Recipeasy

Potato Soup

2011-11-19T19:26:00.000-05:00

4-5 potatoes peeled and cubed into 1 inch squares
1/2 onion - diced
1 carrot diced
2 chicken bullion cubes
Place in a large stockpot and fill with water until it just covers the potatoes.
Cook until potatoes are soft but not mushy.
Turn on low and add 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1/2 stick margarine, 1 block cream cheese (cut in cubes)
Slowly add 1 1/2 cups milk.
Cook on low until smooth.

Mozzarella Ham Stromboli

2011-02-07T22:39:00.002-05:00

1 tube (11 oz) refrigerated crusty french loaf
2 cups (8oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 lb thinly sliced deli ham
1 TBSP melted butter
1 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese

On a lightly floured surface, unroll dough at seam. Pat dough into a 14 x 12 in rectangle. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Top with single layer of ham. Roll up tightly from a short side; pinch seam to seal. Place seam side down on an un-greased baking sheet. Brush top of loaf with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 for 2o-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before slicing. (6 servings)

Sausage and Rice Casserole

2010-08-23T18:45:00.002-04:00

This doesn't seem that exciting... but it is really yummy. Great for a weeknight meal!

2 Lipton Chicken Noodle soup mixes (dry) OR 4/5 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup rice
1 lb. sausage - cooked and drained

Boil 1 cup rice and 6 cups water for 7 minutes. Add soup mix (or bouillon cubes) and sausage.
Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Freezes very well. This is a large casserole or 2 small ones.

Easy Best EVER Cobbler

2010-08-23T18:37:00.002-04:00

This is my FAVORITE Cobbler recipe EVER... Super Easy and SUPER YUMMY

Mix together the following:
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1 stick melted butter

Place fresh or frozen fruit of any variety in the bottom of a 8x8 pan (or pan about that size). Dump the previous mixture over fruit and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
SOOOO Simple - SOOOO Good!

Haloumi Salad

2010-08-15T08:26:00.000-04:00

This is a salad I discovered the other day at a restaurant so I don't have exact measurements. I decided to add it today because I made it for lunch. I didn't have green peppers of cucumbers so you won't see that in the salad but it tasted great all the same!!

Mixed Salad leaves

Haloumi Cheese

1/2 Onion thinly sliced into rings

Cucumber

1 green pepper cut into rings

Peppadews

Bacon cut into thin strips grilled / fried till crispy

Macadamia nuts

Almonds

Honey mustard dressing

Method

1. Cut Haloumi Cheese into squares and fry until golden brown, allow excess oil to drip off on a rollertowel

2. Cook bacon until crispy.

3. Slice cucumbers, peppadews, onions, greenpeppers

4. Chop up nuts

5 Arange salad leaves and add rest of ingredients as desired and when ready to serve add dressing.

Cannelloni - Beef, Spinach & Ricotta Filling

2010-08-15T05:12:00.000-04:00

This is another winter favourite of my family and I get them to eat spinach and tomato's with out much fuss!! It is a recipe that takes a long time to make but it makes so much you can freeze it the extra. I also make double the white sauce because I don't like the strong bit the tomato puree can have. I also use more cheese than they recommend. You can alter it according to your taste.

Filling
1 tbs Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
500g Beef mince (I think Americans call this ground beef)
250g packet frozen spinach thawed (I usually use fresh spinach and about a 250g packet as well I just cut it up very thinly).
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 Egg
1/2 tsp ground oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

White Sauce
There is a white sauce recipe added to this but it is so much work and I really can't taste the difference they way they suggest, they also name it Bachamel Sauce.
1 tbs butter/margarine
1tbs Flour
1 cup milk
1 cut thickened cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Tomato Sauce
425g can tomato puree
2 tbs chopped fresh basil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp sugar
salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste

12 - 15 instant cannelloni tubes
1 cup freshly grated mozzarella
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1. preheat oven to 180 C. Lightly oil large shallow casserole dish. Seth aside.

2. To make beef and spinach filling: Heat oil in frying pan. Add onion and garlic and stir over low heat until onion is tender. Add mince and brown well, breaking it up to a fine consistency with a fork as it cooks. cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, mix ricotta, egg, oregano salt and pepper. Ad to mince mixture; Stir to combine. Set aside.

3. To make White Sauce: Melt butter. Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon of flour and mix to form a paste. Mix in a little bit of milk at a time to make sure no lumps form and return to heat to allow to thicken. Add cream and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

4. To make Tomato Sauce: Place all ingredients in a medium pan; stir to combine. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Spoon beef and spinach filling into piping bag and fill cannelloni tubes or you could use a teaspoon. (Expect if you use a teaspoon to get really messy).

6. Pour some white sauce over base of casserole dish and then spoon some 1/2 of the tomato sauce over the white sauce. Then Place the cannelloni tubes in and add remainder of the white sauce and tomato sauce.

Put mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese over top and add a bit of paprika if you have.

7. Bake uncovered for 30 - 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Chicken in Salt with Fennel, Thyme & Lemon

2010-08-15T04:09:00.000-04:00

This is a favorite recipe that I use of Jamie Oliver. It is really unusual and can be used to impress. It is surprisingly not salty. Try it I'm sure you love it!! You'll also need a pestle and mortar for this.

Ingredients:

3kg/7lb rock salt (course salt)
8 heaped tablespoons of whole fennel seeds cracked.
2 Eggs, beaten
2 lemons, halved
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 bunch fresh thyme
olive oil
1 x 2kg/4,5lb organic chicken
1 bunch of parsley, ripped
8 Cloves of garlic, skins left on, squashed

1. Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F/ gas 6.

2. Put all the salt into a deep bowl with the fennel seeds, eggs, lemon juice (keep skins, peppercorns, and a wineglass of water and mix together.

3. Bash up the thyme in a pestle and mortar and add a good couple of glugs of olive oil.

4. Scrunch it up and rub this flavoured oils all over your chicken, finally pushing the excess inside the cavity along with your parsley, garlic and squeezed lemon halves. The idea here is to tightly pack the cavity so that it bulges and no salt can get in!!

5. Get 4 long pieces of tin foil and put them on top of each other to make a sheet around a metre / 39 inches square.

6. lay a third of the salt, making it about 2cm/ 3/4inch square.

7. Put the chicken on top, then pack the rest of the salt around. Because the salt is slightly wet it should stick top the chicken - make sure that the chicken's skin hasn't been pierced.

8. Carefully fold up the sides of the tin foil and scrunch it at the top. You can rip off any excess tinfoil. - basically the foil is that to hold the salt together until it hardens.

9. Place the chicken in the preheated oven and cook for 2 hours, then remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

10. Open the tinfoil and crack open the salt casing with the back of a spoon.

Serving suggestion

Have 2 nice salads and some interesting fresh bread.

P.S. Post a comment if you try this to let us know how it went!!

Bubble Pizza

2010-08-02T19:13:00.000-04:00

Great weeknight meal!

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 can pizza sauce
2 tubes buttermilk biscuits
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation
Brown beef. Drain. Stir in pizza sauce.
Quarter biscuits; place in greased 13 in. by 19 in. by 2 in. dish.
Top with beef mixture.
Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.
Sprinkle with cheeses.
Bake 5 -10 minutes until cheese melts.
Let stand 5- 10 minutes.
Serves 6-8

Warm Green Been Salad

2009-07-23T08:54:00.003-04:00

Warm Green Bean Salad

500g Green beans, sliced
2 tbs Olive oil
1 Onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
250g Bacon, chopped
2 tbs Sesame seeds
1 tb Balsamic vinegar
2 tbs Freshly chopped coriander

1. Add the olive oil to the pan and fry onions gently until soft.
2. Add bacon and sesame seeds and cook till bacon is just cooked.
3. Add beans and stir fry for a few minutes.
4. The idea is to keep the beans crunch so keep it quick.
5. Add balsamic vinegar and coriander and mix well.
6. Transfer to the serving dish.
This dish can be served hot or at room temperature.
Serves 4-6

Enjoy!

Spinage & Bacon Creamy Sauce Pasta

2009-07-13T09:58:00.009-04:00

This is a recipe I worked out based on the tastes I could put together. It was a dish I had at a restaurant.

What you'll need:
1 Medium onion finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Crushed garlic
1 Bunch of fresh spinege.
120g Bacon
30ml Butter
15ml Flour
250ml Thickened Cream
60ml Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preferred pasta

Method:
1. Cook the pasta of your choice.
1. Sauté onions till see-through.
2. Add garlic.
3. Boil spinege till par cooked.
4. add to onions and garlic and fry slightly.
5. In a new sauce pan melt butter
6. Mix in flour to make a paste.
7. Remove from heat. Turn stove down to a simmering temperature.
8. Add a little of the thickened cream to the paste at a time until all the cream is mixed in.
9. Return to the stove and allow the sauce to heat and thicken a little and then add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.
10. Once the cheese is melted into the sauce add the onion, garlic and spinege to the sauce and remove from heat.
11. You can serve the pasta and sauce mixed together or serve the sauce as a topping.

reeses squares

2009-06-19T11:10:00.002-04:00

These are yummy, taste just like reese's peanut butter cups, only have 5 ingredients & you don't have to bake them! They are very rich, but extremely addictive.

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (if making your own = 1 sleeve)
1 lb confectioner's sugar (3 to 3 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup butter, melted
1 (12 ounce) bag milk chocolate chips (I've used semi-sweet & it cuts a bit of the richness down)

1. Combine graham crumbs, sugar and peanut butter and mix well.
2. Blend in melted butter until well combined.
3. Press mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 inch pan.
4. Melt chocolate chips in microwave or in double boiler.
5. Spread over peanut butter mixture.
6. Chill until just set and cut into bars. (these are very hard to cut if the chocolate gets "rock hard".)

