Food Tastes Good!

Black Beans & Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa

2012-02-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

My daughter told me about this recipe. It is so delicious and good for you! I love the fresh flavors of the apple salsa and the zip of the lime juice. I really liked the mixture of the different flavors and textures. This is definitely one we will have again soon!

Black Beans & Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa
from Our Best Bites

1 c chopped peeled Granny Smith apple
1/4 c chopped cilantro, divided
1/3 c finely chopped red onion, divided
2 limes
1/3 c finely chopped green bell pepper
1-2 TBSP olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1 13.5 ounce can chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups cooked brown or white rice
1 rotisserie chicken, or 4 grilled chicken breasts
4-6 lime wedges

Combine apple, cilantro, 2 TBSP onion, and the juice from half a lime. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and black pepper. Set aside.

Combine remaining onion, bell pepper, and oil in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until completely softened, 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and next 3 ingredients; stir constantly for 2 minutes (I only cooked it for about 30 seconds so the garlic wouldn't burn). Stir in broth and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer briskly, mashing some of the beans with the back of a spoon or fork, stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and a big squeeze of lime juice (I put in a lot!) Divide rice and beans among plates. Top with some chicken and apple salsa. Garnish with additional cilantro and lime wedges. Serves 4-6.

Baked Lemon Chicken

2012-01-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

I was blog hopping and found this recipe. I am a sucker for anything lemon - and thought I needed to try this one out. We really loved it. It's amazing the difference in taste and texture when you cook chicken pieces with the bones and skin attached. The skin was crispy and delicious and the meat was so moist and juicy. I loved the light lemony flavor. This was a really easy and delicious dinner!

Baked Lemon Chicken
from Annie's Eats

2 TBSP lemon zest
1/3 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (I didn't have any, so I left it out)
1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2-4 lbs of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks
2-3 TBSP melted butter
Thinly sliced lemons, for garnishing

Directions:
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large zip-lock plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake well to blend. Place the chicken pieces int he bag with the marinade, pressing out excess air and sealing once more. Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and transfer to a baking dish, skin-side up, reserving the leftover marinade. Brush the top of each piece of chicken with melted butter.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the skins are crispy and well-browned (mine was getting pretty dark so I took it out after 45 minutes). Halfway through baking, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken pieces in the baking dish. Once fully baked, cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with lemon slices and serve.

Potato, Ham and Spinach Frittata

2012-01-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in the February issue of Real Simple Magazine. It looked good, so I made it tonight. Wow! We REALLY loved it! It has amazing flavor and is good for you. (It is listed as a low-calorie recipe) I really love it when new recipes exceed expectations. Yahoo! I highly recommend it. It is a keeper.

Tip: To turn out nice even potato and onion slices quickly, use a food processor fitted with a slicer blade.

Potato, Ham and Spinach Frittata

From Real Simple Magazine

2 TBSP olive oil
2 small russet potatoes (about 3/4 lb), peeled and thinly sliced (For me it was 1 big potato and I quartered it so it would fit in the food processor tube.
1 small onion, thinly sliced
9 large eggs
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 10-oz. pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
4 ounces white Cheddar, grated (1 cup) (I had some wonderful Cougar-Gold White Cheddar from Christmas, but you can buy sharp white cheddar in most stores - great flavor!)
4 oz. thinly sliced deli ham, cut into 2-inch pieces

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof nonstick skillet over medium heat (I used a cast iron frying pan). Add the potatoes and onion and cook, tossing occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 12-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mix in the spinach, cheddar, and ham.

Add the egg mixture to the skillet, stir once, and transfer the skillet to oven. Cook until the eggs are set, 12-14 minutes. (It took longer for my eggs to set - I think my pan was smaller) Enjoy!

Light Sweet Potato Casserole

2011-12-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

We have loved Sweet Potato Casserole for holidays over the years. When I looked at the calorie count and the fat content of the recipes we have been using - I about died! Holy Cow! They are so high! I went on a search this last Thanksgiving and found this light version. We had them for Thanksgiving and again for Christmas. I really liked them! They aren't as rich or sweet as the original, but you can taste the sweet potatoes a little more and they are SO yummy- I couldn't stop eating them!

Light Sweet Potato Casserole

from Cooking Light

Potatoes:

2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

3/4 c granulated sugar

1/4 c evaporated low-fat milk (I just used skim milk)

3 TBSP butter, melted

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

cooking spray

Topping:

1/3 c all-purpose flour

2/3 c packed brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

2 TBSP melted butter

1/2 c chopped pecans

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

To prepare potatoes, place potatoes in a dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender; drain. Cool 5 minutes.

Place potatoes in a large bowl; add granulated sugar, evaporated milk, 3 TBSP melted butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs; beat well. Pour potato mixture into a 9X13 baking pan coated with cooking spray.

To prepare topping, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, brown sugar, and 1/8 tsp salt; stir with a whisk. Stir in 2 TBSP melted butter. Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over potato mixture; arrange pecans evenly over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or just until golden.

Preheat broiler (remove casserole from oven)

Broil casserole 45 seconds or until topping is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Toasted Coconut-Golden Oreo Cookie Balls

2011-12-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

I saw this on the Kraft Foods site and, as always, had my interest piqued by the word COCONUT! I made this last week and they are yummy. I would like to try them again with everything the same, except use regular Oreo cookies instead of the golden ones. I think the chocolate - coconut combination would be good! These were very fun to make and turned out so pretty!

I found the cute snow-flake papers at Walmart

Toasted Coconut-Golden Oreo Cookie Balls

Adapted from Kraft Foods

1 pkg (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened

32 Golden Oreo Cookies, finely crushed (about 3 cups) A food processor works great

1 1/2 c coconut, toasted, divided

1 bag of good quality white chocolate chips, melted

Mix cream cheese, cookie crumbs and 1 cup of the coconut until well blended.

Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls. (I used a 1 TBSP measuring spoon and it came out to be the perfect sized balls)

Dip in melted chocolate. Place balls in a single layer in a shallow waxed paper-lined pan. Sprinkle with remaining coconut while the before the chocolate sets up.

Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

To easily coat balls with the melted chocolate, add balls, in batches to bowl of melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll balls in chocolate until evenly coated. Remove balls with forks, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salsa

2011-12-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

My daughter found this in a magazine ( actually it was her husband who found it and asked her to make it). She loved it, so I gave it a try. What a wonderfully refreshing change from normal salsa! So good for you too. It is amazingly sweet - roasting the sweet potatoes and onions brings out the natural sugars. I think it would make a great appetizer for a party this Christmas. I served it with tortilla chips, but it would be delicious on a chopped salad or on tacos (which my husband tried and loved).

Cut the sweet potatoes and red onions into small diced pieces and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast about 20 minutes.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salsa
Everyday Food Magazine

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together 1 large sweet potato (1 lb) peeled and diced small, 1 red onion, diced small, and 1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil. Roast until sweet potato is tender and browned in spots, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely.

Add 1 medium tomato, diced small, 1 avocado, diced small, 2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro, and 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (from 2 limes). Season with coarse salt and toss to combine. Makes 4 cups.

Quick and Easy Homemade Hash Browns

2011-11-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

My daughter had a hard time finding frozen hash browns when she lived in Florida. She started making them this way and found that it takes only a few more minutes than the frozen ones and tastes SO much better! I am a believer - I have made them many times since she told me how to do this. They make a great side-dish to any meal. They really are so simple and delicious!

Quick and Easy Homemade Hash Browns

2 lbs potatoes

1/4 c vegetable oil

salt and pepper or other seasonings of choice

Wash and dry potatoes, leaving skins on. Cut into 1/2" cubes and toss with the oil in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave them for about 5 minutes - stirring half way through.

Pour into a non-stick skillet (I have tried it in a regular pan - don't do it! What a mess!). If a little more oil is needed, add it. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the potatoes are well browned, then carefully turn the potatoes and allow them to brown on the other side.

Sparkling Apricot Thanksgiving Drink

2011-11-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

Several years ago I got this recipe from my friend Cindy. We have had it for Thanksgiving and it is a beautiful and easy drink to make. Thanks for the great idea Cindy!

Pour 1 large can of Apricot Nectar into a 9X13 pan, cover and freeze

Sparkling Apricot Thanksgiving Drink

1 large can of Apricot Nectar

2 bottles of Ginger Ale

Pour the apricot nectar into a 9X13 pan, cover and freeze overnight. About 5 minutes before serving, cut the frozen apricot nectar into 1" cubes. Put 3-4 into each cup and pour ginger ale over the top and serve.

Macaroon Kisses

2011-11-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

My friend Jodie made these delicious cookies for an activity about a year ago, and I loved them. They have a creamy texture and taste so good! I was excited to make them for an open house this weekend. I love anything with coconut and chocolate, but these are exceptionally good! Thanks Jodie!

Macaroon Kisses

1/3 cup butter, softened

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons almond extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 cups flaked coconut, divided

48 milk chocolate kisses

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in 3 cups coconut. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

Roll into 1-inch balls and roll in the remaining coconut. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Cool on pan for 2-3 minutes or until chocolate is softened. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Acorns

2011-11-10T13:37:00.001-07:00

I just saw this on Studio 5 and thought they were so cute! They are REALLY simple too. Any time you have peanut butter and chocolate together - you can't go wrong! I think they will be a cute addition to our Thanksgiving table.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Acorns

Hershey Kisses

Peanut Butter

Chopped Nuts

Pretzels

Dip the flat end of the Kiss in peanut butter enough to make it rounded. Roll the peanut butter in finely chopped nuts and add a broken piece of pretzel to be the stem. Couldn't be easier!

Orange Juice Syrup

2011-11-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, someone at my husband's work gave us the cutest little glass decanter full of a delicious orange pancake syrup for Christmas. We loved it - so I got the recipe from them. My daughter made it for our family reunion meal of french toast (made with orange zest in it) and this orange juice syrup on top. I had forgotten how delicious it is! It tastes just like you are eating an orange roll ( one of my all-time favs!). It makes a whole lot of syrup - about 3 quarts, so if you don't want that much, you can cut the recipe down easily. I just made it this week and made 1/4 of the recipe and it was plenty for one meal. Give it a try - it is really delicious!

Orange Juice Syrup

8 c sugar
1 12 oz can of orange juice concentrate (thawed)
4 c water
1 c light corn syrup

Mix all ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat slowly on stove until all sugar is dissolved, but don't allow it to come to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool (if not using it immediately). Serve by reheating only the amount you will be using at one meal.

Baked Potato Soup

2011-10-31T14:21:00.002-06:00

This soup is one my mom has made for years and I love it! Baking the potatoes instead of boiling them gives this soup such a rich wonderful flavor!

Bake the potatoes ahead of time and let them cool completely to make it easier to cut into cubes. Leave most of the skins on. If there are pieces that are falling off - remove those.

The roux is made very simply by melting the butter and adding flour and cooking until bubbly. Don't let the name scare you off!

Baked Potato Soup

2 cans chicken broth

2 celery stocks

1 onion

5 cups milk

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion salt

1 tsp salt (to taste)

Black pepper to taste

¼ tsp Tabasco sauce

Roux – 1 cube butter + ½ c (plus a little) flour

½ jar cheese whiz

6 potatoes baked and cut up into cubes (leaving most of the skins on – if they are falling off – discard the skin pieces)

Crumbled bacon bits (not the imitation ones)

Chop celery and onion and boil in the chicken broth until tender. Blend either with an immersion blender or puree in a blender until smooth. Add the milk and continue cooking until it gets hot. Add the seasoning and the roux (see below). When thickened, add the cheese whiz and potatoes. Garnish with crumbled bacon sprinkled on top.

Roux – melt the butter in a small frying pan. Sprinkle the flour in and whisk, continuing to cook until it gets bubbly. Remove from heat. Allow to cool.

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

2011-08-30T14:29:00.001-06:00

I have decided to share a few of my favorite things in the kitchen. I am not advertising for anyone, just telling you what I have found that I REALLY like and can't do without! Let me know if you have anything that you can't live without in the kitchen - I would love to have you share - Thanks!

This first one is from IKEA. It is a hard plastic stirring spatula. I love that it can handle high heat without melting, it doesn't scratch any pans, and it has this ingenious little ledge so it can sit on the side of the pan and not slip in! I used to love my soft plastic spatulas that don't melt, but this is now my utensil of choice if it is clean. It is only $4.99! I have bought them for many people and they have all loved it too. I can't do without it. I highly recommend it!

This second item is from Pampered Chef and is a small curved whisk called the "Mini Whipper" that is perfect for getting to the edges in a round pan where a normal whisk can't reach. Love it! It is only $4.00.

This item is a strawberry slicer that my daughter gave me last year. It is from Williams-Sonoma and it makes slicing strawberries a snap! You just cut the top off the strawberry, lay it in the opening and push the handles together - voila - beautiful even-sliced strawberries in 1 second! It is $14.95.

These last two are also from Williams-Sonoma. They are rubs for meat. My son and his wife gave these to us a few years ago and we have kept buying them because we LOVE them! They are so simple and add SO much flavor to any meat or fish. I love the Chili-lime rub on tilapia, and I love the Smoke House rub on pork chops or any beef. It has a great real smoke flavor. They are $10.00 each - and they last a long time because you only need a little of the rub to make a great tasting piece of meat! Put the rub on the meat and let it sit for a few hours in the fridge - really good!

So these are a few of my favorite things. I hope you enjoy trying them. Please let me know if you have any favs that I need to know about!

Chex Lemon Buddies

2011-08-27T19:13:00.001-06:00

My friend Tirzah made these for her kids on the first day of school this week and posted about them on Facebook. I am a sucker for ANYTHING lemon, so I gave them a try today since I had a box of Rice Chex that needed to be used, and many packages of white chocolate chips in food storage. These were quick and easy and my husband and I loved how fresh and yummy they were! I think I will make some of this to take on our upcoming trip for snacking! YUMMMY!!!

