Homemade Goodness

Melanie's Tortellini

2010-10-22T14:04:00.005-07:00

I'm calling this "Melanie's Tortellini" because "Italian Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Tortellini with Burnt Butter & Basil Tomato Sauce" is kind of a mouth full.
This is one of those complete accident recipes - I just started throwing what I had in the fridge together & ended up with this - and it is to die for! I'm not going to lie - this one is a lot of work. There are a bunch of little steps, but it comes together quickly. For me it's well worth the 30-45 minutes of prep time - the trade off is that it only takes 5 minutes to cook! I love it & hope you enjoy it too!

This is a HUGE Recipe! When I make it there is enough to feed my family for dinner & have left over's for lunch the next day.

PASTA
2 1/3 cup all purpose flour {or you can use freshly ground soft white wheat - that's my favorite!}
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
1 tsp olive oil

Sift together 2 cups flour & salt. Pour onto counter & make a well in the center. Combine eggs, water & oil. Pour into center of well & use a fork to combine with flour until it forms a ball. If you need more flour, lightly sprinkle some on & knead until dough is soft & elastic (8-10 minutes).
*If you add too much flour the dough is shot & there is no going back. I tend to keep it a little on the sticky side because I'll add more when I roll it out.*
Cover & set aside to rest while you make the cheese filling.

Cheese Filling
15 oz ricotta {you'll need to drain off the excess liquid. A few hours before I start I line a colander with cheese cloth & a bowl underneath & let it sit in the fridge. Then right before I start putting it together I squeeze out as much liquid as I can. You want the ricotta pretty dry}
1 cup shredded mozzarella*
1 cup shredded Parmesan*
2 oz cream cheese*
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 oz baby spinach leafs, washed & chopped

*Kraft makes a 5 Italian Cheese mix with Cream Cheese - which is a great substitution.

In a saucepan heat oil & add spinach. Saute until spinach leaves are soft & just start to wilt. Set aside to let cool. Combine drained ricotta, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, & salt. Stir in cooled spinach.

Next comes the fun {& time consuming} part. Start by dividing your pasta dough into 4 equal parts - this will make life easier! On a lightly floured surface roll each potion to about a 12" square, or 1/16" thick. Cut dough into circles & add filling. {I use a 2.25" cutter & 1 tsp filling - it is the perfect bite size for me & I cut them in 1/2 for my kids}

Next wet 1/2 of the outside edge of the pasta. Fold it over to form a semi-circle & press tightly closed. Fold up the sealed side & bring the 2 ends together pressing/sealing together (hopefully the picture above helps). Set finished Tortellini aside on a lightly floured towel.

Have a large pot of boiling water ready before you start the sauce - this last part takes about 5 minutes to finish & you're ready to serve!
Burnt Butter Basil & Tomato Sauce
4 Tbsp Butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
30-40 fresh Basil leaves
30 oz diced tomatoes

In a large skillet, melt butter & cook until it just starts to turn light golden brown - be careful not to let it go too dark. Lower heat & add basil leaves & garlic. Cook until leaves have just started to wilt & add diced tomatoes.

Add your pasta to the boiling water (I do it in 2 batches). It take about 2 minutes to cook the pasta - you know it's done because they will all float. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out pasta, drain, & add right to the pan of tomato sauce. Let everything simmer together for a minute or too & then plate it up. We really like cheese, so I usually sprinkle some more Parmesan over the top.

Alfredo Recipe

2009-09-08T14:21:00.003-07:00

A huge thanks to everyone who answered Vickie's request for Alfredo Recipe's. This is the recipe that I've been using for years ~ and for what it's worth Vickie said it was great & her husband loved it.

2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups heavy cream
6-8 oz Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
Salt & White pepper to taste

Melt butter in pan over medium/low heat. Add garlic. Add flour & whisk constantly for a minute or two (to cook out the flour taste). Slowly pour in cream while whisking, allowing to thicken before adding more. Melt in cheese & season with salt & pepper to taste. Reduce over medium heat, stirring constantly, until you reach your desired consistency.

Sometimes I use 3 Tbsp of Butter, or else go a little shy on the flour. When I add too much flour it doesn't really dissolve and my sauce has a gritty texture.

I always buy a brick of Parmesan cheese & shred it myself. There's much more flavor than a bag of soft/pre-shredded cheese. If you buying it out of the diary/cheese section Frigo & Private Selection aren't bad. I'd rather buy a nice aged/hard brick from the deli, but that is more expensive.

You don't have to use cream. Most of the time I just use whole milk, but I think the cream is much better.

White pepper doesn't make it taste different... I just don't like to see little black specs in my sauce.

Calling all cooks!

2009-08-07T10:12:00.002-07:00

Does anyone have a really great recipe for alfredo sauce? I've tried a couple different recipes and I just don't like them. If you have one, email it to homemadegoodness08@gmail.com, and include where you buy/what brand of Parmesan cheese you use in the recipe. (Maybe I'm just using a really bad kind of cheese??)

Thank you!!

Pumpkin Chicken Enchiladas

2009-07-13T07:14:00.004-07:00

I found this recipe here.
We had a pumpkin ripen early from our garden and it's too hot (117 this weekend) to even think about making pumpkin rolls or pie.
So we tried these instead. I've got to admit, I thought for sure this would be a little too funky. We'd eat it once and never again. But, we were pleasantly surprised. These were awesome!

8 corn tortillas (the corn flavor goes really well with the pumpkin, I promise)
a few tablespoons of cilantro (I subbed this for the 6 scallions, diced-sometimes I add both)
leftover chicken, shredded (maybe a pound)
optional: roasted green chiles, chopped small
6 oz. of white sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Sauce
1 can of pumpkin puree (15 oz)
3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 jalapeno (remove seeds and membranes if you don’t need extra heat)
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin (I added this too)
2 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a blender, puree pumpkin, jalapeno, chicken stock, garlic, chile powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Place 1 cup of this sauce in the bottom of an 8 inch glass casserole dish. In a bowl, combine shredded chicken with green chiles, cilantro, and/or scallions and season with salt and pepper. Place some of the chicken mixture on each tortilla and then lay the tortilla seam side down in the casserole dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Top with cheese. However, if you are casein-free, this recipe is fine without cheese. Martha recommends placing your casserole dish on a baking sheet in the oven to prevent any spills. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.

I used fresh pumpkin in stead of canned. It was a small pumpkin, so I also added a small butternut squash. *You will need to cook your pumpkin first. I always do mine in the crock pot.
And I didn't need as much chicken broth.
Also, I didn't have any corn tortilla's so I just used flour. They turned out really great, but I can see how the corn would compliment the pumpkin. Next time I make them I will definitely use corn tortilla's.

**After making them with corn tortilla's, I actually prefer the flour. I just don't like the texture of corn.**

Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken

2009-04-24T08:58:00.003-07:00

This is one of our favorite fall back meals.

1 Whole Fryer Chicken (thawed)

BBQ Rub ~
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/3 cup sugar
* You want to have equal amounts of kosher salt & sugar to create your rub. Everything else is up to you. This is what I normally use, but we like our food to be extra spicy.
2 Tbsp ground chili powder
1 Tbsp ground garlic
1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
2-3 tsp cayenne pepper
Mix together.

Clean, rinse, & dry chicken inside & out. I also pull all the skin off & throw it away, but if you like it you can leave it. It just gets all soggy & gross in the crock-pot but you can throw it under a broiler right before serving to crisp it up.
Rub the chicken inside & out with your rub.
Cook in a crock-pot on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 4-5 hours. You'll know it's done when the meat starts to fall off the bone.

Buttermilk Syrup

2009-04-16T09:48:00.004-07:00

My neighbor told us about Buttermilk Syrup the other day... and to be honest I thought it sounded gross. She was adamant that it was the best stuff EVER and insisted I try a spoonful.
She was right. This is DELICIOUS! It's great as a syrup, a glaze, by itself... my personal favorite has been with cinnamon rolls.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla

Heat sugar, buttermilk, & butter in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for a few minutes. Turn off heat, add baking soda & vanilla.

Refrigerate overnight (to let the soda calm down).

Reheat when you're ready to eat.

Grandma Garff’s Sour Cream Rolls

2009-01-25T20:09:00.002-07:00

I wish I could say that I know Stephanie. She is an extraordinary woman, full of strength and courage. Her testimony is incredible and unwavering. If you need some perspective on life, check out her blog. And if you don't, you should try this recipe for her rolls ~ they are like a mouth full of heaven!

16 oz sour cream
1/4 cup shortening

Heat them together in a little pan, but don't boil.

Place in mixing bowl and stir in:
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, well beaten

Directions:
Take 2 packages of dry, fast rising yeast and dissolve in 1 cup of luke warm water. Then mix with other ingredients in large bowl. Add 7 1/2 cups flour, and knead.

Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and place a dishtowel over it. Place bowl and contents, well covered, in a refrigerator overnight (or in a cold oven for 3 hours) and until the dough has doubled in bulk.

Make rolls and place in roll pans, cover with dishtowel and let raise for about 3-4 hours.

Bake at 350. Rolls bake in 9-12 minutes, cinnamon rolls bake in 18-20 minutes.

I really didn't make any ingredient changes to this recipe, but I did a few things differently to make the process go a little smoother... at least for me.

I start by dissolving the yeast (I used 2 Tbsp SAF yeast) in 1 cup warm water and letting it sit while I'm heating the sour cream and shortening.

I also cream together sugar, soda, salt, & eggs in my mixing bowl first. Then add about 1/2 cup of the hot sour cream / shortening to temper the eggs before adding the rest.

And after I shaped my rolls, I just popped them in the oven... totally spaced that 2nd rise, but they still turned out heavenly!

This is my cinnamon filling (which I think is pretty a pretty standard one).
1 cup brown sugar
3-4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 butter, softened

And I use this cream cheese frosting.

Best Drink Ever

2008-12-22T11:54:00.003-07:00

I have no idea what the name of this drink is. It's another one of my Mom's famous recipes. It's to die for!