I made mine at night & just let them set on the counter.

Buttery Orange Muffins

2009-05-12T11:50:00.005-04:00

I tried this recipe for a special breakfast this morning. It came from a little recipe book I bought a long time ago, called "Old-Fashioned Muffin Recipes." These muffins turned out so well and I thought they tasted AMAZING!! The kids weren't that impressed, but I think it's because they were expecting something a little less cultured, like chocolate chip or something! These would be great tea party muffins, but were so yummy for breakfast too.

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbs. grated orange rind
Butter for tops of muffins

Combine dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Separately mix egg, oil, milk and rind. Pour into dry mixture, stirring until batter is just moistened. (It's thicker than the average muffin batter - more like sticky biscuit dough, but it's OK.) Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Place a small piece of butter (a fleck) on top each batter-filled cup. Then, evenly top each with the following mixture:

1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. grated orange rind
2 tsps. orange juice

Bake in 400 degree oven. 15 - 20 minutes (I did mine for 20)

Ho Ho Cake

2009-05-01T22:46:00.005-04:00

I've been meaning to post this for awhile now...it's soooo goood

You can make this in a 9x13 for you,
but if you don't want such thick cake make it in a jelly roll pan
(or whatever you call it - those long pans with the 1 inch lip... Pampered chef calls them a bar pan they are 10 x 15 1/2)

So here goes..
1st just back a normal chocolate cake mix just like the box.
Let it cool COMPLETELY!! (if the cake it too hot the white middle will "melt")
Then beat together until fluffy (it takes a LONG time so use a stand mixer if you have one!)
1 can evaported milk (small can or 1/2 of 12 oz. size can )
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick softened butter
2/3 cup shortening

Spread topping on cake and freeze for at least 30 minutes.

Melt one container of chocolate icing in the microwave for 30 seconds

Pour over cake and return to freezer until cooled.

(After that final freeze cake can be kept in the refrigerator!)

Chicken pot pie

2009-04-17T22:38:00.005-04:00

I got this recipe from my friend Jen Laliberte. Again, it is one of those things, I don't particularly like, but if I try it & I like it, I'll let you know about it!(i.e. I'm not a huge pot pie fan of any kind.)

3 halves of chopped boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1 1/2#'s)
1 onion chopped, 1/2 container of fresh, sliced mushrooms or 1 can drained.

Saute' these in a large skillet- drain only if there is a lot of liquid.

Add small can(like 8oz. I think) each of peas & corn(or 2 veggies of your choice)-drained
1 can cream soup(preferably mushroom)
1 small can of French fried onions(or about 3oz.)

Stir all together until well mixed. If you like yours a bit more soupy(gravy)thin with some milk- between 1TBSP & 1/4 cup. I rarely do this.
Pour into Pillsbury(or store brand)unrollable pie crust. Cover with 2nd shell, bake @ 350 degrees until crust is golden brown about 45min - 1hr.

You can add other things you think might taste good. For instance, I also sauted some garlic, 2-3 cloves in w/my chicken & sprinkled some shredded cheddar cheese on top before putting the 2nd shell on top.

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

2009-04-11T14:43:00.004-04:00

This is a recipe I got from Weight Watchers. I enjoy finding good recipes that are healthy & low fat that my family also enjoys. If you are doing Weight Watchers the points value is 3. It is an easy & relatively quick recipe to make.

*Again I brine my chicken before I cook it, helps it to stay moist. 1# chicken - brine =1 qt. water with 1/2 cup kosher salt dissolved(or 1/4 c. table salt)soak chicken for 20 min. rinse then prepare as recipe states.

Ingredients:

2 tsp. vegetable oil
3 TBSP balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove(s), crushed
1 # uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4-oz. pieces
2 c mushrooms, small, halved
1/3 c canned chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried thyme, crumbled

In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tsp of oil

In a medium bowl, mix 2 TBSP of vinegar, mustard & garlic. Add chicken & turn to coat.

Transfer chicken and marinade to skillet. Saute' chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side.(I've found this varies depending on thickness of chicken. I pounded mine down & it probably still took 5 min. I usually cut mine & check for any pink inside)Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm.

Heat remaining tsp of oil in skillet. Saute' mushrooms for 1 min. Add broth, thyme and remaining TBSP of vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep brown, about 2 min. longer.

Serve chicken topped with mushrooms.

*additional notes- definitely make sure you use a non stick pan- the balsamic is brutal on your pan(maybe it's a combination of the balsamic & Dijon)
the broth- I have often just made a bouillon cube, then I don't worry about wasting the rest of it. Mushrooms- I prefer fresh, but my husband prefers canned. I used 2 4oz. cans, drained & that seemed to be enough. The garlic- we like garlic, so I will often times use a bit more.

I am finding as my culinary skills develop that cooking you don't have to be so accurate in, but baking accuracy is a must. So if there is a flavor you don't particularly enjoy, I'd say try the recipe as written the 1st time, but then adjust for your tastes. i.e. try cutting back on the balsamic a smidge, or maybe add a bit more dijon etc.

Happy cooking!

Mustard Thyme Grilled Chicken

2009-04-08T17:44:00.006-04:00

Facebook has sucked my life away! So I am trying to wean myself from it & get back to bloggy land. This is one of my favorite grilled chicken recipes. I found it on a thyme plant when I worked at Home Depot. Pretty easy to make, the prep is slightly messy- not bad.

Take 4 boneless, skinless & split chicken breasts - coat them well with Dijon mustard. I use a store brand & it is fine.

Take a 1 gal. plastic ziploc bag & mix together 1/2 cup virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice & 2 tsp fresh thyme. Put coated chicken breasts in the marinade & marinate at least 3 hours or over night. Grill 6-8 minutes per side depending on thickness of breast.

**my notes- I have used dried thyme & lemon juice out of a bottle, but if you can use fresh- way better. Also if you don't want a dried out chicken breast, honestly I have found 8 min. per side even for thick breasts usually cooks this through- as long as your grill is hot. If in doubt, cut into it for pinkness after the 16 minutes. Most cook books will give you a fresh to dried herb ratio also the juice of 1 lemon is about 3 TBSP.

Sprinkle cooked breasts with 3 TBSP of fresh parsley before serving- this is optional & I have never done it.

If you want a good chicken sandwich melt your favorite cheese on top of it.

Enjoy.

Marinated Baked (or grilled) Pork Chops (or Chicken)

2009-03-21T22:15:00.005-04:00

1 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP ketchup
6 pork chops, trimmed (I've also used pork steaks and boneless chicken breasts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In small bowl blend soy sauce, vegatable oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar and Ketchup.
Place chops in medium baking dish and spread with 1/2 the sauce. (I just used all of the sauce at once)
Bake for 30 minutes then spread with the remaining 1/2 of the sauce mixture.
Bake for 30 more minutes or until internal temperature is 160 degrees F (70 C).

(When I make them I bake them for 30 minutes in the oven then 20 minutes on the grill!!!
I also use a little of the sauce to baste as I grill.)

I found this recipe on ALLRECIPES.com - the italics are my "take" on it.

Sweet Dinner Rolls

2009-01-14T23:03:00.005-05:00

These take a little planning ahead, but are WELL worth it!!

Microwave 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup milk for 1 minute so that the mixture is warm.

Pour into mixer and add 1/2 cup sugar and mix until dissolved.
After well mixed add 1 packet yeast (2 1/2 tsp.) and mix well.
Let sit until foamy (about 10 minutes)
Add 1 tsp. salt, 1/3 cup butter, softened; and 1 egg - mix well.
Add all-purpose flour 1/2 cup at a time for a total of 3 3/4 cups of flour.
Mix well!
Then cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
Then you can form them like you like... crescents, rolls, parkerhouse rolls.
Cover and let rise for an hour.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

SOOOOO GOOOD!!

Great for a cold winter day!!

Snow Ice Cream

2009-01-13T18:21:00.009-05:00

We tried this over the weekend and it was a hit with everyone in the family! It's super quick and easy - if you have snow!

1 gallon snow (I used a 5 quart bowl so I would have room to mix)

1 cup cream or milk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix thoroughly and eat immediately! I put the leftovers out on the front step and we had more of it before bed that night!

Not really a recipe.... more like 500 of them!

2009-01-05T10:18:00.006-05:00

Hey Girls! This isn't a recipe but it's a great resource. Everyone I've recommended it too has loved it so I just thought I'd share. If you go to this link you will receive Food and Family published by Kraft four times a year. They even have different editions for different countries!!! It's filled with easy recipes and meal planning tips. Oh and I almost forgot the most important part.... it's completely FREE!!!! I highly advise signing up if you haven't already.

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/registration/contextualsignuplogin.aspx

Easy Chicken and Pasta

2008-12-29T21:29:00.005-05:00

My husband, on the way home from church yesterday, said, "Honey, would you like me to cook dinner tonight?" Wha..wha..what? Um, sure, yeah, twist my arm! "Do you want chicken or hamburger?" I told him my preference would be chicken, but if he was cooking I wouldn't be picky as long as it had some veggies for the girls. When he found this recipe on the net at Allrecipes.com I was very shocked & surprised as my hubby doesn't do veggies as a general rule. In fact, I describe my husband as a pasta-tarian. This was very yummy, but I think we are going to tweak some things next time. See below for additional thoughts.

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut up
1(10.75 oz)can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup(regular or fat free)
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed(I just had plain, old basil, already crushed in my cupboard)
2 cups frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
2 cups uncooked corkscrew-shaped pasta
grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned, stirring often. Set chicken aside.
Add soup, water, basil and vegetables. Heat to a boil. Add pasta. Cook 10 minutes, over medium heat stirring often.
Add chicken back in. cook 5 minutes or until pasta is done, stirring often. Sprinkle with cheese.

