Recipe Box

Ramen Salad

2011-08-01T10:22:00.004-06:00

We had this at a Stake Relief Society function. It was so good, I tracked it down!

Ingredients:

1 lb bag coleslaw mix
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 c slivered almonds
2 T sesame seeds, toasted under broiler
1 pkg chicken top ramen, uncooked, crushed

Dressing:

1/2 c oil
3 T vinegar
2 t sugar
1 t salt
1 pkg chicken flavoring from ramen

Mix together coleslaw and onions.
When you add the dressing, it will make the salad wilt pretty quickly, so I wouldn't add it more than 30 minutes before. Then add the sesame seeds and almonds. Add crushed ramen noodles right before serving.

Serve with Hawaiian Haystacks or eat just because it's so good!

Hawaiian Haystacks

2011-08-01T10:15:00.004-06:00

From what I can gather, this is a Mormon staple, but I'd never had it until I moved to Texas. A few years ago we were in Missouri visiting Mike's brother and his family, and my sister-in-law made her version of it. The sauce for the chicken was UH-mazing. I've made it a few times since and we love it, so I wanted to pass it along.

Chicken / sauce:

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked, cut in small pieces
2 1/2 T soy sauce
1 1/2 c sugar
4 T ketchup
2 c pineapple juice (1 can), pineapple chunks (optional)
1/2 c vinegar
1/3 c cornstarch
1/3 c cold water

Mix together and cook juice, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and ketchup until sugar is dissolved.
Mix 1/3 c cornstarch with 1/3 c cold water. Add to sauce and stir until clear.
About 10 minutes before serving, add chicken and pineapple chunks (optional)
Serve over white rice

What to add on haystacks:

Shredded cheese (we use cheddar or sharp cheddar), pineapple chunks, slivered almonds, green onions, tomatoes, avocados... There are a bunch of other things too - what else do y'all use?

Also:

Try serving it with THIS salad. It's incredible!!!

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

2011-03-09T22:09:00.003-07:00

Brought to you by Our Best Bites, one of my new favorite websites. HERE is a link with step-by-step instructions and pretty pictures. ♥

I have been hearing about these taquitos for awhile now, but just made them tonight. I did have to make a couple substitutions, but they still turned out awesome. Next time I'm definitely making the dressing that goes with them.

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepper jack cheese

small corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

*You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can.Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

And from Our Best Bites -

Dip 'em in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or this dressing.Wanna make it a meal? Serve with a side of Black Beans and a simple green salad with Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing.

Texas Caviar

2010-12-27T21:31:00.002-07:00

4 large avocados
1 green bell pepper
1/2 {or less} red onion (to taste)
2 cans black eyed peas
1 can Rotel
Italian dressing

Cut up all the veggies and drain the juice from the peas. With the Rotel you'll want to drain most of the juice, but not all of it.

Dump everything in a large bowl, then squirt on the dressing. It will take about a cup of dressing, but just get your tortilla chips ready, and add the dressing until it's to your liking.

*This makes A TON of dip, so if you're not going to a big party, half it.

Fiesta Ravioli

2010-12-16T21:06:00.005-07:00

I got THIS recipe from Sisters Cafe.

Picture courtesy of Sisters Cafe

This was {surprisingly} good. I was skeptical at first, because of the frozen ravioli, but trust me. And Mike loved it too!

1 pkg (25 oz) frozen beef ravioli
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce*
1 jar (8 oz) salsa
2 c, shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese
1 can (2 oz) sliced black olives, drained (optional)
Sour cream and lettuce for garnish

*We happened to have some leftover green enchilada sauce mixture, leftover from a mishap Mike had with THIS recipe, so that's what we used. I'm not a huge red sauce fan, so I think we'll always use the green sauce. It's awesome though!

Cook ravioli according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet combine enchilada sauce and salsa. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through.
Drain ravioli, add to sauce and gently stir to coat.
Top with cheese (and olives, if desired).
Cover and cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Bring to the table and enjoy with lettuce and sour cream.

Approx. 6 servings

Black Bean Chili

2010-12-16T20:54:00.004-07:00

Picture courtesy of Pass The Beans Please

I was browsing through recipes on Sisters Cafe and saw this recipe in one of the comments. I tried it last week and it was awesome.

1/4 c. oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, diced (use red & green)
1.5 T minced garlic
2 T paprika
1/2 t cayenne
1/3 t salt
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, very finely chopped*
1 T cumin seed
1 T dried leaf oregano
2 c. cooked black beans
1.5 c. canned chopped tomatoes in puree**

Heat oil in large saucepan.
Add onion, bell peppers, garlic, paprika, cayenne, salt, and jalapeno peppers. Saute until onions are soft.
Add cumin, oregano, beans, and tomatoes.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook slowly for an hour.

* - I used 1/2 a jalapeno pepper, and it was PLENTY spicy.
** - The recipe on Pass The Beans Please said they used Rotel with green chilies, so I did that. One can of that to every two cans of black beans.

We ate this over tortilla chips and added cheese and sour cream to it. Mike was a crybaby and added ground beef to his - I guess the thought of having a meatless chili was just too much for him. You can also serve over rice.

Egg Drop Soup

2010-11-02T16:09:00.003-06:00

4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup frozen corn
1 egg beaten
2 green onions, diced
1/4 tsp ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste

Bring broth and veggies to a boil. Slowly add egg, stirring constantly. Add in onions. Serve and enjoy!

Lettuce Wraps (PF Chang's)

2010-11-02T15:47:00.004-06:00

16- Iceberg lettuce leaves (1 head)
1 lb lean ground beef, or 4 boneless chicken breasts, diced
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
3 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup hoisin sauce (found in Asian food section)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 8oz can water chestnuts, drained, finely chopped
4-5 green onions, chopped
2-3 tsp dark sesame oil
mushrooms (optional)

Brown meat in cooking oil, drain excess fat. Add onion, garlic, soy, hoisin, ginger, and vinegar. Stir until onions are softened (5 min). Stir in water chestnuts, green onions and sesame oil. Cook for another 5 min. Serve with lettuce leaves. Enjoy!

Honey Lime Enchiladas

2010-09-27T20:34:00.007-06:00

I made these for Mike's birthday dinner last night. I couldn't believe how good they tasted. I got it from HERE, on the website that I love so much.

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded
2-3 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce
1 bag mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 bag cheddar cheese, shredded
Flour tortillas

Sauce:

1/3 c Honey
1/4 c Lime juice
1 tbsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp Garlic powder

1. Mix together all sauce ingredients and then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.
2. Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray. I used two 9x13 pans, but may vary with how thick you stuff your enchiladas.
3. Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom.
4. Mix together equal parts of cheeses
5. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.
6. Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top - don't be stingy!
7. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

The recipe says to then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer to the top of oven, and then let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy. I didn't do that this time, but next time I will.
I served them with homemade guacamole & 7-layer dip. I also offered tomatoes / onions / salsa for those that wanted it.

These were a hit - TRY THEM!!! ;)

German Pancakes

2010-09-19T17:22:00.003-06:00

I make these yummy pancakes every once in a while. Kids always get a kick out of them because they puff up. I've seen a couple different versions, but this is the one I like the best.

1 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Flour
2 Eggs
Dash Salt
Dash Cinnammon

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in 9 inch pan.
2. Beat ingredients with wire wisk.
3. Pour into 9 inch pan. Put back into oven.
4. Bake 12-15 minutes.
5. Serve w/ powdered sugar, lemon juice, and syrup/

French Toast Cupcakes & Maple Frosting

2010-09-14T10:19:00.003-06:00

1 box Yellow Cake Mix
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
1 Tbs. Cinnamon
1 small box instant vanilla pudding

Preheat oven to 350 and line cupcake tins with paper liners. Mix cake mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth & fluffly (about 2 minutes). Spoon into cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Maple Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temp.
1 cube butter, room temp
1 Tbs. Maple Flavoring/Extract
1/4 cup evaporated milk

Cream all together for about 3 minutes. Frost cupcakes. Be brave and top with crumbled bacon...!

Dump Cake

2010-08-24T18:42:00.003-06:00

Ingredients:

1 box of yellow cake mix
1 can of cherry pie filling
1 can of crushed pineapple
1 stick of cold butter
walnuts

Grease 9x13 pan. Pour crushed pineapple in with the juices. Spread into even layer.
Pour cherry pie filling on top of the pineapple, disperse evenly.
Next pour dry cake mix over the fruit mixture. Again spread evenly.
Next cut butter into thin slices and put on top of cake evenly. ( fyi- I had to use a few slices more than 1 stick to cover areas)

Sprinkle nuts on top of it all.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, and serve warm with icecream1

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-08-11T10:54:00.006-06:00

Am I the only one who posts on here still? I bet all y'all have clean houses too. Pfft.