2 large cans orange juice frozen concentrate
1 large can lemonade concentrate
1 cup sugar
9 cups water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 large bottle 7UP or Sprite

Mix it all together until the orange and lemonade concentrates have dissolved.

Seriously, you're going to love it!

Pumpkin Rolls

2008-12-22T11:39:00.009-07:00

This is my Mom's recipe. She's practically famous for it.

*Warning* You're going to make an absolute mess and cover your kitchen with confectioners sugar, but trust me, it is SSOO worth it!

3 eggs (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
*You only need 2/3 cup of canned pumpkin! A small can will make about 2 rolls, a large can will make about 4 rolls*
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt

Beat eggs (room temperature!) on high for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Add pumpkin and lemon juice.

Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt together. Fold into pumpkin mixture. Make sure you use a spoon/spatula and NOT your electric mixer to fold in your dry ingredients. If you use your mixer it tends to deflate the eggs you just spent 5 minutes beating. Then you don't have enough batter to fill the pan and your edges get burnt and crusty.

Spread into a greased and floured jelly roll pan. Or line your pan with wax or parchment paper and spray that with cooking spray.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle a dish towel with 1/2 cup confectioners sugar (Linen towels work better than terry cloth). When the cake is removed from the oven, turn it out onto the towel and sprinkle the top of your cake with another 1/2 cup confectioners sugar.

Roll up your cake and cool in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.

Filling:
2 cups confectioners sugar
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup butter (softened)
1 tsp vanilla

While your cake is cooling, combine all your filling ingredients.

Unroll the cake and spread with the cream cheese filling. Roll it back up and wrap it in wax paper and aluminum foil.

You can store this in the fridge, but it's easier to cut and serve when it's frozen so I always put mine in the freezer.

Meatballs

2008-11-03T20:28:00.005-07:00

So I basically took this recipe, tossed in a few root vegetables, but shaped them into meatballs. Then I dipped them in marinara sauce, slapped 'em on a hoagie, and threw on some mozzarella cheese. It was fan-freakin-tastic. But then again, it doesn't take much to get me excited about food.

1 lb ground beef
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion (1 Tbsp dehydrated)
2 Tbsp snipped parsley (1 tsp dried)
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
2-3 Tbsp powdered milk (You can use 3/4 cup milk, but I was lazy and just threw in the powder)

Mix all the ingredients together. Shape into meatballs and place on lightly greased sheet. Bake at 350 for 25-45 minutes, depending on the size. Mine were slightly larger than golf balls and baked in about 35 minutes.

Storing Brown Rice

2008-11-03T09:15:00.001-07:00

**UPDATED**

Brown rice has a higher oil/moisture content, increasing the risk of botulism, which is why you shouldn't dry pack it (using the oxygen absorber packets). This also makes it very susceptible to oxidation and soon goes rancid, only giving you about a 6 month shelf life.

Freezing &/or refrigerating your brown rice will greatly extend it's shelf life.

You can also buy brown rice that has been packaged in air tight containers with an "inert nitrogen atmosphere" which gives you a longer shelf life.

From the research I've done, it's not an easy or feasible solution to try and use the nitrogen method to store brown rice long term on your own. If you want a shelf life longer than 1 year, your best bet would be to buy it prepackaged in an air tight container. Doing my research and asking all of the food storage gurus that I know, this has been the general consensus;

Do not buy more brown rice than you can use in 1 year.

If you choose to dry pack it, use small containers (1/2 gallon P.E.T.E. work great).

Once you open a container, keep it in the freezer.

Do not eat brown rice that has been dry packed for longer than 1 year.

Fruit Salsa

2008-09-23T21:26:00.003-07:00

I tried to get my 2 year old to eat fish, in the form of tacos. He loved it, but he loved the salsa I made for it even more!

1 large peach (or nectarine or mango, but I like peaches), chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
Cilantro & jalapeno finely chopped to taste.

We like cilantro, and we like spicy so I used a 1 medium jalapeno and 1/3 of a bunch of cilantro. This hit the spot... I don't know that I'll ever eat fish again without this salsa!

Canning Butter

2008-09-23T21:19:00.002-07:00

I'm hearing about canning butter from all directions these days. It seems to be the latest enrichment craze...
I did a lot of canning last week and needed to call the Ball/Kerr hot line with a question. I asked them about the butter as well, and they cautioned that you should not can any diary, flour, or other thickeners.
I won't say much about it, other than to check your sources. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has more information if you'd like to read about it.

What Not To Dry Pack

2008-09-04T22:08:00.004-07:00

I've been doing some research on what you can and cannot dry pack (with an oxygen absorber packet).

For long term storage, products must have a low oil content and have 10% or less moisture content. Otherwise you risk rancidity and botulism poisoning.

So, DO NOT dry pack the following items:

Pearled Barley
Dried Eggs
Whole Wheat Flour (*Wheat berries are okay*)
Milled Grains (*Rolled oats are okay*)
Granola
Nuts
Brown Rice
Brown Sugar

Fried Buttermilk Chicken

2008-09-04T21:55:00.002-07:00

This is a total comfort food... It tastes like chicken fried in a buttermilk biscuit. Yum!

2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup kosher salt
2 Tbsp sugar
4 chicken breasts (or the equivalent... any meaty piece of chicken will work, especially legs & thighs. Boneless skinless breasts just happen to be my favorite)
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup buttermilk
Cooking oil

Combine buttermilk, salt, & sugar. Cut up chicken breasts in 1x2 or 1x3 inch pieces. In a large bowl, pour buttermilk mixture over chicken and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Mix four, salt, pepper, & garlic powder together. Drain buttermilk off of chicken and discard. You can pat the chicken dry with paper towels if you want, but I like to leave a lot on to get a thicker crunchier crust. Coat chicken in flour mixture. Dip in fresh buttermilk, and then coat in flour mixture again.

In a large skillet, heat oil. Cook chicken on both sides until golden brown. Place on a baking sheet and finish cooking at 350 for about 15 minutes (You could also use a deep fryer).

Ratatouille

2008-09-04T21:26:00.004-07:00

I've heard of ratatouille before... I don't know why I've never tried it, because I LOVE eggplant. Now that Disney has made Ratatouille famous, at least in our house, I thought I'd actually try to make it. I should have done this sooner ~ it is awesome!

8 strips of bacon (you can use more if you're a meat lover, but 8 slices is what I had in my fridge)
1 small onion, sliced
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 large eggplant, sliced
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 medium yellow squash, sliced
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 oz Parmesan cheese, shredded

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and let cool enough to crumble. Drain grease out of pan, but leave renderings.

In bacon pan, cook onion in the olive oil just until the onion starts to become translucent. Add garlic, bacon, diced tomatoes, tomato paste & salt. Simmer for a few minutes.

Spread 1/2 sauce in a 9x13 baking dish. Layer with eggplant, zucchini, squash & cheese. Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour or until hot and bubbly.

*I'm fairly confident you could freeze this because everything in it freezes really well. You could also easily make it a vegetarian dish by substituting the bacon with portabella mushroom. Or just take out the bacon and use only the tomato sauce.

Spaghetti Squash

2008-08-15T11:20:00.003-07:00

I love squash... every kind of squash. But I'm never sure what to do with it, so I usually end up cooking it and eating it plain with as a side.
Ariel introduced me to this idea. The next time you make spaghetti, instead of using spaghetti noodles, try using spaghetti squash. Seriously ~ this is DELICIOUS!

Cabbage Rolls

2008-08-11T20:34:00.002-07:00

Medium head of cabbage
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 Tbsp parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 small onion, chopped
15 oz tomato sauce, divided
15 oz diced tomatoes

Boil head of cabbage for 3-4 minutes, until leaves start to fall off. Peal off 10-12 leaves and cut the thick vein from the bottom. Set remaining cabbage aside.

Combine beef, pork, rice, parsley, salt, chili powder, onion, and 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Place about 1/4 cup meat mixture on each cabbage leaf, fold the sides in and roll completely.

Chop remaining cabbage. Place in the bottom of a 9x13 greased pan. Arrange cabbage rolls in pan seam side down.

Combine remainder of the tomato sauce & diced tomatoes. Pour over cabbage rolls.

Bake at 350 for 1.5 hours.

Mini Quiche

2008-08-10T21:04:00.002-07:00

I love quiche... but we never eat the whole thing. So I decided to make little guys in my muffin pan. They turned out great! But we still didn't eat all of it...
Sorry the picture's a little fuzzy.

8 oz pre-made crescent dough (I used Pillsbury Crescent Creations)
4 oz cream cheese (softened)
1-2 Tbsp milk
2 eggs
8 oz cooked meat of your choice (I used spicy pork sausage)
2 Tbsp chopped onion (I used green onions)
2 Tbsp chopped vegetable of your choice (I used mushrooms)
Shredded cheese to sprinkle on top
Salsa

Beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add eggs, onion, and vegetables.

Roll out and cut the crescent dough into 12 pieces. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased muffin cups. Sprinkle meat into cups.

Pour egg mixture over meat.

Bake uncovered for 18-20 minutes at 375 or until a knife comes out clean.

Sprinkle cheese over top and let melt for the last 2 minutes or so.

Top with salsa and serve warm.

Oreo & Fudge Icecream Cake

2008-07-29T13:31:00.002-07:00

This is a recipe I got just after my mother-in-law passed away. She had found it in a magazine, but I'm not sure which one so I don't know who to give credit to for this. But it's so yummy and easy to make.

1/2 c. fudge topping, warmed
1 8 oz. tub Cool Whip, thawed
1 pkg. (4 serving size) Jell-o chocolate instant pudding
8 Oreo cookies
12 ice cream sandwiches (any flavor you like)

Combine fudge topping with 1 cup Cool Whip with wire whisk until well blended. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 minutes or until well blended. It will be stiff, so if it is too thick to spread easily add 1/4 cup milk. Chop Oreo cookies into chunks and stir into pudding mixture.

