Cheesy Potatoes

Sometimes these are called Funeral Potatoes but that's just downright depressing....so to keep the mood a little lighter we're going with Cheesy Potatoes!

Ingredients:
1 (2 lb) package of frozen hash brown potatoes
3 green onions, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 c. sour cream
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Topping:
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 1/2 cups of crushed cornflakes (which comes out to about 3 cups cornflakes before you crush them)

Mix all ingredients and place in a greased 9 X 13 casserole dish.  Sprinkle cornflake topping evenly over potato mixture.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour.  You can prepare this a day ahead and refrigerate, but it with need to cook longer.  

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

Trying to figure out what to do with that after Christmas Ham? Or that After Thanksgiving Ham? Or that after Easter Ham? Or that after My-Husband-Just-Loves-Ham Ham?  This is a great recipe for thinking outside of the ham sandwich box!

8-10 slices of ham
8-10 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 of one large onion, sliced
1 C. grated cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss the sliced potatoes in 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and 1 cup of water.  Drain.  Put half of ham, potatoes, and onions in a crockpot (I like to spray the crockpot with cooking spray first).  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cover this layer with one can of the cream soup (not diluted) then half the cheese.  Repeat with the remaining half of your ingredients.  You can also sprinkle this with paprika if you want.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4 hours or until the potatoes are cooked through. 

Chicken Tortilla Bake

Ingredients

2 10 3/4 oz cans of cream of chicken

1 10 oz can of diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel)

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1/2 c. sour cream

12 - 15 6in corn tortillas

3 cups of cooked chicken*

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine the 5 cans and sour cream and mix them up, then set aside

Chop up the tortillas into bite sized pieces. (I use a pizza cutter)

Put a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of a greased 9X13 pan.

Then add a layer of tortilla pieces

Place half of the chicken on top of the tortillas

Then spoon 1/2 the soup mixture on top of the chicken

Then sprinkle some cheese.

Repeat layers and top with cheese.

Cover and bake for 40 minutes

Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes until the cheese melts

*Next time I think I will try substituting the chicken with cooked rice to make it vegetarian.  That would make it a cheaper alternative and sometimes I just get sick of eating meat at every meal.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

I tried this new cake recipe today and it turned out great! My kids were very excited to have warm chocolate cake for their after school snack, and they didn't even know it had zucchini in it. Also, can I just admit, I actually googled "zucchini" so I could get the correct spelling.  Zucchini and broccoli....why so hard for me to spell?  I was a spelling champ in middle school (even went to state) but those two words get me every time! Anyway, enough about me....let's talk cake!

Ingredients:
1/2 c. vegetable oil *
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk ** 
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
2 1/2 c. flour
2 cups grated zucchini
3/4 c. chocolate chips

Cream oil, butter, sugar, and eggs together. Then add remaining ingredients and mix all together.  Put in greased 9X13 cake pan and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Spread chocolate frosting on after cake has cooled.

*You can also substitute 1/4 c. oil and 3/4 cups smashed ripe bananas for a healthier option instead of the 1/2 c. oil.

**To make your own buttermilk put 1/2 tablespoon vinegar in half cup milk and let sit for 5 minutes.

Sorry, no pictures....but SPOILER ALERT....it looks like a chocolate cake! :-)

Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Honey Butter

This stuff is so, so, so good.....I could practically just lick it off the spoon.  Okay, so maybe I actually already did that!

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 C. powdered sugar
1/4 C. honey
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Whip the room temperature butter with the whisk attachment for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar, honey and cinnamon and beat until completely combined and very smooth.  Scrape down sides of the bowl and turn up the speed and whip for a minute or two or until really light and fluffy.  Makes about 3/4 cup. 

Banana Cream Pie

I did have pictures for this post but now I can't find them.  Chances are pretty good that I uploaded them into the wrong folder.  If I run across them or when I make this again I will add pictures!  Maybe I should make it again just so I can take a few pictures?!!!