Chex Lemon Buddies
from the Chex Cereal Web Site

9 c Rice Chex cereal
1 1/4 c white vanilla baking chips
1/4 c butter or margarine
4 tsp grated lemon peel (zest)
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
2 c powdered sugar

1. Into large bowl, measure cereal, set aside.
2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chips, butter, lemon peel and juice uncovered on High 1 minute, stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag, gently shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Store in airtight container.

Barb's Raspberry Salad

2011-08-23T21:13:00.001-06:00

My youngest sister Barb made this salad for a family party years ago, and I had forgotten all about it until my son requested it with his birthday dinner last Sunday. It is really good and can be made in many different flavors. (I've made it with orange Jello and mandarin oranges for example) I don't like pudding, and CERTAINLY don't like tapioca pudding, but I love this salad! Give it a try - it's a nice change from the typical Jello salad.

Barb's Raspberry Salad

2 small boxes of tapioca pudding (non-instant)
1 small box of raspberry Jello
3 c water
1 16 oz container lite cool whip
1 bag frozen raspberries

Mix puddings and Jello with water. Bring to a boil. Pour into a large bowl and refrigerate until set up. Stir in cool whip and fruit. Refrigerate for at least one more hour. Stir and serve.

Fresh Raspberry Sherbet

2011-07-17T11:54:00.004-06:00

This has been a bumper crop year for our raspberries. I think that because we had a wet cool spring, our raspberry plants thought they were in Oregon! I have made several batches of jam, and am always looking for new ways to use our raspberries. I found this recipe last night and it was wonderful and couldn't be easier! My husband said that this is his new favorite ice cream. It comes out a beautiful rich red color and is bursting with a fresh raspberry flavor. It is perfect just as it comes out of the ice cream freezer. If you end up having any left over and freeze it, it turns quite hard, so let if soften up a bit before serving.

Fresh Raspberry Sherbet
from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.

What you need:

4 cups raspberries (or other berries), fresh and/or frozen
2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice ( I used the juice of one whole lemon - I thought it tasted better, but add it to your taste)

Puree the berries, milk and sugar in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Strain to remove the seeds.
Stir in the lemon juice.
Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker.

Raspberry Lime Rickey

2011-07-12T18:23:00.001-06:00

I have raspberries coming on in my garden like crazy, so when I saw this fun drink using fresh raspberries in the newspaper today, I thought I would give it a try. The article was about creating your own sodas, and how much better they are than anything you can buy in a can or bottle. It was really good - I loved the combination of flavors. I actually squeezed in a little extra lime juice at the end to give it a little more zip. Very refreshing!

Raspberry Lime Rickey
from "Homemade Sodas"

1 cup fresh raspberries
1/4 c freshly squeezed lime juice
1 c sugar
Seltzer, chilled (I used club soda)
Lime wedges, to garnish

Mash raspberries in a small saucepan with a potato masher. Stir in the lime juice and sugar until combined. Warm over low heat, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and raspberries have released all their liquid. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature and then strain. This syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days, but is best used immediately.

Combine syrup and seltzer (or club soda) to taste. Garnish each serving with a lime wedge.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

2011-06-28T07:10:00.000-06:00

Two years ago we planted a rhubarb plant in our backyard. My parents have a plant that is over 50 years old and still produces beautifully. This was my first time harvesting the beautiful rhubarb - I was SO excited!!! I have just been waiting to make this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp that my friend Melinda made at book group for our dessert. I couldn't get enough of it. It is sweet and yummy and is even liked by those who think they don't like rhubarb. So good and SOOO much easier than pie!

Serve it warm with ice cream.

Cut the rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces

This is the fruit mixture just before adding the topping

Here it is ready to go into the oven

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

from my friend Melinda

4 cups rhubarb pieces (about ½ inch long)

4 cups sliced strawberries

1 cup sugar

Mix together in a large bowl and let stand for a little while.

3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

¼ teaspoon salt

Add to fruit and mix well. Pour fruit mixture into a 9 x 13 pan.

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup butter

1 cup oatmeal

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

Mix together above ingredients, cutting in butter until mixture is evenly crumbly. Put on top of the fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Lacie’s Infamous Broccoli Craisin Salad

2011-06-15T07:10:00.001-06:00

Last week I had to take a salad to a get-together. I called my daughter Jen to see if she had any new and exciting salads. She told me about a salad that her friend Lacie had made that Jen said was delicious - she couldn't stop eating it! I made it and it was a hit! It is a really nice switch from the typical broccoli salad. Just in time for summer - thanks Jen and Lacie!

Lacie's Infamous Broccoli Craisin Salad

Dressing:

1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sugar
2 T. apple cider vinegar
Lightly sprinkle garlic and onion powder

Mix together and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Salad:

2 lbs. broccoli florets

1 small head of cabbage finely chopped
1 6-oz. bag of craisins (Cherry Flavored or Original)
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2-1 cup diced red onion
2-3 stalks of celery chopped
Sunflower seeds - raw unsalted (I put in about 3-4 ounces)

Mix with dressing just before serving

Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema

2011-06-06T08:56:00.001-06:00

My husband loves fish tacos and I have been trying to find a good recipe for them. This one is really good! I especially love the lime-cilantro crema! I think next time I make this I will double the crema sauce - I couldn't get enough of it's fresh lime zip! Give them a try - I think you will really like them!

Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema

adapted from Cooking Light Magazine
YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos each)

Ingredients

Crema:

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons fat-free or low-fat mayonnaise

3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon grated lime rind

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

Tacos:

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets (I used tilapia)

Cooking spray

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

2 cups shredded cabbage

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

To prepare crema, combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside. (I made this about 1 hour ahead of time and kept it in the fridge - I think it helped the flavors come together nicely)

To prepare tacos, combine cumin and next 5 ingredients (through garlic powder) in a small bowl; sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. (My tilapia package said to cook my fish for 30 minutes at 400 degrees, so it might differ with different kinds of fish) Place fish in a bowl; break into pieces with a fork. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each with 1/4 cup cabbage and 1 tablespoon crema.

Scotch Teas

2011-06-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

When my daughter was a teenager, she would get a craving to make some quick cookies, and this was her go-to cookie. It only uses 5 ingredients, all of which you always have on hand, and is simple and yummy!

Scotch Teas
From Better Homes and Gardens Cookies and Candies

½ c butter or margarine

1 c brown sugar

2 c quick-cooking rolled oats

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Combine butter and sugar in saucepan; cook and stir until butter melts. Stir in salt and baking powder. Stir in the oats and mix well. Pour into greased 8x8 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Cool; cut into bars.

Skillet Lasagna

2011-05-27T09:04:00.000-06:00

My daughter discovered this recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks - The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. (I've given one to each of my daughters and daughters-in-law, as well as given many as shower gifts) I love the way this cookbook spells things out really well - no question what you are to do.

It is very easy for a lasagna and is all made in ONE pan! Thanks for the great idea Rach. (Rachel said she put some shredded mozzarella cheese on top and put it under the broiler until bubbly-yum!)

Skillet Lasagna

from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes (includes 20 minutes simmering time)

Any brand of curly-edged lasagna noodles will work here. Do not use no-boil noodles.

1 (28-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes

1 TBSP olive oil

Salt

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 pound meat ( ½ lb ground beef and ½ lb ground pork – or if you like a little spiciness –use 1 lb Italian sausage)

10 curly-edged lasagna noodles (8 ounces), broken into 2-inch lengths

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated ( ½ c)

8 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese (about 1 c)

1/4 c minced fresh basil (I didn't use this much, just a little sprinkled on top)

1. Pour the tomatoes with their juice into a quart measuring cup. Add enough water to t he tomatoes to measure 4 cups.

2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and ½ tsp salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the meat and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

4. Sprinkle the noodle pieces over the meat. Pour the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce over the pasta. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes. (The sauce should look water after 15 minutes of cooking. If dry, add up to ¼ cup additional water to loosen the sauce.)

5. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in ½ c Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta over the noodles. Cover the skillet and let stand off the heat for 5 minutes.

6. Sprinkle with the basil and serve, passing the extra Parmesan cheese separately.

Edible Bird Nest

2011-04-23T18:13:00.001-06:00

I saw this idea in the magazine "Taste of Home" and thought it would be fun for our Easter dinner. It is made of pretzels, melted white chocolate chips and a peep. It is supposed to have some jelly beans as eggs, but I forgot to buy them. They were very easy to make, and I think they will taste really good - I love chocolate dipped pretzels!

HAPPY EASTER!

Our nest with no eggs!

This was my VERY creative husband's idea for the eggs in my picture. Please disregard the word "Aleve" that somehow got onto our bird eggs! ( I promise they won't be on there for our dinner tomorrow - although it could help with that sugar headache!)

Rustic Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus

2011-04-12T20:22:00.001-06:00

My daughter told me about this recipe that she saw on a local TV station where she lives. It is probably the FASTEST meal I have ever made! You can make the entire thing in less than 15 minutes! It is very healthy and has great flavor (if you like balsamic vinegar - which I definitely DO!) . Thanks for the great recipe Jen!

This is a rustic Italian dish that is great and SO easy!

Simply put the chicken, tomatoes and asparagus on a cookie sheet.

Pour the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and basil over the other ingredients.

This is what it looks like after just 7-8 minutes under the broiler.

Pour all the ingredients over pasta, add the cheese and enjoy!

Rustic Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus

Adapted from a recipe by Laura Wolford

1 lb. penne pasta

4 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

1 carton of grape tomatoes

½ c olive oil

½ c balsamic vinegar

about 12 fresh basil leaves chopped or dried basil

10 spears of thin asparagus cut into 1” pieces

1 tsp minced garlic

4 oz grated Parmesan cheese

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile toss chicken pieces, tomatoes, asparagus, oil, vinegar, garlic and basil on a cookie sheet that has a 1” lip.

3. Broil for 7-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. (I wasn’t sure it would cook that quickly, but it does!) Pour the entire mixture over pasta. Use a rubber scraper to get every bit of the yummy seasoning from the baking sheet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Quick and Easy Manicotti

2011-04-05T18:48:00.002-06:00

This was my daughter Jenny's favorite dinner growing up, and she would request it every birthday. It is also one of my favorites. It is SO simple, that I was a little embarrassed about putting it on my food blog, but I decided that there might be busy mothers out there who want a quick and very easy idea for a dinner.

A nice change from spagetti!

Cut 14 pieces of mozzarella cheese about 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide and the length of the manicotti noodles.

Rinse the cooked manicotti noodles in cold water, and put a piece of cheese in each one.

I cook mine in a square microwave-safe casserole dish, but you could also do it in the oven if you wanted.

Quick and Easy Manicotti

from my mom

1 box of manicotti noodles (14 in a box)

1/2 lb of ground beef

about 1 lb of mozzarella cheese (good quality like Cache Valley)

1 bottle of spaghetti sauce (I like Prego)

Bring about 2 quarts of salted water to a boil in a 3 quart saucepan. Add the manicotti noodles and stir gently to make sure they don't stick to together. Cook for 7-8 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and put cold water into the pan until cool enough to handle. Drain water off.

In a frying pan, brown the ground beef, seasoning it with salt and pepper. Add the bottle of spaghetti sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Cut the mozzarella into 14 sticks about 1/4-1/2 " wide and around the length of the manicotti noodles. (this is all extremely variable - just cut the cheese you have into 14 sticks)

Assemble the manicotti by spreading enough of the sauce to cover the bottom of the microwave-safe pan. Put a piece of the cheese into each manicotti noodle and laying them side by side on top of the sauce. Finish by pouring the rest of the meat sauce over the noodles. Cover and microwave for about 10 minutes at 50% power, or until the cheese is melted.

Roasted New Potatoes

2011-03-24T18:47:00.000-06:00

This recipe comes from the Kraft Foods website. It was very easy and turned out to be really yummy! It is kind of like a warm potato salad, but with great roasted potato flavor. I loved the bacon - (I love anything with bacon!) A nice change from the standard potato side dishes.

What a great mix of yummy flavors!

This is the way it looks right before it goes into the oven.

Roasted New Potatoes

from Kraft Foods

2 lb. new potatoes, halved lengthwise
6 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, chopped
3 Tbsp. KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
1/3 cup KRAFT Mayo with Olive Oil Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Shredded Parmesan Cheese
2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley

Make It

HEAT oven to 400ºF.

COMBINE potatoes, bacon and dressing; spread onto bottom of 15x10x1-inch pan. Bake 45 min. or until potatoes are tender and crisp around the edges, stirring after 25 min.

MEANWHILE, mix mayo, lemon juice and garlic.

SPOON potatoes onto platter; top with mayo mixture, cheese and parsley.

Raspberry Cornmeal Crumble Bars

2011-03-21T11:40:00.001-06:00

My daughter gave me a subscription for Everyday Food Magazine, and I love it! This month had several really yummy looking bar cookie recipes. This one stood out to me and I tried it yesterday and my husband and I both LOVED it! It is not too sweet and has a fresh taste from the raspberries. I know it is one I will be making often.

Pulse the natural almonds in the food processor until finely ground.

This is what the bars look like before they go in the oven. The parchment paper is optional, but sure makes it easy to lift the entire thing out and cut into bars! Neat little trick.

Raspberry Cornmeal Crumble Bars

from Everyday Food Magazine

3/4 c natural almonds (I always have raw almonds on hand to snack on - yummy!)

1/2 c yellow cornmeal

2 c all-purpose flour

3/4 c sugar

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted (I used regular salted butter)

10 oz frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides. In a food processor, pulse almonds until finely ground (you should have about 1 cup). In a large bowl, whisk together ground almonds, cornmeal, flour, sugar, and salt. add butter and stir until dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Press about two-thirds of the dough into dish. Scatter frozen raspberries over top and crumble remaining dough over raspberries. Bake until top is golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack before cutting into 9 bars. (Store, lightly wrapped in plastic, at room temperature, up to 3 days.)

Help! Too Many Spices!