**So here are a few extra thoughts. I personally CAN NOT stand dry poultry(chicken, turkey, etc.)So I've learned to brine it first. This recipe is one you'd definitely want to brine your chicken on, or I feel it will end up dry.

*Brining- 1 quart of cool to room temp. water with 1/2 cup kosher salt mixed until dissolved. If you don't have kosher salt, use 1/4 cup table salt. Place 1 # of chicken in water & soak for no more than 20 minutes. Rinse your chicken, & then either cook as per recipe or pan fry 3-4 minutes per side.
With this particular recipe, brine your breasts whole, then cut up before you cook it.

Our family also loves onions & garlic, so next time we make this, I think I'm going to throw some fresh onions in with my chicken to saute & then add a clove or 2 of fresh garlic when I add the veggies.
We topped ours with fresh grated Parmesan & a bit of cracked pepper, from the pepper mill. This was definitely good, easy & an all in one meal! ENJOY

baked french toast

2008-12-26T11:47:00.005-05:00

I hope & pray everyone had an absolutely wonderful Christmas. Once again, I'm stealing recipes. If this is wrong, I hope someone will tell me-I do try to give credit where credit is due. My bff, Dawn posted about what to do with extra bread, because the snow storm the weatherman predicted didn't come & we had all rushed out to get bread & milk. :) I tried this recipe for Christmas morning breakfast & we all loved it. In fact I'm thinking it might become a Christmas morning tradition.

Baked French Toast
(courtesy of Dawn's sister-in-law)

1 lb of bread
8 eggs
3 cups milk
2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray. Rip bread into bite size pieces and put in pan. Mix eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon in a bowl and pour evenly over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Topping
6 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup

Melt butter in small sauce pan. Mix the sugar and corn syrup in and simmer until bubbling (stir occasionally). Pour over top of dish French Toast and bake uncovered at 350 for 40 minutes. **We added 1/4 cup of chopped pecans to the topping, which was yummy. Another suggestion was to take an 8 oz. block of cream cheese & put chunks(about 1" cubes)spread through out the bread & make it more like a cheese pastry.

It was very easy to make I measured out my topping ingredients the night before as well so all I had to do was throw in the pan. It serves about 8.

Sausage Cream Cheese Rolls

2008-12-15T11:22:00.006-05:00

I think this appetizer has probably been around forever. But I didn't make them until last year for the first time. Fell in LOVE with them!! They are so easy and taste amazing. In fact I have a batch cooking right now.... getting ready to go to our last Christmas party. My husband has the camera or I would have posted a pic.

2 pkg crescent rolls
8 oz. cream cheese
1 lb cooked sausage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix prepared sausage and cream cheese together. Roll each can of crescent rolls into a large rectangle. Spread half of cream cheese mixture on one rectangle. Repeat on the next rectangle. Start on long edge and roll- pinwheel effect will happen. Put in fridge for 1 hour. Remove and cut into 1/2' circles. Cook 10 min in oven.

Chicken Gumbo

2008-12-11T17:43:00.008-05:00

For those of you who are from Louisiana or have been to Louisiana and tasted real gumbo, this is really nothing like it, but that's the name it came with! With the little green and red bits, you could even call it "Christmas Soup!" We love this soup! It's very filling, which makes it nice for the men in our lives! 8 cups chicken stock (or 8 cups water with 8 cubes of bouillon/3 T. bouillon powder)

1 cup chopped onion

1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 cup sliced okra (I've never added this!)
1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups diced cooked chicken (I usually make this when I have leftovers)

Put everything, except chicken, into a large pot. Cover. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Boil gently about 20 minutes, until rice is cooked.

Add chicken. Heat through. Makes a generous 10 cups.

Hot Taco Dip

2008-12-10T13:47:00.003-05:00

1 can bean & bacon soup
1 can chili (without beans)
1/2 envelope dry taco mix
1/2 t dried/powdered onion
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 C sour cream
Cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:
Mash beans after heating in microwave. Then mix all ingredients together. Heat thoroughly! Enjoy eating this wonderful dip with Tortilla chips.

Tangy Noodle & Ham Salad

2008-12-10T12:42:00.004-05:00

120 g Pasta shells cooked (I also usually cook about 250g)

200 g Ham cubed

410 g tin sliced peaches

½ Green pepper

1 Onion diced (I use ½ onion)

150 ml Mayo

5 ml Curry powder

10 ml Honey

20 ml Peach juice (I usually add a little more just to take the bite out of the curry powder)

Method

1.Combine pasta, ham, peaches, green pepper and onion.

2.Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over salad.

3.Toss.

I don't think this is exclusively South African but it is one of my favorites.

Apple dumplings

2008-12-06T19:50:00.004-05:00

I wish I could take credit for these beauties, but alas, I can not! I share them here, because, well, they are the absolute easiest thing you could ever make and they are so incredibly addictive, we like to call them "crackovers." I got this recipe from my BFF Dawn over at The domestic goddess. And that she is! So while she'd like to take credit for it too, as you can see by her post, she got it from pioneer woman.

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar (we only used 1 c. sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can (8 oz.) Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Don't blame me if you eat the whole pan by yourself, I told you they were addictive!

Oven Caramel Corn

2008-12-06T16:01:00.005-05:00

This takes a little bit of time but worth the work! Makes great gifts!

Oven Carmel Corn

8 or 9 quarts of popped corn

2 cups of Brown Sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 cup white Karo Syrup

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Boil all ingredients except corn for 5 minutes, mixing well and stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Pour over popped corn, mixing well. ( I used four cookie sheets to place the popcorn on) Place in 250 degree over for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Store in air tight container.

Meatloaf

2008-11-29T13:40:00.005-05:00

Let me just preface this with a couple of things. a)I AM NOT a huge meatloaf lover. I think this is because growing up, my mother's was always dry. So when I tasted my aunt's one time & it wasn't dry, I was like I could do this more often.
b)this recipe is an adaptation from Better Homes & Gardens cookbook "Twin meat loaves"

3 cups of soft bread cubes (about 4 slices cut in 1/2" cubes)
[I never measure this part- I just use 4 slices- no heels & call it good]
1/2 c milk
2 eggs
***
1/3 c finely chopped onion
[the recipe calls for 1/4 c + 1/4 c chopped celery. I don't often keep celery in my house so the onion got upped]
1 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp dry mustard (also called ground)
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning (if you don't have this use ground sage)

2 # ground beef [the recipe calls for 1 1/2 # beef & 1/2 # ground pork - I do make it this way some times, but if I don't have the pork or haven't planned ahead, I'll just do beef; bottom line- make sure you have 2# meat]
*****
1/4 c chili sauce or 1/4 c catsup and 2 Tblsp corn syrup

1/2 c bread crumbs
1 c water split in 1/2

Soak bread cubes in milk. Add eggs; beat with rotary beater. Add onion,(celery), Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper & poultry seasoning; mix thoroughly. Add meats; mix well. Form into 2 loaves. Take the 1/2 c bread crumbs & put on wax paper then roll each loaf in that. [Place in 13x9x2" baking pan. I personally just use 2 loaf pans, but have done it the other way.] Pour chili sauce on top, then pour water around loaf(ves)- do not pour directly on as you will wash your chili sauce off. Also if you cook in 13x9 pan do not split water, just pour whole cup in pan.
Bake, uncovered, in 350 degree oven for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes.

I'm telling you the key to having a flavorful, moist meatloaf is the basting. My friends all told me a bit tedious, but it is good!

Serve with mashed taters! And enjoy!

Dan's Chili

2008-11-25T19:41:00.004-05:00

I got this recipe from a good friend of mine. It is an easy chili to make & tastes good. We usually make it as is so it isn't too spicy for any one & then spice it up by adding hot sauce, hot peppers or any other "hot" item you might like.

1# ground beef browned & drained
1# sausage (sage works best, but I've used a combo of sweet & hot italian) browned & drained
1 large onion diced
minced garlic (best fresh but jarred will do) the more the better
2 or 3 cans of red kidney beans
2 to 4 cans of crushed tomatoes (italian style works best, but I just added italian seasoning to my plain tomatoes)
2 pkgs chili seasoning

-brown meats separately until fully cooked, drain
-at the same time, start a large container and simmer all but the beans
-cook beans in a separate container until soft or suitable texture
-once meat is cooked add to mixture simmering
-once beans have reached appropriate texture add to mix; do not drain
-Simmer all together for 30 minutes.

Top with cheese, sour cream, hot sauce or any thing else you enjoy.
This makes quite a bit. If I had to guess-ti-mate I'd say it serves 8-10.

Vetkoek

2008-11-17T12:51:00.005-05:00

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Vetkoek (Fet-cook / Fat cake)

1 cup cake flour
3ml salt
5ml Baking powder
1 egg
milk
oil (for deep frying)

Method

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl
Beat the egg lightly in a cup and add to the dry ingredients
Add sufficient milk and beat till a smooth batter
Heat the oil in a pan, and drop large spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil (be careful)
Fry, turning them over now and then, until golden brown
Cut open, butter, and fill

This is a very traditional South African food. Low cost but I think unhealthy because you have to fry the dough.

It is also extremely versatile. You can add sweet or savory fillings or just eat it as it is...especially if you have a bread fetish.

Many of the people who live in the townships by these as part of their breakfast or mid-morning snack with their tea.

"Vetkoek (fet-cook) - "Fat cake" in Afrikaans, vetkoek is a doughnut-sized bread roll made from deep-fried yeast dough. Mainly served with a savoury mince filling, it's artery-clogging and delicious."