This recipe came from my friend Karen, who got it from AllRecipes.com. These cookies are AMAZING, I'm tellin' ya!

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Ranch Potato Salad

2010-07-28T19:13:00.002-06:00

I got this from one of my BabyCenter friends, Leslie.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs small red potatoes, quartered (it's about 10ish)
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in 1/2
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped chives or green onions
6 slices of bacon
1/2 cup ranch dressing

Cook potatoes until tender (about 10-12 mins), mix everything together. Can do it warm (right away) or cool. It was a hit when I made it and super super easy!

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

2010-06-26T23:02:00.002-06:00

I got this from a friend who got it from Kraft's website -

We made this the other night and it is DANG good. Promise.

What You Need!

1-1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked
1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 jar (14-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained 2 oz.
(1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make It!

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

COOK pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water the last minute.

COOK and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 min. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchatel.

DRAIN pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole or 8-inch square baking dish.

BAKE 20 min.; top with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted.

**Confession (I'm so embarrassed to admit this!) - Because I didn't know what Neufchatel is, and I didn't bother to Google it, we used cheddar cheese instead. But it was still awesome. Next time we'll try the Neufchatel though! ;)

Coconut Macaroons

2010-05-25T12:42:00.002-06:00

Dustin loves Macaroons and has been asking me to make them for a while. I've never made them before so I was a little nervous. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. I added 1/2 cup of flour and didn't use any almond extract, instead increased the vanilla extract to 3 teaspoons. They turned out pretty good. Dustin loved them, but I felt like they needed something more, maybe like milk chocolate drizzled on top? But since he likes them just the way they are I probably won't try it.

1 14 oz) can EAGLE BRAND Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 egg white, whipped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 (14 oz) package flaked coconut
1/2 cup flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with foil; grease and flour foil. Set aside. (I just used my baking mats and I didn't have any trouble)

2. In a large bowl, whisk egg white until soft peaks, add sweetened condensed milk, extracts, and coconut; mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets; slightly flatten each mound with a spoon.

3. Bake 15-17 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Immediately remove from baking sheets (macaroons will stick if allowed to cool) on wire racks. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Servings: 48

Salsa Chicken

2010-01-18T16:10:00.003-07:00

This is Kandis' recipe:

Put your chicken breasts in a crock pot - I usually put about 4-6. Pour over top a jar of salsa (a small or medium size jar will do....not a Costco size he he) and then sprinkle a pack of taco seasoning over the chicken and salsa.

Let cook all day.

Then about 1/2 hour before serving put about a cup to a cup and a half of sour cream in the crock pot with chicken and sauce and it will melt. Before serving stir everything really good so the sour cream mixes.

Serve over white rice.

I promise it is so good... I have given this recipe to so many and EVERYONE loves it!

Enjoy!

Creamy Loaded Mashed Potatoes

2009-12-05T19:41:00.001-07:00

8 servings - Prep Time: 10 minutes - Cook Time: 45 minutes

3 lbs all-purpose potatoes, peeled & cubed
1.5 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (about 6 oz.), divided
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
3 green onions, finely chopped (optional, but just do it!)
6 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

1 - Preheat oven to 375*. Spray 2-qt shallow baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
2 - Cover potatoes with water in a 4-qt sauce pot; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain and mash.

3 - Stir in 1 cup cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, green onions and 4 strips crumbled bacon. Turn in to prepared baking dish and bake 30 minutes or until bubbling.

4 - Top with remaining .5 cup cheese and bacon. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish, if desired, with additional chopped green onions.

Shoyu Chicken

2009-11-06T07:36:00.004-07:00

I got this recipe from a lady in my mom's ward who got it from a Samoan guy they knew - family recipe.

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup sugar
ground ginger (up to 1 tbsp - to your liking)
1 5 lb bag chicken thighs

Mix soy sauce, pineapple juice, sugar and ground ginger in a big pot. add chicken. When it comes to a boil, turn the burner down to medium heat, let cook for 45-60 minutes. While it is cooking, make your rice.

The hardest part for me in this recipe is taking all the fat off the chicken. long process - but worth it. So yummy!

Taco Soup

2009-10-02T11:35:00.004-06:00

I got this recipe from my MIL. It's super easy and so good!

Ingredients:

1-1.5 lb of hamburger
2 packets of taco seasoning
1 small onion chopped
1 can of corn
2 cans of kidney beans
1 can of black beans
2 cups of salsa
1 large can of vegetarian veggie soup (aka-veg. beef soup minus the beef)
Tortilla chips
Shredded cheese

In large pot brown your hamburger with your onions, drain fat. Next add soup, along with one soup can of water. Next add kidney beans, black beans, and corn-DO NOT DRAIN any of them, just add straight from can. Next add in salsa and mix all together. Last add taco seasoning and stir into soup.I used about 1 1/2 packets of taco seasoning and it was perfect, you can adjust to your liking. I put on medium heat for about half hour stirring occasionally. Last top off with crushed tortilla chips and cheese.

It makes a lot!!

Bread Pudding

2009-07-29T13:06:00.004-06:00

My husband LOVES bread pudding so I have been making it lately when I have bread or buns that are kinda going old. I really like making it because you can adjust to your own tastebuds by adding different fruit or spices and it usually still turns out really good.

Ingredients:

About 7 or 8 pieces of old bread.
3/4 cups of brown sugar (or you can use white sugar)
2 TBS. of melted butter
2 Cups milk
1 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp. of cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
3 Eggs

Directions:

Break bread up into little pieces and place into 8x8 pan.
Drizzle melted butter over broken bread, add raisins on top if desired.
In bowl combine eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar together and mix with electric mixer until well blended.
Pour mixture over bread.
With a fork, make sure all bread is soaked in liquid mixture.
Bake at 350 for 45 min.

Serve with whip cream on top, or by itself. Really yummy hot or cold.
Enjoy!!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

2009-06-26T20:52:00.003-06:00

This is a recipe from my Aunt Kathy. I tried it out at my toe party. I think I over baked them. They were a little crisp. So when baking make sure to check them after 8 minutes, they seem to puff up and then go back down.

Cream together:
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
Measure and sift:
2 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Combine all ingredients together. Form into 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10.

Beer Margaritas

2009-06-24T10:22:00.003-06:00

My husband made this at a toe party I hosted. Everyone seemed to enjoy it so I thought I'd share it.

12 oz. Tequilla
12 oz. 7 Up
12 oz. Corona Extra
12 oz. can limeade concentrate

Pour all ingredients into large pitcher. Stir with wooden spoon until combined. Garnish with kosher salt and a lime.

Serves 6

Texas Sheet Cake

2009-06-24T10:14:00.004-06:00

My Mom use to make this when I was a kid. She told me she got the recipe from my Aunt Tammie. It's delicious and makes a lot.

Set aside
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Bring to boil
3 cubes of butter
6 tbsp. cocoa
1 1/2 cups water

Mix together
3/4 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Add cocoa mixture then flour mixture. Take out enough mixture to make 4 cupcakes or else it the cake will over flow. You can set that aside until the cake is done. Pour the rest of the mixture into a floured and greased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Frosting
Bring to boil
1 1/2 cubes butter
6 tbsp. cocoa
6 tbsp. milk
2 tbsp. karol syrup
Then add
5 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Spread over cake. Enjoy!

Apple Bread

2009-06-21T07:38:00.003-06:00

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 beaten egg

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups finely shredded, peeled apple

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

1. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of an 8x4x2- inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Making a well in center of flour mixture; set aside

2. In another medium bowl, combine egg, sugar, apple, and oil. Add apple mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 50-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

Zucchini Bread: Prepare as above, except substitute 1 Cup finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini for the apple.

Apple Cake

2009-06-21T07:32:00.005-06:00

This is one of my favorite things my mom would make when I lived back in Texas! I hope you enjoy!

1 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Cups Sugar

3 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

3 Cups Flour

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Cinnamon

3 Cups Apples (Cut into chunky pieces)

1 Cup Pecans

Grease and flour a bundt pan; set aside. In large mixing bowl, begin mixing ingredients in the order given: Oil & Sugar; Stir. Add eggs; Stir. Add Vanilla; Stir... Continue in order making sure to stir well after each ingredient is added. Spoon into bundt pan evenly.

Bake @ 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Remove from pan onto a serving plate. Top with sprinkled powdered sugar if desired.