2011-03-17T16:25:00.000-06:00

I love my kitchen, but it is small and doesn't have much cabinet space. For years I have struggled with where to store my spices so I can find things! The other day when I was getting ski gloves out of my closet (we have this shoe holder on the back of our closet door to keep gloves and hats, etc in) and I thought - "Why couldn't I keep my spices in this on the back of my pantry door?" I tried it today and it works! I am SO excited that I can see everything at once before me and I don't have to dig through bottles trying to find what I am looking for. Yahoo!!! It has 26 pockets in it. I put the spices in alphabetical order and could fit 2-3 bottles in each pocket. It works for me. (Now I need to go buy another one for the gloves and hats!)

Buttermilk Biscuits

2011-03-07T07:00:00.004-07:00

I have never had much luck with making biscuits in the past! (think hockey puck-ish) Several years ago my daughter found this recipe in The America's Test Kitchen Cookbook that changed my luck. They don't look like your typical biscuit - they are a little more rustic looking, but they are light and fluffy and really yummy!

The hot and flaky finished biscuits!

This recipe uses cake flour along with all-purpose flour.

This recipe is made in a food processor. This is right after the cold butter is added.

The dough is cut into 12 pieces.

You quickly form the dough into rough balls.

Buttermilk Biscuits

adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

A wet dough creates steam when the biscuits bake and promotes a light, airy texture. If the dough is too sticky for you to shape easily, lightly flour your hands and then form the biscuits.

1 c all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter

1 c cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

8 TBSP (1 stick) butter, cut into 1/4- inch cubes and chilled

3/4 c cold buttermilk

1. Adjust oven tack to middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Pulse the flours, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a food processor to combine. Scatter the butter evenly over the top and pulse to combine, about 12 pulses.

2. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the buttermilk with a rubber spatula until the mixture forms a soft, slightly sticky ball.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and quickly form into a rough ball. Do not overmix. Use a sharp knife to divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Quickly and gently shape each piece into a rough ball and place on an ungreased baking sheet. (The baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.) Bake until the biscuit tops are light brown, 10-12 minutes.

Chocolate FIlled Bars

2011-02-28T07:00:00.001-07:00

My neighbor Diane has been making these yummy treats for years, and I love them! What an easy way to make a lot of really good cookies fast! So good!! - thanks Diane for the great recipe.

This is what it looks like right before it goes into the oven.

Chocolate Filled Bars

Cookie:
1 c butter or margarine
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
3 c quick oats

Filling:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 12oz bag chocolate chips
3 TBSP butter or margarine
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla - mix until smooth. Add flour, soda and salt and mix well. Stir in the oats until combined. Press 2/3 of the dough into a large cookie sheet. (It will seem very thin, but will get thicker as it cooks.)

Put all filling ingredients except vanilla into a small sauce pan and melt together over low heat, stirring constantly. When melted and smooth, remove from heat and add vanilla. Spread the chocolate mixture over the top of the oat mixture. Dot the remaining dough over the top of the chocolate mixture.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting.

Simmered Chinese Chicken

2011-02-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

Years ago, our entire family went to Oregon to visit our daughter Jenny and her family. We had such fun! Jen made this recipe for all of us and we loved it! It is really good and very easy to make. Jenny is a great cook and I love getting recipes from her. Give it a try!

Simmered Chinese Chicken

1 TBSP oil
1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c water
1 TBSP ketchup
1/4 c apple juice
a pinch of red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic-crushed
1 large family pack of chicken thighs (bone-in) - note- I have tried it with boneless thighs and it just isn't the same!

Remove skin from the thighs. Heat the oil until shimmering in a frying pan. Add the thighs and brown until golden on both sides. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over chicken in the pan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and let cook 35-45 minutes, turning chicken twice during the cooking time. Remove the chicken to a platter and mix 2 TBSP of cornstarch with 2 TBSP water and add to juices to thicken. Spread over chicken and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve over hot rice.

Beef Brisket

2011-02-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

My niece Nicole has said that this recipe is her all-time favorite, so I thought I had better try it! We had it on Sunday when our family came over and loved it! I had never cooked brisket before, but have loved eating it at restaurants. It is a HUGE piece of meat - so after it was cooked, I put enough in the freezer to have for two more dinners. We loved it served with some good BBQ sauce. MMMMMmmmm - good!

Delicious!

Just a few ingredients (plus the meat)

This is the meat before it goes into the oven

Beef Brisket
from Pioneer Woman Website (I highly recommend going to this link and seeing her step by step instructions)

Ingredients

■2 cans Beef Consomme

■½ cups Lemon Juice

■1-½ cup Soy Sauce

■5 cloves Chopped Garlic

■2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke

■10 pounds Beef Brisket

Preparation Instructions

Combine first five ingredients in large roasting pan (a disposable is just fine). Place brisket in the marinade, fat side up. Cover tightly with foil. Marinate in refrigerator for 24-48 hours. When ready to cook, place pan covered in foil into a 300-degree oven. Cook brisket for approximately 40 minutes per pound.

When fork-tender, transfer whole brisket to a cutting board. Slice against the grain and place slices back into the cooking liquid. Serve immediately, spooning juice over the slices. Barbecue sauce may be used, if preferred.

You may store pan in fridge for up to two days or freeze for use at a later date. If fat collects and hardens at the top, remove and discard.

Spicy Mexican Shredded Pork Tostadas (Tinga)

2011-01-31T15:47:00.010-07:00

Last week I was watching one of my favorite cooking shows called "America's Test Kitchen". It is a PBS show on Saturdays. I love it! They were showing a recipe for a Spicy Mexican Shredded Pork Tostada. When they were finished making it, the host, who is hosting his 11th year of this show, tasted it and said that it was in his top 5 recipes of all the 11 seasons of the show! I knew I needed to try it. I made it for dinner on Sunday and invited my parents (who LOVE any kind of Mexican food), and it was a hit! It was a little spicy to me (I am a wimp!), but my husband and parents thought it wasn't too spicy at all -so you can adjust the amount of chipotle powder according to your liking, but it has an amazing smokey flavor that is delicious! This recipe looks hard, but really isn't! I highly recommend checking out the full story at America's Test Kitchen. (You do have to enter your email address, but they just send you emails and don't share it with others.) You can also replay the entire show from this web sight and watch her make these by clicking on http://www.americastestkitchen.com/episodes/detail.php?docid=26922 . (this recipe is towards the end of the show - you can fast forward to it by sliding the little button at the bottom to 17:25)

Spicy Mexican Shredded Pork Tostadas (Tinga)

from America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients
2 pounds boneless pork butt , trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch pieces (cut off the big pieces of fat, but don't get too concerned about the rest, because it cooks out when you boil the meat)

2 medium onions , 1 quartered and 1 chopped fine

table salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon ground chipotle powder (I found this in the McCormick Gourmet Collection-the glass bottles - under the name Chipotle Chili Pepper and it was kind of expensive, but after tasting it, I think it is well worth it!) (Just found out that Walmart sells it for $3.59 - I payed $8.59 at my grocery store!)

2 bay leaves (I left these out, not a big fan)

table salt

5 medium garlic cloves , 3 peeled and smashed and 2 minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

4 sprigs fresh thyme (I couldn't find these in my store, so I just used dried thyme)

If frying your own tostadas -

3/4 cup vegetable oil

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas (or you can skip this step and purchase flat tostada shells)

Garnishes
queso fresco or feta cheese - crumbled (this was my first time trying queso fresco - LOVED it! It comes in a little round shaped package - a Mexican cheese)
fresh cilantro leaves
sour cream
diced avocado
lime wedges

Instructions
1. FOR THE TINGA: Bring pork, quartered onion, smashed garlic cloves, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 6 cups water to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to surface. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and cook until pork is tender, 75 to 90 minutes. Drain pork, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Discard onion, garlic, and thyme. Return pork to saucepan and, using potato masher, mash until shredded into rough ½-inch pieces; set aside. (You can do this first step up to 2 days ahead of time and refrigerate - which I did)

2. Heat olive oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add shredded pork, chopped onion, and oregano; cook, stirring often, until pork is well browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in tomato sauce, chipotle powder, reserved pork cooking liquid, and bay leaves; simmer until almost all liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves and season with salt to taste. (It needed more salt than I would have thought.)

4. If you decide to fry your own tostadas -TO FRY TOSTADAS: Heat vegetable oil in 8-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat to 350 degrees. Using fork, poke center of each tortilla 3 or 4 times (to prevent puffing and allow for even cooking). Fry 1 at a time, holding metal potato masher in upright position on top of tortilla to keep it submerged (see photo below), until crisp and lightly browned, 45 to 60 seconds (no flipping is necessary). Drain on paper towel-lined plate and season with salt to taste. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

5. TO SERVE: Spoon small amount of shredded pork onto center of each tostada and serve, passing garnishes separately. (the sour cream helped cool the spiciness of the meat)

Honey Glazed Chicken

2011-01-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from my back-fence neighbor, Cherie, who is a wonderful cook. I was lucky enough to borrow and copy her entire family cookbook of wonderful recipes. This recipe tasted kind of like one of my favorite dishes at PF Chang - Crispy Honey Chicken. It was very easy to make and used ingredients that you usually have on hand (I always like to have a couple of fresh lemons on hand - just in case!). It is something that I think kids would love because it is sweet and doesn't have any of those "green things" that kids sometimes won't eat. :)

Honey Glazed Chicken

from my friend Cherie

1 c flour

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

4 chicken breasts, cut into 1-2" pieces

1/2 c butter or margarine, melted (divided)

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c honey

1/4 c fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 TBSP soy sauce

sesame seeds as a garnish (optional)

hot cooked rice

In a plastic gallon bag, combine flour and cayenne pepper. Add chicken pieces and shake to coat. Pour 4 TBSP melted butter into a 9x13 baking dish. Add coated chicken, turning pieces to coat with butter. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes. Combine brown sugar, honey, lemon juice, soy sauce and remaining butter. Pour over chicken. Bake for 15 more minutes, until bubbly. Serve over hot rice, with sesame seeds sprinkled on as a garnish.

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

2011-01-04T20:41:00.000-07:00

I take a number of cooking magazines. My husband was looking through my new Cooking Light magazine and said " I want this whole plate!" It was recipes for grilled pork chops and these Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes and broccoli with lemon zest. I made them tonight and the pork chops were OK, but the potatoes were AMAZING! Wow - the flavor was SO good. Caramelized onions have such a totally different flavor than regular onions. I highly recommend this as a wonderful and refreshingly different side dish.

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes
From Cooking Light Magazine

2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 c chopped onion
1 1/2 lbs chopped peeled baking potatoes
1/2 c fat-free buttermilk (I could only find low-fat)
2 TBSP butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook over medium-high heat, saute 15 minutes or until golden.

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Into the potatoes, add the buttermilk, butter, salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher. Stir in the caramelized onion. Yield: 4 servings.

Cranberry Salsa

2010-12-14T12:19:00.001-07:00

Last Christmas I went to a party where this was served and couldn't stop eating it all night! I asked my friend Bobbi for the recipe, and just got it in my Christmas card from her this year. I was so excited! I made it last night for our family progressive dinner. It is so different, but was really universally liked. It has a wonderful flavor that is not too strong. Give it a try this holiday season. It looks so festive!

Cranberry Salsa

From my friend Bobbi

12-oz bag of fresh cranberries – washed and picked over to remove any mushy ones

¾ c sugar

1 medium jalapeno, seeded and chopped

One green onion, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 TBSP fresh cilantro

¼ tsp cumin

Put all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Serve over 2 8-oz pkgs. of cream cheese with pita chips or wheat thins.

Peppermint Angel Food Trifle

2010-12-04T07:40:00.001-07:00

It's time for Christmas desserts! Yahoo!!! My all-time favorite go-to dessert is the Christmas Cranberry Cake, but a close second is a dessert my mom used to make for my birthday. It is a Lion House recipe that originally calls for the angel food cake to be cut into 3 layers with the frosting between the layers, but I made it as a trifle and it worked great. It has a yummy light peppermint flavor, and with the angel food cake and chocolate, it is a perfect mix of flavors.

Start with Star-lite mints. It takes about 30-35 mints.

I pulverized mine in the food processor, but if you don't have that, put them in a zip-lock bag and smash them!

I think the trickiest part is catching the peppermint gelatin mixture at the right time, when it is just starting to set up. It looks like slime to me. If you let it set up too much, it doesn't mix in and is globby.

Drizzle the chocolate syrup over the cake cubes. Make sure to put some around the edge so that it shows up in your trifle bowl.

Peppermint Angel Food Dessert

adapted from Lion House Desserts

1 angel food cake

¾ c crushed (I did it in my food processor) red and white peppermint stick candy (starlight mints)

½ c milk

1 ½ tsp unflavored gelatin (1/2 envelope)

2 tsp water

1 pint whipping cream, whipped until stiff

½ c chocolate syrup (like Hershey’s syrup)

A few crushed candies and chocolate for shaving on top (optional)

Slice angel food cake into 1 inch cubes and set aside.

Put candy and milk in a small saucepan; heat and stir until candy is dissolved. In a small bowl soften gelatin in water, then add to milk and candy mixture. Stir until dissolved. Chill until it starts to set (I think it looks just like “SLIME”) Fold into whipped cream.

Put half the cake cubes into the bottom of a trifle bowl and drizzle half the chocolate syrup over the cake. Spread half the whipped cream mixture over the chocolate. Repeat layers and top with some crushed candy and chocolate shavings-if desired. Chill and serve.

Brining the Bird

2010-11-22T14:19:00.002-07:00

I'm sure that by now, most of you have tried brining your turkey - but if you haven't - you MUST try it! It makes the meat so juicy. I usually am a dark meat lover, because I don't like the dry white breast meat, but brining makes the whole turkey juicy and delicious! We have been brining for the last 10 years or so, and really like Alton Brown's recipe from the Food Network. The Food Network Magazine says that this recipe has been the most popular Thanksgiving recipe on foodnetwork.com for the past 6 years and has garnered more comments than any other recipe on the site! I highly recommend it. The spices are a little expensive, but I have used the same bottles for years - it doesn't take a lot. I was also able to find the vegetable broth for $.39 a can. Yahoo!

