lightly with flour and dip chicken into beaten egg. in shallow dish, mix together breadcrumbs and 4 tbsp. of the Parmesan cheese; dredge chicken to coat thoroughly. In small frypan, place olive oil over medium heat; add chicken and cook about 3 min. turn and cook 3 min. more to brown lightly on each side. Place chicken in baking dish, cover with tomato sauce; place Mozzarella cheese on top and sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp of the Parmesan cheese. Place in 350 degrees F. oven and cook about 15 min., until bubbly. Makes 2 servings.

Tomato Sauce: In small frypan, place 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil; add 1/2 onion, chopped, and 1 clove garlic, minced; saute about 2 min. Stir in 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce, 2 tbsp oregano, 1/4 tsp. pepper and 1 1/2 tsp. chopped parsley. Cover and simmer 5 min.

Foolproof Omelette

2008-07-07T22:47:00.000-07:00

I have on hand 4 eggs, green peppers, spanish onions and some marbled cheddar/monterey jack cheese. Yum!

I use a non stick spray AND a bit of butter/margarine. I know I am a glutton for punishment but it also tastes so much better. =)

Scramble up your eggs

Turn up the heat and let your butter melt. It is ready when a droplet of water dances on the skillet.

Pour your eggs into your skillet. Salt if desired.

Swirl pan around so eggs form all over the bottom of the pan

If my eggs are thick in the pan I like to gently move the eggs on the side to the middle and let the runny eggs touch the pan to cook...

Sprinkle fillings on top.

Turn flame down to low. My stove flame is pretty small so I have to move my pan around to make sure the eggs cook evenly and the cheese melts.

Flip Omelette over and slide onto serving plate. YUM!

Candied Chicken

2008-07-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

as much chicken as will fit in a 9X13 inch pan (I like dark meat best for this recipe)
salt and pepper
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup catsup
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place, skin side down, in a 9x13 inch baking pan. Combine remaining ingredients until blended. Pour over chicken. Cover with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 1 and 1/2 hours. Turn chicken. Bake uncovered, 30 minutes more, basting frequently to glaze chicken. Pass the sauce to serve over white rice.

Shoppers Chicken

2008-07-05T17:28:00.001-07:00

3 whole chicken breasts, halved, or 6 pieces of dark meat
1 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine

Combine sour cream, lemon juice, salt and paprika. Place chicken, skin-side up, in a buttered 9X13 inch baking dish. Spread mixture over top. Pour butter over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Chicken with Sour Cream Gravy

2008-07-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

1 chicken, cut up
3 tablespoons margarine
seasoning salt
3 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup sour cream

Heat butter in large skillet. Brown chicken on both sides. Sprinkle with seasoning salt. Ad 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cook, covered for 20 minutes (keep an eye on it, and make sure the water doesn't boil away). Turn chicken, continue cooking 15 to 20 minutes until done. Remove chicken, and keep warm. In a small jar, combine flour and 1/2 cup water; shake to mix well. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Stir in sour cream, but do not let boil. Taste for seasoning. Four servings. Serve the gravy over the chicken and mashed potatoes.

Glazed Chicken Curry

2008-07-05T17:24:00.001-07:00

1 chicken, cut up
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder

Heat oven 350 degrees. Put butter in 9X13 inch pan; place in oven to melt. Remove from oven, and stir in remaining ingredients, minus the chicken. Add chicken, turning to coat. Bake for 60 minutes, basting occasionally with sauce. Chicken should be tender and richly glazed. 4 servings. This is delicious!

Golden Chicken Bake

2008-07-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

1 chicken, cut up
butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 teaspoon minced dried parsley

Arrange chicken, skin side down, in shallow baking dish. Place generous dabs of butter over chicken. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn chicken; bake 2o more minutes. Stir soup, and pour over chicken. Sprinkle parsley over top. Bake 20 minutes more. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Simple but tasty!

CrockPot Ranch Potatoes

2008-07-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of potato soup, undiluted
1 Envelope Ranch salad dressing mix
1 tbsp milk

Fresh herbs, grated cheese or green onions added to top. Sometime crock pot dishes tend to not look so pretty. So the topping(s) would give it better eye appeal.