Apple Dumplings

2009-06-08T10:11:00.002-06:00

I posted this on my blog as well, but this is seriously the best (and easiest!) dessert ever.

Apple Dumplings

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew

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

Then go to confession. Quickly.

Love,

Pioneer Woman

For a back story and step-by-step pictures, go to PW's website, HERE.

So yummy hamburgers!

2009-05-29T14:33:00.004-06:00

Summer is here friends....and you HAVE to try these! {okay so summer isn't here yet...and you don't have to do anything...but I highly recommend it}

1 pound ground beef (lean is best because you add so much to it)
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2-to 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/3 C. grated Parmesan (the shaky powder kind)
salt and pepper
10 pieces of raw bacon

Mix all ingredients together except the bacon.

Make into patties....
Wrap two pieces of bacon around each patty....secure with a tooth pick
and slap on the grill!
SO YUMMY

Bunco Bruscetta

2009-03-30T15:23:00.005-06:00

OK sorry girls that it has taken me so long to post this, but here it is.

Topping:

5-6 Roma Tomatoes (chopped)
2-3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp pepper (to taste)
10-15 fresh basil leaves (chopped)

Mix all together in a strainer to remove any excess juice from tomatoes.

1 Pillsbury pizza crust
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1-2 cups mozzarella cheese

Press dough to fit cookie sheet drizzle with olive oil rub it around til dough has a thin layer on it. Bake as directed or til golden brown. While still warm cut a clove of garlic in half and rub over the crust. Let cool, mix mayo and garlic salt and spread evenly over crust,next top with mozzarella cheese then the tomato mixture. Put back it the oven til cheese is melted. When removed sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, serve and enjoy.

Snickerdoodle Cake

2009-02-27T09:49:00.001-07:00

From the Cake Mix Doctor

1 pkg. (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix
1 cup whole milk
8 tbls. (1 stick)butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 pan.

2. Place the cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well combined. Pour batter in pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pan in the oven.

3. Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 27 to 29 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Allow it to cool completely, 30 minutes more.

4. Frost with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting below.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

8 tbls. (1 stick) butter, at room temperature.
3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 to 4 tbls. milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more. Blend in up to 1 tablespoon milk if the frosting seems to stiff.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

2009-02-04T13:41:00.004-07:00

I got this recipe from my Sister Kim. It's yummy delicious on salads!

1 quart or 4 cups buttermilk
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. onion salt
2 tsp. parsley
1 quart or 4 cups mayo
2 tsp. accent
2 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Mix mayo and buttermilk together then add spices.

Stuffed Shells

2009-01-30T12:46:00.002-07:00

I made this for my bunco group this week. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it. I got the recipe from my sister Kim, she saved me by helping me get it all ready for the party. Thanks, Kim!

1 (16 oz.) package jumbo pasta shells
4 cups small curd cottage cheese
12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano or 2-3 tbs. fresh oregano
1 tsp. dried parsley or 2-3 tbs. fresh parsley
1 (26 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
*You can add one package frozen chopped spinach (thawed, liquid squeezed out)

Directions
1. Cook shells according to package directions. Place in cold water to stop cooking. Drain.
2. Mix together cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, and garlic powder. Rub the dried herbs in the palms of your hands to pulverize them, and stir into the cheese mixture. Stuff mixture into the shells.
3. Spread 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan. Place shells open side up, and close together in pan. Spread remaining sauce over the top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes covered and 20 minutes uncovered. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Tips
You can pipe cheese filling from a gallon size zip-loc bag, 1/3 at a time works best. Cut a whole about a dime size so all the filling can come out.

Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers

2009-01-26T21:01:00.002-07:00

Submitted by: Mary M.
From http://eatingwell.com

Makes Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Canola oil cooking spray
½ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup whole-wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 ½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large egg whites
1 pound chicken tenders (see Ingredient Note)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set a wire rack on the baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.
2. Place almonds, flour, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor; process until the almonds are finely chopped and the paprika is mixed throughout, about 1 minute. With the motor running, drizzle in oil; process until combined. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.
3. Whisk egg whites in a second shallow dish. Add chicken tenders and turn to coat. Transfer each tender to the almond mixture; turn to coat evenly. (Discard any remaining egg white and almond mixture.) Place the tenders on the prepared rack and coat with cooking spray; turn and spray the other side.
4. Bake the chicken fingers until golden brown, crispy and no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

Tips
Ingredient note: Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded “chicken fingers.”

Broccoli Madness Salad

2009-01-25T16:12:00.003-07:00

Submitted by: Mary N.

I got this recipe from my Aunt who I think got it from Sweet Tomatoes Restaurant. It is a really big hit with everyone, so I thought I would pass it along!

Ingredients for Salad:
1 bunch of broccoli washed, uncooked and cut into bite size florets
1/2 C cooked bacon crumbled (you can cook it yourself or buy the Hormel bacon crumbles)
1/2 C cashews- I like the roasted salted ones better than the plain
1/3 C. raisins
1/4 C red onion finely chopped

Ingredients for Dressing:
1 C. Mayo
1/3 C. sugar
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

To Prepare:
Throw all salad ingredients into a big bowl together. Prepare the dressing by mixing the three ingredients until smooth. Pour over the salad. Then toss it until evenly coated. Put in the fridge until cool.- I just think it tastes better cold- but not required

Yogurt Cake

2009-01-25T08:51:00.004-07:00

I have been searching and trying to figure out where I found this recipe. I know it was from another recipe blog, but can't for the life of me find it. Anyways try it out it is very light and yummy. I used raspberry yogurt, but next time I think I'll try lime because Dustin loves lime.

Cake:
1 white cake mix
8 ounces flavored yogurt(Yoplait is the best!)

Topping:
8 ounces whipped topping
8 ounces flavored yogurt(same as used in cake)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

With electric mixer, slowly mix cake ingredients according to package directions. Gently stir in yogurt with spoon or plastic spatula. Pour batter in a greased 9x13 pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden on top. Use a toothpick to determine if cake is done. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

Before serving, stir whipped topping and yogurt together and frost cake with it. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Yummy Lemon Bars

2009-01-23T11:36:00.001-07:00

I love Paula Deen - all her recipes call for an obsurd amount of butter...

Ingredients & Directions:
Crust 2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
pinch of salt
2 sticks butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing

Filling
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9x13x2-inch pan.
Make the crust by combining flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter to make a crumbly mixture. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. You may need to dip your fingers into a little flour or confectioners' sugar to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the filling, mix the eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and lemon juice. Pour this over the baked crust and bake for 25 minutes longer. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired, when the bars are done.

Easy Chile Verde Burritos

2009-01-21T20:46:00.007-07:00

Submitted by: Val H.

5-6 pork chops
1 can chopped green chilies
3 cans old El Paso Green chile sauce
tortillas

Cook pork chops in crock pot covered in sauce and chilies for 2 and 1/2 hours on high or 4 hours on low. When meat is cooked and tender shred the meat with a fork and return to crock pot in green chile sauce. Spoon meat onto tortillas roll and cover in sauce then smother with cheese. Microwave for about 45 seconds to melt the cheese on the tortillas.

Pig Pickin' Cake

2009-01-20T13:17:00.003-07:00

I got this recipe from Rachel Alldredge (Black) - it is such a light, moist and yummy cake:

1 box yellow cake mix (or whatever you want-chocolate, white, whatever)
3/4 c oil or 1 c applesauce
4 eggs
1 small can mandarin oranges, undrained
1 med can crushed pineapple, drained but save that juice!!
1 small pkg vanilla instant pudding
12 oz cool whip

Mix cake, oil, eggs and oranges with mixer for 3 minutes. Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 pan (or 3 round pans). Bake 350 for 30 minutes or til a toothpick comes out clean. (duh.) While cake is warm, prick cake with fork at intervals and pour juice from drained pineapple over top. Fold pineapple and dry pudding mix into the cool whip. Spread over cooled cake. Chill in the freezer. Very moist and so yummy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

2009-01-13T11:06:00.006-07:00

Okay, okay...if you are looking for a super easy and super yummy dessert then you've got to try out this recipe. Check out the Bakerella for the pictures. I made these last night and have been trying to stay out of the kitchen so I don't eat them all. I made them without the frosting, but with frosting would be yummy too.

1 box Betty Crocker Original Supreme brownie mix (with chocolate pouch)
vegetable oil, water, and eggs called for on brownie mix box
1 pouch Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix
butter and egg called for on cookie pouch
1 container Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Chocolate frosting or the Chocolate Ganache at the end.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan. Make brownie batter as directed on box. Spread in pan.