I put my frozen turkey in the refrigerator today (Saturday morning) so that it will be thawed by Thanksgiving.

This is how I fit the bucket with the turkey/brine mixture in the fridge. I am able to take out one of the shelves and it works. You can also put it into a cooler if you don't have room in your fridge.

I am including the entire Good Eats Roast Turkey Recipe from the Food Network. Happy Thanksgiving!

Good Eats Roast Turkey

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, also featured in Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

7 hr 0 min

Cook Time:

2 hr 30 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:

• 1 cup kosher salt

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1 gallon vegetable stock (9 cans)

• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns

• 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries

• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger

• 1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:

• 1 red apple, sliced

• 1/2 onion, sliced

• 1 cinnamon stick (I leave this one out- I can’t do cinnamon!)

• 1 cup water

• 4 sprigs rosemary

• 6 leaves sage

• Canola oil

Directions

Click here to see how it's done.

2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. (I have been reading on the Internet and I have found that this is supposed to be taken in the thigh – not touching a bone to 165 degrees, so follow this at your own risk.-Judy ) A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Cranberry Fluff

2010-11-17T06:00:00.012-07:00

Recently I was at lunch with some women, and we were sharing Thanksgiving recipe favorites. One of them told us that her all time favorite was a thing called Cranberry Fluff. I love cranberry anything, so I had her call me with the recipe. I gave it a try tonight, as a Thanksgiving pre-trial. I had looked on the Internet and found a recipe for Cranberry Fluff from Taste of Home that was exactly the same as hers, only double the amount of fresh cranberries. I tried that one. It was really good-not too sweet, very refreshing - and really tart! I think I will try using my friend's version with half the cranberries for Thanksgiving, because, while my husband and I loved it, I don't know if the grand kids would like it that tart. It is a fun and different way to do cranberries at Thanksgiving. I really liked it!!!

If you have a food processor, it's a snap to finely chop the cranberries.

In my friend's recipe, it said to grind the cranberries. I guess if you have a way to grind them - it would be great!

Cranberry Fluff
Taste of Home

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (my friend's recipe called for 2 cups) -Note: after trying the 2 cups at Thanksgiving - WAY better! I highly reccomend it!

3 cups miniature marshmallows

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups diced unpeeled tart apples

1/2 cup halved green grapes

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

Directions

Place cranberries in a food processor; cover and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl; add marshmallows and sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Just before serving, stir in the apples, grapes, nuts and salt. Fold in whipped cream. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Slow-Cooked Swiss Steak

2010-11-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

I love the Fall and Winter months when you can have yummy things cooking in your crockpot all day, making the house smell delightful. I also love having dinners like this on days when I am busy in the afternoon. I can come home, cook some noodles and veggies and dinner is ready to go. This is an old family favorite of ours. The meat is SO tender, with great flavor. We love it!

I like it served over pasta.

Slow-Cooked Swiss Steak

From Lion House Lite Recipes

2 TBSP vegetable oil

1 ½ lbs. boneless beef top round steak, cut into 6-8 serving pieces

¼ c flour

1 can (14 ½ oz) diced canned tomatoes, undrained

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

1 c chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

½ c cold water

1 TBSP cornstarch

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Dredge beef pieces in flour and brown slowly in oil. Place browned meat in a slow cooker. Combine tomatoes with liquid, tomato sauce, onions, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper, and pour over beef. Cover and cook on low setting for 5-6 hours or until meat is tender. Blend the cold water and cornstarch until smooth; stir into liquid in slow cooker and cook on high setting, stirring constantly, until thickened. Makes 6-8 servings.

It smells like Thanksgiving at my house!

2010-11-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

I made my Thanksgiving gravy today using this Make-AheadTurkey Gravy recipe. My house smells SOOO good! This really helps take the stress out of my Thanksgiving day for me! Give it a try.

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

2010-11-02T18:28:00.001-06:00

While I was gone out of town recently, my husband went to a neighborhood pot-luck dinner. He RAVED about these chicken enchiladas. When I got home, several times that week he asked if I had gotten the recipe from Mary yet. I don't think I have ever seen him more excited about getting a recipe! We had them tonight and they are really yummy and SOOO easy! Thanks Mary.

Only 5 ingredients - how simple is that!!

Put some shredded chicken and grated Colby-Jack cheese on each tortilla and roll up.

Cover the rolled up tortillas with the sauce and bake. Add cheese half way through.

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

about 2 c shredded cooked chicken (I used Costco's rotisserie chicken, Mary used 2 cans of canned chicken)

8 oz shredded Colby-Jack cheese

1 16 oz. bottle of Mild Salsa Verde

1 c ranch dressing

7-8 flour tortillas

Spray a 9X13 pan with PAM. Mix the salsa and ranch together in a small bowl. Spoon a few spoonfuls into the bottom of the pan, just enough to cover the bottom. Set the rest aside. Fill each tortilla with chicken and cheese and roll, (reserving about 1/2 c of the cheese). Place the filled tortillas into the pan - seam side down. Pour the salsa/ranch mixture over the top of the rolled tortillas. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, adding the remaining cheese on top half way through the cooking process.

Orange You Spiky Cupcakes

2010-10-30T12:29:00.001-06:00

I found this recipe in my Taste of Home Magazine. Too cute! I made them for our family Halloween party. They were pretty easy and fun to make. Happy Halloween!

Orange You Spiky Cupcakes
from Taste of Home

6 ServingsPrep/Total Time: 30 min.Ingredients

6 chocolate or vanilla cupcakes baked in black foil liners

1 can (16 ounces) plus 1 cup vanilla frosting

1 cup chow mein noodles

Red and yellow food coloring

12 honey wheat sticks or pretzel sticks

12 mini marshmallows

12 brown M&M’s

Chocolate jimmies (I didn't end up using these)

Directions

1. Spread the tops of the cupcakes with a small mound of vanilla frosting. Insert chow mein noodles into cupcakes to look like spikes. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm up.

2. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the vanilla frosting into a small resealable bag and set aside.

3. Tint the remaining frosting bright orange with the food coloring and spoon into a glass microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the frosting, stirring frequently, until it is the texture of slightly whipped cream.

4. Holding the foil liner of the slightly frozen cupcake, dip the top of the cupcake up to the liner in the melted frosting to coat. Use a spoon to add more frosting if necessary. Allow the excess frosting to drip off. Invert and transfer to a cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

5. Insert one end of a wheat stick into the side of a mini marshmallow. Repeat with the remaining marshmallows and wheat sticks. Snip a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting. Pipe a dot of frosting on one flat side of a marshmallow. Add a brown candy as the pupil. Add a few chocolate jimmies on the top as eyelashes. Pipe a dot of vanilla frosting on the brown candy as the sparkle in the eyes.

6. Insert two marshmallow eyes on top of a frosted cupcake about 1 in. apart. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Yield: 6 cupcakes.

Burst O'Lemon Muffins

2010-10-14T06:00:00.001-06:00

My sweet neighbor Cherie gave me a Taste of Home Cupcake Cookbook for my birthday, along with a cupcake pan and cupcake liners. What a great gift! It has fun cupcake recipes, along with muffins and more. As I looked through it last night, I saw this recipe and knew I had to try it immediately! We loved it! It has all my favorite things in it - lots of fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and coconut. How could you miss! Thanks Cherie!!

Burst O'Lemon Muffins
Taste of Home Cupcakes!
Yield: 12 muffins

1 3/4 c flour
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c (8 oz) lemon yogurt
1 egg
1/3 c butter, melted
2 TBSP grated lemon zest
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1/2 c flaked coconut

TOPPING:
1/3 c fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c flaked coconut, toasted

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, beat the yogurt, egg, butter, lemon zest and lemon juice until smooth, stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the coconut.

Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

In a saucepan, combine the lemon juice and sugar, cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Stir in coconut. Using a toothpick, poke 6-8 holes in each muffin. Spoon the coconut mixture over muffins. Serve the muffins warm or cool to room temperature.

Lasagna Soup

2010-10-08T07:00:00.001-06:00

My back-fence neighbor Cherie is a wonderful cook. Several years ago I borrowed her personal recipe file and copied all of it! She put this recipe in our ward cookbook several years ago. The word spread right away that this was one of the recipes everyone HAD to try. It is a great fall soup that isn't your typical soup. I love it! Give it a try.

Lasagna Soup
Cherie Peterson

1 lb lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 28oz can Italian style diced tomatoes (use petite diced if you want smaller chunks)
Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1 beef bouillon cube (or 1 tsp)
3 chicken bouillon cubes (or 3 tsp)
4 c water
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
5 lasagna noodles, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan Cheese, shredded
Cottage Cheese

Brown ground beef, onion and garlic. Drain fat. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, bouillon cubes, water and seasonings. Heat to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Add lasagna noodles and heat through. Serve hot with a dollop of cottage cheese and sprinkle with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
(I threw in a little fresh basil from my garden as a garnish)

Black Bean and Salsa Dip

2010-10-02T17:55:00.001-06:00

This is one of the quickest and easiest dips I have ever made, and it is good for you and SOOO yummy! I have taken it to many a party, and am always asked for the recipe. It is wonderful because you can make it any time of year- because it doesn't call for fresh tomatoes. The smokiness of the bacon is really a great flavor with the beans and salsa.

There are only 4 ingredients in this salsa dip. The recipe calls for 4 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled. I have used these Hormel Real Bacon Pieces (don't do the fake ones) and I think they are even smokier than regular bacon (plus it couldn't be easier!)

Black Bean and Salsa Dip
Lion House Lite Recipes

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c chopped green onions
1 c thick and chunky salsa (mild, medium, or hot)
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (or 1/2 of a jar of Real Bacon Pieces)

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours to blend flavors. Serve with tortilla chips.

Pork Chops with Plum Barbecue Sauce

2010-09-28T18:50:00.001-06:00

As I mentioned a few blogs ago, I am participating in an Iron Chef Challenge with my husband's work where you need to use each of the secret ingredients in recipes during the month of September. This is to try to help us expand our horizons in eating healthy foods. The four ingredients were quinoa, eggplant, barley, and plums. I have completed the task, and really like 2 of the 4 recipes I tried (the other 2 were so-so). I have already shared the quinoa salad that we really enjoyed, and I've decided not to blog about the roasted eggplant/chickpea hummus, or the barley biscuits, but tonight we had pork chops with plum barbecue sauce and we both really LOVED it! My husband said that it was definitely a keeper!

The plum sauce is sweet and tangy with a little zip to it. It was a perfect compliment to the grilled pork chops.

The recipe calls for 4 plums, but I figured they were probably bigger plums than the ones I had, so I doubled the amount of plums.

I LOVE any recipe that uses hoisin sauce! If you haven't tried it before, I highly recommend it. It is found in the Asian section of the grocery store. (also - I used the bottled grated ginger - so easy!)

Pork Chops with Plum Barbecue Sauce
adapted from Rachael Ray

1/2 c sugar
1 c water
1 (1 inch) piece peeled ginger, grated (or just use about 1 tsp of bottled grated ginger)
4 plums, sliced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/3 c hoisin sauce
salt and pepper to taste
4 pork chops
Montreal Steak Seasoning or any other grill seasoning you like

Heat the sugar and water in a medium pot over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the ginger, and plums and a little salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the fresh squeezed lemon juice and remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Pour the plum mixture into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add the hoisin sauce until well incorporated. Set aside.

Sprinkle the pork chops with Montreal Steak Seasoning or other seasoning and grill until cooked, but being careful not to overcook them! Let the meat rest 5 minutes before serving. Top with warm plum barbecue sauce and serve. (garnish with some fresh cut-up plums)

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2010-09-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

This recipe comes from my next-door neighbor Diane. I absolutely LOVE the sauce on these meatballs, and I love the fact that you don't have to cook the meatballs in a frying pan first. Just form the meatballs and pour the sauce over the top and bake. Couldn't be easier!

Serve these over rice along with some fresh fruits and veggies.

I have found that, when mixing meatballs, it's best not to stir the ingredients together with a spoon. It's best to use your fingers and gently mix the ingredients, being careful not to smash them, but to gently toss them together.

I like using a small ice-cream scoop to form the meat balls so that they are all uniform in size. This is what it looks like before you bake them in the oven.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

MEATBALLS:

1 to 1 ½ lbs extra-lean ground beef

¾ c quick oats

2 eggs, slightly beaten

½ c finely chopped onion

½ c milk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp ground black pepper

Gently mix meatball ingredients together and form into small balls. Place into a greased 9x13 pan.

SAUCE:

½ c brown sugar

¼ c white vinegar

1 tsp yellow mustard

¼ c barbecue sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Heat sauce ingredients to dissolve brown sugar (I do this in the microwave in a glass measuring cup). Pour sauce over meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Serve over rice.

It's My 1 Year Blogiversary!

2010-09-15T06:00:00.014-06:00

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of this blog. I would love to hear from any of you who have tried some of these recipes and learn which ones you have liked. I have appreciated all the comments made and I have enjoyed sharing recipes with my friends and family and any others of you who have stumbled upon this blog. Thanks for your support! - Judy

Punchbowl Cake

2010-09-13T14:45:00.001-06:00

My daughter recently reminded me that I have never put this recipe on my blog. Oh my goodness! It is one of our family's ALL TIME FAVORITES! How could I have forgotten to put it on here? This recipe comes from my sister Barb - who brought it to a family party probably 10-15 years ago and it is still requested at most family parties. It is easy, YUMMY, and feeds a lot of people (12-15). It is called punch bowl cake because it is put together and served in a glass punch bowl so that you can see the layers. (It could go in a trifle bowl, but it is much too big to fit in mine.)

See the pretty layers!

Crumble 1/2 of the cooled cake with your fingers into the bottom of the bowl.

Make up one small box of instant chocolate pudding and spread it over the crumbled cake.

Spread 1/2 of the cool whip over the pudding, then top with the crushed candy. Repeat the layers.

(Skore bars were $.79 each - so I opted to buy the Heath Bits found on the baking aisle, and added shaved milk chocolate using my vegetable peeler and a chocolate candy bar. I think it turned out kind of pretty! My daughter told me that where she lives, they have chocolate covered Heath Bits in a bag! I haven't seen them where I shop.)