Crock Pot Chicken Stew

2008-11-14T21:56:00.001-05:00

I made this last weekend and we loved it! It was so nice to come home to this comforting meal after battling the crowds at the mall all afternoon! I didn't follow the recipe exactly, so I will write the original recipe with my own additions or comments in parenthesis.

4 medium potatoes, cut bite size (or a few handfuls of baby potatoes)
4 medium carrots, cut bite size (or a few handfuls of baby carrots)
1 1/4 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut bite size (I used up leftover chicken from a roasted chicken - I'd say 2-3 cups)

Layer potato, carrot and onion in a crock pot. Lay chicken on top of veggies.

Now, mix together in a bowl:

2 cups hot water
1 T. chicken bouillon powder (I used a veggie bouillon cube)
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. ground thyme
1/2 t. liquid gravy browner (I did not use this)

Pour over chicken. Cover. Cook on Low for 9-10 hours or on High for 4 1/2-5 hours. Serves 6.

Mexican Mostaccioli

2008-11-13T20:06:00.003-05:00

1 pound ground beef

2 1/2 cups uncooked mostaccioli

1 cup frozen whole kernal corn

2 jars (16 oz. each) mild salsa

1 can (15 oz) black beans

1 1/3 cups shredded mexican blend cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 4-qt. casserole dish. Brown ground beef in a skillet. Drain. Cook and drain pasta. Add to pasta, beef, corn, salsa, and beans. Spoon half of pasta mixture into the casserole dish. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup of cheese. Add the rest of the pasta mixture and cheese on top. Cover and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.

Cinnamon Twisties

2008-11-08T09:50:00.007-05:00

1 can of either crescent rolls or butter flavor biscuits
1/4 c. butter
3/4 cup cinnamon/ sugar mixture (make to taste)
chopped pecans or flaked coconut opt.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in baking dish of your choice. Remove pan from oven. Individually roll out biscuits or if using crescent rolls just unroll them. Dip one piece at time in melted butter. Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture and twist. Lay side by side in pan. Sprinkle with optional toppings if desired. Bake until golden brown on top for 15 -20 minutes.

Quesadillas

2008-11-06T09:27:00.005-05:00

This is one of my kiddos favorite lunches!!!

Quesadillas

This is how I make them!

I use 2 soft taco shells.

Layer cooked and diced chicken and cheese. (green pepper, onions, diced tomatoes.. whatever you enjoy can be added too!)

Then I either cook it on a hot skillet with a little olive oil until browned.

Or for the boys I melt the cheese in the microwave.

Then I slice it like a pizza.

I'm sure there is LOTS more you can do with this... be creative.

Easy Taco Bake

2008-10-30T16:03:00.004-04:00

Hi, my name is Gail and like Stephanie, I too am a new contributor to Recipeasy, and also honored that the original 4 ladies would even consider letting me join their ranks and share recipes with you. Going with the Mexican theme Stephanie started; this is about the easiest kid-friendly recipe I've ever found. We were searching for pumpkin carving stencils when I found this, so I must give credit where credit is due. I found this on Kraftfoods.com. We tried it this week and it is yummy.
It makes 6- 1 cup servings.

Take 1 pkg. Kraft macaroni & cheese, prepare it as directed on package.(yes, milk & butter)

1 pound ground beef, browned with taco seasoning.

1 cup of salsa, mild, chunky type

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Take an 8 inch sq. baking dish & layer; beef, mac & cheese, then salsa. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with your favorite steamed veggie and/or salad.

We topped ours with sour cream & hot pepper rings, and also used medium heat salsa. But when it comes to Mexican foods in our house the spicier, the better. The girls even liked it.
I must warn you though, if you are trying to watch your weight, it isn't the most diet friendly recipe out there. I think my girlfriend figured the weight watcher points to be 9 pts./per serving.

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup

2008-10-29T23:30:00.006-04:00

To all Recipeasy readers,
Yes I, Stephanie, am new to the group. I have been greatly honored to be asked to be a recipeasy contributor. I don't claim to be an amazing cook but when it comes to easy I'm all about it. I've loved reading the great recipes listed so far and look forward to many yummy treats in the future!!!
Here's my first contribution.
A friend told be about this recipe just this week. We tried for the first time that night. It was GREAT!

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup

2 cooked chicken breast chuncked
2 cans 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 can mild enchilada sauce
2 cups of milk
1 cup of cheese

Cook on medium heat until heated through. Be careful not to scorch on stove top. Top with diced tomato, chopped chives, and crumbled tortilla chips.... Yum--O!!!! I'll try to be cool and have pics next time.=)

You won't be dissapointed if you like Mexican food at all- I promise....
Good to be on board!

Pumpkin Bread

2008-10-25T16:40:00.004-04:00

With fall in full swing and everyone making their annual pilgrimage to the pumpkin patch, it's time to break out the pumpkin recipes! I wanted to share our family favourite. It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving (or Christmas!) without this melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin bread. I hope you'll enjoy it!

4 eggs

2 2/3 cup sugar

2 cups pumpkin

1 cup oil

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 1/3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans and set aside. Combine eggs and sugar. Mix well. Add pumpkin, oil and water, blending well. Add dry ingredients and mix till moistened. Fill each loaf pan about half full. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan. Loosen sides with knife before removing.

Tom's Crackers

2008-10-24T00:38:00.003-04:00

from Bill Harvey
1 box Saltine Crackers (we use multigrain)
1 1/2 cup Canola oil (not Wesson brand)
2 packs Ranch dry mix
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
1 TBSP. Cayenne pepper

Place crackers in a 9x13 pan with lid.
Mix ingredients together.
Pour mixture over crackers.
Randomly shake around to spread mixture on crackers.
Let mixture soak into crackers overnight or for several hours.

May serve with cream cheese.

You can also make these less spicy without the cayenne pepper.

Red Velvet Bon Bons

2008-09-21T22:26:00.008-04:00

These take some time... Ok a lot of time, but are SOOOOOOO good!

Ingredients

1 Red velvet cake mix

1 container of cream cheese icing

1 bag of chocolate flavor Almond Bark

Directions

Bake the cake according to the directions on the box.... as soon as you remove it from the oven (and can touch it) crumble the entire cake into a large bowl.

Stir in the container of cream cheese icing.

(This must be done while the cake is still hot)

Place cake/icing mixture in fridge to chill (about 1 - 2 hours)

Once chilled shape cake mixture into balls and place on cookie sheet.

Freeze at least 2 hours or more. (You could make several, freeze, and remove a little at a time).

Melt chocolate in double boiler (or VERY CAREFULLY in the microwave according to the package directions)

Remove the balls from the freezer and dip into chocolate. (*** only take a few out of the freezer at time or they will thaw and fall apart).

Once you dip them in chocolate place them on wax paper until they harden.

You can decorate them with chopped nuts, coconut, mini chocolate chips, sprinkles... etc; or just leave them plain.

BUT WATCH OUT... they are SOOOO good.

You can also do this with a yellow cake mix, vanilla icing, and chocolate coating....or chocolate cake mix, vanilla icing, white chocolate coating... try different things!

(*thanks to my "hand" model Kelly!)

Cheesy Potato Soup

2008-09-16T13:54:00.006-04:00

(as you can tell - I didn't "thinly slice my carrots" but that's how I like them!
This picture was also taken BEFORE adding the cheese.. I forgot to get a pic when it was finished... but trust me YUMMY!)

6 bacon strips, cooked/crumbled

3 cups peeled/cubed potatoes

1 can (14oz) chicken broth

1 small carrot, grated

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 TBSP dried Parsley flakes

1/2 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp. salt

3 TBSP flour

3 cups milk

8 oz. Velvetta

2 green onions thinly sliced

In saucepan, mix bacon pieces, potatoes, broth, carrot, onion, celery seed, parsley, salt/pepper. Simmer in covered pan until tender (about 15 min). Combine flour and milk until smooth then add to soup. Bring to a boil; then boil for 2 min while stirring. Add cheese and mix until melted. Garnish with green onions.!!

Toasted Chickpeas

2008-09-13T12:24:00.004-04:00

Well, to be totally honest, I have COMPLETELY forgotten to post on Recipeasy lately! I will blame it on the pregnant brain, ok?

Speaking of being pregnant, I have been told that I am anemic (low iron). Its happened with each of my pregnancies, but its never affected me until this one. I think this is one of the reasons I have been SO exhausted.

Besides my vitamins and extra iron supplements (which upset my tummy) I have been trying to look for ways to add iron to my regular diet. Liver isn't recommended in pregnancy (not that I like it particularly) and we just don't eat a lot of red meat. Not really any to speak of, actually.

By doing some research I found that Chickpeas are a good source of iron. I LOVE hummus. And chickpeas in chili and other things are great. I had a can in my pantry and some dried ones. So, here's what I did:

Toasted Chickpeas

Preheat oven to 350

Toss one can, drained, (or approx 2 cups of presoaked dried) Chickpeas with 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 minced cloves of garlic and the juice of half a lime/lemon.

Spread on a cookie sheet (next time I will cover mine with foil and spray it).

Bake for about 30min, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle salt to taste.

Not only does this make the house smell SO good, they are addictingly great to munch on. My husband and kids loved them too!

Favourite Spinach Salad

2008-09-10T13:05:00.003-04:00

- 1/2 bag pre-washed spinach leaves

- 1 tomato, cut into chunks

- Your favourite cheese or whatever you have on hand - I like to use something white (Swiss, mozzarella, Monteray Jack), cut into small cubes

- Bacon bits (the real ones)

- Kraft Sundried Tomato and Oregano salad dressing

Add spinach to serving bowl. Next, add tomato chunks and cheese cubes. Sprinkle everything with a few bacon bits (don't overdo it!). Serve with Sundried Tomato and Oregano dressing.

This is my favourite salad to serve for company, but I make it just for the family a lot too. My kids gobble it up!