2. Make cookie dough as directed on pouch. Drop by rounded spoonfuls evenly onto brownie batter; press down lightly.

3. Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Frost with Betty Crocker frosting or chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup heavy whipping gream
6 Tbsp butter

* In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before the boiling stage.
* Pour over the chocolate morsels.
* Let stand about 20 seconds and stir until smooth.
* Pour over brownies and let set before cutting

Peanut Butter Popcorn

2009-01-12T11:12:00.004-07:00

This is delicious! And oh, so easy.

1 cup popcorn kernels
1 cup sugar
1 cup Karol syrup
1 cup peanut butter

Pop popcorn kernels and set aside. Then in a sauce pan bring to boil sugar and Karol syrup. Take off heat and add peanut butter. Pour over popcorn and toss until covered.

Rhodes Buttery Breadsticks

2009-01-08T11:23:00.004-07:00

These are so yummy. You can find the recipe on the back of the Rhodes Dinner Rolls.

Ingredients

24 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
garlic salt

Directions

Pour melted butter on an 11x17-inch baking sheet. Roll each roll to about 6-inches and then roll in butter until completely coated. Place cheese in separate bowl and roll buttered bread stick in cheese. Place bread stick on baking sheet in 2 rows of twelve each. Sprinkle with garlic salt, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap.

Let rise until double in size. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

2008-12-26T12:53:00.001-07:00

Submitted by: Rachel W.

This seems to be a favorite. My co-workers and neighbors ask me when they
are going to get there's all Christmas long!

Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

4 cups of marshmallows (adding more makes them gooier, do so as you like)
6 TBL of butter
1/2 pack of jello (any flavor you want)
3 QTS popcorn (air popped, one batch)

Melt butter and marshmallow on low to medium heat over stove
Then add in jello, mix well (for deeper color, add food coloring)
Poor over popcorn
Then shape into round balls
Place on wax paper to cool off
Eat and Enjoy!

Pecan Crusted Chicken

2008-12-23T12:19:00.002-07:00

Submitted by: Shannon S.

I don't remember what cook book I got it from but it is easy and delicious.

2 chicken breast halfs
4 tablespoons finely crushed and toasted pecans
1 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
Dijon mustard

Crush the pecans and spread in a single layer over a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for about ten minutes or just until ligthly browned. Remove pecans and mix with the salt. In separate bowl lithgly whisk the egg whites. Take cleaned chicken breast halfs and coat with egg whites then dredge in the pecan and salt mixture. Place on ungreased pan and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with dijon mustard.

Homemade Peanut Butter Bars

2008-12-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

Submitted by: Mindie J.

1 C. Butter
1 C. Peanut Butter
1 C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Sugar
2 Eggs
Mix together untill creamy then add
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
3/4 Tsp. Salt
3 Tsp.Vanilla
2 1/2 C. Flour
2 1/4 C. Oats
Grease a large cookie sheet
Spread mixture evenly in cookie sheet
Bake @ 350 deg for 15 min.
When cooled frost with chocolate frosting
Tip: Put the frosting in the microwave for about 30 sec to soften it. It will spread much easier.
Or you can melt chocolate chips and spread them over the bars

Banana Bars

2008-12-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

Submitted by: Mary M.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!!

Banana Bars
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3 ripe bananas, mashed

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Add sour cream and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt - then add to the other mixture. Stir in mashed bananas.
Pour in buttered sheet pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Frost with Cream Cheese frosting:

1/2 cup margarine (softened)
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese (softened)
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

I keep them refrigerated! SO YuMmY!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-11-12T09:09:00.004-07:00

I love this recipe, but if anyone else has a pumpkin chocolate chip recipe I'd love you to share it. I always enjoy trying new recipes.

Mix together:

2 eggs
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin (not pie filling)
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil

Sift together, then add:

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Stir in:

1 (12 oz.) package of chocolate chips or butterscotch chips
1 cups chopped nuts (Optional)

Drop by teaspoon on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes

Halloween/Fall Treat

2008-10-26T11:05:00.002-06:00

My Mom found this cute idea in her blog adventures one day! We tried it out and they are super cute and super good if you like peanut butter. They taste like peanut butter fudge, only better and much cuter! They are a little time consuming but kind of fun to make especially with the kids.

All you need is one bag of peanut butter chips (like chocolate chips) and one container of vanilla frosting.Melt the peanut butter chips in the microwave and then add the vanilla frosting to it. Set aside a very small amount to color green for the stems and color the rest orange. It kind of gets tuff to stir. Then you set in fridge for one hour.

To make pumpkins you roll the orange into balls. Take a knife to score like a real pumpkin and then you set it down and push the top down with your thumb. It opens up the scores that you just made to make it look like pumpkin. Then you use a tooth pick to make a little hole in the top to stick the stem in that you make out of the green.

I hope this makes sense. There really isn't any directions so these are my special instructions and I wanted to be clear as possible so it may be sound stupid. If you have any questions let me know.

Enjoy!

Blonde Brownies

2008-09-29T16:20:00.003-06:00

I got this recipe off Good Things Utah. It's perfect if you're craving chocolate chip cookies, but don't want to do all the work of spooning them individually on a cookie sheet.

2/3 cup margarine, melted
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tbls. water
2 3/4 cup flour
2 cup chocolate chips

Mix first 7 ingredients together then add flour. Blend together. Add chocolate chips and stir. Spread mixture into a 9x13 baking pan. Bake @ 340 degrees for 22-24 minutes depending on your oven. Bake only until brownies begin to slightly brown on edges.

I dusted mine w/ powdered sugar, I liked it, but Dustin liked it without. Go figure?

Zucchini Bread

2008-09-23T08:37:00.004-06:00

I got this recipe from Heather yesterday and it was delicious! A great way to use zucchini!

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Beat eggs until frothy; Mix in vegetable oil and sugar. Stir together grated zucchini and vanilla and add to mixture. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to mixture. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans.
Bake at 325 degrees for 60-70 minutes. Enjoy!

Sloppy Joe's

2008-09-22T11:26:00.004-06:00

This is Ray-Ray's favorite dinner. She likes that there is ketchup and mustard in it.

1 lb hamburger, cooked and drained
Flaked onions
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. ketchup
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.)
1/2 Tbsp. mustard
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Simmer 20-30 mins.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip or Raisin Cookies

2008-09-19T11:45:00.004-06:00

I don't like Oatmeal raisin cookies, but a lot of people do. More than I would have thought. I like this recipe because it makes a ton so I usually do half with raisins for Dustin and half with chocolate chips for the rest of us.

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
4 cups flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
5 cups oatmeal
2 packages of chocolate chips
4 cups raisins
*or separate the dough in two parts and do half w/ 1 bag chocolate chips and the other half w/ 2 cups raisins*

Bake for 6-10 minutes at 350 degrees on ungreased cookie sheet.

Chocolate-Scotchies

2008-09-18T15:57:00.003-06:00

My Family and my Friends love these.

2 1/2 cups of flour

2 sticks of softened butter

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of baking soda

1 tsp of vanilla

1 dry package of instant chocolate pudding

1 package of butterscotch chips

preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Cream the butter and add the sugars. Add the eggs then add the salt, baking soda, and vanilla. Add the dry package of pudding. Add the flour a little bit at a time, don't over mix. Mix in the chips by hand.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Every oven cooks differently so you should watch these the first time, because they are dark it might be hard to tell if they are done or not. I use a baking stone and so I bake them for 13 minutes the first time but they only need 10 minutes after that.

ENJOY!!!!!!

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

2008-09-11T13:24:00.004-06:00

This is my favorite soup recipe!!! Its autumn now so it's time for soup and rolls right?

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 cooked boneless chicken halves shredded
1 (4.5 oz) pckg quick cooking long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet (I use Uncle Bens)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream or milk

Bring broth, water, and chicken to a boil then stir in rice (do not add season packet yet). Follow the directions on rice bo x for how long to cook. Then in another bowl add salt, pepper, flour. In a saucepan over medium heat melt butter then stir in season packet reduce heat to low and then stir in flour mixture a little at a time to form a roux. Whisk in cream a little at a time as well until incorporated. Cook until thickened (about 5 minutes). Stir in cream mixture to broth and rice and cook until heated through about 10 minutes.