Arrange 4 of the ice cream sandwiches on a large piece of foil. Top with half the pudding mixture. Repeat layers. Top pudding mixture with remaining 4 ice cream sandwiches. Frost the top and sides with the remaining whipped topping. Wrap with foil and loosely seal the packet. Freeze at least 4 hours before serving.

I made this for my husband's birthday and used mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches.

Marinated Steaks

2008-07-23T13:35:00.004-07:00

My local grocery store was having a sale on selected meat: 5 packages for only $20. So we're having steaks for dinner tomorrow night. This is kind of a strange recipe because there aren't any specific quantities of the ingredients. This is the way my hubby likes to prepare steaks so I hope you enjoy it too.

Ingredient list:
Steaks
Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
garlic salt
1 can of Coke (you may need more than one if you're doing a large quantity of steaks.)

Place the steaks in a Tupperware bowl at least a couple inches deep. Keep in mind you'll need it big enough to work but small enough so that the steaks are covered as much as possible in the marinade. Splash a couple tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce on each steak and poke it several times with a fork (or a meat tenderizer if you have it). You want this meat tender and to be able to really soak up the marinade. Use your judgment on how much to use, but you will need to use quite a bit--maybe 1/4 cup per steak?? That's a rough estimate because I don't measure it before I put it in. Flip the steaks over and repeat. You may want to tenderize each side 2-3 times. Season with the salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste. For good measure I splashed another couple tablespoons of the Worcestershire sauce in the bowl until they steaks were about 1/2 or 3/4 covered. Pour some of the coke over the steaks until they are covered and marinate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.

I apologize this isn't a very precise recipe but the combo of the Worcestershire sauce and the Coke is very good. I would probably recommend that you use more of the Worcestershire sauce than the Coke.

To go with this meal I'm going to try my friend Becky's recipe for corn on the cob. I want to make sure she gets complete credit for this recipe, so click HERE for the recipe. It sounds so yummy and I can't wait to try it. (And isn't her little girl just darling!)

Pancakes

2008-07-22T14:54:00.001-07:00

This is a recipe out of my Betty Crocker Cookbook but these pancakes are so much better than Bisquick.

1 large egg
1 cup all purpose flour or whole wheat flour
3/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp. granulated or packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
butter

Beat egg in medium bowl with hand beater or fork until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients except butter just until smooth. For thinner pancakes, stir in additional 1-2 Tbsp. milk.

Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat or to 375 degrees. Grease griddle with butter if necessary. For each pancake, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter from cup or pitcher onto hot griddle. Cook pancake until bubbly on top, puffed and dry around edges. Turn and cook other side until golden brown.

Buttermilk pancakes: Substitute 1 cup buttermilk for the 3/4 cup milk. Decrease baking powder to 1 tsp. Add 1/2 tsp. baking soda.

Berry pancakes: Stir 1/2 cup fresh or frozen (thawed and well drained) blackberries, blueberries or raspberries into batter.

Crock Pot Cheesecake

2008-07-12T20:18:00.006-07:00

Did you know you can make cheesecake in a crock pot? I sure didn't, but was thrilled to find out. I love the crock pot ~ throw it in and forget it. I saw Stephanie the Crock Pot Lady on Rachael Ray's talk show, and now have a ton of new recipe's to try. I tried this one first ~ and we loved it! In fact I'm making another one tomorrow!

Crust:
1 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp melted butter

Cheesecake:
16 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp flour

You'll need to find a heat resistant baking dish that will fit inside your crock pot and allow 1-2 inches of water around the sides for a water bath. I had to 1/2 the recipe to get it to work in my crock pot (which is why I'm making more tomorrow).

Mix together the crust ingredients. Press into the bottom of your baking dish.

Mix all the cheesecake ingredients together with an electric mixer until well combined and creamy. Pour over graham cracker crust.

Pour 1/2-1 inches of water in the crock pot. Add your cheesecake, but be careful not to splash it with water.

Cook on high for 2-3 hours, but check it after an hour to make sure there's still plenty of water.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2008-07-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

1 can Cream of Chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
1 cup pace picante sauce or salsa
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded cheese
10 fajita size tortillas
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 green onion, sliced
1 can sliced olives

Mix soup, sour cream, salsa, and chili powder. Mix one cup of the mixture with chicken and cheese. Spread about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in 3 qt. shallow baking dish. Pour remaining salsa mixture over enchiladas and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Sloppy Joe Casserole

2008-07-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

8 oz. shell macaroni
1 envelope sloppy joe mix
1 1/2 lb. lean hamburger
8 oz. can tomato paste
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/4 cup water
8 oz. cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni, drain. Brown hamburger. Add seasoning mix, tomato paste, tomato paste and water to hamburger. In 3 quart dish layer 1/2 macaroni, 1/2 cottage cheese and 1/2 meat sauce. Repeat. Top with cheddar cheese. Freeze at this point or bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. If frozen, either thaw before cooking or increase cooking time to 50-60 minutes.

Veggie Pasta Shells

2008-07-03T13:50:00.001-07:00

24 jumbo pasta shells
10 oz. vegetable broth or water
1 carrot, shredded
1 potato, shredded
1 onion finely chopped
2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, optional
28 oz jar spaghetti sauce

Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to package directions. Rinse, drain and cool. In sauce pan heat broth or water to boiling. Stir in carrots, potatoes, and onions and cook 3-4 minutes until vegetables are tender. Drain vegetables well. Combine with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan cheeses and egg. Add Italian seasoning. Fill each cooked pasta shell.

Freeze at this point. To cook, either defrost and follow the cooking directions below, or increase cooking time to 45-60 minutes.

Pour 1-2 cups spaghetti sauce on bottom of pan, place the filled shells in the dish, and cover with the remaining spaghetti sauce. Cook at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

Cheesy Potatoes

2008-07-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

1 32 oz. package frozen hashbrowns
2 can Cream of Chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients and pour in a greased 9x13 dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. You can also let the casserole defrost for an hour or two before baking and decrease the baking time to 30-40 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie

2008-07-01T13:43:00.001-07:00

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, or 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
2 cups mixed vegetables
2 refrigerated pie crusts

Boil or steam chicken until done. Dice (or shred the rotisserie chicken). Mix soup, mixed vegetables, and chicken. Place one of the pie crusts in a pie plate and pour the chicken mixture into the pie shell and cover with the second crust. Crimp the edges and make slits in top. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Chicken Roll-ups

2008-06-30T13:33:00.002-07:00

3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 package crescent roll, at room temp.
garlic salt
sliced mushrooms, optional (fresh or canned; maybe around 2 small cans or a couple of cups fresh)
1/4-1/2 cup melted butter
approx. 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
2/3 cup milk

Mix the shredded chicken with the cream cheese. Add garlic salt to taste and add mushrooms. Fill each crescent roll with the chicken mixture and fold the corners together and pinch the openings closed. Dip each roll in the melted butter then the bread crumbs. At this point you can freeze the rolls, or continue on and cook them. Cook at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the crescent rolls are golden brown. While the rolls are cooking, mix the Cream of Chicken soup with the milk and warm over medium heat. Serve the soup over the rolls.

These rolls freeze well. You can either thaw the rolls before cooking and follow the above cooking instructions, or you can increase the cooking time to 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the rolls are hot.

Spinach Nectarine Salad

2008-06-18T12:19:00.004-07:00

I'd like to give credit for this recipe... but I can't. I was sitting in the Dentist office and picked up a magazine to flip through. I saw this recipe and thought it was worth trying out. Then they called me back to work on my teeth. I have no idea what magazine I was looking at... and I'm not even sure that I got it right, but I thought it turned out pretty good. This makes enough for 2 salads... except I really like nectarines so I used a whole one instead of half.

1 bunch spinach

1 ripe nectarine, sliced
Handful of slivered almonds

2 Tbsp sweet orange marmalade

1 small shallot

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Toast slivered almonds. Set aside.

Finely mince shallot. In a small fry pan heat up orange marmalade and shallot, reducing slightly. Add balsamic vinegar and reduce again slightly. While whisking dressing, add olive oil.

Plate up spinach and top with nectarines. Drizzle over dressing and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Creamy Garlic Chicken & Rice

2008-05-15T19:27:00.003-07:00

4 chicken cutlets (or 2 breasts)
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
Salt & pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat butter & oil in pan on medium/medium-high heat. Cook chicken until evenly browned, about 5 minutes on each side.

Transfer chicken to a plate & start rice. (Chicken doesn't need to be cooked all the way through yet, you'll add it back in a minute).

Add garlic to pan; lower heat to medium-low and saute until soft; be careful not to burn. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Return chicken to pan and simmer about 30 minutes, turning half way through.

Remove chicken and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add flour to sauce, whisk until it's well incorporated. Add cream and boil about 3 minutes or until thickened.

To serve, plate rice, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and sauce. Add chicken and top with additional sauce and cheese. Garnish with parsley and cayenne pepper, if desired.

The Grocery Game

2008-05-14T14:09:00.002-07:00

Thanks Ariel for this website!

For all of you coupon clippers, this may be a good resource to check out.

The Grocery Game

It's about $5 a month for each store you add, but it lists your stores adds and gives you printable coupons to maximize your savings. The average person reportedly saves $200 a month.

I'm a fan of coupons, so I think that I'll give this a try... but I am going to wait that until I have this baby and am back on my feet because my husband always forgets to turn in the coupons. In the meantime, if anyone out there has already tried this, we'd love to hear about your experience!

Tater-Tot Casserole

2008-05-12T05:11:00.002-07:00

I kind of made this up playing off of hamburger gravy my Grandma makes and a tater-tot/meatloaf a friends mom makes. It's not very healthy... but one of those "comfort food" meals. I think it has freezer meal potential... but I've never actually frozen one to see how it turns out after. It's pretty quick to make so I've never felt the need to throw an extra one in the freezer.

1-1.5 lbs ground beef
1/2 white onion
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 clove garlic
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese
1 bag tater-tots

Cook ground beef, onion, and garlic until beef is done; drain of fat.

Add cream of mushroom soup and sour cream.