Place potatoes in crockpot.
In a bowl beat together cream cheese, soup, salad dressing mix and milk. Stir into potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until potatoes are tender.

Easy Banana Muffins

2008-07-05T13:28:00.003-07:00

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl combine butter and sugar, beat well. Add eggs and beat. Stir in the bananas. Add flour and baking soda stirring just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Lightly grease and flour 12- muffin muffin pan, then fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Great served warm. About 12 muffins.

Steak Supper in Foil

2008-07-05T13:28:00.002-07:00

1 and 1/2 lb. chuck steak, 1 inch thick
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
3 medium carrots, quartered (I usually add a few more)
2 stalks celery, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 medium potatoes, pared and quartered
2 Tablespoons water
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place a 24X18 inch piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil in a baking pan (I usually use a cookie sheet); place meat on foil. Stir together mushroom soup, and dry onion soup mix; spread on top of meat. Top meat with veggies; sprinkle water over veggies. Fold foil over everything, and seal securely. Cook for 1 and 1/2 hours or until tender.

Santa Fe Casserole

2008-07-05T13:28:00.001-07:00

1 lb. ground beef
1 (10 3/4 oz.) condensed golden corn soup (or one can creamed corn)
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cheddar or nacho cheese soup
3/4 cup chopped green onions
3/4 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
sixteen 6 inch corn tortillas
4 oz. monterey jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1/2 cup sliced black olives

oven 350. Cook ground beef, drain off excess grease. Stir in undiluted corn soup or creamed corn, and chili powder. In large bowl, stir cheese soup, onions, tomatoes, and chiles until blended. Cut tortillas in half. Line bottom of greased 11X17 inch pan with 8 tortilla halves. Cover with 1/2 the meat mixture. Top with 8 more tortilla halves, then with half the soup mixture. Repeat layers, ending with soup mixture. Bake 25 minutes. Top with shredded cheese and olives, and bake 10 minutes longer, or until bubbly. Cool slightly before cutting.

Cinnamon Rolls (bread machine)

2008-07-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

These are fantastic, taste like Cinnabons!

1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup warm milk
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 of a 3.4 oz. package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 Tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour (I've used all purpose)
1 (.25 oz.) pkg. active dry yeast

filling:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cups chopped pecans (optional, I don't add these)

Icing:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1) In bread machine pan add first 9 ingredients, in order. Set bread machine to dough cycle; press start.
2) When dough cycle is finished, turn dough onto lightly floured surface, and roll into a 17X10 inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter. In a small bowl, stir together filling ingredients, and sprinkle mixture over dough.
3) Roll up dough, beginning with the long side. Slice into sixteen 1 inch slices, and place in a 9 X 13 inch buttered pan. Let rise til doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4) Bake in a preheated oven 15-20 minutes. Remove rolls from oven and top with frosting, and enjoy!

Roux 101

2008-07-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

In Cajun and Creole cuisine, the roux has been raised to a new dimension
never before experienced in other forms of cooking.

Butter, lard, peanut oil, bacon fat and even duck fat have been used in
combination with flour to produce as many taste and colour variations as
there are cooks in South Louisiana.

In classical cuisine, the brown roux is used for brown sauce, the blonde
roux for veloutes and the white roux is used for bechamels.

In Creole cuisine, a brown roux is made from butter or bacon fat and is used
to thicken gumbos and stews requiring a light touch.

The Cajun dark brown roux is best made with vegetable oil.

The flour and oil are cooked together until the roux reaches a caramel
colour.

This roux has less thickening power.

Thus, the thickening capabilities of the dark roux are diminished.

The dark brown roux is the secret to traditional Cajun food because of the
richness and depth it adds to the dish.

Butter is used in classical and Creole roux's, however, the Cajuns use only
vegetable oil or lard to produce their lighter coloured roux.

Tan in appearance, these light roux's are used primarily with vegetables and
light meat dishes.

Certain gumbos are further thickened, in Bayou country, with either okra or
file powder.

THE BROWN ROUX

1/2 c butter
1/2 c flour

In a heavy bottom sauté pan, melt butter over medium high heat.

Using a wooden roux spoon, add flour, stirring constantly until flour
becomes light brown.