Daddy's Yummy Campfire Meal

2008-08-17T09:26:00.006-04:00

For your next camping trip, you will need to pack:

1 lb. lean ground beef (I take mine frozen and let it gradually thaw in the cooler - less chance of it getting too warm that way.)
4-5 medium potatoes (pre-scrubbed, then dried before packing)
3 large carrots, sliced thinly and packed in a resealable bag
1 onion, sliced and also packed in a resealable bag
butter
salt and pepper
Mrs. Dash's original seasoning
aluminum foil
sharp knife

Start the evening by building a big fire and letting it burn down to coals. Then, slice the potatoes, very thinly. Tear off 4-5 generous sized pieces of aluminum foil and lay out on the table. Separate the ground beef according to how much each person wants (lots for Dad, slightly less for mom, and little portions for the kids). Next, let each person add what they want of the potatoes, carrots and onions. My kids love this part! Then, put a pretty good spoonful of butter on top of each pile. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash seasoning.

Now it's time to wrap it up. Bring the long ends together and seal the seam. Seal the shorter side by twisting the remaining foil and making handles. Then, double wrap each package with another piece of foil, sealing in the same way.

Lay the foil packages directly onto hot coals in your fire. Allow to cook for about 10-15 minutes. Flip them over (my husband uses a real leather glove - you can reach right into the fire without being burned at all) and cook for another 5 minutes or so. You will hear the food sizzling and it will smell amazing!

Carefully unwrap the packages and dump the meal onto a paper plate (it will melt Styrofoam plates). Now, enjoy one of the most delicious meals you will ever eat on a camping trip!

Veggie Soup

2008-08-16T19:39:00.003-04:00

Tonight I was in the mood for some soup and it was like 4:15pm, so I didn't have much time to throw it together. I used what I had on hand, and now, I need to restock my pantry a little!! Here's what I did:

2 cans of chicken broth
1 can of green beans
1 can of young peas
about 16 baby carrots chopped
1 small onion chopped
lima beans (I had some leftover in the fridge, about a can's worth)
juice of one lime
1 table spoon of garlic
1 tsp salt
2 sage leaves
1/4 cup or so of fresh cuban basil
1/4 cup white wine
3 small tomatoes diced

I put it all in a pot, brought it to a boil and simmers for about 30mins. Its was really delicious!

Pita Bread Pizzas

2008-08-12T11:15:00.006-04:00

This one is pretty self-explanatory. I love this version of pizza because it doesn't involve making dough and can be made in a hurry. Try letting older children make this for lunch or supper one day.

Start with whole wheat pita pockets.

Generously spread each one with tomato sauce.
Sprinkle with pizza or Italian seasoning.
Add each person's favourite toppings. A great way to accommodate even the fussiest eaters in the family!
Cover with grated cheese. (Whatever kind you have on hand-it doesn't always have to be mozzarella.)
Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes. Slice into wedges and enjoy!

All Fruit Smoothies

2008-07-29T13:59:00.002-04:00

Need something cool and refreshing, but not full of sugar? These smoothies are a perfect summertime treat! This is really more of a formula than a recipe, because these smoothies turn out different every time! This is a "vegan" recipe, which means there is no dairy - they are truly all fruit.

First of all, make sure you have plenty of bananas on hand. They will be ready for smoothies when they are nice and yellow (not green anymore, but not too ripe either). Take the bananas out of their peels and freeze them in freezer bag ahead of time. For your other fruits, I have found some of the best ones to be strawberries, peaches, mango blueberries and raspberries. You can definitely experiment with others. Here's the basic recipe:

Combine in a blender:
1 cup apple juice
1 1/2 to 2 frozen bananas
1 cup cold or frozen fruit (1 kind or a combination)
I also sometimes add 1 apple to make it go further.

Blend until the smoothie looks creamy, about 60 seconds.

You'll need to double or triple this recipe if you have more than 2 kids like me! I assure you, your kids (and husbands!) will love these! My kids will take these over ice cream any day! Let me know if you come up with any exotic combinations! Enjoy!

Hot Sandwiches

2008-07-13T21:37:00.005-04:00

This is just something quick I do for lunch or easy suppers. I love to use the George Foreman Grill! Its so easy to use and clean. And you can get them pretty cheap if you don't have one...even at a garage sale.

I make a sandwich with whatever I have. Here are a couple of ideas:

Turkey, tomato, spinach, cheese
Peanut Butter and Banana
Ham and Cheese
Chicken or tuna salad
pizza (pepperoni, cheese, toppings of choice)
Plain old grill cheese

Plug in the George Foreman. After assembling the sandwich, spray both sides of the grill with Pam or whatever spray type thing you use. Place the sandwich on grill and grill until cheese is melted, usually its done in about 3 minutes.

Mmmmmmmm. I think I may do this for lunch tomorrow!

Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole

2008-07-08T17:26:00.008-04:00

Ingredients:
2 pounds of frozen Tater tots
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 pound of cooked breakfast sausage
2 soup cans full of milk
3 or 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup salsa
1 dozen eggs

Directions:
Place tater tots, sausage, and cheese in greased 9x13 inch pan. Beat eggs, milk, soup, and salsa, then pour over tater tot stuff. Stir all ingredients around to make sure everything is coated. Cover pan and stick in the refrigerator over night. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 to 55 minutes or until thoroughly cooked in the middle.

Cheese Meatloaf - Individual ones!

2008-06-30T16:47:00.005-04:00

I have to give credit where credit is due... this is one I got from Karen T.
It is not your "normal" meatloaf - Bryan even eats it!

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1/2 c. diced onion (1 tsp onion powder)
3/4 c. milk
1 c. shredded cheese
1/2 c. quick oats (instant kind)
1 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into little individual loaves. (8 per pound)
Top each loaf with 2/3 c. ketchup, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. mustard mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

These freeze great (freeze them uncooked, but shaped into loaves without the topping). Take them out of the freezer.. top with mixture... bake (add a few minutes to the cooking time since they start out frozen)

Chicken Jalepeno Dip

2008-06-29T15:51:00.005-04:00

This recipe is from my GREAT FRIEND Stacy. And it is unbelievable delicious! I made it this weekend and it was a great hit!

1 can cream of chicken soup
20 oz chicken breast, cooked and diced
4 oz Pepper Jack cheese
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1/2 green pepper - optional
4 oz Jalapeño or 4 oz green chilis
1 small minced onion
1 tsp garlic
3/4 cup velveeta, diced

Put in crockpot until melted

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

2008-06-26T22:43:00.004-04:00

This is our favourite pancake recipe. Our family usually does not eat pancakes for breakfast - we eat them for supper! It's the kids' favourite meal because they ask for it all the time. When I add bacon, it's my husband's favourite meal. And it's always my favourite meal because it's so easy! I also add fruit when I make this for supper.

Combine in a small bowl and mix with fork.

2 c. buttermilk *
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs

In a larger bowl combine:

1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. unbleached, white flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt

Add wet ingredients to the dry bowl and mix, only until moistened. Fry in hot, lightly greased skillet.

*I have to confess that I've never used real buttermilk to make these pancakes! Here's my secret: For every cup of buttermilk that you need, put 1 T. of lemon juice in a one cup measure, then add regular milk to fill it up. Allow that to sit for about 5 minutes. The lemon juice causes the milk to sour and viola! you have buttermilk!

Incredible Potato Soup

2008-06-25T18:21:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
12 bacon strips, crumbled
8 cups cubed, peeled potatoes
2 cans (14 1/2 oz.) chicken broth
2 small grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 T dried parsley flakes
1 t celery seed
1 t salt
1 t pepper
6 T flour
6 cups milk
16 oz. Velveeta

Directions:
In a large saucepan, fry bacon until; drain. Add potatoes, broth, carrotes, onion, parsley, celery seed, salt pepper. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes). Combine flour and milk in a seperate bowl, stir until smooth; add to soup. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add cheese; stir until cheese is melted and soup is heated through. Serve. Makes about 6 servings.

I have gotten SO MANY compliments on this soup. It is awesome!!!

Spaghetti Squash

2008-06-21T19:32:00.004-04:00

If you haven't tried spaghetti squash...you should! My kids aren't big meat eaters, but you can serve this with a meat sauce. The point is, the squash is your "pasta" and you put whatever sauce you want. Here's how you cook it:

Wash the outside of the spaghetti squash. For using a microwave oven (which is what I do because its quick), place squash in a large covered glass or ceramic microwaveable baking dish. With a large sharp knife, poke two or three lengthwise cuts into the squash about half way through, each cut about one inch long. Cover the baking dish.
Bake until the squash begins to get soft. Do not let it get mushy. In the microwave oven the baking time should take about 20-25 minutes. Remove the spaghetti squash and set on a large plate. Cut in half lengthwise and set the two halves side by side. Remove the seeds and set them aside.
The outer skin of the spaghetti squash should be hard (like a shell) and should be partially separated from the soft inside of the squash. Some of the spaghetti-like strands of squash should also be visible. Take a fork and rake the "noodles" out of the shells.
Serve with sauce of your choice.

Cinnamon Muffins

2008-06-20T09:24:00.004-04:00

My family devours these muffins! They are my husband's favourite, so I made these for Father's Day breakfast on Sunday. I hope you'll try them and enjoy them too! Remember, if you try any of the recipes on this blog, be sure to come back and leave a comment. We want to know what you think!

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

In a bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add egg and beat well. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk and mix well. Fill greased muffin cups half full. (These work well with muffin papers as well.) Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While the muffins are baking....

In a small, shallow bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Melt butter. When muffins are done, dip tops in butter, then in cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm.

I usually make a double batch because these are so popular!