Punchbowl Cake

1 German Chocolate Cake Mix - made according to directions on the box, baked and cooled.
2 small pkg. Instant Chocolate Pudding - made up one at a time as directed on box
1 lg container of Cool Whip
6 Skore or Heath Bars (or 1/2 bag of Heath Bits and shaved milk chocolate)

Crumble 1/2 of the cooled cake into a punch bowl (or other large bowl). Mix up one pudding as directed and spread over the cake (I don't let it set up - it sinks into the cake better that way). Spread over the cake. Spread 1/2 of the cool whip on top. Crush 3 candy bars (in a zip lock bag with something hard used to crush them) and sprinkle over the cool whip. Repeat all layers. Refrigerate.

Quinoa Tabouleh with a Greek Twist

2010-09-09T07:00:00.022-06:00

With my husband's work, they have a program called "Healthy Utah" where they have challenges from time to time to improve our health. The challenge this month is called Iron Chef. They choose a secret ingredient each week that we have to use in our cooking to try to broaden our horizons in healthy eating. The secret ingredient this week was quinoa! (pronounced KEEN-wah) I have never used it, but had recently tasted a salad made by my friend Melinda using bulgur. I really liked it and thought it sounded similar to quinoa, so I substituted it in this recipe. I think it turned out really yummy - but the quinoa doubles in bulk, where I don't think the bulgar does, so I think I would use less of it next time.

Quinoa is VERY good for you - a wonderful whole grain. Give it a try!

I loved using fresh tomatoes, basil, and parsley from my garden.

Quinoa Tabouleh with a Greek twist

1 c quinoa (I think I would use 1/2 - 3/4 c next time)

2 c water (double whatever amount you use of the quinoa)

½ tsp salt

1/3 c fresh basil, chopped

¼ c fresh parsley, chopped

1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into little chunks

1 -1 ½ c grape tomatoes, sliced in half or thirds

3 green onions, chopped

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

1/3 c freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Bring the 2 c of water and salt to a boil in a small pan. Be sure to rinse the quinoa well and add it to the water and stir. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cool to room temperature.

Combine all the ingredients, gently adding the feta cheese last. Refrigerate.

Cottage Cheese Dip

2010-09-07T17:11:00.005-06:00

I have been on vacation this last week, and part of that was spent relaxing on a houseboat at Lake Powell. It was a week of floating around in the water, enjoying good friends, and eating wonderful foods. One of the couples brought this dip for chips or veggies and it was a BIG hit with all of us! It is especially good with those little grape tomatoes. We couldn't get enough. It is different than your normal dip made with sour cream or mayo. This is lite and would be good with all different kinds of seasonings added in - to your liking, but is really good just as it is. Let me know if you try this and if you added anything different.

Cottage Cheese Dip

1 16 oz container of low-fat cottage cheese
1 8oz pkg of 1/3 less-fat cream cheese
3/4 tsp of onion salt (to taste)
1 tsp garlic powder (to taste)
1 tsp dried parsley flakes

Simply mix all ingredients together in a food processor or a mixer until the cottage cheese is broken down some, and ingredients are mixed well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. (If it is too thick, you can add a little milk to thin it, but I didn't seem to need it with mine)

Cilantro Lime Rice

2010-08-22T22:17:00.005-06:00

It was my son's birthday this past weekend and I always let my kids choose the menu for their birthday Sunday dinner. He chose shish kabobs, grilled veggies, corn on the cob, grilled pineapple and cilantro lime rice. I had never made this rice before, but had just got my hands on a recipe for this from my good friend Melinda (I just love so many of her recipes!). It was very good and fresh tasting. It will be a staple from now on.

Cilantro Lime Rice

3 c chicken broth

1 1/2 c uncooked white rice

2 tsp lime zest

2 small cloves of garlic, minced

1 TBSP butter

black pepper to taste

juice of 1/2 lime (I added a little more)

2 TBSP chopped cilantro

(This can be cooked in a rice cooker or ...) In a saucepan combine broth, rice, lime zest, garlic, pepper and butter. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmering for 20-30 minutes - until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Uncover and add cilantro and lime juice - stirring to combine.

Balsamic Pork Chops

2010-08-19T17:58:00.002-06:00

I bought some pork chops for dinner and tried a new recipe that I found - it was fantastic, we loved it. It called for fresh rosemary - which we had growing in our garden, and balsamic vinegar which I LOVE. It was very quick and easy to make.

Balsamic Pork Chops
from myrecipes.com

3 TBSP all-purpose flour
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 (3/4 inch-thick) boneless pork chops
2 TBSP butter or margarine
2 TBSP olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
1/3 c balsamic vinegar

Combine flour, rosemary, salt and pepper. Dredge pork chops in flour mixture.

Melt butter with oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add pork chops, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove pork chops.

Add broth and vinegar, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Cook 6 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Add pork chops and cook 5 minutes or until done.

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

2010-08-14T21:49:00.000-06:00

Several years ago at our Young Women's Camp, we had an AMAZING camp cook! Melinda ran that kitchen so well, with well planned and delicious meals. She loved to cook, and learned how to make a reflector box oven - using a large cardboard box, lined with foil, with a thermometer stuck in the top, and a little window to peak in to check on the food being cooked. The heat source was a propane stove in the bottom, with a metal rack above it. Anyway - one afternoon I could smell the MOST delicious smell that came wafting through the camp - homemade cookies being baked! Who would have guessed you could bake cookies while camping? Needless to say, all in camp were soon drawn to the kitchen area by this wonderful smell and we all devoured the hot yummy cookies - I don't think I ever enjoyed a cookie more than that day! This is the delicious cookie recipe she used. It has been a favorite ever since. Thanks Melinda!!

I thought this was a joke, but there really is "Real Margarine" and it was only $.67!

Melinda swears by it for cookies.

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

2/3 c unsalted butter (she uses Real Margarine), melted and cooled a bit
1 1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed
2 TBSP honey
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c dried cranberries
3/4 c white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, brown sugar and honey. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well. In large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix cranberries and white chocolate chips into butter mixture. Combine with flour mixture. Mix well. Pack dough into cookie scoop and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in center of oven for 12-15 minutes. Do not over bake.

Sherbet Supreme

2010-08-09T21:29:00.002-06:00

When I was sharing the recipe for wedding-ice-cream with my friend Luanna, she told me about her version of a similar recipe that sounded really good! I made it and served it tonight for a neighborhood get together, and it was a hit. I loved the cashews in the ice cream - nice surprise! It's fun to serve with a Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Cookie - broken in half and served on the side.

Sherbet Supreme
Luanna Rowe

½ gallon raspberry sherbet

1 qt. vanilla ice cream

Soften at room temperature for about 1/2 hour then beat together in a mixer

Add:

1 bag frozen raspberries

1 sm can drained crushed pineapple

1 pkg frozen blueberries

½ - 1 c roasted cashews (wash off salt and dry)

Stir in by hand and freeze.

Allow to thaw for about 1 hour, stir well, then serve.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

2010-08-03T14:42:00.001-06:00

If I had to choose a favorite kind of cookie, for me it would be an oatmeal raisin cookie. I just think they taste like comfort would taste - if it had a taste! This is a recipe that my mom makes - I love it!

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
from "Mormon Family Cookbook"

1 c water
1 c raisins

Boil, covered for 2 minutes. Remove and cool. Drain and save 1/4 c of the raisin water.

1 c flour (I think it needs more - I do a heaping cup!)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Sift the flour, soda and salt together. Set aside.

3/4 c shortening
1/2 c sugar
1 c brown sugar

Cream shortening and sugars together thoroughly (this takes about 2-3 minutes - don't rush it).

1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3 c. quick oats (uncooked)
1/2 c chopped nuts (optional)

Add the egg and vanilla; combine well. Mix in the 1/4 c of raisin water, oats and flour mixture. Stir in the well drained raisins and nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 min at 350 degrees.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

2010-07-29T13:07:00.002-06:00

This is a recipe that my mom is famous for! She said that she got the recipe from her mom (my grandma). I think it is the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe I have ever tasted (and I have tasted a LOT of them!). Give it a try.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie

from Ruth Naylor

1 c butter flavored shortening

¾ c brown sugar

¾ c granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 tsp warm water

(I have no idea why this is done, but I always do it – my daughter just puts the baking soda into the flour and she says it works fine. I am just an obedient child I guess! If the recipe says to do it – I do it!)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 ¾ c flour

2 c quick oats

1 bag milk chocolate chips

½ c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixer, cream sugars and shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add soda/water mixture, vanilla and salt and mix well. Next , mix in the flour. Stir the oatmeal, chocolate chips and nuts in by hand. Scoop cookie dough onto a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam and bake for 7-8 minutes. (These are best when they are not overcooked).

It's Cookie Time!

2010-07-29T12:47:00.001-06:00

For the next month, I will be sharing some of my favorite cookie recipes. I hope you will enjoy them! I thought it might be a good time for cookies, with school starting in a month or so. I have wonderful memories of coming home from school on that first day and smelling the yummy smells of hot cookies greeting me at the door. It was a great time to sit down and share how our day went. I did this with my kids, and my daughter is carrying on the tradition.

I don't make a lot of cookies these days, because there are only the two of us living here now. I was talking to my daughter, who also deals with this problem, and she told me that when she makes a batch of cookies, she bakes a few, and then forms the rest into logs, wraps them in plastic wrap - then foil, then freezes them. Later, when she wants a few hot homemade cookies, she simply pulls a log out, slices off a few cookies, and bakes them. (You just bake them a little longer because they start out frozen) I love this idea! Now we can have cookies without fearing that we will eat the entire batch at once!

or...

My friend Melinda commented on my blog about how she freezes the dough. She said that she forms the cookies, freezes them on cookie sheets, then when frozen she puts them in a zip-lock bag and can pull them out one at a time - all ready to bake!

You can put them close together on the cookie sheet to freeze

In the zip lock bag- ready to go in the freezer.

Thanks Melinda!

Wedding Ice Cream

2010-07-19T13:21:00.002-06:00

At our Young Women's camp many years ago, we had a "leaders' siesta" one hot afternoon midway through the week. The Stake YW presidency sat us in chairs, with our feet in tubs of warm soapy water, gave us the YUMMIEST ice cream treat ever to eat, and massaged our shoulders or gave us foot rubs! It was heaven!!!! This ice cream tasted like homemade ice cream with fruit in it. When I found out how simple it was to make and that it didn't take an ice cream maker, salt and ice to create, I was SO excited! I have made this many times since, and it is always a big hit. I don't know why it is called wedding ice cream, but I assume someone served it at a wedding at one point - it would be perfect. I serve it with a little cookie, like a Pepperidge Farm Pirouette to make it look fancy.

I am bringing 4 batches of this ice cream to a family party on Friday, and the raspberries in my garden are coming on like gangbusters, so I went out and picked these this morning and it was enough to make 3 of the 4 batches! (I used a bag of frozen raspberries for the other batch) I love summer!!!

This ice cream only has 3 ingredients. Pineapple sherbet, raspberries and bananas.

Cut the bananas in half, lengthwise, then in half again to make quarters.

Next, slice them into little pieces.

This is what the ice cream looks like when made with the frozen raspberries. It will turn more pink as the raspberries thaw a little and the juices flow!

This is what the ice cream looks like made with the fresh raspberries. This picture is taken before it is put in the freezer. A beautiful pink color - you would never know it is made with pineapple sherbet.

Wedding Ice Cream

from Melanie

1/2 gallon pineapple sherbet

3 ripe bananas

1 bag of frozen raspberries or a generous 2 c of fresh raspberries

Leave the sherbet out at room temperature for about 1/2 hour to soften. Put the sherbet into a large bowl and stir until smooth. Stir in raspberries. Slice and quarter bananas and add to ice cream. Stir well and freeze. (Let it thaw a little before serving to soften.)

Mini Blueberry Turnovers

2010-07-12T12:09:00.001-06:00

For our book group last month, my friend Kris made these blueberry turnovers. I ate one and immediately wanted more! They are delicious! They were fun and easy to make.

The puff pastry box had 2 sheets in it, so I doubled the recipe and we had plenty for our dessert for Sunday Dinner.

I have only used puff pastry sheets one other time, but I can't believe how easy they are to work with and how fluffy and yummy they turn out.

Lay the puff pastry sheet out on the counter and cut it into 9 squares.

Spoon 1 TBSP of the filling down diagonally and put the fresh blueberries into the cream cheese mixture.

Fold the sides into the center, wet the points with a little water and press to seal. Brush with egg whites and sprinkle with sugar before baking. One site I looked at said you can cover and refrigerate the turnovers at this point for up to 4 hours before baking - you just add a little more to the baking time.

Mini Blueberry Turnovers
makes 9 small turnovers

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/4 c sugar plus extra for sprinkling
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1/2 pint blueberries (1 cup)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with oil or cooking spray.

Place the cream cheese in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Place the egg white in a small bowl and add the egg yolk to the cream cheese. Add the sugar and stir until combined.

Lay the sheet of puff pastry on a flat surface and cut into 9 small squares. Spoon 1 TBSP of the cream cheese mixture down the center of each square from one corner to the opposite corner. Press the blueberries into the cream cheese mixture. Fold the sides into the center, wet the points with a little water, and press tightly to seal.

Place the turnover on the baking pan, brush with the egg white, and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake 15-17 minutes until golden brown.

Honey of a Chicken Salad

2010-07-07T13:46:00.001-06:00

Many years ago, I was at a girl's camp in the mountains and the leaders took turns planning the meals. This was one of the lunches we had and it tasted SO GOOD to me! I know that things always taste better when you are in the mountains, but this was especially good. My friend Jodi gave me this recipe. I love it.

Some nights I don't have much time to cook dinner, so this is a great one that I can make during the morning and pull it out, put it in a pita pocket and dinner is ready.