You must continue stirring during the cooking process, as flour will tend to
scorch as browning process proceeds.

Should black specks appear in the roux, discard and begin again.

This volume of roux will thicken three cups of stock to sauce consistency.

THE BLONDE BUTTER ROUX

1/2 c butter
1/2 c flour

In a heavy bottom saute pan, melt butter over medium high heat.

Proceed exactly as in the brown roux recipe, however, only cook to the pale
gold state.

This roux is popular in Creole cooking and will thicken three cups of stock
to a sauce consistency.

THE WHITE BUTTER ROUX

1/2 c butter
1/2 c flour

In a heavy bottom sauté pan, melt butter over medium high heat.

Proceed exactly as in the blonde roux recipe, however, only cook until the
flour and butter are well blended and bubbly.

Do not brown.

This classical style roux is popular in Creole cooking and will thicken
three cups of stock to a sauce consistency.

THE CREOLE ROUX

The Creole roux can be made with lightly salted butter, bacon drippings or
lard.

As with everything regarding food in Louisiana, whenever someone attempts to
reduce this wealth of food lore to written material, an argument breaks out.
Let's just say that Creole roux's vary in colour the same as Classical and
Cajun ones.

The Creoles, however, did have butter in their pantry, but any butter a
Cajun had would be saved for a biscuit or cornbread and never put in the
black iron pot for a roux.

If a comparison statement can be made, it would be that generally speaking,
Creole roux is darker in colour than the classical French brown roux it
descended from but not as dark as the Cajun dark roux.

THE LIGHT BROWN CAJUN ROUX

1/2 c oil
1/2 c flour

In a black iron pot or skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat to
approximately 300 F.

Using a wooden roux spoon, slowly add the flour, stirring constantly until
the roux is peanut butter in colour, approximately two minutes.

Roux is normally used to thicken vegetable dishes such as corn maque
choux (shrimp, corn and tomato stew) or butter beans with ham.

If using this roux to thicken an etouffee, it will thicken approximately two
quarts of liquid.

If used to thicken seafood gumbo, it will thicken approximately two and a
half quarts of stock.

THE DARK BROWN CAJUN ROUX

1 c oil
1/2 c flour

Proceed as you would in the light brown Cajun roux recipe but continue
cooking until the roux is the colour of a light caramel.

This roux should almost be twice as dark as the light brown roux but not as
dark as chocolate.

You should remember that the darker the roux gets, the less thickening power
it holds and the roux tends to become bitter.

This roux is used most often in sauce piquantes, craw fish bisque's and
gumbos.

However, it is perfectly normal to use the dark brown roux in any dish in
Cajun cooking.

This roux gives food such a rich character that I sometimes make shrimp and
corn bisque with it, as well as a river road seafood gumbo that will knock
your socks off. Slow cooking is essential to achieve that dark, rich colour.
Some time ago, I was discussing the origin of the dark roux. I've always
contended that because the Cajuns cooked in black iron pots over open fires
using lard as a base, the dark roux was discovered by accident when the fire
got too hot and the flour over-browned. With their lean pantries in mind,
the Cajuns kept the roux instead of discarding it.

They enjoyed the flavor and kept doing it that way.

Properly done, the dark Cajun roux enriches food with colour and flavor that
is so fantastic it could only be Cajun.

Table of Sauce and Soup Consistencies

Using The Roux of Cajun and Creole Cooking

THE BUTTER BASE ROUX'S

THE CLASSICAL & CREOLE ROUX'S

1 cup butter
1 cup flour

This recipe will thicken the following:

6 c stock to a thick white sauce consistency.
8 c stock to a concentrated soup consistency.
10 c stock to a thick soup consistency.
12 c stock to a perfect Louisiana gumbo consistency.
14 c stock to a light gumbo consistency.

THE OIL BASE ROUX'S

THE CAJUN ROUX'S

1 c vegetable oil
1 c flour

Cooked at 300 F three to five minutes, this recipe will thicken the following:

6 c stock to a thick brown sauce consistency.
8 c stock to a thick gumbo consistency.
10 c stock to a perfect Louisiana gumbo consistency.
12 c stock to a light gumbo consistency.