Grease a 9x13 pan. Pour in hamburger mixture. Top with shredded cheese and tater tots. Cook according to tater-tot package directions... or at 450 for 18-20 minutes.

*I usually add a little more flavor to the beef by adding some Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin... whatever I'm in the mood for. You can change it up a million ways by adding what your family likes while your cooking the meat. Sometimes I also add a bag of frozen vegetables...

Orange Beef Stir-Fry

2008-05-12T05:02:00.003-07:00

12-16 oz top round steak
Zest from 1 orange
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp beef bullion granules
2 Tbsp oil
4 green onions, cut into 1" pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
5-6 oz spinach
4 oz water chestnuts
Rice

Thinly cut beef into bite sized pieces; set aside. Stir together orange peel, orange juice, cornstarch, soy sauce, sugar, and bullion granules; set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Add green onions and garlic; cook and stir in hot oil for about a minute and then remove, leaving the oil in the pan. Add remaining Tbsp oil and beef. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes.

Stir sauce, add to center of pan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return green onions and garlic. Add spinach and water chestnuts. Stir all ingredients together and continue to cook until heated through. Serve over rice.

101 Ways to stretch your food dollars

2008-04-23T13:15:00.003-07:00

Here is an interesting article my mom found in the Deseret Morning News on April 16, 2008. It has some really good tips for saving money on groceries. Some of the tips may not be that useful or may seem pretty obvious, but it still gives some good ideas.

Cooking Wine

2008-04-15T08:37:00.003-07:00

I very strongly believe in the word of wisdom. I've never broken it. Not once (well, maybe, I used to drink caffeinated sodas...?) Not even when it comes to cooking. When I go to a restaurant and something I want is cooked in any type of alcohol, I'll order something else. I once bought a jar of pasta sauce with some type of wine in it. I felt so guilty that I threw it away.

I know that the alcohol is "supposed" to cook off. I still just can't bring myself to try it.

But I've found a solution! You can substitute Orange Juice for Wine in your recipes! I think the end result is delicious! Granted I can't (or won't) compare it to the real thing, but I've found a happy solution for all of us who are blessed/plagued with a word of wisdom conscience.

Crock Pot Swiss Steak

2008-04-15T08:27:00.006-07:00

This fabulous recipe is from my friend Sonia ~ Thanks!!

1 1/2 lbs round steak
2 Tbsp flour
Salt & pepper to taste
1 (10 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 oz) can golden mushroom soup
1 package onion soup mix
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp Burgundy cooking wine

Cut meat into serving pieces. Combine flour, salt, & pepper. Dredge meat in flour and place in bottom of crock pot.

Sprinkle onion soup mix over meat.

Whisk together soups, water, and wine. Pour over meat.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 3-5 hours.

I almost followed this recipe... but of course I didn't. I substituted orange juice for the water and cooking wine. I also added garlic powder to season the flour.
I recommend cooking this on low for 8-10 hours. The meat just fell apart and melted in your mouth!

Food Storage -- What to Store

2008-04-10T13:09:00.007-07:00

*Click on the image to make it larger*

This is the chart that I usually hand out when someone asks me how much and of what they need to store. This is the quantity in pounds for 1 year, so it may be easier to divide the numbers up by 4 and work on your 3 month supply first. I know the image is a little rough (I'm working on making it more clear) so if you'd like a better spreadsheet that you can print off and use, email us at homemadegoodness08@gmail.com

Food Storage--Getting Started

2008-04-08T07:53:00.007-07:00

Right after my son was born, we were in a very tight and a very difficult financial situation. We actually had to rely on and live off our minimal food storage for 6 months. I still don't know how we managed to do it, but for those six months I spent less than $20 a month at the grocery store, just buying they bare essentials and things that I couldn't store long term (milk, eggs, etc). I still remember my first shopping trip after our crisis was over. I stood in my kitchen, staring at my pantry that had a couple boxes of mac&cheese, 1/2 box of Cheerios, and a few cans of vegetables and felt so overwhelmed because I had no idea where to even start. I'd always been taught the importance of food storage... but I never took it seriously. I never thought I'd be in "that" situation. But now that I've experienced it first hand, I will do everything in my power to keep my family fed.

One of the reasons Vickie and I started this website was to share tips, ideas, and resources to build and use your food storage. I had no idea where to even start, and it felt extremely intimidating. In the past year that I've been able expand our food storage, I have learned an incredible amount. I'm also my ward's canning & food storage specialist, so I get the extra privilege of working so closely with the cannery.

This post is mainly going to outline the basic guidelines of what and how to store. In up coming posts I'll post more specifically how much to store, how long you can store it, and then some great recipes that I've become familiar with to help use that food storage.

No single food storage plan will work for everyone. Each family’s needs differ, as does their financial ability to accumulate the storage items. The one point I can't emphasize enough is to store what you eat and eat what you store! There is no point to spend hundreds of dollars storing food that your family will never eat.

GRAINS: Grains include wheat, rice, rolled oats, dried corn, pearled barley, and other cereal grains. Flour, cornmeal, and pasta products such as macaroni, spaghetti are also included. Each family should store various grain items that suit their individual circumstances. For example rather than storing three to four hundred pounds of wheat per person, a family might choose to store two hundred pounds of wheat, one hundred pounds of flour, twenty-five pounds of rice, twenty-five pounds of rolled oats, twenty-five pounds of dried corn, and twenty-five pounds of macaroni per person. This gives variety to the menu and encourages using and rotating the supply. It also provides choice for those who do not like or cannot eat a particular grain.
Most grains can be dry-packed canned in small containers. This makes them more convenient to use and reduces the possibility of spoilage. Grains may also be stored in tightly sealed metal or heavy plastic containers.

LEGUMES: An inexpensive, nutritious protein food-include beans (soy, pinto, white, kidney, lima, winged, red, navy, pink, and black-eyed), split peas, lentils, and peanuts. They can be stored in clean, dry metal or plastic containers with tight fitting lids. They may also be dry-pack canned.

POWDERED MILK: Nonfat powdered milk, instant or regular, is an excellent storage item. It contains all the nutrients, except fat, found in fresh milk. In the past, storing large amounts of powdered milk has been recommended. However, this has often led to spoilage and waste. More recent studies show that smaller quantities of milk are adequate if people store and eat larger quantities of grains. Powdered milk can be stored in the original sealed packages, or if purchased in bulk, it can be stored in tightly covered metal or plastic containers. It can also be dry-pack canned. You may also use canned milk as part of the milk storage program, but you must rotate it regularly.

FATS AND OILS: Fat is essential to every diet. Shortening, cooking oil, margarine, and mayonnaise are suggested for storage. Store fats in sealed containers in cool, dry, dark places and rotate them frequently.

SUGAR AND HONEY: Whether to store sugar or honey is a matter of personal choice. Sugar may harden; honey may crystallize and/or darken. Neither affects the safety of the product. Store honey in small containers. Then, if it crystallizes, you can immerse the containers in hot (not boiling) water to re-liquefy it. Store granulated sugar in a tightly covered metal or plastic container or place it on a shelf away from moisture in its unopened cloth or paper bag. Occasionally knead the bag to help prevent the sugar from hardening.

WATER: Water is more essential than food in sustaining life. Store a minimum of 1 gallon per person per day for drinking and food preparation. Store an additional gallon per person per day of the same quality water for bathing, brushing teeth, and dish washing. Use heavy plastic containers with tight fitting lids. Metal containers, which may corrode, tend to give water an unpleasant taste. If you have any doubt as to the bacterial safety of stored water, you may purify it by boiling vigorously for one to two minutes or by adding chlorine bleach (5% sodium hypochlorite solution). Generally, half a tsp. of bleach will purify five gallons of clear water, and one tsp. of bleach will purify five gallons of cloudy water.

STORAGE GUIDELINES:
1. Use storage areas that are well ventilated, clean, dark, dry, and cool. If your conditions are less satisfactory, rotate contents more frequently than recommended. Even though space may be limited, there are usually “hidden areas” for storage. Use your imagination!
2. Do not place food storage in containers on or against cement or dirt floors and walls. Place pieces of wood between the storage containers and the floor or wall to provide ventilation and protect against moisture.
3. Keep stored food away from products that may affect the flavor of the food.
4. Rotate and use food storage items regularly. Date food items as you purchase or can them then store new supplies of food at the back of the shelves, moving earlier purchases forward to be used first.
5. Do not go into debt. Acquire food items gradually. At the very least, save a few dollars a week for storage items. Using the basic foods in day-to-day menus can cut food costs and allow you to purchase more supplies. Or, as a family, give up some of the non essentials for a short time until you can accumulate additional foods. Through prayer and concerted effort, you can work out a food storage plan that will provide you with security and peace of mind.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment. We would love to hear from our readers!

Pork Roast Burritos

2008-04-06T19:54:00.005-07:00

This was also a recipe I got when I had my baby. My good friend brought it to me for lunch and it was so delicious. This makes a ton of food so whatever you don't use can easily be kept in the freezer.

1 small porkroast (approx 5 lbs)
2 23 oz. cans tomato sauce
1/3 c. worchestershire sauce
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. ketchup
1 Tbsp. dried onion
salt to taste
1 squeeze of bbq sauce
mozarella cheese, shredded
flour tortillas (the uncooked ones from Costco or Sams are the best. You could also try the recipe Mel posted here.)
cooked rice (1 cup for about 4 burritos)
black or pinto beans
green chile enchilada sauce

Cook the porkroast on low for about 6 hours, or until cooked through. You can lightly salt and pepper it if you want, but it still tastes good without seasoning. Add about 1/2 cup water in the bottom so so it doesn't stick to the pot. It will produce a lot of juices on it's own. When it is fully cooked, discard the juice and shred the pork.

Just before the pork is done (or while you let it cool enough to shred it) combine in a large pot the tomato sauce, worchestershire sauce, sugar, ketchup, dried onion, salt, and bbq sauce. Warm over low-med heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved and it's all well blended. Add the shredded pork to it and let it all warm through.