These are the ingredients. Don't forget to cut your grapes in half using this helpful tip

To toast your pecans, put them on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam and bake at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes, or until they become fragrant (watch them closely so they don't burn)

You could buy deli chicken to use in this recipe, or it is so simple to just throw the chicken breasts in a pan with water (I throw them in frozen) with a little salt and pepper, some celery, and onion, and let them boil for about 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, then cut up and cool in the refrigerator.

Honey of a Chicken Salad

4 c cubed, cooked chicken
1 1/2 c seedless grapes - sliced
1 c toasted pecan pieces
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c vanilla yogurt
2 TBSP honey
1 tsp poppy seeds
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 TBSP fresh lime juice

In a large bowl, combine chicken, grapes and nuts. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, yogurt, honey, poppy seeds, white pepper and lime juice. Add to chicken mixture and gently toss to coat. Serve on lettuce leaves or in a pita bread pocket.

Scotcheroos

2010-07-04T18:08:00.000-06:00

When I was growing up, we lived about 3 miles from where the city set off fireworks on the 4th of July and we found the best place to watch them was ON OUR ROOF! I have such wonderful memories of climbing the ladder with my family and sitting on a blanket, in the dark, watching the fireworks and eating Scotcheroos. To me- this is what the 4th of July tastes like. My mom made them for us on the 4th (and only on the 4th), and I have made them for my kids, and now, they are making them for their kids. A tasty and very easy tradition.

Scotcheroos
I can always remember this recipe because it is 1 cup of everything except the cereal

1 cup corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter

6 cups Rice Krispies

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Place corn syrup and sugar into 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Mix well. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated. Press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.

Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Let stand until firm. Cut into 2 x 1-inch bars when cool. (We would always put them in the refrigerator or freezer to speed up the process, and I can't tell you how often we ate them frozen - YUMMY! but hard on the teeth!)

This recipe can be doubled and it fits just perfectly in one of those big cookie sheets.

Amber's Salad

2010-07-01T20:36:00.004-06:00

I first tasted this salad at a baby shower given by my niece Amber. I loved it and asked for the recipe. She told me how easy it was and I was even more excited!

The ingredients are all either from bags, bottles,

cans or Costco (chicken).

I love the mix of the coleslaw in with the spinach and lettuce - a very tasty, healthy and pretty combination!

Amber's Salad (This is a corrected version - I forgot about the Parmesan cheese when I first posted this)

1 bag of Romaine Lettuce Salad
1 bag of Cole Slaw Salad
1 bag of Spinach
1 small bag of Craisins
1 small can of Honey Roasted Peanuts
1 Deli Chicken cooled and diced
1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (not powdered in a can)
1 bottle of Poppy Seed Dressing

Place all ingredients except the dressing together in a large bowl and toss. Add the dressing right before you serve it. (You can vary the amount of dressing to your liking) This makes a huge salad!

Fresh Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

2010-06-28T15:06:00.002-06:00

I had some strawberries from Costco that I needed to use up, and saw this wonderfully simple recipe for fresh strawberry frozen yogurt. It couldn't be easier! It is delicious, somewhat good for you, and tastes so perfect on a hot summer day.

Fresh Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

1 pint (2 cups) fresh strawberries - sliced
1/4 c sugar
4 c vanilla yogurt (one of the big Yoplait yogurts is 4 c)

Mash the strawberries with the sugar in a large bowl until the strawberries are completely mashed and the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the yogurt. Freeze in a 1 qt. ice cream freezer. When ice cream has frozen, either eat it soft-serve right then or move it to a plastic air-tight container and freeze until firm.

Strawberry Whipped Dessert

2010-06-15T09:05:00.006-06:00

This is a a wonderful summer dessert that I have made for many parties, in fact, I bought these white rectangle plates at Target for this dessert (and another lime version that I will post another time). It's nice to have a dessert that you can make ahead of time and not have to worry about right before the party.

After it is removed from the freezer, you top it with cool whip and fresh strawberries.

This is a little tutorial about how to easily line the pan with foil. First put two sheets of foil together and fold the seam over twice as shown above. You want this to be quite a bit longer than the pan so that you can fold it over at the end.

Turn the loaf pan upside down.

Fold the foil over the back of the pan, folding the ends over - kind of like you would if you were wrapping a present.

Next lift the foil off the back of the pan and flip the loaf pan right side up and set the foil into the inside of the pan. It fits perfectly!

Fill the pan with the strawberry mixture and top with the Oreo mixture.

Carefully fold the foil over the top and gently press down to press the Oreos into the strawberry mixture and freeze for at least 6 hours.

The finished product. Delightful!!

Strawberry Whipped Dessert

from Kraft Foods

Prep Time: 20 min

Total Time: 6 hr 20 min

Makes: 12 servings

4 cups fresh strawberries, divided

1 can (14 oz.) EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided (I used a 12 oz - I think it needs more)

8 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, finely chopped (I also used more cookies - 12)

1 TBSP. butter, melted (I used 1 1/2 TBSP butter)

LINE 9x5-inch loaf pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mash 2 cups of the strawberries in large bowl. Add condensed milk, juice and 2 cups of the whipped topping; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.

MIX chopped cookies and butter. Spoon over whipped topping mixture. Cover with ends of foil and gently press cookie mixture into whipped topping mixture. Freeze 6 hours or until firm.

INVERT dessert onto serving plate when ready to serve; remove pan and foil. Spread remaining whipped topping onto top and sides of dessert. Slice remaining 2 cups strawberries; arrange over dessert. Store leftovers in freezer.

Fresh Tasting EASY Pizza Sauce

2010-06-10T13:24:00.002-06:00

My daughter got me onto this recipe. It is SO easy and I love the fresh taste it has. It tastes like a sauce you would get on a pizza at a really nice restaurant. I love that it only has 3 ingredients and cooks in the time that it takes to let your pizza dough rise. Couldn't be easier! Give it a try.

The sauce thickens up after cooking for the 15 minutes.

I use this on a Canadian Bacon Pineapple pizza

made on my Skookie Pans

A delicious pizza!

Quick Pizza Sauce

Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes

Salt and Pepper

Heat the oil and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the garlic is sizzling, about 1 ½ minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Apricot Jalapeno Jelly

2010-06-07T12:15:00.003-06:00

Several years ago we were visiting our daughter and her husband and kids and they took us to a wonderful dessert cafe that also served delightful sandwiches. I tried a ham and cheese with apricot jalapeno jelly and pesto served with fresh spinach leaves. Oh my goodness it was good! I came home and looked up where I could buy this apricot jalapeno jelly, but instead found that it was very easy to make. I made some and we have since used this for many events. It's a nice change from the normal ham and cheese. We served these sandwiches for lunch at our family reunion for about 125 people, and they loved it! I had some extra jars that I put into the family auction at the end of the reunion and they went quite high. It is also VERY good served with cream cheese on crackers. (It is NOT hot! - I don't do hot)

I buy the pesto at Costco, but you can get it at any grocery store. This is what the jelly looks like. The apricots kind of float to the top, so you have to stir them up after you first open the jar.

You spread one side of the sandwich with pesto and the other side with the Apricot Jalapeno Jelly

Add your choice of meat and cheese ( I like ham and provolone) and fresh spinach leaves. SOOO good!

Apricot Jalapeno Jelly

recipe from CD Kitchen

Ready in: 30 minutes

Difficulty: 2 (1=easiest :: hardest=5)

Serves/Makes: 3 pints

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Jalapeno peppers, stems & seeds removed

1 large Red bell pepper, stem & seeds removed

2 cups Cider vinegar

1 1/2 cup Dried apricots, chopped

6 cups Sugar

3 ounces Liquid pectin

4 drops red food color ( I left this out)

Directions:

Put jalapenos, bell pepper, & vinegar in blender. Puree 'til coarsely ground and small chunks remain.

Combine apricots, sugar, & jalapeno/pepper/vinegar mixture in large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil rapidly, 5 minutes. Remove from heat; skim off any foam that forms.

Allow mixture to cool for 2 minutes. Then mix in pectin (and food coloring if you're going to use it).

Pour into sterilized jars, seal, and cool. (I processed in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.)

Double Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache

2010-06-03T16:02:00.007-06:00

A few Sunday's ago, my daughter-in-law brought a DELICIOUS chocolate bundt cake for dessert that was heavenly! She and my son also gave me these really fun pans for Mother's Day (I think you can get them at Walmart). I decided to use her bundt cake recipe to make these cute little bundts and square cakes. This recipe was enough for both these pans plus an 8" round pan or one regular bundt cake pan. When using these pans, be sure to only fill them 1/2 full. They bake in about 17-22 minutes.

We topped them with ganache and fresh raspberries - as pretty as they are delicious!

Double Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache

1 Duncan Heinz Dark Chocolate Cake Mix - made as directed on the package and also add:

3/4 c sour cream

1 small box chocolate instant pudding

Stir in by hand:

1 bag milk chocolate chips

Pour into a greased full-sized bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan to cooling rack.

Ganache

3/4 c. -1 c heavy cream (depending on thickness desired)

1 TBSP light corn syrup

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

(I add a pinch of salt) opt.

Heat cream and corn syrup until it just comes to a simmer then pour over chocolate chips in a bowl. Let sit until they soften and then stir to mix. Add vanilla. Pour immediately over warm cake (if you do this on a rack over a cookie sheet, it will catch the drips and you can lick them all up!)

Easy Baked Beans

2010-06-01T08:56:00.007-06:00

This recipe is one that I have made since we were newlyweds. It is a great tasting and very easy way to make baked beans. We enjoyed them at our Memorial Day BBQ in the back yard. Hooray for Summer!!! Easy Baked Beans
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

4 slices of bacon - cut up into small pieces and cooked until crispy. Move cooked bacon to a paper towel and pour off all but 2 TBSP of the grease.

Fry 1/2 c chopped onion in the fat until tender

In 2 qt baking dish, add the cooked bacon and onion to:

2 15-oz cans pork and beans in tomato sauce (I like Van Camp's Pork and Beans)
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp mustard

Mix well, cover and bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Dakota Cookies

2010-05-26T18:01:00.008-06:00

This is a wonderful cookie that was named for my WONDERFUL nephew when he was born. I love how quick and easy these are and I love the fact that you can eat the cookie dough without worry about raw eggs! (which, yes, I am a little paranoid about :) ) These are SO good - a must try!

Only 7 ingredients.

I use an ice cream scoop to make the cookies all uniform in size.

Chocolate, graham crackers and coconut - how can it get any better?

Dakota Cookies

1 ½ c graham cracker crumbs
¾ c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
½ c butter (softened to room temperature)
1 1/3 c sweetened flaked coconut
2 c (1 bag) milk chocolate chips

In a bowl, whisk first three ingredients together. Set aside. In a mixer, combine sweetened condensed milk and butter. Mix until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Stir in the coconut and chocolate chips by hand. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Makes about 27 cookies.

Lilac/Snowball Spring Arrangement

2010-05-18T16:15:00.007-06:00

OK, this has NOTHING to do with food, but I had to share my absolute favorite Spring flower arrangement! I have 4 lilac bushes and 2 snowball bushes. I have found that the snowballs don't come out until after the lilacs have died off, but I LOVE using the immature green snowballs with the dark purple lilacs in an arrangement. Such a pretty combination! Just had to share.

Kalua Pork

2010-05-16T21:13:00.010-06:00

This is a VERY easy and wonderful dinner. It was a hit at our family Sunday gathering. I bought the pork butt roast with bone in - which was very inexpensive ( I think it was about $1.97 a lb). I use the crushed garlic and the chopped ginger in jars that you find refrigerated near the produce section - sure makes it easy! This is a picture of the roast ready to be wrapped in foil and put in the oven.

Kalua Pork
4 lb. pork shoulder or butt roast
1 1/2 TBSP kosher salt
2 TBSP liquid smoke
1 TBSP grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed (about 1 heaping tsp)
3 TBSP lite soy sauce

Mix salt, liquid smoke, ginger, garlic and soy sauce. Rub over meat. Wrap meat in foil, place on a rimmed cookie sheet and put into the oven at 350 degrees for 4 hours. Let stand 15 minutes. Shred roast, removing fat (and bone). Pour any of the remaining juices over the meat. Serve over cooked rice (optional: can also be topped with pineapple)

This also turns out very well cooked in a crock pot for about 7-8 hours on low! (minus the foil)

Grilled Chicken Tenders with Cilantro Pesto

2010-05-11T17:54:00.005-06:00

Several years ago my husband's work had a health challenge that involved losing weight, exercising and eating healthy. They would send out recipes every week, and this was one that they sent. I tried it and loved how flavorful it was. If you like cilantro, you need to try this one! Lots of fresh flavorful ingredients.

To toast the sesame seeds, simple put them in a small dry skillet over low heat, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes.

The cilantro, green onions, toasted sesame seeds and some of the reserved marinade go into the food processor.

The finished product - very flavorful!

Grilled Chicken Tenders with Cilantro Pesto
Source: EatingWell

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 pound chicken tenders
2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves (1 bunch)
2 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (see how in picture above)

Instructions
1. Whisk lime juice, soy sauce, oil and chili powder in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade in a small bowl. Add chicken to the remaining marinade; toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high.
3. Meanwhile, place cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds and the reserved marinade in a food processor and process until fairly smooth.
4. Oil the grill rack. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard marinade) and grill until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, about 2 minutes
per side. Serve the chicken with the cilantro-sesame pesto.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 152 calories; 4 g fat (0 g sat, 2 g mono); 67 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrate; 27 g protein; 1 g fiber; 290 mg sodium; 105 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (15% daily value).

Grilled PIneapple

2010-05-03T18:40:00.000-06:00

My husband and daughter came up with the recipe several years ago. It is very low fat and VERY good! Cut fresh pineapple into spears, removing the hard fibrous core and outer peel(is that what it's called?). Place on a cookie sheet and spray each piece with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray (which has 0 calories) and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar (raw sugar).

Grill on the BBQ for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until grill marks appear (don't let the sugar burn).

Serve warm - it's a really yummy combination of flavors! Very fun.