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

2008-09-11T13:20:00.005-06:00

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

1 ½ lbs. chicken breasts, cubed 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 1 tsp. dried oregano
½ lime, juiced 10 (6") tortillas
1 tsp. white sugar 1 tomato, diced
½ tsp. salt monterey jack cheese
¼ c. shredded lettuce ½ tsp. pepper
salsa 2 green onion stalks, chopped

Sauté chicken in a medium saucepan over medium high heat for about 20 minutes. Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic and oregano. Simmer for an extra 10 minutes. Heat an iron skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan, warm and turn over to heat the other side. Serve lime chicken mixture in warm tortillas topped with tomato, lettuce, cheese, and salsa

Simple Salad

2008-09-11T13:17:00.002-06:00

I love this recipe! I got it from my friend Erica, and she is a fabulous cook!

1 bag romaine lettuce 1 bag coleslaw
1 bag spinach 1 bottle Brianna’s Poppy seed dressing
1 bag craisins 1 can honey roasted peanuts
Toss dressing with the rest of the ingredients and serve.

Almond Gooey Bars

2008-09-11T13:10:00.004-06:00

Sorry this took me so long to add Heather!

Filling:
1 8 oz package cream cheese (softened)
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure almond extract
1 stick butter (melted)
3 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Crust:
1 plain yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (melted)
1 large egg
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Place cake mix, butter, egg and almonds in large mixing bowl. Blend on low spped for 2 minutes. Then press into a 13 x 9 pan. For filling beat cream cheese until fluffy, then add eggs, almond extract and melted butter. Next add the powdered sugar. Beat until smooth consistency and spread over crust. Bake at 350 for 45- 47 minutes. I think they taste better after then have been refrigerated for a few hours.

Freezer Rolls

2008-09-11T13:01:00.004-06:00

Making homemade rolls is a little bit of work, but if you do these freezer rolls you only have to spend one afternoon making them. The rest of the month you can pull them out of the freezer and have fresh yummy rolls!

2 1/4 cup milk (pour in glass bowl microwave for 3 minutes)
3 cubes butter (add to milk and microwave for 3 minutes)
let stand till room temperature

Mix:
3 tbsp yeast
3/4 cup water (kind of warm but not hot)
1 1/2 cup sugar
let the yeast work and get all bubbly then add:
9 eggs
2 1/4 tsp salt
then add in your milk/butter mixture

Put in your kitchen aide or bosch and add:

12 cups of flour (about 3 cups at a time)

Knead for 12 minutes

Then cover and let rise for 1 hour (or until about doubled in size)

Roll dough out in sections (about 1/4 of the dough at a time) in a pizza form
then spread butter on the top. Use pizze cutter to cut in triangles and then roll up (cresent style). Place on a cookie sheet and freeze for about 2 hours. Then place the frozen rolls in a zip loc bag. When ready to use, take out and let raise for 5 hours, then bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

7-Up Cake

2008-08-12T14:07:00.005-06:00

This cake is a very light lemon flavored bundt cake. My husband loves it and we could only find it on occasion at a few stores. The last store we found it was at Costco. So I was on the search for a good bundt cake recipe and found this one on line at recipes4cakes.com. It turned out super yummy so I thought I would share.

1 1/2 cup butter
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
2TB lemon extract
3/4 can 7up

Cream butter and sugar together for 20 minutes or until smooth blend is achieved. Add eggs one at a time. Add flour & lemon extract. Fold in 7 up.

Pour into greased bundt pan and bake @ 325 for 1 hour & 15 mins.

I found that that was a little too long to bake so the edges were a little crispy but my family liked that.

This recipe didn't call for a glaze on top so I just made the classic glaze and it made it perfect.

2 cups confectioners sugar
1 TB soft butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 TB milk

Combine sugar and butter. Add vanilla; stir in milk gradually to achieve desired consistency and stir until smooth. Pour/drizzle over top of warm bundt cake.

Bowtie Festival Pasta

2008-08-12T11:52:00.005-06:00

This one is inspired from the dish at Johnny Carino's. Bow tie Festival is my husband's favorite thing on the menu. We modified a cheese sauce recipe from one in the Betty Crocker cook book, and added everything we thought was in the dish.

Cook 1 package of chicken tenders (cut into bite size pieces) with 3 - 4 strips of Bacon (also cut into bite size pieces) in a frying pan, and 1/2 red onion (red onion optional.) over medium heat
While cooking chicken, boil 16 oz of Bow tie Pasta. When chicken and bacon is cooked, turn heat to low and add 1clove of garlic, and 1 large diced tomato (2 small)
(I usually double the sauce- we like our Pasta creamy) In a separate sauce pan, melt 2 TBSP Butter over medium/medium low heat
Add 1 clove of garlic, and 2 TBSP Flour to Butter to make a rue.
Add 1 Cup of Half and Half to rue and stir constantly until sauce becomes thick. Cook for 1 more minute. Add 1 Cup of 4 Blend Italian Shredded Cheese to sauce. Stir until melted. Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
Drain Pasta.
Combine Pasta, Sauce, and Chicken/Bacon Mix.
Goes Great with Garlic Bread and Caesar Salad.

(Yea- I am finally a contributor not a recipe stealer!)

Laurel’s Cheesecake Ball

2008-08-12T11:25:00.005-06:00

I don't know who Laurel is. My cousin sent this around to the fam. Thought all you cheesecake lovers might enjoy it.

Recipe makes two Cheesecake Balls!

1-8 oz brick cream cheese
1 cube butter (not margarine)
4-4 ½ cups powdered sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp Mexican vanilla OR 1 tsp regular vanilla
¾ cup finely chopped pecans
¾ cup Heath toffee bits (in a bag on the baking aisle)
¾ cup MINI semi sweet chocolate chips
1 pre-made Oreo pie crust-(store bought)
Honey Maid graham cracker Sticks (honey and/or chocolate flavor for dipping)

Let cream cheese and butter sit out at room temperature about one hour to soften. (Don’t soften in microwave as it makes the mixing consistency too soft). Unwrap Oreo pie crust and crush well with a fork down to fine crumbs, leave inside pie tin and set aside. Cream butter and cream cheese together with powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla until well mixed and fluffy. Add nuts, toffee and chocolate chips and mix well. Put cheesecake mixture into freezer for 30 minutes to harden. Take out of freezer and split in half. With spoon, shape one half into a ball shape and drop into center of Oreo crumbs. Use spoon to further shape and then cover cheesecake mixture well with crumbs. Wrap in Saran Wrap and finish shape into perfect ball and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Repeat with second half of cheesecake mixture. Serve with chocolate and/or regular graham cracker sticks.

Variations:

Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Ball -

Instead of chocolate chips and toffee, substitute broken up, frozen raspberry pieces and shaved white chocolate and nuts of your choice. Use a regular graham cracker pie crust (crushed) for the coating.

Rocky Road Cheesecake Ball -

Instead of chocolate chips and toffee, mix in 1 T. of cocoa, chopped almonds, toasted coconut and mini marshmallows (quartered with scissors). Omit cinnamon and half the vanilla. Use Oreo crumbs as coating.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake Ball -

Omit toffee, cinnamon and half the vanilla. Add 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter to cheesecake mixture, ½ cup finely chopped peanuts and ¾ cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips. Use Oreo Crumbs as coating.

Sunday Morning Sweet Rolls

2008-08-08T09:53:00.004-06:00

I found this on another recipe blog and tried it out and it was wonderful!

1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter
About 18 Rhodes frozen bread rolls

The night before, put sugar, butter and cinnamon in sauce pan and bring to boil. Cook for 4 minutes. Place frozen rolls in bundt pan, pour sugar mixture over the rolls. Leave on kitchen counter over night. In the morning bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Ice Cream Sandwich Torte

2008-08-08T09:42:00.004-06:00

This is a delicious Pampered Chef recipe. It's super easy, but looks likes you spend a lot of time on it. It's also delicious (did I already mention that?)

1 cup coarsely chopped creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies or Oreos (about 10 cookies)
1/2 cup milk
1 pkg (3.9 oz) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
1 container (12 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
12 frozen ice cream sandwiches (3.75 ounces each), unwrapped, divided
2 Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate morsels, grated or multi-colored sprinkles

1. Coarsely chop cookies. Combine milk and pudding mix; whisk together until mixture is smooth and beings to thicken. Fold in half of the whipped topping and cookies; set filling aside

2. Working quickly, arrange six of the ice cream sandwiches side by side. Spread filling evenly over sandwiches. Top with remaining ice cream sandwiches, forming a rectangular-shaped torte; smooth sides. Spread remaining whipped topping over top and sides of torte. Grate chocolate over torte. Freeze at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Yield: 16 servings

Cook's Tip: If freezing torte overnight, remove from freezer 30-45 minutes before serving for easier slicing.