It should be noted that the butter or oil base roux's may be made well in
advance, cooled, separated into half cup portions and placed in the
refrigerator or freezer.

The roux will keep well for months and always be available to you should an
emergency arise.

Orange Creamsicle Cake

2008-07-05T10:32:00.001-07:00

1 box Duncan Hines lemon supreme cake mix
1 (6 oz.) box orange gelatin

Bake cake according to directions on box. Let cool. Mix gelatin with 1/2 cup cold water and 1/2 cup hot water. Poke holes in top of cake and pour gelatin mixture over cake. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

ICING:

1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (3 oz.) box instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 c. milk

Mix ingredients together with beater. Add red and yellow food coloring to make icing orange. Spread on cake.

Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Butter

2008-07-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

2 stick butter, softened
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1/2 tsp. corn syrup
3/4 to 1 tsp. cinnamon, to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smootn.
Serve with hot rolls or muffins. Keep stored in refrigerator.

Blackened Seasoning

2008-07-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

1 T. sweet paprika
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
3/4 tsp. white pepper
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
Mix all ingredients well.

This seasoning is fantastic when used on not only fish, but
chicken and
steak
as well. Dip the meats in melted butter and then into this mix
before
cooking.

Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber Sauce)

2008-07-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 cucumber ,peeled, grated, drained (I add more)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons
salt and white pepper, to taste
pinch ground cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Serve with Gyros, or Shish Kebabs.

Shish Kabobs

2008-07-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

This is hubby's recipe. He likes to use the steaks called BJ's in a box in the freezer section of the grocery store. They are truly like NO other!

Steak- cut up into bite size pieces- not to big or they will not cook in the middle
Cut up veggies in chunks-
Green Pepper
Yellow Pepper
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Onion

Drizzle with sesame oil and store overnite if possible. Grill on BBQ till steak is done. Serve with Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber Sauce)

Old Fashioned Potato Salad

2008-07-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

5 pound bag of red potatoes (better texture and taste then russet!)
12 hard boiled eggs

Peel and pare potatoes. Cook till done and drain water Boil eggs and peel. Rinse in water. (Sometimes I do this the night before)

Toss potatoes and eggs in a large bowl and add-

mayonaisse
relish or sweet pickle (1/4 cup)
2 Tbsp mustard (more or less to your taste)
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 pepper

If you are short of mayo or just want it more creamy you can add sour cream.

Fold into large serving bowl and sprinkle with cayenne or chile powder. Chill well before serving.

Black Eyed Pea Salad

2008-07-03T01:39:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cup cooked or canned black eyed peas (you can use another type of bean such as pinto, black etc)
3/4 cup chpopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp hot sauce

In large bowl combine the blacke eyed peas, green pepper, celery, and both onions. In seperate bowl combine remaining ingredients and pour dressing over the beans. Let refrigerate overnight for flavors to meld. Great for picnics!

Three cans (16 ounces each) fill up a glass bowl.

Banana-Chocolate Ripple Cake

2008-07-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

This is delicious!! you can use this for a decorative cake pan or even use in muffin pans as well

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 medium) mashed, very ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels, melted
confectioners' sugar, for garnish.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10 inch tubular cake pan. In a large bowl, beat together butter and 1 cup sugar until smooth. Stir in bananas, sour cream, vanilla and egg yolk.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and baking powder. Stir into banana mixture. In a msall bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks; gradually beat in remaining sugar. Fold into batter.
3. Pour one third of the batter into prepared cake pan. Place melted chocolate in plastic bag with small hole. Swirl chocolate on top of batter. Top with remaining batter.
4. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool the cake on a rack. Using a strainer, sprinkle the cooled cake with confectioners sugar.

NOTE: if you want to make this cake with more chocolate and nuts you can add a bag of chocolate morsels and nuts to go with it into the batter. I like it better this way. YUM

Sweet and Sour Pasta Salad

2008-07-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

1 package (16 oz.) tricolor spiral pasta
1/2 a medium red onion, chopped and boiled til soft (or cook it briefly in the microwave unless you like crunchy onions)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 a medium green pepper, chopped
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Dressing:
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 Tablespoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon salt, optional
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Place in a large serving bowl. Add the onion, tomato, cucumber, green pepper and parsley; set aside. In a saucepan, combine the dressing ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon. About 16 servings (or less if you love it like me!)