Step One:
1 Cup Dream Whip*
1 Cup Milk

Whip these two ingredients together for several minutes at high speed until it reaches a stiff enough consistency that it stays inside the beaters when lifted from the bowl.  This isn't possible using just a hand mixer.  You have to have a machine such as a Bosch or Kitchen Aid or equivalent and use the whisk beaters to achieve this consistency.  Believe me, I've tried the other way and then cried because there was no pie for me! Boo Hoo!

In a separate bowl mix together using a hand mixer:
2 small packages of Banana Cream pudding
1 1/2 Cups of milk

Add the contents of both bowls together and mix just long enough to completely combine the ingredients.  Then you spoon this mixture into a prepared pie crust and refrigerate until time for dessert.  I just used a graham cracker crust I had on hand because I didn't have time to make my own crust.  It tastes great with either a graham cracker crust or a pastry crust. You can slice up the bananas and put them on the bottom under the cream like my mom does, but I prefer to just slice some on top at serving time because I hate even slightly browned bananas.

*Dream Whip can be found in the baking aisle next to the pudding section.  You will need 2 boxes (4 envelopes) to equal 1 cup.

Crepes

Recipe found at  http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/04/crepes-crepes-crepes.html  I also borrowed her picture because I forgot to take one of my own!

I remember my grandma making Crepes when I was a kid but my mom never did.  I had forgotten all about them until they served these at my little sister's wedding reception. When I made them at home we did the Nutella, Strawberries, banana slices, and Whip Cream version and they were very delicious and simple!


*Makes about 10 crepes -- one person can easily eat 4 though so I tripled the batch for my family of 6.

INGREDIENTS:
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt


DIRECTIONS:
In a blender or large bowl using an electric mixer, combine the eggs, milk, flour, oil (or butter) and salt. Blend or mix on high until the ingredients are well combined. Cover the batter and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. This helps the gluten to relax, making the crepes even more tender.

When ready to start cooking the crepes, heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Spray the bottom and sides of the skillet with nonstick cooking spray. The skillet should sizzle like crazy. You want it piping hot before you pour in the crepe batter. Quickly whisk the crepe batter to recombine, then measure out 1/4 cup of the batter. Tilt the skillet off the heat and pour the batter to one side of the skillet, immediately twirling the skillet to coat the bottom with the batter.
Set the skillet back on the heat and cook the crepe until the edges begin to brown, about 1 minute. Loosen the crepe around the edge with a heat-proof spatula and gently (but quickly!) pick up the edges of the hot crepe with your fingers and give it a fast flip. Cook the other side for 30 seconds or so until lightly golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the crepe to a wire rack. The key is to keep the skillet sizzling hot without burning the crepes – I moderated the heat of my stovetop between medium and slightly above that to keep the crepes cooking quickly without burning. You should hear an audible sizzle when you pour the crepe batter into the skillet but if you hear a sizzle with accompanying smoke – the skillet is probably too hot.

Repeat with remaining batter (spraying the skillet with cooking spray every 2-3 crepes), stacking the crepes as they finish cooking. The crepes can be placed on a baking sheet and lightly covered with foil and placed in a 200 degree oven to stay warm for 20-30 minutes while you finish cooking the remaining crepes. Serve the crepes with your favorite toppings. Some of ours include nutella and strawberries, butter and cinnamon and sugar, maple or other fruit syrup.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Pancakes

 

Mix Together:

4 C. all-purpose flour

8 teaspoons baking powder

2 tsp. salt

4 C. milk

4 T. vegetable oil

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Cinnamon Filling

1 C. butter, melted

1 1/2 C. brown sugar, packed

 2 T. ground cinnamon

Mix the three ingredients together.  Place

in a disposable piping bag and snip the end

off or put in a Ziploc bag and snip the corner off.

(This will keep in the fridge so you can make them again

and again and again!)

Heat your griddle to 325 degrees.  You don't want

these too cook too quickly.  Make desired size

pancake on greased griddle and then using the

piping bag and starting at the center of the

pancake, create a cinnamon swirl.  Wait until

the pancake has lots of bubbles before you try 

to turn it.  Yo will find that when you turn it

the cinnamon swirl will melt.  If you have your

griddle too hot, it will burn the cinnamon.

I then used Betty Crocker Cream Cheese Frosting on top of the hot pancakes and it melted all down the sides!  Yummy! 