Peanut Butter Cup 'Cups'

2008-08-08T07:55:00.007-06:00

I found this recipe on another recipe blog - but for the life of me can't remember which one.
In her recipe she says to roll the dough into balls and put them into the mini muffin tins. I don't know if I beat mine too long or what - but my dough was soooo sticky, there was no way to roll it into balls, so I just put 'dollop's' into the muffin tins - still turned out okay. The top picture is from the blog, the bottom picture is mine. Also, she said not to grease the mini muffin tins. I used the "flour" spray - I didn't want to risk it. And, I would recommend having your kids help, or start unwrapping the peanut butter cups before you even start this recipe. One of the small bags of cups has about 41 cups in it.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside
3. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well.
4. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin tin.
5. Back at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Mignon's Hot Ham & Swiss Rolls

2008-08-07T20:51:00.004-06:00

My friend Mignon (who doesn't blog unfortunately) made these when she played bunco with a bunch of us. We miss her terribly!

2 dozen small rolls
8 oz Swiss cheese
8 oz ham
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 stick of butter
1/2 teaspoon minced onion

Cut in half spread mayo on all rolls with a piece of ham and swiss. Melt butter and combine the remaining ingredients. Assemble rolls in 9x13 pan(you will have to squeeze them together to get them to fit) Pour mixture over top of rolls and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

*Let sit until butter is no longer runny!

YUM!

Darn Good Chocolate Cake

2008-08-07T18:01:00.003-06:00

I got this recipe from my sweet friend Megan that I work with and adore! :)

1 pkg (18.5 oz) devils food or dark fudge cake mix
1 pkg (3.9 oz) chocolate instant pudding mix
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream or fat-free plain yogurt
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bundt pan. Place cake mix, pudding, eggs, sour cream, warm water and oil in large mixing bowl. Blend at low speed 1 minute. Stop machine and scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Increase mixer speed to med and beat 2-3 minutes scraping sides of bowl if needed. Batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in Chocolate chips. Pour batter into bundt pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes-or until cake springs back when lightly touched and starts to pull away from sides of pan. Place on rack to cool for 20-30 minutes. Run knife around edge and invert onto rack or serving platter and slice and serve while warm. Dust with powdered sugar or serve with whipped topping.

Homemade Root Beer

2008-08-07T17:56:00.002-06:00

I got this recipe from this awesome cook book called "The Domestic Art Vol.2" it's a wonderful cook book where I've found some great recipes I can't wait to try out and pass along to you!

1 gallon Water (16 cups)
2 cups sugar
2 Tablespoons root beer extract
2 lbs. dry ice

Use platic spoon to mix water, sugar and extract together in a 2-gallon plastic cooler or other wide-mouth platic container. Carefully add dry ice. Let stand 20 minutes until dry ice has evaporated. Makes 1 gallon.

The Best Peach Cobbler!

2008-07-30T23:37:00.004-06:00

I got this recipe from April last year when we picked all of the peaches off of our tree and was craving peach cobbler. It's so good! Let me know what you think!

Southern Peach Cobbler

Prep Time: 20 MinutesCook Time: 40 Minutes

Ready In: 1 Hour Yields: 4 servings

8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and
cut into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water

MIX TOGETHER:
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.
4. Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

Cobbler Recipes

2008-07-30T13:18:00.002-06:00

Okay everyone I'm craving cobbler, but I need a really great recipe. Help me out! I am not particular about the fruit necessarily because I love all fruit. I don't even mind if it's a little complicated, as long as the results are worth it. So anyone that reads or contributes to this blog, please post a recipe for me.

P.S. I love this idea of requesting certain recipes. Feel free to do a post about a certain recipe you would love to find on here.

Thanks,

Jennie

Strawberry Margarita Squares

2008-07-25T09:58:00.003-06:00

I haven't made this for a while, but the first time I tried it I loved it! I think I made it two more times that month. You may have made something similar to this.

Crust

2 cups (66) fat-free mini-twist pretzels (1 cup crushed)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Filling

2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup thawed, frozen margarita mix concentrate (non-alcoholic)
2 containers (8 oz. each) cool whip, thawed, divided
1 package (3 oz.) strawberry gelatin
1/2 cup boiling water
1 package (10 oz.) frozen sliced strawberries in syrup
Fresh strawberry slices (optional)
Lime slices (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For crust, finely crush pretzels in resealable plastic bag with rolling pin. Melt butter in small bowl on high for 30 seconds or until melted. Add crushed pretzels and sugar; mix well. Press mixture onto bottom of 9x13 pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool completely.

2. For filling, beat cream cheese and margarita mix until well blended. Fold in 2 cups of cool whip. Carefully spread cream cheese mixture evenly over crust. Refrigerate while preparing strawberry layer.

3. Place gelatin in mixing bowl. Stir in boiling water; stir until completely dissolved. Add frozen strawberries and stir until strawberries separate and gelatin is thickened (a spoon drawn through mixture will leave an impression). Whisk in 3 cups of the cool whip. Pour over cream cheese layer, spreading to edges. Refrigerate 3 hours to set.

4. Cut dessert into 15 squares. Garnish each with doll up of cool whip. Top with fresh strawberries and lime slices, if desired.

Yield: 15 servings

Frozen margarita mix concentrate is available in 10-ounce cans in frozen juice section of your supermarket. Reserve remaining concentrate to make this dessert again, or reconstitute with 2 1/2 cups water. Add sugar to taste and serve over ice for a refreshing beverage.

Coconut Almond Brownie Squares

2008-07-25T09:39:00.004-06:00

This is a Pampered Chef recipe. I just love it! It reminds me of an Almond Joy candy bar.

1 package (19-21 oz.) fudge brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like brownies)
1 package(10 oz.) sweetened flaked coconut (3 3/4 cups)
1 package (11.5 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chunks
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 package (2.25 oz.) sliced natural almonds (2/3 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies. Spread evenly in pan. Bake 16-18 minutes or until brownie is set. Do not over bake.

2. Layer coconut and chocolate chunks over brownie base. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over coconut and chocolate chunks. Sprinkle with almonds.

3. Bake 20-23 minutes or until edges of coconut are deep golden brown and almonds are lightly toasted. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

Yield: 24 bars

These bars taste even better the next day. To store leftover bars, place in airtight container at room temperature.

Curry Chicken

2008-07-21T13:29:00.004-06:00

1 c. Cooked, diced chicken
2 c. cooked rice

One 29 oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tb olive oil
1 Tb plus 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 Tb onion powder
2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp turmeric (optional)

Combine tomato sauce and spices in a med sized non-aluminum saucepan and bring to a low boil. Simmer gently for at least a few minutes so that the flavors blend. (Longer is fine, too). Add chicken. Serve over rice.

Makes 2 1/2 cups, enough for 5 to 6 servings.

Orange Julius

2008-07-15T20:46:00.002-06:00

This is for you Elder Burnside!!! We love and miss you like crazy!

1 (6 oz.) can orange juice concentrate
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
5-8 ice cubes
1-2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put all ingredients in blender, turn blender on high until smooth. You can also add other fruit like strawberries and bananas.

Kim's Cookie Salad

2008-07-15T13:13:00.004-06:00

This is for you Angi! But you better add your crepe recipe real soon. Or else!

Funny story behind this. When Kim had brought this recipe to a BBQ at my Grandma Burnside's house everyone raved about it. My Grandma went upstairs and typed up the recipe from Kim so everyone could have it. Well a month or so later I decided I'd try it. The recipe said E.L fudge stripped cookies, crushed. So Dustin and I went through all the E.L. fudge cookies and stripped the fudge out and then chopped them up. It turned out they miss spelled striped for stripped and put El fudge instead of Keebler. Anyways hope that gave you a good laugh. I know it did for me.*Pay close attention...you use Keebler Fudge Striped cookies*

1 (18 oz) container of cool whip (thawed)
1 (3 oz.) package vanilla pudding
1 package Keebler Fudge Striped cookies, crushed
1 (12 oz.) container frozen strawberries and raspberries

Mix all ingredients together and any other fruit you may like.

Chicken A La King

2008-07-15T13:06:00.004-06:00

Ooooh this brings back memories! I would love it when my Mom would fix this for dinner.

1 can mushrooms (discard juice)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon chicken bullion
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cup hot water
2 cups chicken (cooked and cubed)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cook mushrooms, green peppers and onion in margarine until tender. On low heat blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low hear stirring until bubbly. Add bullion, milk, water, lemon juice, and chicken. Cook until all is heated through. Serve over rice.

Beef Enchiladas

2008-07-15T13:02:00.004-06:00

This is my Mom's recipe. I love it!