While the pork sauce mixture is warming, cook the tortillas and rice. Layer in the tortillas the rice, beans, a little bit of mozarella cheese, a couple teaspoons of green chile enchilada sauce (reserve the majority for later) and the pork mixture. Wrap the tortilla and place in a baking dish. When you've prepared all the burritos you need, cover with the remaining green chile enchilada sauce and mozarella cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees, just enough to warm it through and melt the cheese.

Meatloaf

2008-04-06T17:32:00.005-07:00

I was not a fan of meatloaf until I tasted this recipe. My sister brought it to us on our first day home from the hospital with our daughter. It was right in the middle of one of the hottest summers ever and our swamp cooler had broken while we were in the hospital. All of us were hot, hungry, overwhelmed and in tears. This was the best dinner we could have ever had. It was also so nice that she helped with the baby while we took a minute to get back on our feet. This recipe has also become my go-to recipe when I'm out of meal ideas.

2 eggs
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs, plain or italian style
1/4 c. finely chopped onion or about 1 Tbsp. dehydrated onion
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh parsley or about 1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground beef, uncooked
ground pepper to taste
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce (or more to taste)

Mix all ingredients together and pour in a standard 8x4x2 bread pan. You could also mince some vegis and throw in there too. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Lemon Chicken

2008-04-03T07:29:00.004-07:00

I tried this recipe last night after seeing it on my friend Lauren's blog, and she got it from her friends recipe blog, Mmm... Cafe.

2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
1 dash pepper
1 Tbsp. soy sauce

3 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. flour

Soak chicken breasts in egg yolk, soy sauce and pepper for at least 30 minutes.

Coat each piece of chicken in a mixture of cornstarch and flour. fry chicken in hot oil. Drain chicken on a plate covered with paper towels.

Lemon Sauce:
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup water

In medium saucepan mix together sugar and corn starch. Then add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil stirring constantly. Cook until thickened.

Of course I changed it up... I'm not capable of following any recipe exactly.

I actually marinated the chicken in the egg & soy sauce for about 4 hours. I don't know that made a big difference, but I was out running errands and wanted it to be ready to cook when I came home.

I only used about 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to brown the chicken. Then I finished baking the pieces in the oven at 350. This way it tasted "fried" but wasn't deep fried.

I also happened to have a couple lemons that I needed to use, so I used fresh lemon juice and threw in the zest of about 1/2 a lemon. And because I like my sauce extra thick, I let it reduce down quite a bit... almost in half.

The lemon sauce is pretty sweet, so we topped it with more soy sauce to give it more of a "sweet & sour" taste.

I also served this with a tropical fruit salad (pineapple, passion fruit, mango, etc.) and cabbage sauteed in a little olive oil and salt.

White Bread

2008-04-02T12:49:00.005-07:00

This is a recipe my mom has been using for years. She got it out of her Betty Crocker cookbook, and the same recipe in my new Betty Crocker is basically the same except for it uses a little butter in addition to these other ingredients. There are lots of bread recipes out there that I want to try but some call for dough enhancer, which I've been unable to find yet. So I needed a recipe that called for things that I already have on hand. I've always been a little scared to try using yeast and making bread but I'm getting braver in my attempts to save money. And when you make the bread you will feel so accomplished! Try it!

2 1/4 cups milk (or water)
3 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Shortening or 1/4 cup oil (the shortening is better)
2 cakes (which equals 2 Tbsp.) yeast
1/2 cup warm water
6-7 1/4 cups flour

In pot on the stove dissolve the sugar, salt and shortening in the milk. Warm it slowly so that you don't scorch the milk. While that's warming, mix together the 1/2 cup warm water and the yeast. I like to use a fork because it kind of breaks up the yeast a bit. Set that aside and let it double in size. When it has doubled, pour the yeast and the milk mixture (make sure the shortening is melted) into your mixer. Turn your mixer on slow-med speed and start adding the flour to the liquid one cup at a time. You may need to slow down the blades as you add the flour so you don't flour the kitchen. :) When you've added about 6 cups of flour, turn the mixer on high and let it knead the dough for a few minutes. This is the tricky part, but you may need a little more flour or that might be just about enough. The dough should not be sticky to the touch and should pull away from the sides of the bowl without sticking. When I made it today I only needed 6 cups. If it needs more flour add it in 1/2 cup increments so that you don't add too much. It will probably need about 10 minutes or so of kneading.

Cover with a towel and set in a warm place until it is double in size. When it has, punch it down into the bowl, then knead in the mixer for about 5 or 10 minutes or by hand. Form into 2 loaves and place in greased bread pans. Let it rise again until double in size which should be about 1 inch above the top of the pan. Bake at 400 for about 20-25 minutes. My mom always said that you know when it's done because it should sound hollow when you tap on it. Enjoy!

Eggplant Parmigiana

2008-03-31T10:08:00.005-07:00

Eggplant has been one of my big pregnancy cravings... and thankfully my 2 year old LOVES it! Eggplant can look a little intimidating, but it really is delicious! And it also freezes like a champ!

1 small eggplant
1 beaten egg
1 Tbsp milk
1/8 cup flour
1/8 cup bread crumbs
2-3 Tbsp cooking oil, or Italian salad dressing
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce
3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Wash eggplant, and cut cross wise into 1/4" tick slices.

Combine egg and milk, set aside. Combine flour & breadcrumbs (you can also season this, salt & pepper, garlic powder, oregano, etc.), set aside.

Dip eggplant slices into egg mixture and then into flour, turning to coat both sides.

In a large skillet, cook eggplant in hot oil or Italian dressing for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels.

Place cooked eggplant slices in a single layer in a baking dish. Top with spaghetti sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses; repeat layers.

Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

Breakfast Burritos

2008-03-26T21:07:00.005-07:00

This isn't anything fancy, just something I threw together for dinner tonight. There's so many different ways you could make this. If you have any suggestions to add to this very basic recipe, feel free to leave a comment.

Breakfast Burritos

2 beaten eggs per burrito
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheddar cheese
tortillas (I'm a recent convert to the kind you buy at Sam's or Costco that you have to cook yourself. The flavor is so much better than regular tortillas. Or try Melanie's recipe found here.)
bacon, sausage, or ham

Beat the eggs and add a dash of salt and pepper. Scramble the eggs in a pan over medium heat. If you want to add any vegetables like mushrooms or olives or anything you like in an omelet, add them to the beaten egg and cook. Meanwhile, brown the bacon, sausage or ham. If using uncooked tortillas, use this time to cook the tortillas too. Once the eggs and meats are cooked add a little cheese in the center of the tortilla and add the scrambled eggs and meat, then roll up and enjoy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

2008-03-25T08:20:00.004-07:00

This recipe is from my good friend Erin, from high school~ and it is fabulous! Thanks Erin!!!

1 package (2 layer size) devil's food cake
4 oz. Cream cheese
1/2 C. peanut butter
1 egg.

Preheat oven to 375. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low for 2-3 minutes (or just stir with a large spoon - I found this method to be less messy).

Shape into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Flatten each ball, in a criss-cross pattern using a fork dipped in sugar.

Bake 7-8 minutes or until edges of cookies are set. Remove to wire racks and cool completely.

Whole Wheat Banana Oat Muffins

2008-03-19T12:11:00.005-07:00

So I woke up this morning with the intention of eating oatmeal and bananas... but my banana's were too ripe for me to enjoy and lets face it, oatmeal sounded boring. I had a little bit of whole wheat left over from the last time I made bread, so I thought what the heck, I'll try to make muffins. After combining bits & pieces of about 5 different recipes, and adding some oats, this is what I came up with.

1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup milk (I was also running low on milk, so I used reconstituted dry milk; 1/2 cup water + 1 1/2 Tbsp dry milk)
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 mashed bananas

STREUSEL TOPPING:
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter

Combine flour, brown sugar & cinnamon. With a fork, cut in butter until crumbly.

In a bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, & salt. Stir together, and create a well in the center of flour mixture; set aside.

In another bowl, combine egg, milk, oil, & banana. Add egg mixture to flour mixture all at once, and stir just until the batter is moistened (it will be lumpy).

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, about 2/3 full. Sprinkle streusel topping over muffin batter. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.

Creamy Italian Chicken

2008-03-17T13:19:00.006-07:00

I've been watching my friend Emily's kids while she's temporarily working full time. I threw this in the crock pot the other day for her, and it looked & smelt wonderful all day. I'm making this tomorrow, so I'll let you know how it turns out!

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix
1/2 cup margarine or butter, cubed
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
4 ounces can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
Hot cooked rice or pasta

Place the chicken breast halves and butter in the crock pot. Sprinkle the Italian mix over the chicken. Cover; cook on low for 3-4 hours

Remove chicken and shred.

In the crock pot, combine the cream cheese and soup until smooth and blended (you don't need to drain the liquid). Stir in mushroom pieces. Add chicken back to crock pot. Cook for another 30-45 minutes, or until heated through. Serve over hot cooked rice or pasta.

If you're using frozen chicken breasts, add an hour or so to the cooking time.

So after making this, I thought that it was pretty good. I did make a few changes though.

8 oz of cream cheese seemed like a lot to me, so I only used 4 oz cream cheese and then about the same amount of sour cream.

Also, when I pulled the chicken out to shred it, I was surprised at how much liquid there was, so I drained that off, and ended up adding about 1/2 cup back into the sauce. I like my sauce thick... like the consistency of glue. So you may want to add more of the juice back in depending on the consistency that you like.

And I didn't add any mushrooms... I totally forgot about them.

I also thought this was fairly salty ~ and I didn't add any salt at all. I'll try using low sodium ingredients next time to see if that helps.

Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole

2008-03-15T08:52:00.003-07:00

This is one of my family's favorite recipes. It's quick, it's easy, and a great fall back when I feel like being lazy. It also freezes really well! When I make this, I usually make 2, and throw 1 in the freezer.