Chicken & Broccoli

 

Creamy Crockpot Chicken and Broccoli Over Rice

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 10oz can cream of chicken soup
1 10 oz can cheddar soup
1 14 oz can chicken broth (I think next time I'll half this amount, it was a little too runny)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt seasoning

1 cup sour cream
6 cups broccoli florets, just fork tender (I cooked it in boiling water for 3-4 minutes)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Place soups, chicken broth, salt, and garlic seasoning into a crock-pot over low heat. Whisk until smooth. Place chicken in, pressing to the bottom. Cover lid and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4 hours.

 2. When chicken is cooked, use 2 forks to shred into bite size pieces. Stir in sour cream and broccoli.

 3. Serve over steamed rice and sprinkle with cheese.  

This original recipe said this made 4-6 servings so I doubled it for my family of 6.  It made a humongous batch!  I ended up freezing over half of it which was fine because it will make for an easy meal some other night.

Doughnuts

  

My friend Amanda has a real cooking blog (as opposed to this very halfhearted one!) and I found this doughnut recipe on her blog at http://www.girlplusfood.net/2011/10/doughnuts.html 
These doughnuts were so delicious and not very hard, though frying them all was a bit time consuming.  This recipe made 3 dozen 3 1/2 inch doughnuts.  I ended up taking some to the neighbors because there was no way we could eat them all!  Next time I'll either half the recipe or decide which neighbor needs bribing so they'll drive slower down our street!


Doughnuts
Ingredients:
2 pks. active dry yeast (1 package is 2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup hot mashed potatoes (just cook potatoes, drain and mash up)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
9 1/4- 9 3/4 cups flour
oil for frying

For the Glaze:

1/4 cup butter, melted
2 T + 2 tsp milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon/sugar mixture:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon


Directions:

In your mixer, add all wet ingredients to bowl, add yeast and cover with sugar, let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.  Add 2 1/2 cups flour and mix with paddle for 30 seconds on low and 2 minutes on medium, switch to dough hook and add remaining flour until flour starts to pull away and the sides of the bowl are clean.  It will still be sticking on the bottom a bit.  I usually end up adding all the flour, the full 9 3/4 cups.  Dump into a greased bowl, cover and let raise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

After dough has risen for an hour, dump onto lightly floured surface and let sit about 15 minutes.  Roll dough to 1/2 inch thick and cut into doughnuts.  I used a 3 1/2 inch doughnut cutter that I bought on Amazon.

Place on greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Cover with greased plastic wrap and let raise 45 minutes. 

If you want glazed doughnuts, mix all glaze ingredients until combined and set aside.  If you want cinnamon/sugar doughnuts, mix cinnamon and sugar in a bowl an set aside.  I did both but I really liked the glaze the most.

Heat oil to 375-400, fry doughnuts a few at a time, flip and fry on both sides until golden. It's a little tricky to keep the doughnuts the right shape. I didn't worry about it too much (I was more worried about taste and haste) but my friend who's recipe blog I stole this from says to dip a spatula in oil and use that to pick the doughnut up with and put in the fryer. 

Remove from oil and drain on paper towels for about a minute, either drop doughnuts into glaze and coat completely or drop into cinnamon sugar and coat completely. 

NOTE:  You can put this dough in the freezer to cook later. Just put the cookie sheet in the freezer and when the dough is frozen, transfer it to an airtight container.  When you want to cook the dough put it on a greased cookie sheet, cover and let them raise about 3-4 hours and then proceed with the cooking and glazing. 

Anna's White Bread

My sister Anna is great at making bread.  I have a really good wheat bread recipe but the white bread recipe I tried from Pinterest was exceptionally awful!  Really, really awful....like hide-it-in-the-cupboard-because-my-inlaws-are-coming-over-and-might-want-to-try-it awful! (yeah, it would have been easier to just throw it away, which is what eventually happened to it!)  So anyway, I knew Anna made good bread so I called her rather late one evening to ask for her recipe.  She was in labor while giving me the recipe so I was a little skeptical about how well it would work....but apparently she was still fairly functional at that point in her labor!  So without further adeaux I will share her recipe (hopefully it's not supposed to be a big secreat....I didn't bother to ask.)