*Lil's note- I made this for our Independance Day BBQ. I used Italian Dressing instead of vinegar and used ordinary pasta instead of the multicolored ones. I also added some olives. It would have been so much prettier as the original recipe stated but I used what I have. I also threw in some drained sliced olives.

Glorious Chicken

2008-07-02T01:42:00.000-07:00

Chicken
Seasonings used for Baked Chicken
Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken Soup

Wash Chicken and season with seasonings that you would use for baked chicken. Bake 350* till juices run clean and chicken is thoroughly cooked. Drain. Whisk Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom Soup with a little bit of milk and pour over chicken. Let bake till bubbly.

Serve with rice or pasta with gravy over it.

Peach Glazed Chicken

2008-07-01T20:15:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe that doesn't have solid measurements. Very Tasty and colorful!

Spray pan with non stick cooking spray. Wash chicken and place in large bowl. Season liberally with spices such as-
Lawry's season salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
cajun seasoning
garlic powder

Toss chicken well with spices and place in baking pan. Drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce. Bake covered for 1 hour or till chicken is done. I like mine to fall off the bone. Drain liquid off. (You can save this for to thicken with cornstarch if desired) Sprinkle chicken liberally with brown sugar and more sesame oil. Cut up into slices-

one onion
green pepper
red pepper
one can of peaches- juice drained

Sprinkle vegetables and peach on top of chicken and return to oven. Turn up heat and broil for a few minutes so veggies cook a bit. Add peach juice to chicken drippings and thicken with cornstarch. Pour over chicken.

Serve over rice.

Southern Peanut Butter Pie

2008-07-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

1 c. confectioner' s sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
3 eggs, separated
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. cornstarch
2 c. milk (I use half canned, evaporated milk and half water)
2 T. butter
1 t. vanilla
9-inch pie shell, baked

Blend confectioners' sugar and peanut butter until it's coarse, crumbled. Cover bottom of still warm pie shell with 3/4 of mixture of XXXX sugar and peanut butter. Add sugar, salt, cornstarch into saucepan. Add milk and egg yolks. Cook, stirring continuously to keep from burning, until thickened. Take off heat. Add vanilla and butter. Pour over peanut butter/sugar mixture in pie shell. Top with meringue. About halfway into the baking time, sprinkle remaining peanut butter mixture over meringue. Cool well before serving.

Quick and Easy Peach Cobbler

2008-07-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

1 stick butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
1 can (28 ounces) sliced peaches in syrup
Confectioners' sugar, if desired

Preparation Time: Approximately 5 minutes
Cook Time: Approximately 65 minutes

Heat oven to 325°F. Place butter in a 9-inch, square
baking pan and place in the heating oven.

Meanwhile mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and
salt. Mix in the evaporated milk until smooth. Pour
batter into the melted butter in the dish (don’t stir
them together).

Pour peaches and their syrup over the batter. Bake
until puffed and browned, about 1 hour or a little
more. Cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Sprinkle with
confectioners?sugar before serving, if desired.

Peanut Butter Pie

2008-07-01T08:11:00.001-07:00

1/2 cup sugar, brown
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy I used 3/4 cup
2 egg
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla I just used 1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 pie shell, 9", baked

In a saucepan, combine the sugars, peanut butter, eggs
and flour.
Gradually stir in the milk. Cook over moderate heat,
stirring constantly, until thick.
Don't boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour into the baked pie shell and chill. Serve with
whipped cream. Serves 6.

Aloha Chicken

2008-07-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

4 chicken breasts
1 can chunk pineapple
green pepper
red pepper
soy sauce
honey

Pound chicken down to 1/4 inch thick. Dredge in flour and panfry in skillet over medium heat with some oil till done. (I didn't pound chicken but just cooked it) Drain pineapple reserving juice. Mix together 1 tsp of cornstarch per 1/4 cup of pineapple juice. Add 1 Tbsp honey and 1 Tbsp soy sauce. Add liquid ingredients and toss chicken to coat. Add veggies and let cook till crisp tender. Add pineapple.