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

2010-04-26T11:20:00.006-06:00

As you may have noticed by now, I am a coconut LOVER!!! When I saw this on the blog called Our Best Bites, I knew I had to try it and it was all I had hoped for and more! I have made it twice in one week. The bread is very moist and yummy with the coconut in it, but when you take a bite of the top with the lime glaze and the toasted coconut - WOW! It is delicious!!! I highly recommend this. (It is a recipe originally from Cooking Light Magazine, so it is a lower fat recipe, but when you eat half the loaf yourself - it kind of negates the "light"ness of it!)

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze
adapted by Our Best Bites from Cooking Light

2 C flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C sugar
1/4 C (4 TBSP) real butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 C mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)
1/4 C plain low-fat yogurt
3 TBSP milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C coconut

Topping: 2 TBSP additional coconut
Glaze: 1/2 C powdered sugar whisked with 1 1/2 TBSP fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until blended. Add eggs and beat to combine. Add banana, yogurt, milk, and vanilla. Beat until blended.
Add flour mixture and beat at a low speed until just combined. Stir in 1/2 C coconut.

Pour batter into a 9x5" loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle additional 2 TBSP coconut on top.

Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until a knife or skewer inserted in center comes out clean.
When done, remove pan from oven. Let cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes and then carefully remove from pan. Whisk powdered sugar and lime juice together for the glaze and then drizzle over top. Cool for another 15 minutes before slicing.

Mongolian Beef

2010-04-20T17:07:00.005-06:00

One of our favorite things to order at P.F. Chang's is the Mongolian Beef. I found this copycat recipe and it is very close to the real thing! The recipe called for flank steak, but it was only sold in giant sized packages, way too much for the two of us, so I bought Petite Sirloin Steaks instead, and I think they worked great. This had really good flavor - we will definitely be having this again soon! This looks like a recipe that takes a LONG time by the looks of the directions, but it took less than 30 minutes total.

Mongolian Beef

2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp ginger, minced
1 TBSP garlic, chopped
1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c water
3/4 c dark brown sugar
vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)
1 lb flank steak
1/4 c cornstarch
2 large green onions (I would add more next time)

1. Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp veg oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat (don't get the oil too hot)
2. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic burns
3. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat
4. Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices. (Tilt the blade of your knife at about a 45 degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts)
5. Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch is sticks.
6. As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a large skillet as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil) Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking.
7. Add the beef to the oil and saute for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges. Stir so that it cooks evenly. (I did mine in two batches) Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and pour the oil out of the wok or skillet.
8. Put the pan back over the heat and dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute.
9. Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions and cook for one more minute. Remove the beef and onions with tongs onto a serving plate.

Heavenly White Chocolate and Berry Trifle

2010-04-18T14:26:00.007-06:00

Last year, my son-in-law's mother (Mary) came to our home for dinner and she brought this HEAVENLY dessert that she just made up. It was SO good - and I have made it for many a party since then. It is perfect in the Spring when the fresh berries are available and oh so good. If you have a trifle bowl, it is really pretty, showing all the yummy layers.

Cut the white cake into cubes. I found it really easy to do by dumping the cake onto a cutting board and using an electric knife. Put half the cake, cut up, into the bottom of the bowl.

Mix the pudding and milk for 2 minutes, then pour over the cake, letting the pudding soak into the cake.

Next, add a layer of cool whip and top with fresh berries, being sure to tuck some against the side of the glass bowl so that it looks pretty!

Add a layer of shaved white chocolate. I used a vegetable peeler and it seems to work great.

Repeat the layers and end with the fresh berries. It makes more than will fit into my trifle bowl, so I make another dish full. All the more to enjoy!!!

Heavenly White Chocolate and Berry Trifle

1 white cake mix, baked as directed on the box

2 small pkgs. White Chocolate Instant Pudding, mixed one at a time as directed on the box

1 12-oz container of cool-whip topping, divided

3 small containers of fresh berries (a mix of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries) washed and prepared, divided

2 1-oz squares of white chocolate - shaved, divided

Bake cake mix as directed on the box. Allow to cool completely. Cut into cubes. In the bottom of a glass bowl, put half the cake cubes. Mix up 1 of the boxes of White Chocolate Instant Pudding with milk(2 c.) as directed on the box. Stir for 2 minutes, then pour over the cake cubes. Add a layer of Cool Whip (half the container). Top with half the berries, being sure to tuck some against the side to look pretty. Add half the shaved white chocolate. Repeat the layers, but end with the berries so that they look pretty. Refrigerate.

Chicken, Chick Pea (Garbanzo) and Pasta Minestrone

2010-04-08T10:41:00.005-06:00

This minestrone soup recipe was shown on KSL-TV back in 2003 and I have loved making it ever since. It is a really hearty stew-like soup with lots of flavor. It is very easy to put together too! Very simple ingredients.

I like how you saute the onion, carrot and celery, then add the meat and garlic and cook before adding the liquid ingredients.

The finished soup - topped with fresh spinach leaves and grated Parmesan cheese - SO GOOD!

Chicken, Chick Pea (Garbanzo) and Pasta Minestrone
Adapted from a recipe featured on KSL-TV Oct 15, 2003

Ingredients:3 TBSP olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1” pieces
1 15-oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 49-oz can chicken broth (about 6 c broth)
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 15-oz cans garbanzo beans, undrained
1 ½ c dried small shell pasta

Garnish with:
Baby spinach leaves
Grated Parmesan cheese

Method:In a large stockpot, heat oil and sauté the onion, carrot, and celery until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and chicken pieces; cook on medium heat until the chicken is cooked through. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and beans. Bring to a low boil for 15 minutes. Add the dried pasta; cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Garnish each bowl with fresh spinach leaves and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir in the spinach and it will just start to wilt. Serve with crusty bread. Serves 6-8.

Scones and Honey Butter

2010-04-05T11:28:00.005-06:00

On General Conference weekend, we have a tradition of having family come to our home after Priesthood meeting on Saturday night for scones and honey butter. The scones are just Rhodes rolls - thawed and risen - then spread flat and fried in oil. The honey butter this year was a hit! I tried a new recipe from my friend Jodie and people were eating it by the spoonful!!! Fluffy Honey Butter

1 c butter (room temperature)
1 c honey
1 7 oz. jar of marshmallow creme

Put all ingredients into mixing bowl and whip for about 3-5 minutes. Serve at room temperature. (store in refrigerator)

Light Pineapple Orange Cake

2010-03-30T12:32:00.004-06:00

My friend Jodie made this wonderfully light and delicious cake at our book group last Spring and it was a hit! I made it for our family for Sunday dinner and then my husband and I enjoyed sneaking bites of it for the next couple of days until we had eaten every last bite! It is very cool and refreshing and really good!

Pineapple Orange Cake

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, undrained
4 egg whites
½ c unsweetened applesauce

Topping:
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 pkg. (1 oz) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (8 oz) reduced-fat whipped topping

In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, oranges, egg whites and applesauce on low speed for 2 minutes. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

In a bowl, combine the pineapple and pudding mix. Fold in whipped topping just until blended. Spread over cooled cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. (It is best when it is cold - straight out of the fridge!)

Buca di Beppo Chicken Saltimbocca

2010-03-27T11:36:00.006-06:00

My daughter in law is an amazing cook ( as are all of my daughters and daughters in law!). She gave me this recipe - knowing that it was something I would love. Boy was she right! This is just like you would get at a wonderful Italian restaurant. We LOVED it! It is packed with so much flavor - the wonderful smokey flavor from the Prosciutto as well as the tart flavor from the lemon juice and the wonderful tangy flavor of the artichoke hearts. It is SOOO good!

You pound the chicken breast- sprinkled with sage and covered with Prosciutto- until it is an even thickness. (This works great done in a gallon sized Zip Lock bag.)

The Prosciutto browns up beautifully!

This is the sauce that is PACKED with flavor

>

The finished product.

Buca di Beppo Chicken Saltimbocca
Adapted from a recipe by Chef Vittorio Renda, Buca di Beppo

The name "saltimbocca" means "jump into the mouth" - because a dish this delicious (pounded with Prosciutto and massaged with sage) gets eaten so quickly that it seems to leap from the plate right into your mouth.

4 (5 ounce) chicken breasts
4 thin slices Prosciutto ham
1 tablespoon fresh sage (I used less of dried rubbed sage sprinkled on and it worked out great)
3 ounces olive oil
1 ounce all-purpose flour
5 ounces artichoke hearts, quartered
1/2 ounce capers (I don’t like capers, so I left this out)
½ c white wine (I substituted ginger ale with 1 spoonful of white grape juice concentrate mixed in)
¼ c fresh lemon juice
¼ c heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon salt

Lightly salt chicken breasts. Sprinkle evenly with chopped sage. Place sliced Prosciutto on top the chicken and pound it into the breast until the thickness of the chicken measures 3/8-inch.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saute pan. Lightly flour chicken pressed with prosciutto. Place in heated oil, Prosciutto side down. Brown one side, turn and brown the other side. Drain off excess oil, and deglaze with 4 ounces of white wine. Add artichokes, fresh lemon juice, cream and butter and cook until sauce is thickened.

On a large platter, place chicken breasts topped with reduced sauce and garnish with capers.

Serves 4.

Scalloped Potatoes with Pork Chops

2010-03-23T12:41:00.004-06:00

This is a great meal that my mother-in-law would often make when we would go to her house for Sunday dinners. It is very comfort food-ish. I love it! This is the before cooking shot.

This is the after cooking shot. Yummy!!!

The pork chops taste tender and juicy and the potatoes are perfectly cooked.

Scalloped Potatoes with Pork Chops

6 pork chops
½ c. chopped green onions or 2 TBSP dried minced onions
2 cans cream of mushroom soup ( I like the 98% fat free kind)
1 c milk ( I use skim and it works great)
5 c thinly sliced peeled potatoes

Brown chops, then remove. In another bowl, combine soup, onion and milk. Beat until smooth. Place layer of potatoes in greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with half of the soup mixture. Layer the rest of the potatoes, salt and pepper, then lay the pork chops on top. Pour the rest of the soup mixture over the chops and potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

2010-03-20T19:43:00.006-06:00

We recently went to a local restaurant and had a Fire Roasted Tomato Soup that we loved! (Don't let the name scare you off - it is not spicy at all! - I don't do spicy.) We have been hunting for a similar recipe. I found this one and it is pretty close. It is a wonderful tomato soup recipe that has a rich full-bodied flavor. We like it a lot. Very easy to make too. At the restaurant, they add a swirl of sour cream into your bowl. We did the same. This is great served with Parmesan rolls ( see below) or with grilled sharp cheddar sourdough sandwiches.

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

original recipe by Jen Kershner

2 medium onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
28 oz can San Marzano whole tomatoes (she found these at Fresh Market - I used Muir Glen fire roasted ones)
14 oz can Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes (She found these at Target)
8 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste Italian style
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 c water
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 c milk

In a dutch oven saute onion in olive oil until almost translucent. Add garlic and continue to saute a few minutes more. Add tomatoes, sauce, and paste as well as broth and water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or in a blender until desired consistency. ( I like mine slightly chunky) Add milk and seasonings and continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

The original recipe raved about the San Marzano tomatoes and she said they were worth getting. I use the Muir Glen fire-roasted tomatoes for both. On America's Test Kitchen, they swore by that brand of tomatoes. They are a little more expensive, but that's about the only thing that costs much in this soup, so I figured we could do it.

Easy Parmesan Rolls

2010-03-20T19:19:00.005-06:00

When my oldest son was in 2nd grade, his teacher asked the class to write down a Thanksgiving recipe (from their point of view and memory) and she put together a kind of cook book showing their recipes. There were some very funny ones, including the time and temperature to cook a turkey - 1 hour at 700 degrees, and things like that. Well, my son, who very carefully had watched me cook , decided to give the recipe for Thanksgiving rolls. He said : "First you take the rolls out of the freezer..." , I was BUSTED!!! I love using Rhodes rolls. This is an oldie but goodie. Very easy and VERY GOOD!!! This is what the rolls look like when you first put them in the pan, after rolling them in the butter and cheese mixture.

The finished product. There is something about the cooked cheese that is so good!

Easy Parmesan Rolls

1 dozen frozen Rhodes Rolls (it works best if you can thaw them for about an hour and then roll them in the butter and topping before they begin to rise, but I rarely have the time to do that on Sundays, so I just do it while they are frozen solid - it still seems to work)

melted butter ( about 1/4 cup for 12 rolls)

a mixture of : (these amount can vary to your liking)

about 1 c Kraft grated parmesan cheese (the powdery kind in the jar)

1 TBSP of dried parsley flakes

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Spray a 9x13 pan with PAM. Roll each frozen roll in the melted butter and then roll it in the cheese mixture until covered well. Arrange the 12 rolls in the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise - in my house it seems to take about 5-6 hours. Remove plastic wrap and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Chocolate Banana Cake

2010-03-07T21:40:00.004-07:00

This recipe is from my good friend Debbie. She always makes the best food! I think this recipe is my all-time favorite cake. I love it because the cake is dense and moist and the frosting is light and not too sweet. The mix of banana and chocolate is SOOO good!

Chocolate Banana Cake
1 devils food cake mix
1 c mashed ripe bananas
1/3 c water
1 c sour cream (I use light)
2 eggs
Mix all together on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape bowl and mix on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into two greased and floured 8" round pans or 1 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans (if using the round ones). Let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
1 small pkg instant banana cream pudding
1 c cold milk
12 oz cool whip topping -if doing the layered cake, or if doing a 9x13 pan-use an 8 oz size
Mix pudding and milk together until thick-about 2 minutes. Fold in the cool whip. Put on cake and refrigerate.

Yogurt Salad

2010-03-02T20:20:00.001-07:00

This is a very easy salad to throw together and is a nice change from Jello salads. I got this from my cousin Cathy probably 25 years ago, and it is still a family favorite. It is even loved by non-yogurt eaters (we have a few of those in our family). This salad can be made with either raspberries or strawberries. Both are great.