It's taken us a while to start eating this again. When our son was born (2 years ago) some wonderful ward members brought us dinner, and we appreciate that service so very much! 4 out of the 5 people brought us this casserole... and enough for 2-3 days of leftovers. Again, we REALLY appreciated having dinner on our table, but after eating chicken, broccoli & rice for 2 straight weeks, I didn't think we'd ever want to look at it, let alone eat it, again. But after a solid year of avoiding it, we started liking it again.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 small white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp Italian dressing
1 Tbsp flour
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 lb frozen broccoli cuts
3 cups cooked rice

Prepare rice according to package directions (remember that 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice = 3 cups cooked rice).

In a medium skillet, cook chicken breasts, onion, & garlic in Italian seasoning. When the chicken is cooked through, add the flour and continue to simmer for 1-2 minutes to cook out the flour taste.

Combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cream cheese, broccoli, and 2 cups cheese; mix well. Add cooked rice and chicken. Pour into greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through.

*If you like you're broccoli more tender, thaw or bring to a boil before adding to casserole.*

Fudgy Chocolate Layer Cake

2008-03-15T08:46:00.004-07:00

3/4 cup butter
2 squares (2 oz) unsweetened chocolate
2 1/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
2 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cups hipping cream
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 9" round cake pans. In a saucepan, melt butter and chocolate, stirring over low heat.

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Add chocolate mixture, buttermilk and eggs. Beat on low speed for 1 minute; increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Divide batter between cake pans. Bake until cakes spring back when gently pressed, about 25-30 minutes. Cool in pans for 5 minutes; invert onto wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, bring cream just to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips; mix until frosting is smooth and starts to thicken.

Place 1 cooled layer on cake plate. Spread with 1/3 cup frosting. Top with second layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.

Lemon Custard in Meringue Cups

2008-03-15T08:38:00.002-07:00

3 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp vinegar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup corn starch
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
6 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 Tbsp grated lemon peel

Combine egg whites, vinegar, vanilla, & 1/8 tsp salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1 cup sugar; continue beating until soft peaks form.

Cover baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Spoon meringue into 8 mounds. Using back of spoon, make 3" cups.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Turn off oven ~ DO NOT OPEN DOOR!! Let dry for 1 hour. When cooled completely store in an air tight container.

Combine cornstarch, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 cup sugar, and water in saucepan. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly (about 2 minutes). Beat egg yolks, add small amount of hot water to the yolks before adding them to the pan. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Blend in lemon juice, butter, & lemon peel. Chill.

Just before serving, fill meringue cups with lemon custard. Top with whipped cream, if desired.

Cheesy Mostaccioli

2008-03-15T08:34:00.004-07:00

1 package (16 oz) mostaccioli pasta, cooked
1 1/2 lbs ground beef, browned & drained
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 jar (28 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 can (11 oz) cheddar cheese soup
3 cups (12 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Brown and drain meat.

Add seasonings to meat. Stir in spaghetti sauce and soup. Combine pasta, sauce mixture, and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese in casserole dish. Mix to combine. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Crab Rangoon

2008-03-14T21:39:00.003-07:00

1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 (6 oz) can crab meat, drained and flaked
2 green onions (including tops) thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 (48 count) package won-ton wrappers
Non stick vegetable oil spray

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except won-ton skins and spray coating; mix until well blended. (To prevent won-ton skins from drying out, prepare one or two Rangoon at a time).

Place 1 tsp filling in the center of each won-ton skin. Moisten edges with water; fold in half to form triangle, pressing edges to seal. Pull bottom corners down and overlap slightly; moisten one corner and press to seal.

Lightly spray baking sheet with vegetable coating. Arrange Rangoon's on sheet and lightly spray to coat.

Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

These can also be deep-fried.

Amish Friendship Bread

2008-03-14T21:35:00.002-07:00

STARTER:
3 c. sugar
3 c. flour
3 c. milk

On Day 1: In glass or plastic bowl, combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour and 1 cup milk. Stir mixture with wooden or plastic spoon (don't use metal spoon or electric mixer). Cover bowl loosely with paper towel, cloth, wax paper or plastic wrap. Keep at room temperature (don't refrigerate).

On Days 2, 3 and 4: Using wooden or plastic spoon, stir mixture once each day.

On Day 5: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour and 1 cup milk; stir.

On Days 6, 7, 8 and 9: Using wooden or plastic spoon, stir mixture once each day.

On Day 10: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour and 1 cup milk. Remove 3 cups of mixture and give 1 cup each to three friends. Save remaining starter for yourself.

BREAD:
Day 1: Do nothing. Today is:

Day 2-Day 5: Squeeze the bag 2 times daily

Day 6: Add 1 cup milk, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup sugar. Squeeze together thoroughly.

Day 7-Day 10: Let air out of bag and squeeze twice daily.

Day 11: Let air out of bag. Add 1 cup milk, 1 cup four, and 1 cup sugar. Squeeze together thoroughly.

Measure four 1 cup portions into 4 gallon sized Zip-lock bags. Give the starter to 3 friends with a copy of this recipe. Save the other for your starter and call it day 1.

Pour the rest of your starter into a bowl and add;
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup milk
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Mix well, then add;
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 small box instant vanilla pudding

In a small bowl mix enough cinnamon and sugar together to coat the bottom of 2 loaf pans and the tops of 2 loaves. Spray pans with cooking spay before coating with cinnamon/sugar mixture. Pour batter into pans and top with cinnamon/sugar.

Bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Banana Bread

2008-03-14T21:22:00.001-07:00

3-4 ripe bananas
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
¼ cup melted butter or margarine
½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
½ cup walnuts (optional)

Mash bananas by hand or with mixer until fairly smooth (may still appear slightly lumpy). Add all other ingredients in order, mixing as you go. Add melted butter last.

Pour into 1 greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 325° for 50-60 minutes.

Peach Raspberry Jam

2008-03-14T21:15:00.002-07:00

1 ¼ cups finely chopped peaches
2 cups fresh raspberries
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 cups sugar
¾ cup water
1 package (1-¾ oz) powdered fruit pectin

Place peaches in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mash the raspberries; strain to remove seeds if desired. Add raspberries and lemon juice to peaches. Stir in sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan, bring the water and powdered fruit pectin to a full rolling bowl. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add to the fruit mixture; stir for 2-3 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved.

Pour into jars or freezer containers; cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cover and let stand overnight or until set, but not longer than 24 hours. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 1 year.

Oven Fries

2008-03-14T15:57:00.006-07:00

This is my absolute favorite way to make/eat french fries!!

Red Potatoes
Olive Oil
Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Wash potatoes and cut into wedges/fry shapes.

On a baking sheet, drizzle with a little Olive Oil and a little seasoned salt. Toss around to coat.

Bake at 350 until tender, 25-30 minutes (I like "fat" fries, so mine take a little longer. But if you like yours "skinny" then obviously they'll cook quicker).

Bucky's Salsa

2008-03-14T15:44:00.003-07:00

Another great recipe from Marcey... except her husband Bucky makes it! It was the inspiration to my salsa recipe... I just like to use fresh ingredients whenever I can.

2 large cans of whole peeled tomatoes
2 cans of diced green chilies
1 can of diced jalapenos
1 bunch of green onions
1 bunch fresh cilantro
cumin
garlic salt

Open the cans of tomatoes and drain juice into a large bowl. Then dump the tomatoes into the salsa maker. Chop them then dump into large bowl.

Add diced chilies, and jalapenos (we usually use 1/2 a can- depending on how spicy you want it).

Cut up green onions (large pieces) then put in salsa maker with cilantro and chop. Then add to bowl. Mix it good then add garlic salt (we have never measured it out so start with 1 teaspoon then add more to taste). Add cumin (again we don't measure so just start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more to taste.)

Mix it up good. It is best if it sits overnight in the fridge. This will make 2 quart jars.

Marcey's Bread

2008-03-14T15:39:00.005-07:00

This recipe is from Marcey, and she got it from Chef Brad.

6 cups hot water (110)
2 Tbsp salt
2/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup honey
3 Tbsp dough enhancer
3 Tbsp Saf or other instant yeast
16-18 hard white wheat flour (or other)

Combine ingredients in Bosch bowl with dough hook, using only half of the flour, placing flour in last with yeast on top.

Begin mixing, adding enough remaining flour until dough cleans sides of bowl (it may not require all of the flour). Knead 6 minutes or until gluten had developed. Remove from bowl and divide into loaves.

Form loaves for pans or free-standing loaves. Let rise to double.

Bake in preheated oven ( preheat oven to 400), dropping temperature to 325. Bake 20-25 minutes or until internal bread temperature reaches 180.

*For those of you who don't own a Bosch mixer, I have made this bread several times by hand... it's quite the work out, but the end result is totally worth it! I generally split the dough in half so that it's more manageable to knead by hand.*

Honey Oat Bread

2008-03-14T14:01:00.002-07:00

Makes 2 Loaves

2 Tbsp dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup shortening or oil
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp salt
2 cups boiling water
6-6 1/2 cups flour
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup instant nonfat dry milk powder

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. In 2 cups boiling water, melt shortening; add honey & salt. Cool to lukewarm. Combine 2 cups flour, the oats, and dry milk. Stir into cooled shortening and honey liquid. Add yeast, and beat with an electric mixer at high speed for 3-4 minutes. Add remaining flour and knead to make a smooth, elastic dough. Cover and let rise until double in bulk. Divide dough and shape into laves. Place in greased bread pans and bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Zucchini Bread

2008-03-14T13:55:00.005-07:00

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 beaten egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Grease an 8x4x2" loaf pan. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg.

In another bowl, combine egg, sugar, zucchini, and oil. Add zucchini mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 oven for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

*Zucchini freezes really well. I buy it on sale, shred it, and freeze 1 cup portions in zip-lock bags. It keeps its color, and I've stored it up to 9 months with no problems.

Tortillas

2008-03-14T13:53:00.003-07:00

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup warm water

Sift together flour and salt. With a fork, cut in shortening. add water and mix with fork to make a stiff dough. Form a ball and knead on lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8-10 pieces and shape into balls. Roll out to paper thin. Bake on very hot un-greased griddle until freckled, about 20 seconds on each side.