Vanilla "Shake" - South Beach style

2008-06-16T09:39:00.003-04:00

I haven't been cooking much lately (blessing of living at a camp... they cook... we eat!) Plus I'm also back on Phase One of South Beach... so how about a new treat I came up with..

Freeze some skim milk in a freezer-safe bag
Dump frozen milk (minus the bag), Splenda (about 1 TBSP), and 1 tsp vanilla in blender.
Blend adding fresh skim milk as need to make a smooth texture!
It's great! Refreshing - and "almost" tastes like a shake!

Sorry that's all I've got for now! I'll try to do better next Monday!

Grilled Maple Teriyaki Salmon Fillets

2008-06-12T13:13:00.006-04:00

If you've never been a huge fan of salmon, this recipe just might change your mind! We serve this a lot for company, and it always disappears very quickly! The salmon just kind of melts in your mouth. I've had two requests for this marinade in just the last two weeks. So, tie on that apron, heat up the grill, and get ready to try something new tonight!

You will need:

1/3 cup apple juice
1/3 cup real maple syrup
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 salmon fillets (about 2 pounds)

In a large, resealable bag, combine first 5 ingredients. Remove 1/2 cup for basting later; cover and refrigerate. Add salmon fillets to marinade in bag. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 1-3 hours. When ready to grill, drain and discard marinade. Over medium heat, grill salmon about 5 minutes on first side. Flip once and grill another 3 minutes, until salmon flakes easily with a fork. Do not overcook or it will be dry!

OR broil in oven, 4 in. from heat for 5 minutes. Baste with some of the reserved marinade. Broil 10 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with fork, basting frequently.

I usually serve this with rice, a green salad, and corn on the cob. So yummy!

Corn Bread Bake

2008-06-11T13:53:00.003-04:00

Here is an easy way to make Jiffy Brand Corn Bread taste moist and special.

Ingredients:

2 boxes of Jiffy Corn Bread mix
3 eggs
2/3 Cup milk
1 stick of butter/margarine
1 can cream corn (regular/size maybe 15 oz.)
3 or 4 T sugar ( I like it sweet. I don't measure the sugar. I just pour some in.)

Directions:
Place stick of butter in a 9x13. Place pan in oven while oven is heating to 350 degrees. While oven is heating and butter is melting, mix the corn muffin mix, eggs, milk, corn and 2 T sugar. When butter is melted your pan should be sufficiently greased, pour remaining butter into muffin mix. Stir mix, then pour mix into pan. Sprinkle top with remaining sugar. Bake at 350 for about 30 min.

No Bake Chocolate Cookies

2008-06-09T00:09:00.005-04:00

(from my mother-in-law)

These are Bryan's favorites

Ingredients

3 cups instant rolled oats

2/3 cup peanut butter (creamy)

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup stick margarine

1/3 cup baking cocoa

Directions

In saucepan melt together milk, butter, cocoa, and sugar.

Heat until reaches a low boil for 2 minutes. (Stir constantly)

Remove from heat. Add vanilla and peanut butter to chocolate mixture.

Add this mixture to the oats and stir until coated.

Scoop by teaspoon onto wax paper to cool.

Store in an air tight container.

Summer Strawberry Pie

2008-06-05T13:28:00.014-04:00

With the hot, summer days upon us, you will LOVE this dessert recipe! This will cool and refresh your palette, and keep your kitchen cool at the same time! My mom used to make this often, when fresh strawberries were in season. (She had to make it often because it didn't last very long!) I remember my brother requesting this pie for his August birthday every year instead of traditional cake!

When I made this pie the other day, the strawberries looked so pretty, that I decided to take pictures of every step!

Start with about a quart of freshly washed strawberries. Remove leaves and slice strawberries until you have 3-4 cups. (It depends on the size of your pie crust.)

Arrange sliced strawberries in a prepared graham cracker crust. (If you're ambitious, you can make your own crust, but I try to keep it simple with this pie.) Don't heap the strawberries too high, or you will have overflow problems later!

In a medium saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar with 2 T. cornstarch. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir. Bring to a boil. Immediately reduce to medium low heat and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring often.

Remove the pan from hot burner. Add one small package of strawberry Jell-O and stir until dissolved.

VERY SLOWLY, pour gelatin mixture over sliced strawberries in pie plate. It needs to get into every crack and crevice, as well as coat every strawberry on top. I always find that I have a bit of the mixture left over. Don't try to pour it all in if it starts to overflow!

Place your beautiful, finished pie in the fridge (uncovered) for several hours. Once it's chilled and set, you can cover it for long-term storage. But...I don't think you'll be keeping it for very long! :-) Enjoy!

Crunchy Chicken Dippers

2008-05-31T20:28:00.003-04:00

Crunchy Chicken Dippers

Prep Time:
15 min

Total Time:
40 min

Makes:
8 servings

2 eggs

2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch wide strips

4-1/2 cups POST HONEY BUNCHES OF OATS Cereal, finely crushed

1 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Beat eggs lightly in shallow dish or pie plate. Dip chicken in eggs, turning over to evenly coat both sides of each strip. Coat chicken evenly with cereal. Place in two 15x10x1-inch baking pans sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 25 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

I copied and pasted this recipe straight from Kraft Food's website. We LOVE this and it is so easy.

Simple Spanish Rice

2008-05-29T11:13:00.002-04:00

Here's a great recipe to try when you're looking for something a little more interesting than plain ole' rice. It's moist, but not mushy and has wonderful flavour! My husband got really excited last night when he saw me making this! We enjoyed it along with grilled chicken and steamed broccoli. Mmmm!

2/3 cup chopped green pepper

1 large (or 2 small) tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 T. olive or vegetable oil

1 cup uncooked, long grain rice

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

In medium saucepan, saute green pepper, tomato, and onion until tender. (Stirring often.) Add rice; saute for 2 more minutes. (Again, stirring almost constantly.) Stir in broth and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and gently simmer 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Makes 4 servings.

Sausage Egg Casserole

2008-05-28T18:45:00.006-04:00

This is an awesome and very easy breakfast casserole! We make it here at the camp and just about everyone loves it!

Ingredients-
2 tubes of crescent rolls
dozen beaten eggs
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound of cooked sausage

Directions
Cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan with one rolled out tube of the crescent rolls. Bake @ 350 degrees for about 7 min. or until just VERY lightly browned. Place sausage, cheese and eggs over slightly cooked crescent rolls. Cook for about 15 or 20 min. (eggs should be looking almost cooked). Spread other tube of crescent rolls on top of the egg mixture. Cook for about 10 more min. ( top should be golden brown and the egg mixture completely cooked!)

South Beach eggs on the go!

2008-05-25T23:46:00.005-04:00

So these are my South Beach breakfast favorite!

They are similar to a quiche and I don't know WHY I didn't do it before now! This recipe is similar to the one in the South Beach book, but I didn't like theirs.

1 cup 2% or fat free shredded cheese

1/2 cup meat (either cooked sausage or shredded Ham - low fat)

6 eggs

1/4 cup milk

Crack open the eggs in a bowl add in milk, salt, and pepper. Whisk until well blended. Pour egg into muffin pan filling each 1/2 full. Drop cheese, meat, and veggies into each muffin cup as much as desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean! They store great in the fridge for about 2 days and heat up beautifully for a minute in the microwave. I haven't tried freezing them yet... so let me know if you do how it works! Mix it up ... be creative!

Sugar Cookies Cutouts

2008-05-21T15:54:00.008-04:00

I get so many requests for these cookies. I usually triple the dough recipe, but do a single batch of the frosting. I like my cookies thick and soft! (Daniel decorated the ones in the picture. The green one is a tennis ball!)

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup margarine or butter

1/3 Cup shortening

2 Cups flour

1 egg

3/4 Cup sugar

1 Tbs. milk

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

Dash salt

Directions:

Beat margarine and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add about half of the flour, the egg, sugar, milk, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Beat till thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover; chill for 3 hours.

On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time 1/2 inch think. Cut into desired shapes. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Cool cookies on a rack. When cool frost cookies with frosting.

Frosting recipe:

1/3 cup margarine or butter

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a bowl beat butter till fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla. Slowly beat in remaining sugar. Beat in additional milk, if needed, to make of spreading consistency. Tint with food coloring, if desired.

Vanilla Waffles

2008-05-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've tried several waffle recipes and this one is our FAVORITE! The vanilla gives it a great flavor... even without syrup! Waffles are a Sunday night favorite around our house!

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
6 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup milk

Directions

Cream the butter with the sugar, vanilla, and salt.
Combine the flour and baking powder. Add to the mixture and gradually add the milk and eggs.
Pour batter on hot waffle iron. Makes 14 waffles.

I always make extras then freeze them in a freezer bag. Pop them in the toaster and VOILA... breakfast in a flash (or pop.. if you factor in the toaster)

Choose-a-Flavor Quiche

2008-05-14T14:23:00.010-04:00

Don't let Quiche scare you. It really isn't hard at all to make!

Ingredients
1 pie crust
3 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp minced onion
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Dash ground nutmeg
3/4 cup of meat or veggie (some options are bacon, broccoli, ham, , or sausage)
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 T flour

Directions
Line the unpricked pie crust with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes more or until crust is nearly done. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temp. to 325 degrees. Meanwhile, in a bowl stir together eggs, milk, onion, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in meat or veggie. Toss together cheese and flour. Add to egg mixture; mix well. Pour egg mixture into HOT crust. Bake in the 325 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes. Enjoy.

My children LOVE this meal. I usually serve it with muffins and fruit.

Gooey Butter Cake

2008-05-08T23:23:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure if I'm even supposed to share this recipe - it's kind of a family secret....so, be sure to snatch this up before I get busted! You will absolutely love this cake! It's sweet, gooey, super rich, and oh, so wonderfully yummy and addictive! Only make this on special occasions or you will gain some weight!