Yogurt Salad

3 small Yoplait yogurts - strawberry or raspberry
2 (10 oz) pkgs. frozen sliced strawberries or raspberries - partially thawed(the kind with the sweetened juice work best)
1/2 bag miniature marshmallows
1 16 oz tub cool whip

Mix first 3 ingredients together, then fold in the cool whip. Refrigerate.

Stroganoff Sandwich

2010-02-27T20:15:00.001-07:00

This is a fun and easy dinner that we have had for years. It is from my good friend Debbie. This is the sandwich ready to go in the oven.

This is the finished product. The recipe calls for green peppers, but my husband can't eat them, so I leave them out, but they are very good on here.

Stroganoff Sandwich

1 loaf unsliced french bread
1 lb ground beef
1/4 chopped green onion
1 c sour cream
1 TBSP milk
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/8 tsp garlic salt
3/4 tsp salt
2 tomatoes, sliced or diced
1 green pepper, sliced or diced
1/2 c shredded cheese

Cut loaf in half lengthwise. Brown meat and onion. Drain off fat. Stir in sour cream, milk, Worcestershire Sauce, garlic salt and salt. Do not boil. Spread each loaf with 1/2 of the meat mixture. Arrange tomatoes and green pepper slices (or pieces) on top of meat. Sprinkle with cheese. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees fro 5-10 minutes or until warmed thoroughly.

Pulled-Pork Tacos

2010-02-23T11:14:00.009-07:00

I found this recipe last year in Real Simple magazine. It looked good, but had a strange ingredient in it - unsweetened cocoa powder! I decided to try it for a Sunday dinner, but didn't tell anyone about the secret ingredient. I just waited for their reaction to the tacos. They loved them! After dinner I told them what was in it. I guess in Mexico they do sometimes use cocoa in their foods like this because my daughter in Florida took this to a party and a lady from Mexico got really excited and called her husband over to try it. She said it was just like she made. Who knew? The recipe calls for pork butt or shoulder. I found this pork butt for .89 cents a pound! Wahoo!

This is what the sauce looks like before you add the meat. The cocoa powder makes it a dark brownish color. I love that you just mix it all up in the crock pot and you don't even have to brown the meat. Couldn't be easier!
This is the roast covered in the sauce, ready to cook all day.

The finished product. Really really good!!!!

Pulled-Pork Tacos

Real Simple Magazine

2 c store-bought salsa, plus more for serving
2 TBSP chili powder
2 TBSP dried oregano
2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
Kosher salt
1 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 lb boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
18 corn tortillas (I used uncooked flour tortillas and cooked them right before eating)
1/2 c fresh cilantro sprigs, chopped
3/4 c sour cream
Limes, cut into wedges

In a 4-6 qt slow cooker, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and 1 tsp salt. Add the pork and turn to coat.

Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 350 degrees. Stack the tortillas, wrap them in foil, and bake until warm, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve with the tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, lime, and extra salsa.

Oatmeal Chocolate Caramel Bars

2010-02-20T17:32:00.004-07:00

I saw this recipe this week on My Kitchen Cafe and knew I had to try it. It turned out very good! It is very rich and very sweet - and OH SO YUMMY! Great mix of flavors. Give it a try. Oatmeal Chocolate Caramel Bars

Makes a 9X13 pan of bars

1 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 c old-fashioned oats

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 c brown sugar

1 c melted butter

14 ounce bag of caramels

1/2 c whipping cream or milk

1 12-oz package of semisweet chocolate chips (I used milk choc.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the first six ingredients together and sprinkle half on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan and press. Bake 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, melt the caramels and the whipping cream or milk in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave at 50% power, stirring often, until the mixture is smooth. When the bars have been removed from the oven, sprinkle chips over the crust and pour the melted caramel over the top. Sprinkle the rest of the crust over the top and bake in the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes, until the caramel is bubbling and the edges are lightly browned. Cool the bars completely before serving so they can set up properly (if that is possible! We kept snitching some)

Luscious Bundt Cake with Lemon Sour Cream Sauce

2010-02-16T11:11:00.006-07:00

My daughter made this cake for my birthday this past year and we all loved it! It is very moist and I love the lemon sour cream sauce. We made it for Valentine's day, topped with fresh strawberries.

Luscious Bundt Cake with Lemon Sour Cream Sauce

1 yellow cake mix
1 small (3oz.) package vanilla instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. vegetable oil

1 recipe Lemon Sour Cream Sauce (see below)
Fresh strawberries or raspberries

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except sauce and fruit and mix well. Pour into a greased Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 40-45 minutes. Serve topped with Lemon Sour Cream Sauce and fresh strawberries or raspberries. Makes about 10 servings.

Lemon Sour Cream Sauce

2 c. sour cream
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
Juice from 1 lemon
1 c. powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Dollop on individual pieces of Luscious Bunt Cake.

Oven Roasted Asparagus

2010-02-11T17:36:00.011-07:00

I LOVE asparagus! I even own an asparagus cooking pot, but I found this recipe a few years ago and it is my very favorite way to cook it. It has such a great-almost smokey flavor and the high oven heat really intensifies the flavor. It is VERY quick and easy. Give it a try now that spring asparagus is showing up in the stores. Line a cookie sheet with foil and line up the asparagas.

I love how it keeps it's bright green color after being roasted.

Oven Roasted Asparagus
Recipe from Everyday Food

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Prepare 1 bunch of medium-thick asparagus by rinsing and snapping off tough bottoms. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss asparagus with 2 tsp olive oil; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

Roast until tender; 7-10 minutes (depending on thickness)

An easy way to cut grapes or cherry tomatoes

2010-02-10T17:51:00.001-07:00

Last summer I was cutting up grapes - one at a time- for a fruit salad I was making. My daughter was here visiting and told me of this slick trick on how to do it in a MUCH faster way! It also works well with cherry or grape tomatoes. Get two plastic lids that are the same size, and fill one of them with the grapes.

Put the other lid on top.

Holding the top lid with one hand, slice through the grapes with a sharp knife.

Voila! Cut grapes in no time at all.

Fluffy Peanut Butter Dip

2010-02-05T16:18:00.005-07:00

Last night we had a class on healthy eating and exercise. They had a table of healthy snack options. My friend Jo had this peanut butter dip with apples that was REALLY good! I came home and made it today. Very simple, and I think it would really help kids want to eat apples or other fruit without all the sugar you find in most dips. Great after school snack!

Fluffy Peanut Butter Dip

1/2 c creamy peanut butter

1 c vanilla yogurt

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 c light Cool Whip

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Serve with apples, bananas, and /or pears.

Chicken and Rice Almondine

2010-02-03T17:03:00.005-07:00

This dinner is one of my oldest son's favorites! It is a fun mix of flavors and goes together very easily. Very few ingredients.

Browning the almonds in butter.

Cut up two chicken breasts into pieces.

This is right before I stirred in the sour cream.

The finished product. SO YUMMY!

Chicken and Rice Almondine
From Land ‘O Lakes Serves 4

2 TBSP garlic butter (I haven't tried garlic butter, but I think it would be good because the garlic tends to burn easily. I just use butter and garlic powder.)
¼ c sliced almonds
12 oz chicken breast cut into pieces (abt. 2 breasts)
1 ¾ c water
1 (6 oz) box rice pilaf mix
1 ½ c frozen French cut green beans
½ c sour cream ( I use light)

Melt garlic butter in 10” skillet until sizzling; add almonds. Cook over medium heat until browned. Remove almonds and set aside. Increase heat to Med./High. Add chicken pieces to same pan. Cook until lightly browned. Stir in water and rice with seasoning packet. Continue cooking until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook 5 min. Uncover; stir in green beans. Cover. Continue cooking until liquid is absorbed. Stir in sour cream. Sprinkle with almonds just before serving.

Oven Baked BBQ Boneless Ribs

2010-01-30T10:47:00.006-07:00

This recipe is one of the very earliest in my married life. Our good friends Jay and Sadina had a Christmas party and she served these. They have become a favorite, still making them after 30 years! They are easy and delicious. The leftovers can be shredded and served over toasted buns. I brown the meat on my pancake griddle - so I can fit them all on at once.

This is the sauce.

Brown the ribs until they turn a beautiful brown color.

The finished product ( this picture doesn't really do it justice - they really are very yummy!)

Oven Baked Ribs

4 lbs boneless country ribs (Pork or Beef)
1 c roughly chopped onions
1 c ketchup
1 c water
1 tsp paprika
¼ c vinegar
¼ c brown sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dry mustard
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

Brown ribs, cover with sauce made from the rest of the ingredients. Cover the pan, and bake for 2-3 hours at 350 degrees.

Tip: (I tried it this time in a crock pot for 7 hours on low and it came out SO tender!)

A New Favorite Thing

2010-01-27T15:31:00.005-07:00

I have had trouble with freezing things - they all seem to get freezer burn. I found this at the grocery store, and it wasn't too expensive, so I gave it a try.

When you buy the kit, it comes with quart bags, and I also bought some gallon bags.

It works great to suck all the air out with the pump.

This is the cooked rice before and after using the pump.

So far, in the 3 weeks since I bought it, everything has come out perfectly. I have been cooking and freezing dinners, and it has worked great. The only thing that doesn't work well, is if it has much liquid in the bag - so no sauces. Anyway, if you give it a try, let me know how you like it.

Hearty Mustard Pork Chops

2010-01-23T13:49:00.007-07:00

This recipe is from my friend Tirzah. We really like it! It has great flavor and is very easy to make. Brown the pork chops

Top with sliced onions

Pour the mustard sauce over the top, cover and cook for about 40 minutes

Yummy mustard pork chops!

Hearty Mustard Pork Chops

4 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
1 - 2 sliced onions
1/2 c chicken broth
1/4 c mustard
1 - 2 TBSP brown sugar

Brown the pork chops. Season with salt and pepper. Cover chops with onions. Combine chicken broth, mustard and brown sugar. Stir briskly. Add mixture to skillet. Cover and simmer 30 - 40 minutes.

How to Perfectly Cook Broccoli

2010-01-18T11:07:00.005-07:00

I LOVE well cooked broccoli! I have found a way to have it come out perfectly every time. It comes from America's Test Kitchen (which I love! ) and it works great. I have a steamer pan, but if you don't have one, you can use an inexpensive steamer basket that you can set into any pan you have.

Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a small pan. Cut the broccoli into small pieces and put into your steamer. Set the steamer basket over the boiling water , cover and cook for exactly 7 minutes - no more- no less!

Remove and you can add a little kosher salt to the broccoli if you like, or toss with freshly grated Parmesan cheese or any other yummy topping you would like. It comes out a beautiful bright green, is tender and perfectly done - no guess work! Yahoo!!!

Corn Chowder

2010-01-12T18:16:00.004-07:00

I saw this recipe demonstrated on Good Things Utah back in 2004. I made it and it has become one of my husband's favorites. I like it because it is a chowder that is very low-fat! I make it with skim milk, but I'm sure it would be even better with whole milk. We figure it is about 270 calories per serving when made with skim milk. It is even better warmed up the next day!

Corn Chowder
Adapted from a recipe by two chefs at Gastronomy Restaurants (Will Pliler and Bill McArthur)
Serves 6

Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, chopped
4 TBSP flour
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 leek, chopped (optional)
4 c frozen corn kernels
4 ½ c milk (I use skim)
1 can chicken broth
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 TBSP butter
1 ½ tsp salt (to taste)
ground black pepper (to taste)

Method: Cook the bacon in a soup pot over low heat until crispy. Add the onions, celery and leeks (optional) and cook until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir until smooth. Add the milk, chicken broth, corn, potatoes, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook, covered, about 20 minutes, or just until the potatoes are tender. (Note: when you first mix these together, it will look like clumps of stuff, but it will all smooth out as you cook and stir) After cooking, puree about 2 cups of the soup mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth, and pour back into the soup. Add the butter and garnish with chopped green onions (optional).

Food Tastes Good!

Black Beans & Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa

Baked Lemon Chicken

Potato, Ham and Spinach Frittata

Light Sweet Potato Casserole

Toasted Coconut-Golden Oreo Cookie Balls

Roasted Sweet Potato Salsa

Quick and Easy Homemade Hash Browns

Sparkling Apricot Thanksgiving Drink

Macaroon Kisses

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Acorns﻿

Orange Juice Syrup

Baked Potato Soup

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

Chex Lemon Buddies

Barb's Raspberry Salad

Fresh Raspberry Sherbet

Raspberry Lime Rickey

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Lacie’s Infamous Broccoli Craisin Salad

Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema

Scotch Teas

Skillet Lasagna

Edible Bird Nest

Rustic Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus

Quick and Easy Manicotti

Roasted New Potatoes

Raspberry Cornmeal Crumble Bars

Help! Too Many Spices!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Chocolate FIlled Bars

Simmered Chinese Chicken

Beef Brisket

Spicy Mexican Shredded Pork Tostadas (Tinga)

Honey Glazed Chicken

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

Cranberry Salsa

Peppermint Angel Food Trifle

Brining the Bird

Cranberry Fluff

Slow-Cooked Swiss Steak

It smells like Thanksgiving at my house!

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Orange You Spiky Cupcakes

Burst O'Lemon Muffins

Lasagna Soup

Black Bean and Salsa Dip

Pork Chops with Plum Barbecue Sauce

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

It's My 1 Year Blogiversary!

Punchbowl Cake

Quinoa Tabouleh with a Greek Twist

Cottage Cheese Dip

Cilantro Lime Rice

Balsamic Pork Chops

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Sherbet Supreme

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

It's Cookie Time!

Wedding Ice Cream

Mini Blueberry Turnovers

Honey of a Chicken Salad

Scotcheroos

Amber's Salad

Fresh Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Strawberry Whipped Dessert

Fresh Tasting EASY Pizza Sauce

Apricot Jalapeno Jelly

Double Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache

Easy Baked Beans

Dakota Cookies

Lilac/Snowball Spring Arrangement

Kalua Pork

Grilled Chicken Tenders with Cilantro Pesto

Grilled PIneapple

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

Mongolian Beef

Heavenly White Chocolate and Berry Trifle

Chicken, Chick Pea (Garbanzo) and Pasta Minestrone

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Acorns