Snack ideas

2008-03-13T10:53:00.003-07:00

I'm always in search of good snack ideas. If you are too, try freezing some grapes. I can't take credit for that idea because I started doing it after I met a roommate who had been doing it. They are really yummy and refreshing, especially during the summer.

Another idea: cream cheese on soda crackers. It might sound strange to some, but I've been eating these since I was little.

Dutch Apple Sour Cream Pie

2008-03-07T15:24:00.000-07:00

1 egg, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups (12 oz) sour cream Crumb Topping:
1 cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar, packed
3 Tbsp flour ½ cup flour
½ tsp vanilla ¼ cup cold butter
3 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
1 unbaked pastry shell (9”)

In large bowl, combine the egg, sour cream, sugar, flour, & vanilla. Stir in apples. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine brown sugar & flour. Cut in butter until mixture resemble coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle over pie.

Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until filling is set & topping is golden brown.

Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

2008-03-07T15:22:00.001-07:00

Filling:
3 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
¾ cups sugar
1/3 cup sour cream

Crust:
3 Tbsp flour 1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp vanilla ¼ cup sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten 1/3 cup butter, melted
1 package vanilla or white chips
¼ cup seedless raspberry jam

In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, & butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9” spring form pan; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese & sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, flour, & vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in the chips. Pour over crust.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt raspberry jam; stir until smooth. Drop by teaspoonfuls over batter; cut through batter with a knife to swirl.

Place pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 16 sq.”). Securely wrap foil around pan.
Place in a large baking pan; add 1” of hot water to larger pan.

Bake at 325° for 80-85 minutes or until center is just set. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove sides of pan.

Oatmeal Cookies

2008-03-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

1 ¼ cup unsifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup margarine, softened
½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding
2 eggs
3 ½ cup quick cooking oats
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup raisins (optional)

Mix flour with baking soda. Combine margarine, butter, sugars, & pudding mix in large mixer bowl; beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture; then stir in oats, chocolate chips, &/or raisins.

Drop by rounded tablespoonful onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2” apart. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes.

Magic Cookie Bars

2008-03-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

½ cup margarine or butter
1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350° . In a 13x9” baking pan, melt the butter in the oven.

Sprinkle crumbs over butter; pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Buttermilk Brownies

2008-03-07T15:18:00.004-07:00

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup water
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
½ cup margarine
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Frosting:
2-3 cups powder sugar
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
¼ cup margarine, softened
¼ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Sift together flour, sugar, & baking soda. In medium saucepan, combine water, cocoa powder, margarine, & vegetable oil. Bring to boil. Add to flour mixture. Add eggs, buttermilk, & vanilla.

Mix together until smooth. Pour into greased 9x13” pan & bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting: cream all ingredients together. Spread when brownies have cooled.

Quick & Easy Chili

2008-03-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

1 lb ground hamburger 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped onion 8 oz tomato sauce
1 tsp salt 6 oz tomato paste
1 Tbsp chili powder 1 can French onion soup
1 Tbsp ground cumin 1 can pinto beans, drained

Ground hamburger meat, drain off any grease. Add remainder of ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Mile-High Enchilada Pie

2008-03-07T15:10:00.002-07:00

8 (6”) corn tortillas
12 oz salsa
1 can (15.5 oz) kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers

Prepare foil handles for slow cooker (see below); place in slow cooker. Place 1 tortilla on bottom of slow cooker. Top with small amount of salsa, beans, chicken, & cheese. Continue layering using remaining ingredients, ending with cheese. Cover; cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Pull out by foil handles.

Foil Handles: Tear of three 18x2” strips of heavy foil, or use regular foil folded to double thickness. Crisscross foil strips in spoke design and place in slow cooker to make lifting of tortilla stack easier.

*This can also be prepared as a casserole in a 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes*

Clam Chowder

2008-03-07T15:08:00.001-07:00

¼ cup margarine or butter
¼ cup flour
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled & diced
1 bottle clam juice
1 can clams
½ cup carrots, shredded or diced
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup onion, chopped
1 quart heavy whipping cream
Bacon, cooked & crumbled to taste

In large saucepan, cook potatoes in water at a medium simmer for 5-8 minutes. Drain, reserving water.

In same saucepan, melt butter & cook carrots, celery, & onion until onion slightly transparent. Add flour creating a rue, and cook slowly for a few minutes.

Add clams & bacon. Slowly incorporate clam juice & cream, allowing stew to thicken.

Add in potatoes and any reserved water to desired consistency.

Cook at low simmer until potatoes have cooked through entirely.

Serve with crackers, crumbled bacon, and cheese to taste.

Chicken Enchiladas

2008-03-07T15:06:00.002-07:00

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
8 oz cream cheese, cubed
8 oz salsa, divided
8 (6”) flour tortillas
12 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
¼ cup milk

Stir chicken, bell pepper, cream cheese, & ½ of the salsa in saucepan on low heat until cream cheese is melted.

Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up.

Place, seam-side down, in lightly greased 12x8” baking dish.

Stir Velveeta cheese and milk in saucepan over low heat until smooth. Pour sauce over tortillas; cover with foil.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Pour remaining salsa over tortillas.

Orange Rolls

2008-03-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

2 packages of Pillsbury biscuits
1 cup sugar
½ cup orange juice
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
Frosting:
1 cup confectioners sugar
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/8 cup butter, softened
½ tsp vanilla

In small saucepan, combine sugar, orange juice, & margarine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for up to 5 minutes, stirring often. Line a greased 9x13” pan with biscuits.

Pour orange sauce over biscuits and bake according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cream together confectioners sugar, cream cheese, butter, & vanilla. Mix until smooth. Frost orange rolls immediately after coming our of the oven.

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

2008-03-07T15:04:00.002-07:00

36 large cherry tomatoes ( red &/or yellow)
4 hard boiled eggs
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp curry powder
2 Tbsp chopped chives plus 10 whole chives

Cut a slice off the top of each tomato & use a spoon to remove the meat & seeds. Set upside down on paper towels to drain.

Put the eggs, mayonnaise, & mustard in a mixing bowl and mash with the back of a fork until fairly smooth. Add the remaining ingredients, mix and taste for spicing.

About 1 hour before serving, fill each tomato with egg salad, garnish with several 2” chive spears standing up out of the tomato.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2008-03-07T15:03:00.001-07:00

2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
1 package (10 oz) chopped spinach, drained & thawed (if frozen)
½ cup Mayonnaise
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 clove garlic, minced

Beat cream cheese & mayo with electric mixture on medium speed until well blended. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Spoon into 9” pie plate or quiche dish. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until very lightly browned. Garnish with chopped tomato, if desired. Serve with crackers, bread chunks, or vegetables.

10 Minute Ice Cream

2008-03-07T14:54:00.004-07:00

1 gallon sized zip lock bag
1 quart sized zip lock bag
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 cups ice
1 Tbsp ice cream/rock salt

In the quart sized zip lock bag, combine milk, sugar, and vanilla. Make sure the bag is sealed tight, and mix together.

In the gallon sized zip lock bag, put the ice and salt. Put in the smaller quart size bag, and again make sure your bags are sealed tight! Shake, squish, etc. the bags for 7-10 minutes until your milk turns into ice cream.

This is great dessert for picnics ~ and a GREAT activity for kids!

Cream Cheese Frosting

2008-03-07T14:52:00.001-07:00

2 cups powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, sofened
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together all ingredients until smooth.

Soft Sugar Cookies

2008-03-07T14:47:00.002-07:00

4 eggs, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 cup butter flavored shortening
1 tsp vanilla
6 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

With an electric mixer, beat eggs for about 5 minutes. Add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. Add sour cream, shortening, and vanilla.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to egg mixture. Pat out into a round disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for 15-20 minutes.

Roll out dough to about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out shapes.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. DO NOT BAKE LONGER THAN 10 MINUTES! Let rest for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack. Frost and decorate with your favorite frosting.

Breakfast Quiche

2008-03-07T14:43:00.003-07:00

26 oz frozen hash browns, thawed (dab off extra moisture with a paper towel)
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup ham/bacon, fully cooked
1-2 cups shredded cheese
10 eggs
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

In a 9x13" pan, build a crust with the hash browns and melted butter, bringing up the sides of the pan. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.

Whip up all the other ingredients and pour over baked hash browns. Lower oven temperature to 35o and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes until golden.

*You can personalize this recipe anyway you like. Add anything that you think would taste good in an omelet, and it will work great with this!*

Key Lime Pie

2008-03-07T14:33:00.003-07:00

4 large or extra large egg yolks
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh key lime juice (approximately 12 key limes)
2 tap grated lime peel, green portion only
Whipping cream for garnish (optional)

Crust:
16 graham crackers, crushed
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter

Mix the crust ingredients and place them into a 9" pie plate. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. Place on a wrack to cool.

Use an electric mixer and beat egg yolks until they are thick and turn to a light yellow, don't over mix. Turn the mixer off and add the sweetened condense milk. turn speed to low and mix in half of the lime juice. Once the juice is incorporated add the other half of the juice and zest, continue to mix until blended (just a few seconds). Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake at 350 for 12 minutes to set the yolks and kill any salmonella in the eggs.

Serve with a lime wedge and dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

Strawberry Shortcake

2008-03-07T14:28:00.006-07:00

3 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cream of tarter
1 cup butter
2/3 heavy whipping cream
1 egg, beaten
3 cups strawberries, sliced
3 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 35o.

Mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and cream of tarter.

Cut in butter with pastry blender.

Stir in cream and egg.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes.

press into 1/2-inch thick sheet; cut into squares.

Place on baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Sprinkle 3 Tbsp sugar over sliced strawberries.

Let shortcakes cool before splitting and filling with sugared berries. Top with whipped topping, if desired.