Mix together:
10 Cups of white flour
3/4 C. of granulated sugar
1 T. Salt
2 T. Yeast
3 T. Dough Enhancer *

Add:
1/3 C. oil  or 4 T. Soy Lecithin **
4 C. Hot Water

Mix together for 9 minutes (in my Bosch I did 9 minutes on power level 3)

Shape loaves and let the dough raise in the pans until a bit higher than the tops of the pans.  Turn oven on 350 and immediately put loaves in the oven (no preheating necessary) and bake for 27 minutes.  Anna was very specific about it needing 27 minutes....and she was right, the loaves turned out perfectly!

Makes 3 loaves. 

* Dough Enhancer can be purchased in the grocery store near the yeast.   I didn't have this so I added about 1/2 C. Vital Wheat Gluten.  I figured they both serve the same purpose of helping the bread to hold together better.  And the wheat gluten worked great.

** Soy Lecithin can be purchased near the vegetable oil.  It is a preservative that helps the bread stay fresh longer.  I used vegetable oil instead, but only because I couldn't find any Soy Lecithin at my local grocery store. 

Note:  The loaves in the pictures are not quite as big as I would normally do but only because I used a lot of my dough to makes scones and what was leftover became these loaves. 

Sugar Cookies: Copycat Lofthouse recipe

This is another gem I recently found on Pinterest. These are the softest Sugar Cookies I have ever made! I almost hurt myself the first time I bit into one.  I was expecting some resistance and these are so soft your teeth just sink right through!  I've tried many different sugar cookie recipes and this one is the best.  Definitely a keeper!

I wasn't crazy about the frosting recipe but I've included it anyway. I think next time I will do a different frosting, maybe a cream cheese one. This frosting just seemed like sweetened butter to me. If you like that kind of thing then give it a try!

Cookies:
 6 cups all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 c. butter, at room temperature
2 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. sour cream

 Frosting: 
1 c. butter, room temperature
1 t. vanilla extract
4 c. powdered sugar
6 T. heavy cream
Several drops food coloring
Multi-colored Sprinkles

Directions: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the flat beater attached, cream the butter and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Dough will be a bit “sticky”. Divide dough into two sections. Flatten into rectangles about 1 1/2 inches thick, then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight or at least two hours until firm.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.

With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, until pale golden. Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Best to work in small batches while keeping the remainder of the dough chilled.

 To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and vanilla. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Once smooth and creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired spreading consistency is achieved. If desired, add food coloring and beat until combined. Once cookies have cooled completely, frost and add sprinkles. Allow frosting to set, then store in an air-tight container. Let cookies sit for several hours before serving to allow the flavors to develop.

Makes approximately: 5 to 6 dozen cookies (will vary on the thickness of the dough) Recipe was found here. http://stamps4fun.blogspot.com/2011/10/traditions.html

Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring

Last Saturday my son and I made this Sticky Bun for breakfast. It turned out beautifully. I think next time I will drizzle a little of the syrup mixture down in between the bisquits so the middle section isn't to dry.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

2 small tubes refrigerator buttermilk biscuits OR 1 tube Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits 

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 C. pancake syrup

1/3 C. packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 C. chopped pecans, optional

1/4 C. chopped almonds, optional

Instructions:

Spray a fluted pan with non-stick spray. Combine the melted butter and syrup in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts (if desired). Place about half of the syrup mixture in the bottom of the pan. Then sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture on top. Lay the biscuits on the bottom of the pan, overlapping edges (closely together) to form a ring. Top with remaining syrup and sugar mixtures. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute in the pan, then invert onto a serving platter and enjoy!

** I ended up using 1 1/2 tubes of the Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits (1 tube didn't seem like enough) and baked it for about 30 minutes. It needed a bit longer to bake since I used more.

Buttermilk Caramel Syrup

We had this on our waffles this morning and it was so good!

1 1/2 cups buttermilk **
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

In a large saucepan, bring buttermilk, sugars, and butter to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk  in soda and vanilla. It will bubble up a lot. Hopefully you used a large saucepan like I told you. As it cools, the bubbles will go away.  This stuff is incredible!  I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to plain ol' maple syrup again!