1 1/2 lb hamburger
medium chopped onion
1 can bean and bacon soup
1 can tomato sauce
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1 package corn tortillas
cheese

Dip warmed corn tortillas in enchilada sauce. Combine browned hamburger with onion. bean and bacon soup, garlic and taco packet. Put meat mixture in tortilla and roll. Place in 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 1/2 hour at 350 degrees.

Porcupines

2008-07-15T12:57:00.003-06:00

This is my sister Kim's recipe. My brother-in-law Mark loves it!

1 lb ground beef
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon minced onion
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
2 can tomato soup
Salt and Pepper to taste
dash of thyme
dash of nutmeg

Combine all ingredients except soup. Form into 8 or 10 balls. Put in a small roaster. Pour soup over meat. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cover and bake 35 minutes longer. The rice will poke out over meatballs when ready.

Teriyaki Chicken

2008-07-10T16:39:00.008-06:00

They made this on Studio 5 the other day, it sounded good and easy and it was!

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp Mirin(if you cant find it you can substitute white vinegar)

1 clove garlic

6 slices of fresh ginger

6 chicken breasts(small) or 3 large butterflied (cut in half but not all the way through)

Stir ingredients until sugar is dissolved pour into large Ziploc bag and add chicken. I reserved 1/4 cup to pour over rice . Marinade of 3hrs or up to 24 hrs. Grill chicken till cooked. Discard marinade. Serve over rice and any steamed veggies you like, I just did broccoli.

Enjoy!

Classic Deli Wraps

2008-07-10T14:58:00.004-06:00

Another Pampered Chef recipe at Angi's request.

1 container (8 ounces) light cream cheese spread
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
6 (8-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas
8 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
3/4 cup (3 ounces)shredded Swiss cheese
6 slices bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled

1. Combine cream cheese, mustard and honey in bowl and mix well. Slice lettuce, bell pepper and tomato.

2. Top each tortilla with a scoop of cream cheese mixture; spread to within 1/4 inch of edge. Cover with 1/4 sup lettuce pressing lightly. Place two ham slices over lettuce. Grate 2 tablespoons of cheese over ham. Top evenly with tomato, bell pepper and bacon.

3. Roll up each tortilla tightly. To serve, cut each wrap diagonally in half.

Yield: 6 servings

Italian Stuffed Calzone

2008-07-10T14:37:00.003-06:00

When I sold Pampered Chef I use to always do this recipe for my shows.

2 pkgs (11 ounces each) refrigerated French bread dough, divided
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, sliced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can (8 ounces) pizza sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 pound Italian sausage, cooked, crumbled and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup (1 ounce) Parmesan cheese (optional)

Thinly sliced romaine lettuce, tomato wedges and Italian dressing (optional)

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees. Unroll one package of the bread dough onto a Pizza stone or cookie sheet; roll and stretch to edge of baking sheet with a rolling pin. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over dough to within 1 inch of edge.

2. Combine bell pepper, olives, onion, pizza sauce, seasoning mix and garlic; mix well. Add cooked sausage; mix well. Spoon meat mixture over cheese; spread evenly. Unroll remaining dough directly over filling by matching top edges of dough and shaping to fit as dough is unrolled. Trim excess dough from corners, forming an even edge. Roll and crimp edges to seal.

3. Drizzle oil over dough; spread evenly. If desired, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over dough. Make three crisscross cuts, about 6 inches long, across center of dough to vent. Bake 18-20 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cut into wedges. Serve with toppings, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

2008-07-10T07:55:00.005-06:00

I got this recipe from a friend's coworker...yummy!!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars ***Double this for a large cookie sheet***

1/2 C. Shortening

1/2 C. Sugar

1/2 C. Brown Sugar

1/3 C. Peanut Butter

1/2 t. vanilla

Cream these together

Add to mixture

1 Egg

1/4 C. milk

Add to creamed mixture

1/2 t Baking Soda

1/2 t Salt

1 C. Flour

Add 1 C. oatmeal into mixture.

Spread in a 9X13 greased & floured pan and bake for 20 minutes @ 350.

Cool and Frost

Frosting

2 C. Powdered Sugar

1/4 C. Cocoa Powder

3 T. Melted Margarine (I used Butter...)

2-3 T. Hot Milk

1/2 t vanilla

Mix and Spread on bars

Rolo Cookies

2008-07-05T16:05:00.003-06:00

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
48 Rolos

Beat sugars and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs. In separate bowl combine flour, cocoa and soda. Add two bowls together. With floured hands take 1 rolo and put in the center of 1 teaspoon of cookie dough. Roll dough in small bowl of sugar. Put cookies on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes @ 325 degrees

Strawberry Sheet Cake

2008-07-05T16:00:00.003-06:00

1 White or Yellow cake mix
1 pkg (4 3/4 oz.) danish dessert
1 pkg. (10 oz) Frozen strawberries
1/2 pint whipped cream

Make cake according to package instructions. Let cool. Allow berries to thaw slightly and then mix one cup water w/ berries in a sauce pan. Add danish dessert and boil stirring constantly for one minute. Pour over cake and refrigerate. Frost w/ whipped cream.

I love to use fresh strawberries when they are in season!

Indoor S'mores

2008-07-05T15:51:00.003-06:00

I love s'mores, but don't always have a fire pit handy.

8 cups golden grahams
6 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup light corn syrup
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla

Butter 9x13-inch pan. Measure cereal into large bowl. Heat 5 cups of marshmallows, the chocolate chips, corn syrup and butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal in bowl; quickly toss until evenly coated. Stir in remaining 1 cup marshmallows.

Press mixture in pan, using back of spoon. Let stand uncovered at least 1 hour, or refrigerate for a firmer bar. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows. Store loosely covered at room temperature up to 2 days.

Easy Sloppy Joes

2008-07-05T15:43:00.004-06:00

This recipe is from my cousin Missy

1 to 2 lbs hamburger
1 packet McCormick sloppy joes
1 can cream of celery
1 can tomato soup
1 can tomato and rice
1 can tomato paste

Even better reheated the next day

Pumpkin Squares/Cream Cheese Frosting

2008-06-25T09:41:00.004-06:00

I got this recipe from my cute friend Mignon. I've worked with her at Wasatch Dental for a LONG time. She always has great recipes!

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cup or 1 small can pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees mix sugar and vegetable oil. Beat eggs and add together. Mix all dry ingredients together add to mixture and add pumpkin. Bake for 20-25 minutes in well greased jelly roll pan.

Frosting

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
3/4 stick of margarine
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar

Cream all ingredients together with electric mixer and spread across cool pumpkin squares.

Apple Dip

2008-06-25T09:37:00.002-06:00

Amanda reminded me of this recipe. My friend Denise (who unfortunately doesn't blog)made this at one of her candle parties and I refused to leave until she gave me the recipe. It's prefect with green apples!

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. (10 oz) English toffee bits

Beat with electric mixer; spoon in toffee bits. Serve with cut up apples.

Aunt Fay's Cinnamon Jumbles

2008-06-25T09:30:00.006-06:00

Most of you have heard my story about these cookies. I have always thought that my Aunt Fay created Cinnamon Jumbles, but found out from my Grandma recently that we aren't the only ones who make them. LOL! I still call them Aunt Fay's and Tommy LOVES these cookies and is always wanting to make them.

1 cup shortening
2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup butter milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cup flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream together chorening , sugar and eggs. Mix together then stir in butter milk and vanilla; sift and add flour, soda, and salt. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon/ sugar mixture (equal parts) and bake for 6-8 minutes.

Tuxedo Brownie Cups

2008-06-25T09:29:00.004-06:00

I'll post a picture of these soon. It's a Pampered Chef recipe and my little sister Jessi really likes these. I made them for 2 of her bridal showers. They really are GREAT!

1 pkg. (19-21 oz.) fudge brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like brownies)
2 squares ( 1 oz each) white chocolate for baking
2 tbsp. milk
1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup thawed, frozen whipped topping
1 pint small strawberries, sliced
Orange zest, mint leaves and melted chocolate for baking (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray cups of mini-muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray for baking. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies. Fill cups 2/3 full. Bake 14 minutes or until edges are set. Do not over bake.
Remove pan to cooling rack. Immediately press tops of brownie with mini-tart shaper to make indentations. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Loosen edges and gently remove brownies from pan. Cool completely. Wash pan, spray with cooking spray and repeat baking with remaining batter.
Microwave white chocolate and milk in microwavable bowl uncovered on high for 1 minute; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. In separate bowl combine cream cheese and powdered sugar; mix well. Gradually stir in white chocolate mixture until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.
Fill decorator fitted with closed star tip with cream cheese mixture. Pipe cream cheese mixture into cooled brownie cups. Slice strawberries; arrange on top of brownie cups. Garnish with orange zest and mint leaves or drizzle with melted semi-sweet chocolate, if desired. Place in airtight container and refrigerate 1-3 hours before serving.