Bottom Layer:
1 yellow boxed cake mix
1/2 c. butter, melted
2 eggs

Mix ingredients and pat into well-greased and floured 9x13 pan. (Or two 8x8's)

Top Layer:
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 lb. (or 4 cups) powdered sugar
2 well beaten eggs

Beat topping ingredients well. You may need to use an electric mixer to get it smooth enough. Spread over bottom layer. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.

Bake for 40 min. at 350 degrees. Top will be golden brown and edges will be dark brown when done. Cool and enjoy! My favourite is to keep this cake in the fridge and eat it cold. Mmmmm!

Taco Ring

2008-05-06T09:25:00.004-04:00

I make this all the time a few days after we have tacos! Just use the extra meat... or make extra!!!

Ingredients
2 cans of crescent rolls
1-2 pounds of ground beef made according to taco seasoning package
shredded cheese

Directions
Combine seasoned/cooked ground beef and as much shredded cheese as desired.
Cook in microwave until cheese melts.
Place open crescent rolls on pizza pan with the top of the triangle pointed out and the other edges overlapping. (this will make it look like an open sunflower) I should've taken a picture sorry
Place the ground beef/cheese mixture in the circle and overlap the top edges to the bottom. This will make it look like a ring.
(If you've ever been around for Mardi Gras... it looks like homemade King Cake)
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until brown.

This recipe is also great for other substitutions for the ground beef.
I've done Ham/cheese; sausage/egg/cheese (cook eggs/sausage first); cinnamon/sugar with butter; use your imagination!!!!!! Leave a comment if you have a new one!!!!

Swedish Meatballs

2008-04-28T12:07:00.008-04:00

My mom always used to serve these yummy meatballs and sauce whenever we had company over. She received so many compliments and recipe requests! I hope you will try it and love it as much as our family and friends do! It's a wonderful comfort food and uses ingredients that are usually always on hand.

Meatballs:

1 lb. hamburger

3/4 c. bread crumbs

1/4 c. milk

1/2 T. dried minced onion (or about 1 T. fresh minced)

1 egg

1/2 t. salt

dash of parsley flakes

1/8 t. pepper

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

Make small meatballs and place close together on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 25 min. While these are in the oven, put some rice on to cook or steam, and make the sauce.

Sauce:

1/4 c. chopped onion

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. flour

2 c. water

2 cubes (or 2 t.) beef bouillon

1 T. ketchup

1 t. paprika

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

3/4 c. sour cream (I always use non-fat - it really cuts down on the fat)

Cook onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour. Slowly add water while stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients, except for sour cream. Heat until bubbly. Add meatballs and simmer over low heat for 10 min. Stir in sour cream and remove from heat. Serve over hot steamed rice. This goes well with a salad or other green vegetable. (Because of the colour of the sauce, yellow or orange veggies just don't look right!)

Scalloped Corn Supreme

2008-04-23T20:55:00.008-04:00

This recipe has been in my family ever since I was little . I love this stuff and so do my children!!

Ingredients
1 can (2 cups) cream corn
1 cup milk
1 well beaten egg
1 cup of cracker crumbs (Ritz type)
1 T of finely chopped onion
3/4 tsp. salt
dash of pepper

Topping ingredients:
1/2 cup buttered crumbs (melt just enough butter to coat cracker crumbs, not to make them mushy)

Directions

Heat corn & milk. Gradually stir in egg. Add 1 cup cracker crumbs, onion, salt, & a dash of pepper. Mix well. Pour into greased pie pan. Top with buttered crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until middle is firm.

We double this recipe and put it into a 9x13 in. pan. Cooking will take about 30-35 min.

Sweet Sloppy Joes

2008-04-21T13:55:00.007-04:00

I know there a lots of different recipes for sloppy joes... just wanted to add mine in. (I just made it up today)

In a large skillet

1 pound cooked/drained ground beef

In skillet add to ground beef:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 tsp. hot sauce

3 TBSP flour (helps it hold together)

pinch of salt

1 tsp mustard

1/4 cup brown sugar

Just so you know all these measurements are "guesstaments" I really just dumped stuff in!

Also the picture is of the kid's sandwich so it didn't have as much meat on it!

Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars

2008-04-17T21:51:00.005-04:00

I made these tonight and they were very easy and incredibly delicious. Like chocolate chip cookies in a bar form!

1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, melted
1 1/2 packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 t vanilla
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9x9 or 11x7 pan

Sift flour , baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl, set aside.

Put the melted butter and brown sugar in a large bowl, and stir with a mixing spoon until the brown sugar is evenly moistened with the butter. The mixture will be thick. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir ntil the eggs are completely blended and the mixture looks smooth. Add the flour mixture and stire just until it is incorporated and there is no loose flour. The batter will be thick. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scrape the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly. Use a rubber spatula to scrape all the batter from the bowl and spread evenly into pan.

Bake for about 35 min.

Baked Oatmeal

2008-04-15T17:55:00.002-04:00

I'm posting this recipe to celebrate! I was sick for a week with a bad sinus infection. For 5 days I could taste and smell NOTHING! It totally took the fun out of eating. On Sunday morning, my husband made baked oatmeal, as has become the tradition at our house. When it was about halfway done, I noticed something wonderful! I could smell it baking! And when it was done, I could taste it too!! It was the best smell and taste in the whole world at that point! I thought you might enjoy it too! I got this recipe from my mother-in-law shortly after we were married.

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. oil
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. cooking molasses (do not use blackstrap)
3 c. quick oats
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. milk

Whisk together eggs, oil, honey and molasses. Add dry ingredients; mix, then add milk. Pour into well-greased square (or round) pan. Bake 30 min. at 350. Check center with knife for doneness. If still gooey, bake a few minutes longer.

We eat this with a little milk poured over the top of each serving and a small dollop of jam or applesauce. I like mine with just milk! Like I said, this has become a weekend tradition, with Daddy being the main baker. I love having a morning off!

Mashed-potato Cinnamon Rolls

2008-04-12T22:52:00.008-04:00

If you want an awesome cinnamon roll recipe, look no further! It seriously doesn't get any better than this one!

Ingredients for the dough

1/2 pound potatoes
2 packages active dry yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Cups warm water
3/4 Cup butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 Cup sugar
2/3 Cup nonfat dry milk
1 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
8 Cups all-purpose flour

Directions

Cook potatoes until tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid;set aside. Mash potatoes; set aside 1 cup. Heat reserved potato liquid to 110-115 degrees. In mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and the 2 Tbsp. sugar in potato water; let stand 10 minutes. Add warm water, mashed potatoes, butter, eggs, sugar, dry milk, salt, vanilla and 5 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and chill overnight.

Filling:
1/2 Cup butter, melted
3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Icing:
4 Cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 Tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Punch dough down; divide into thirds. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a 12" x 8" rectangle; spread with butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon (I usually separate these evenly three ways before I combine them. Then I combine each 1/3 portion.); sprinkle over the dough. Roll up from a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut each into 12 slices; place cut side down in three greased 9x13 inch pans. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 22-27 minutes. Combine icing ingredients; drizzle over hot rolls. Makes 3 dozen.

Baked Ham and Swiss with Mushroom Sauce on Croissants and Fresh Fruit

2008-04-11T10:47:00.009-04:00

That's really the title for this recipe! It's from one of my favourite recipe books called "Cooking for the Rushed" by Sandi Richard. This meal makes a great, fancy lunch or brunch, but my husband is happy to have this for supper any day of the week! It's a very grown up sandwich, but our kids like it too.

1 T. butter or margarine
12 mushrooms
4 green onions
1 T. flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 t. ground pepper
1/8 t. nutmeg
6 large croissants
6 slices deli sliced ham (or turkey if you prefer)
6 slices deli sliced Swiss cheese
1/2 small honeydew melon
6 nectarines
1 small bunch green grapes

Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat butter in a non-stick pan at med-high. Wash and chop mushrooms and green onions, adding to pan as you chop. Stir as you add. Stir in flour and gradually add milk until mixture begins to thicken. Add spices, stir and remove from heat.

Cut croissants in half, lengthwise. Place bottom halves on a cookie sheet. Layer each bottom half in this order: 1 slice ham, 1/6 of the mushroom sauce, and 1 slice of cheese. Cover with the top of croissant. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese has melted.

While this is baking.... Wash and cut melon and nectarines into slices. Wash grapes and arrange in a very classy sort of way on the serving plates. (Of course, you can use any fruit that your family likes or whatever is in season.) Place the croissant alongside when done. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cake

2008-04-09T21:48:00.004-04:00

1 box yellow cake mix (with pudding)

16 oz. sour cream

1/2 cup oil

1 LARGE box instant vanilla pudding

4 eggs

12 oz. chocolate chips

Mix together and place in greased and floured bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Also works with Chocolate cake mix and white chocolate chips!

Get creative... maybe butterscotch ones work too?!!

SOOO SIMPLE - SOOOO GOOD!! I know I've got LOTS of dessert recipes!!!

(I got this recipe from Bryan's Aunt Carol!)

Sweet Potato Sticks

2008-04-08T14:13:00.004-04:00

4 sweet potatoes
olive oil
paprika
salt

Cut the potatoes into spears, kind of fat. Spread them out on baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and paprika. Bake in a preheated oven that's 400 degrees for 40mins-1 hour, checking to see they are cooked through and turning slightly brown.

My family LOVES these and they are just so darn good for you too!

Sweet Potato Crescents

2008-04-04T00:01:00.007-04:00

Here is one of our favorite homemade bread recipes.