**Just a tip.  I never buy buttermilk.  I just make my own using regular milk and apple cider vinegar.  Stir in one Tablespoon of vinegar per cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.  You can also use lemon juice or any kind of vinegar instead of the apple cider vinegar.

CoCola Cake

So today I was bored, having cravings, had time on my hands and couldn't decide what to do.  I thought about getting on my treadmill and burning a few calories.  Instead, I got on Pinterest and found this little delight.....and it spoke to me! :)

Some people call this Coca Cola cake, but if you've read The Help then you know to be truly southern this has to be called CoCola Cake.  It just sounds right.  This cake is so moist and delicious!  I should probably mention that even though it calls for Coke I used rootbeer since it was all I had in the house.  It seems so strange to say that!  Less than 6 months ago I was a raging Cherry Cokeaholic, drinking at least two cans a day.  But through sheer force of will and determination (and caffeine pills!) I can now honestly say I'm clean and sober (except for the can I drink after church on Sundays.  You try taking 4 rambunctious kids to church by yourself on Sunday and then tell me you don't need a strong drink afterwards!)  Anyways, back to the cake....you have to try this!  I got the recipe from HERE, but I did change it just a tiny bit.  I used baking soda instead of baking powder and I put in a bit more because I wanted it to be more cakey.

 Now I'm off to the basement to hit the treadmill and run like I'm Forrest Gump!

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 pan.
Mix:
2cups flour
2cups sugar
1/2tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2tsp cinnamon

In a saucepan over medium high heat until it boils, stirring consistently:
1 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup coca-cola
 1/2 cup buttermilk

Take this off the stove and add to the flour mix & whisk until combined.

Then add:
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
Mix, put in pan, bake it for about 30minutes. Yes, it’s a quick bake. Don’t over-bake it!  I actually only cooked mine for 28 minutes.  A toothpick in the center should come out clean.

When cake is nearly done make the glaze by mixing in a saucepan:
1/2cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup coca cola
Once that boils, remove and slowly stir in 4cups of confectioners’ sugar until nice and smooth. Then add in about a cup of chopped pecans, and give it a stir.

Pour this warm glaze right over the top of the hot cake!

Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.  The glaze will solidify some as it cools.  Then enjoy!  Or be like me and make the kids clean the entire basement before they can have any! Muahahahaha!

No-Bake Energy Bites

My latest attempt at providing my kids with a healthier after school snack.  I actually ate several of these myself before they got home.  They were very tasty!  I didn't have flax seed so I substituted wheat germ, which worked great too.  You could probably make lots of substitutions.

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy!  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

(makes 18-20 bites)

Recipe from HERE.

Mayo Parmesan Chicken

I made this chicken for dinner tonight.  It was so incredibly easy and tastes amazing.  I will be adding this one to the rotation for sure!  And this coming from someone who HATES mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip or any other similar ghastly concoction!)

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 ½ teaspoons seasoning salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Mix mayonnaise, cheese and seasonings.
2. Spread mixture over chicken breast and place in baking dish.
3. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.

Whole Wheat Bread

Makes 4 loaves.

7 c. whole wheat flour
2/3 c. vital wheat gluten
2 1/2 T. instant yeast

5 c. very warm water (120-130 F)

2 T. salt
2/3 c. oil
2/3 c. honey or 1 c. sugar
2 1/2 T. bottled lemon juice
1 egg
5 c. whole wheat flour

Mix together the first three ingredients in your mixer with a dough hook. Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute; cover and let rest for 10 minutes (this is called sponging). Add salt, oil, honey or sugar,lemon juice, and the egg and beat for 1 minute. Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup. Beat for about 6-10 minutes until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Pre-heat oven to 175 and turn off. Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide, shape into loaves, place in oiled bread pans. Let rise in warm oven until dough reaches top of pan. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 F and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks.

I found this recipe HERE.

Mini Cheesecakes

I made these this past week for a cub scout banquet.  They turned out really cute and tasted great!  Plus, they were really simple.  I've got to make these for my own family soon because everyone loved them!