Rav'n Ravioli

2008-06-25T09:25:00.003-06:00

This is a Pampered Chef recipe that I make at least once a month. It's super easy because of the refrigerated ravioli. And I love that you have bread cooking with it.

1 medium green bell pepper
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 jar (26-28 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 pkg. (18 oz.) refrigerated ravioli (any flavor)
1 1/4 cup water
12 french bread baguette slices (4 oz.)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1 ounce fresh Parmesan cheese shredded (1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chopped bell pepper and onion. In a 4 quart pan, heat olive oil over medium heat; add bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in spaghetti sauce, ravioli and water. Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, cut french bread into 12 slices, 1/2 inch thick. Place butter in microwavable bowl on high for 1 minute or until melted. Cover with lid and add bread slices, tossing to coat evenly.
Spoon half of the ravioli into oval baker. Top with mozzarella cheese, and remaining ravioli mixture.
Arrange bread slices, slightly overlapping, around edges of baker and press slightly into mixture. Spread Parmesan cheese over bread and ravioli. Bake 15 minutes or until ravioli is heated through and bread is a crisp and deep golden brown.

Lion House Chocolate Chip Cookies with a twist

2008-06-25T07:35:00.005-06:00

Back at Snow College, a friend of mine made Chocolate Chip Cookies and had special ingredients (one is instant vanilla pudding mix). I lost her recipe, so, I altered the Lion House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe and came up with this one. It makes fluffy, soft, yummy cookies.

1 cup butter (softened)
¾ cup shortening
1 ¾ cup brown sugar
1 ¼ cup white sugar
4 eggs
5 ½ Tbs. Water
1 ½ tsp. Vanilla
6 cups flour
1 large pkg. Instant Vanilla Pudding mix (dry)
1 ½ tsp. Salt
1 ½ tsp. Baking soda
1 bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, shortening and sugars. Add eggs, water and vanilla and mix until smooth and creamy (this adds air into the eggs and makes the cookies fluffier). Add flour, pudding mix, salt, baking soda, and chocolate chips. Mix Well (I use my hands). You want the dough not to stick to your hands too easily – so add more flour if it is very sticky when mixing it. Spray the cookie sheet with cooking spray, and evenly space tablespoon-size balls of the cookie dough on it. Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are barely turning light brown. **In my mom’s oven it is 12 minutes. So, start at 8, and then check them.

Green Bean Casserole

2008-06-24T12:24:00.006-06:00

This is really good if you like green beans

1 medium onion
1 cube of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
1 cup of sour cream
salt and pepper (to taste)
2 cans of green beans
shredded cheddar cheese

Saute' onions and butter until onions are white. add flour and salt and pepper. mix green beans in and sour cream, pour into casserole dish and smoother with shredded cheddar cheese. cover with foil and cook in oven at 350* for 30-45 minutes or until cheese is melted.

French Toast

2008-06-22T10:32:00.005-06:00

My Mom would make pancakes or french toast on the weekends. I always loved her french toast! It's great for people like my husband who don't like eggy french toast. My sister Kim get the cinnamon bread from Great Harvest and it makes it even better.

3 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Whisk ingredients together. Dip day old bread in mixture. Cook on griddle 1-2 minutes each side on 350 degrees or until golden brown. Makes 12-14 slices.

Izzy likes hers cut up with a little bit of powdered sugar.

And Tommy has to have his sliced up so he can dip it in syrup

A Classic... Rice Krispies Treats

2008-06-21T18:14:00.004-06:00

So everybody probably knows how to make rice krispies, but I made them tonight and thought I'd post it anyways...just in case. Plus I know Jessica really loves rice krispies even if she'd prefer a 8x8 pan instead of 9x13.

1 bag (16oz) marshmallows
1/4 tablespoon of margarine or butter

Stir until marshmallows are melted, take off heat and add

1 teaspoon vanilla
8 cups rice krispies

press into a 9x13 buttered pan. I even took a picture.

Tomato Cucumber Salad

2008-06-20T11:16:00.004-06:00

I don't have precise measurements for this. I always just guess. But it is a great summer salad. And very simple.

4 large cucumbers peeled and sliced into chunks (you don't have to peel)
1-2 bags of grape or cherry tomatoes slice in halves
Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
Low fat Italian or vinaigrette dressing

Combine ingredients in salad bowl and serve. Salt and pepper to taste.

Makes a big salad. Tastes best fresh.

Heather's Mom's Peanut Butter Cookies!

2008-06-19T21:07:00.001-06:00

The best peanut butter cookies I've ever tried!!

1/2 cup butter (soften)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream butter, peanut butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Blend into creamed mixture. Shape into 1" balls. Roll into sugar. Place 2" apart on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees fro 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly, remove from sheet.

Marshmallow Popcorn

2008-06-19T21:02:00.001-06:00

This recipe comes from a lady in my Mom's ward (Sister Scheift's) When I tried this popcorn there was no going back! It's fantastic!

1 pound of butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
1 cup karol syrup

Stir to a bubble

Add
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups marshmallows

Mix on 2 big greased cookie sheets over flowed with popped corn.

Yummy fruit salad!

2008-06-19T14:56:00.001-06:00

1 can of pineapple chunks
2 cans of mandarine oranges
1 small pkg of vanilla cook and serve pudding
1 small pkg of coconut cook and serve pudding
2 large apples unpeeled and chopped
green grapes
2-3 bananas diced

Drain and save juice from canned fruite to equal 2 cups. Combine all fruit and vanilla pudding (just powder) and set aside. Mix together coconut pudding package and reserved juice, cover with wax paper and microwave on high for 6 minutes stirring every 2 minutes. Pour while still hot over fruit, stir and chill before serving.
**Can be made a day ahead (pudding keeps fruit from browning). Do not use instant pudding! This is a very refreshing and yummy salad or just a snack.

Stuffed Mushrooms

2008-06-19T13:17:00.000-06:00

Someone gave this recipe to me from Doug's work. They are delicious and super easy to make! They are a big hit at any gathering.

1 package Jimmy Dean ground sausage (16 ounces)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 package cream cheese at room temperature (8 ounces)
2 packages whole fresh mushrooms (about 2 dozen or so)
1 package Parmesan cheese (optional)

Brown sausage on medium heat then drain excess oil. While cooking sausage, de-stem and clean mushrooms, spoon out some of the mushroom to make a cup for the sausage to sit in. In a bowl combine cooked sausage, green onions, and cream cheese. Fill the mushroom with cream cheese mixture and place on a cookie sheet that is covered with wax paper. After all mushrooms are filled sprinkle cheese on top and cook for about 10-15 minutes at 350. Depending on the size of your mushrooms you may need more or less and cooking time may vary.

Cook immediately before serving. If I take them to a party I bring all of the ingredients and cook them there. They are much better fresh :) Enjoy!

T.G.I. FRIDAY'S® Strawberry Fields Salad

2008-06-19T13:16:00.002-06:00

My husband and I were assigned to bring a salad when we got together with some friends last week. Thanks to the recent tomato scare, we didn't want to make a traditional green salad. We found this recipe and it was great! Who needs tomatoes anyway?

Ingredients
1 head of romaine lettuce
6 Ounces Balsamic vinaigrette dressing
2 Ounces Shredded Parmesan cheese
Cracked pepper to taste

Glazed pecans
1 Cup chopped pecans
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Water

Strawberry glaze
12 strawberries
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons Water

Method
Mix chopped pecans with brown sugar and water and heat, set aside.
Slice strawberries into ¼ -inch slices and mix .
Mix balsamic vinegar, sugar and water and coat strawberries, set aside .
Chop red leaf and romaine lettuce into 2-inch pieces.
Toss lettuce, Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinaigrette and glazed pecans.
Strain strawberries from glaze and place on top of salad.
Top with cracked pepper.
Yield: 2 salads

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

2008-06-18T20:07:00.001-06:00

I got this from my sister-in-law, Jenny. She is an amazing chef! We love to grill and this is one of our favorites! My mother-in-law is allergic to chicken (I know, how tragic!!!) so we substitute steak for her.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing, divided
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves

Directions:

Place large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; preheat grill to medium heat. Pour 2 Tbsp. of the dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with the dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade.
Grill chicken on uncovered side of grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, cheese, basil and remaining 2 Tbsp. dressing.
Turn chicken over; place, cooked-side up, on foil on grill. Top evenly with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill an additional 8 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165ºF).