Ingredients

4 1/2 T (or 2 packages) of active dry yeast
1 Cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
1 can (15 ounces) cut sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup shortening
1 egg
1 t salt
5 to 5 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/4 Cup butter, melted

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water; let stand for 5 min. Beat in the sweet potatoes, sugar, shortening, egg, salt and 3 cups flour. Add enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 min. 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; divide into thirds. Roll each portion into a 12-in. circle; cut each into 12 wedges. Brush with butter. Roll up from the wide end and place, pointed end down, 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Let rise until doubled, about 40 min.
Bake at 375 degrees for 13-15 min. or until golden brown. Take out of oven and rub butter or margarine on top of each roll. Remove from pans to wire racks. Yields: 3 dozen

I hope that you enjoy these! Our family certainly does!!!

Lori's Granola Bars

2008-04-03T09:11:00.001-04:00

How about a snack?

These granola bars are SUPER easy and my guys LOVE them! They are perfect for ski trips or baseball/soccer practice!

Ingredients

1 stick butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups instant rolled oats

1/4 cup pancake syrup

Preparation

Melt butter in a microwave safe pan (approx. 8x8). Mix in sugar, syrup and oats. Microwave until bubbly. (It takes 5 minutes on high in my microwave.) If you like them soft take out sooner than later! Also, you will need to cut them before they set, but not immediately after removing from microwave.

This is what they look like uncut... straight from the microwave.

My sister added raisins and used honey instead of syrup. She said it worked great. I tried Chocolate chips and they didn't work... but I think it would if I practiced on it more!

It may take some practice to get them just like you like them!

Cabbage Meatball Soup

2008-04-01T01:10:00.004-04:00

This soup smells heavenly while it's simmering! It's a wonderful comfort food on a cold day. My family (even my kids, ages 4 and 7), LOVE this soup! Don't let the words "cabbage" and "leeks" scare you away! It is so tasty and everyone we've served this to, has become a fan. It does require a lot of chopping, so leave some extra time for that. I like this recipe because it makes so much and will feed our family twice. So, happy chopping and enjoy this healthy, filling soup!

Meatballs:

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1/2 c. soft bread crumbs (or 1/4 c. dry crumbs)
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (or about 1 T. dried)
1 t. salt

Shape into tiny balls. In lightly greased skillet, brown on all sides, remove and drain fat.
Soup:

1/4 cup butter
2 c. sliced leeks (white part)
1 c. chopped onion
4 c. chopped cabbage
1 c. diced potato
1 c. sliced celery
1 c. sliced carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 c. beef or vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 t. pepper
1 t. salt

Saute vegetables in butter until slightly limp. Add broth and spices and simmer until tender crisp. Add meatballs and simmer 20 minutes more. Serves 6-8.

Chicken Stuffing

2008-03-28T13:32:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

3 to 4 cups of cut up cooked chicken pieces
2 boxes of stuffing mix
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Prepare stuffing as stated on box. Place prepared stuffing on the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. In a bowl mix chicken and soups together. Spread soup mixture on top of stuffing. Bake for 25 minutes @ 350 degrees. Pull out of oven and sprinkle cheese on top. Cook for another 5 minutes or so until cheese is melted.

An idea for a change in this meal. I have put cooked mixed vegetables in the soup/chicken mixture. It really adds alot of flavor for me, but my children would rather have the veggies on the side (not in the actual casserole). We REALLY enjoy this recipe with homemade rolls. I will give you that recipe on my next turn!!

Asparagus

2008-03-26T20:14:00.001-04:00

About 12 asparagus spears, fresh, trimmed at the bottom
1/4 Italian type dressing (tonights I just used olive oil and a teaspoon of Tastefully Simple's Garlic Dill seasoning)
1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Spread the asparagus out in an 8x8 glass baking dish. Pour dressing over evenly, sprinkle cheese on top. Cover with plastic wrap, poke several holes in it with a fork. Place in MICROWAVE for 4 minutes, check and it needed add more time. (We do not like mushy veggies, so when they are a nice bright green, I take them out. If they are too crunchy, you can always put them back in)

We had this for dinner tonight and my kids loved it. My mom always did this with asparagus as well as broccoli. We use variations of cheese (Parmesan, or whatever you've got) and dressings. Lime or lemon juice is a great addition too.

"Dirt"

2008-03-24T13:42:00.001-04:00

You may already have this recipe... but we just tried it for the first time! It was a BIG hit!

Ingredients

1 package Oreo Cookies
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 (4oz) packages instant chocolate pudding mix
3 cups milk
1 (12oz) container frozen Cool Whip, thawed
15 gummi worms

Directions
Chop up the Oreos until they are fine crumbs... set aside
In a large bowl... Mix - butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat on low speed to mix then medium speed until smooth. Add pudding mix and milk to bowl.. Beat on low speed to combine.
Fold in whipped topping with a spatula.
Layer ingredients in a 9x13 pan or some other glass container. (ungreased) Layer as follows: 1/3 oreo crumbs, 1/2 pudding mixture, 1/3 oreo crumbs, 1/2 pudding mixture, top with remaining oreo crumbs. Place gummy worms in the cookie "dirt" to create the look of climbing out of the ground.

Chill for at least 3 hours before serving! Have fun with this "spring" dish... make it in flower pots and serve with a trowel... clean one! :)

(I topped mine with spring sprinkles because my boys don't like gummi worms... they still like calling it dirt... I guess I could've topped it with some of their hot wheel cars too!)

Easy Pizza Dough

2008-03-22T12:29:00.003-04:00

This is my favorite and easiest pizza dough recipe.

Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions
Disolve yeast in warm water in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Beat vigorously until all the flour is mixed in. Let rest for 5 minutes. Spread dough out on a greased pan.

I often double the recipe for a thicker pizza. I cook it on a big cookie sheet. Here is what I do with the dough. I let it sit or rise for about a half hour or so. I bake the dough by its self at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes (until lightly browned). Then I add the sauce and toppings. I cook it for another 10 or so minutes. Pull it out of the oven and we have a wonderful homemade pizza just the way we like it!!

Gussie Burgers

2008-03-20T21:45:00.001-04:00

Jody's Aunt Gussie made these up years ago. She told me she had farm boys to feed and had to make a pound of meat stretch as much as possible. They sound weird, but they are FABULOUS. I have added some extras to Aunt Gussies original recipe.

The only problem is these are "about" measurements. You can't really mess them up.

1 lb of ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Garlic (I like lots, about 3-4 cloves, crushed)
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
other seasonings you feel like (fresh herbs, seasoning salt...)

Mix ingredients together well. It will be a strange consistency. I should be thinner than a meatloaf, where you couldn't really form it easily. Add more milk if its to thick.

Now here's the weird part:
Take a fork and put a little meat on it. Spread the raw mixture onto half of a bun, a little at a time. Cover that half with a thin layer of the mixture, all the way to the edge. Aunt Gussie starts on the edge and works toward the middle. Do that to each half of all the buns, tops and bottoms. Keep the layers thin. You will probably use at least a pack of buns.

Spray your griddle and put each half meat-side down on the griddle. Cook for about 7 minutes or until the meat is thoroughly cooked.

Place the tops and bottoms back together and put them back into the bun bag. Put your condiments between the meat (cheese, onion, ketchup, mayo, mustard, whatever) and enjoy.

Yum...

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

2008-03-19T11:12:00.001-04:00

This is one of my new favorites... I found it on Allrecipes.com and altered it according to the comment recommendations.

Ingredients
6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast (or use chicken strips, about 12)
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 (12oz) bottle of BBQ sauce (name brand tastes best - Famous Dave's)
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions
Place frozen chicken , one can chicken broth, 1 tsp. garlic powder, salt and pepper in crockpot for 6-8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.... Drain and shred chicken. Mix BBQ, Italian dressing, brown sugar, worchestire sauce then pour on shredded chicken in crockpot... cook again for 2 hours on low.

Serve on hoagie rolls or top a baked potato..

YUMMY

Tater Tot Casserole

2008-03-17T21:36:00.002-04:00

We have already gotten a request for an easy hamburger meal. Here is the easiest one I could come up with. I sure hope that it is not too easy!

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey (If you like more meat, you could add 1/2 a pound or so. I am cheap so we make due without the extra.)
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup (If you do not like cream of mushroom, cream of chicken works well too.)
1 bag of frozen tater tots

Cook up the meat. Drain the fat. Place meat on the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Place the soups in next and stir it around to make sure that all the meat is covered. Smooth the mixture out, so that it is pretty even all around the pan. Next place tater tots in straight rows on top of the meat and soups. (I usually have extra tater tots. I just cook those up seperately and the kids love them.) Bake casserole at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

I usually serve this with a side dish of vegetables and some applesauce. My children LOVE this meal.

Soft Pretzels

2008-03-16T23:42:00.001-04:00

Family Camp

Ingredients
2 TBSP dry yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups bread flour
3/4 cup brown sugar

Preparation
Dissolve yeast in 1 1/2 cups warm water.
Add sugar, salt, and flour.
Knead until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes.
Let rise for 15 minutes.
Roll dough in long narrow rolls; shape to form pretzel.
Mix 1/2 cup warm water and 1/2 TBSP baking soda.

Dip pretzels into soda mixture.
Place on WELL greased cookie sheet.

Sprinkle with pretzel salt or kosher salt (course).
(Wait until baked to add cinnamon/sugar if wanting sweet pretzels)

Bake in VERY hot oven. (400 - 500 degrees) for 5 - 10 minutes.
Make sure oven is preheated and pans are WELL greased.
Drizzle with melted butter!

Yummy!

Welcome!

2008-03-16T22:27:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our Recipe Blog!
It's a place where we (Judith, Emily, Pegs, and myself) will share our favorite recipes... (or ones we are serving our families anyway!)
We hope to give you new ideas and new inspiration for your mealtime!
Hopefully you will give us some ideas too!! So ENJOY!