INGREDIENTS:
2 packages cream cheese (8 oz), softened
3/4 C. Sugar
2 T. Flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 Eggs
1 T. Lemon Juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
12 Nilla Wafers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  With an electric mixer beat cream cheese and sugar.  Add in flour and baking powder.  Then add eggs and mix, one at a time.  Add lemon juice and vanilla.  Fill a muffin tin with foil liners and place one Nilla Wafer (whole, not crushed) in the bottom of each liner.  Divide cream cheese mixture between the 12 cups (they will be filled almost to the top).  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out almost clean.  They will be a little sunken in the middle when they are done.  Cool on a rack and then chill for 4-6 hours or overnight.  Put your favorite topping on and serve. 


Makes 12 individual cheesecakes

Key Lime Bars

This is a recipe I found in the February/March 2012 Taste of Home Magazine.  Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of this one!

Crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
30 vanilla wafers, broken into pieces
1/2 C. powdered sugar
1/2 C. chopped pecans
3/4 C. cold butter, cubed

Cream Cheese Layer:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Key Lime Layer:
1 1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. flour
4 eggs
1/2 C. key lime juice

1)  In a food processor, combine the flour, wafers, powdered sugar and pecans;  cover and process until nuts are fine.  Add butter; cover and pulse until crumbly.

2) Press crust mixture into an ungreased 13 X 9 pan.  Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool on a wire rack

3)  In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, milk and vanilla until blended; spread over crust to edges of pan.  In another small bowl, combine sugar and flour; whisk in eggs and lime juice.  Gently pour over cream cheese layer.

4)  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until filling is set.  Cool on a wire rack.  Refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled.  Cut into bars.  Before serving, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.

Cinnamon Rolls

I took this recipe from the blog of a friend of mine.  Her blog is http://girlplusfood.blogspot.com  Be warned, nothing on her blog is low-fat but it is all amazingly good!

Cinnamon Rolls
9 3/4 oz warm milk
1 egg
6 T butter, melted
4 1/2 cups flour
4 1/2 T sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast (or 3 tsp active dry yeast)

extra milk to brush on rolls after they come out of the oven

In bread machine:  Add all wet ingredients, then dry, make a well in dry ingredients and add yeast.  Turn on dough cycle.

In mixer:  add milk, butter, egg, sugar, salt and yeast to bowl (if using active dry yeast, wait 5 minutes until it's foamy) add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix with paddle on low 30 seconds then medium for 2 minutes.  Change to dough hook and gradually add remaining flour.  Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour)

When dough has risen, or bread maker is done, dump dough onto lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 15-30 minutes.  While dough is resting, mix filling.

Filling:
1 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 T cinnamon
2 T flour
I would also put some chocolate chips in the filling too since that's the way my mom always did it!
Cream all ingredients together until fluffy and smooth (about 2 minutes)

1) Roll dough into a rectangle about 8 inches wide and 14 inches long.

2) Spread filling over surface of dough.

3) Roll up, cut off end and then cut into about 1 inch pieces or 12 equal pieces.

4) Place in greased 9 x 13 inch pan. 

5) Let raise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.

6) Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 15-20 minutes.

7) Remove rolls from oven and use a pastry brush to brush the tops of rolls with milk.

Make icing

Regular icing

3 T butter, softened

4 T milk

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla.

Cream all together in mixer.  Icing should be pouring consistency but not too runny.  Add more milk or powdered sugar to get the consistency you like.

Cream Cheese Icing

4 T butter, softened

4 oz cream cheese, softened

3 1/2 T milk

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Cream all together in mixer, should be pouring consistency but not too runny.  Add more milk or powdered sugar to get the consistency you like.

While rolls are still warm, pour desired icing over the top.  Icing should cover the outside of the roll and run down into the cinnamon areas.  If it's not running down, the icing is too thick or rolls are not warm enough still.

Enjoy!

Fruity Palm Tree Snack

It seems like my family has gotten into a bad habit of eating unhealthy snacks after school.  So I've decided to try and put forth a little more effort to provide my children with better snacking options.  This is one I found on Pinterest and had to give it a try.  The kids thought it was really fantastic! 