Soft Chocolate Chips

2008-03-07T14:22:00.002-07:00

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, sofened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in instant pudding. Sift together flour and baking soda, and add until incorporated. Finally add chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonful onto un-greased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

*You can change the type of instant pudding and chocolate chips you use to get an entirely different cookie. For example, you can use chocolate pudding and white chocolate chips. Or cream cheese pudding and peanut butter chips. I've even seen someone use pistachio pudding... the sky's the limit. Have fun!*

Buttermilk Pancakes / Waffles

2008-03-07T14:18:00.003-07:00

1-1 1/2 cups water
1 egg, beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Combine butter, buttermilk, and egg. Add to flour mixture.

Using a wire whisk, mix together just until incorporated. If you beat the batter too much, you'll need to let it rest before baking. Add just enough water to desired consistency, thinner for pancakes and thicker for waffles.

*You can use all of the batter and freeze your extra pancakes/waffles in zip lock bags. Just pop them in the toaster like EggoWaffles!*

Soft Snickerdoodles

2008-03-07T14:15:00.002-07:00

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Mix:
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400.

Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Sift together flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture.

Measure by tablespoonfuls and shape into balls. Roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Place about 2 inches apart on un-greased baking sheets.

Bake 8-10 minutes until set, but not too hard. DO NOT OVER BAKE! Remove immediately from baking sheets to wire rack to cool completely.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2008-03-07T14:12:00.003-07:00

3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, vanilla, eggs, milk, & butter. Mix with electric mixer until smooth. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Combine brown sugar, flour, and melted butter into a crumb mixture. Add chopped pecans.

Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture.

Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 20-25 minutes.

Homemade Oreos

2008-03-07T14:07:00.003-07:00

1 box chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup butter, softened (NOT MELTED)
2 eggs

Combine cake mix, butter, and eggs with electric mixer. The dough will look very dry at first, but when it comes together you'll see it right away.

Measure out by teaspoonfuls and roll into balls. Place about 2 inches apart on an un-greased cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 8-9 minutes. Remove immediately from cookie sheet onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Using your favorite frosting, frost the bottom of 1 cookie, and top with another so that the tops of both cookies are facing out.

Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

2008-03-07T14:02:00.003-07:00

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, brown sugar, and eggs. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt, and then incorporate with creamed mixture.

Measure out tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into balls. Place about 3 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet and make a criss-cross pattern with a fork.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 oven for 8-10 minutes, until set; DO NOT OVER BAKE! Let rest for 2 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Creme Brulee

2008-03-07T13:48:00.004-07:00

8 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar (topping)

Pre-heat oven to 300.

Whisk together egg yolks and sugar until sugar is dissolved and mixture is thick and pale yellow. Add cream and vanilla, continue to whisk until well blended. Stain into a large bowl, skimming off foam and bubbles.

Divide among 4 ramekins. Place ramekins into a water bath (or a large pan with 1-2 inches of water) and bake until set around the edges, but still loose in center, about 50-60 minutes.

Remove from oven and live in water bath until cooled. Remove cups and refrigerate at least 2 hours, and up to 2 days.

Just before serving, sprinkle 2 tsp sugar over custard. Caramelize and chill for a few minutes before serving.

Chili

2008-03-07T13:41:00.010-07:00

This is just a basic chili recipe, and I hope to hear of some good variations too.

Chili

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes (Italian style is good too--it adds just the hint of italian seasoning that is really yummy)
1 15 oz. can dark red kidney beans
1 med yellow onion (or 1/4 c. dried onion flakes, or 1/4 tsp. onion powder)
1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbsp. cumin
1/2 lb mushrooms (washed and sliced)
garlic salt to taste
1 lb. ground beef

Brown beef in large pan. Drain fat. Empty contents of tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes in large pot. Drain and rinse kidney beans and add to pot. Mince onion and add to pot. Add garlic salt and taste. It's very important you do this now before adding any other spices because it's much harder to season after this point. Add chili powder and cumin. Cook on low until simmering. Add browned beef and sliced mushrooms. Simmer 1 hour, stirring about every 10 minutes. Don't boil.

This is also a great recipe to freeze.

Zuppa Toscana

2008-03-07T13:24:00.004-07:00

This recipe is very similar to what you would order at Olive Garden ~ delicious!

1/2 pound Italian sausage
1/2 pound pork sausage
2 large russet baking potatoes, cubed
1 large white onion, chopped
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups kale or Swiss chard, chopped
2 cans chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Thoroughly mix the Italian and pork sausage. Patty out to 1/4 thickness on a baking sheet, and bake at 325 for 30 minutes, or until sausage is completely cooked. Drain on paper towels and cut into cubes.

Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, and garlic in a pot. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage, bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes. turn to low heat, add kale and cream. Heat through and serve, topping with Parmesan cheese.

Fresh Salsa

2008-03-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

9 medium tomatoes (vine-ripened are best)
3 tomatillos
1 small white onion
3-6 jalapenos
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 lime
Salt to taste

Chop tomatoes, tomatllos, onion, and jalapenos to desired consistency. Add garlic, cilantro, the juice and some zest of the lime, and salt to taste.

You can easily do this in an food processor. I like to use a knife and chop the ingredients to the desired consistency/thickness that I'm in the mood for. You may want to chop the tomatoes separately, draining off and reserving the juices. You can add it back in at the end if your salsa turns out too thick.

Kalua Pig

2008-03-07T12:48:00.001-07:00

4-5 pound boneless pork roast
2 Tbsp Hawaiian or Kosher salt
2 Tbsp liquid smoke
1/4-1/2 cup butter

Make several shallow cuts all over the pork roast, or pierce liberally with a carving fork. Rub with salt and liquid smoke.

Place in crock-pot with a few tablespoons of butter. Cook on low for 12-18 hours, adding more butter and liquid smoke if the meat begins to look dry. During the last 30-45 minutes, pull the roast apart with forks and add more butter and liquid smoke if necessary.

Serve with white rice and sauteed cabbage.

Whole Wheat Bread

2008-03-07T12:41:00.001-07:00

This makes 4 loaves of whole wheat bread. It is easiest to make in a Bosch or Kitchen Aid, but can also be made entirely by hand, you'll just want to knead it a little longer and then let it rest for about 15 minutes before shaping into loaves.

5-6 cups hot tap water
2/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp dough enhancer
2 Tbsp SAF yeast
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
12-16 cups whole wheat flour (I like hard-white the best)

Pour warm water into a mixing bowl. Add 6 cups flour, then add dough enhancer, oil, honey, yeast, & wheat gluten. Mix well.

Add 5 cups flour and salt and mix well. Add 1/4 cup of flour at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of mixing bowl.

Knead for about 5 minutes.

Shape dough and place in well greased loaf pans. Let rise until double, 45-60 minutes. Bake in at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Chicken Chiles Rellenos

2008-03-07T12:31:00.001-07:00

6 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground red pepper flakes
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk
1 4 oz. can green chile peppers, rinsed, seeded, & cut in half lengthwise
2 oz Monterrey Jack OR Cheddar cheese cut into six 2 x 1/2 inch sticks
2 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

Place a chicken breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound meat lightly into a rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick. Remove plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

In a shallow dish, combine the flour, bread crumbs, salt, garlic powder, & red pepper flakes. Place egg in another shallow dish; add milk and beat lightly to combine.

For each roll, place a chile pepper half on a chicken piece hear an edge. Place a stick of cheese on the chile pepper near an edge. Fold in sides; roll up, starting from edge with cheese and chile pepper. Secure with wooden toothpicks.

Dip chicken rolls in egg mixture; coat with flour/bread crumb mixture. Place rolls, seam side down, in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle with butter.

Bake, uncovered, in at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove toothpicks. Serve over rice and with salsa, sour cream, etc.

Judy's Stew

2008-03-06T15:30:00.007-07:00

This is a common stew we had in our house growing up. The ingredients are mostly staples I have in the house anyway, so it's nice to throw this together. And the name has kind of a silly story. When my sister had a baby her neighbor brought dinner over to her. She had just thrown stuff in a pot and it turned out really yummy. Her name was Judy, so that's what my mom and I always refered to it as.

5 potatoes-peeled & diced
5 carrots-peeled & diced
1 15 oz. can of green beans
chopped onion or onion flakes (I don't usually put this in, so you decide on how much you want to put in)
1 lb. ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown the ground beef, adding a dash of salt and pepper. Cut up your vegis and place in a large, oven safe pot, or use a crock pot. Add about one tsp. salt to begin with. (You may need to add more later when it's fully cooked.) Add the green beans and the liquid in the can. Add the ground beef when it's browned. Add both cans of soup, plus 1/2 soup can of water. (Note: you can use either 2 of the same kind of soup, or one of each. I like the flavor of one of each.) Mix all the ingredients together. Place a large piece of aluminum foil over the pot or crock pot, and place the lid on top. Cook for about an 60-90 minutes in the oven, or for about 3-4 hours on med or low in the crockpot until the vegis are tender. (The time in the crockpot depends on your crockpot. Just stir occasionally and check the vegis.)

Enjoy!

Iceberg Lettuce

2008-03-05T15:01:00.003-07:00

To keep a head of Iceberg Lettuce fresh and crisp follow these simple steps:

1. Remove the stem by hitting it hard on the counter or table. It just pops right out.
2. Run cold water into the head where the stem came out. It doesn't take much time, just enough to get water all through it to clean off the lettuce.
3. Set the head stem side down on a clean towel to let all the water drain out.
4. After a few minutes, get 3-4 paper towels and wrap it around the head of lettuce.
5. Wrap the paper towel-covered head of lettuce in a light weight kitchen towel or flour sack. I use these towels. They're heavier than cheese cloth, but not as heavy as terry cloth dish towel.
6. Use the plastic bag you get from the produce department to put the covered head in. Try to get as much air out as possible and close with a twist tie or clip.

Your lettuce will stay fresh and crisp for over a week.

2008-02-19T22:18:00.000-07:00

To anyone who happens to see this: this is a new blog that will be starting soon. We just need the time to make some designs and gather some material to post. We are planning on posting some yummy recipes and tips on acquiring and using food storage. We hope to be up and running soon!