I used one banana, cut in half lengthwise, two kiwis, and two Cuties. 

Copycat Wingers Sticky Fingers

Here's another fabulous and really easy recipe I found here from Pinterest.

For the chicken just buy a package of Tyson’s frozen breaded chicken strips and bake them according to their conventional oven directions. **If you wish to fry them, go for it! Or if you have your own breaded chicken recipe and you feel up to the challenge, then try it! Tyson’s frozen breaded chicken is already done (just bake according to package's directions)and is way easy for the meal in a crunch.**  

SPECIAL Wingers Sauce 1 and ½ cups brown sugar 6 Tbsp FRANKS hot sauce (*It has to be FRANKS! I use the buffalo flavor and it is delicious, but the original would taste good too!*) 4 Tbsp water Heat sauce until sugar is dissolved, then pour over chicken! Enjoy! Serves about 2 with a little left over….so 2 for the price of 1!

 These are a bit spicy, so I made them for my husband and myself and our two oldest children, but the younger boys got regular chicken nuggets. More Sticky Fingers for the rest of us!

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these cookies with my son Zac today. It was fun bonding time! I need to remind myself to do more one on one activities with my children. He actually chose to spend time cooking with me today rather than find a friend to play with. This recipe is great for anyone with an egg allergy but who still wants to enjoy a cookie now and then.
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment or silpat liners. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, melted butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix until mostly incorporated by a few dry streaks remain. Add the chocolate chips and mix until combined and no dry streaks remain.
Roll the dough into 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand (just barely press, you don’t need to flatten it all the way). Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes until the edges are just barely golden brown. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. *Makes about 2-3 dozen cookies

Homemade Frosty's

I recently bought an ice cream maker.  I've used it probably a lot more than I should.  But I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was so good.  The Pinterest recipe makes tons more than what my machine will hold so I had to adapt it some.  Here's what worked for my 2 QT. ice cream maker.

1/2 of a small tub of cool whip
1/2 of a can of sweetened condensed milk
5-6 cups of chocolate milk

Put mixture in your ice cream maker and in about 15 minutes you'll have Frosty's just as good as the ones you get at Wendy's!

White Chicken Enchiladas

White Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken enchiladas with green chili sour cream sauce

*These are seriously so so good*

10 soft taco shells

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken  (I think I'll use a rotisserie chicken next time)

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 pan

2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese.  Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Add broth and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  

4. Stir in sour cream and chilies.  Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.

5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

I also found this recipe via Pinterest at  http://joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/white-chicken-enchiladas.html  I tell ya, Pinterest is an awesome site for finding the best recipes!

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Recipe from Tasty Kitchen

1 envelope Taco Seasoning
6 pieces Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 jar Salsa (16 oz)

Dump everything into a crock pot and give it a little stir to blend the seasoning with the salsa. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. When done, the chicken should shred easily when stirred with a fork.

For tacos, serve the chicken with soft flour tortillas, lettuce, shredded cheese, guacamole, salsa,sour cream etc. I couldn't believe how soft and moist this chicken was and it tasted so good.  I made fresh Guacamole and Blender Salsa to go with ours and it was amazing!

French Bread

French Bread

2 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. yeast
3 T. sugar
2 T. white vinegar Add these ingredients together and let sit until bubbly
1 T. salt
1/3 c. oil (I use Canola)
6 -7 c. flour (or a little more if it's too soft)

Knead for 2-5 mintues and then put in the oven with a small pot of boiling water. The water will keep the dough moist. Watch the dough and punch it down when it gets to the top of the mixing bowl. Do this every time it gets to the top of the bowl, as long as you have time to babysit it (2-5 times). Put the dough on a greased counter top and divide into 2 sections. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal on the bottom of the sheet. Roll the dough balls into rectangle/long French bread shapes. Slash tops of bread diagonally 3-5 times and cover with a beaten egg. Let rise 30 minutes (or until doubled)on the counter, or you can put them in your oven at 170 and wait until they are the size you want to cook them at. Once they are to the right size, turn up your stove to 375 (without opening the door!) and let them bake until done. Or, just raise on the counter and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Makes 2 Large Loaves -- Now I need to buy me some of those awesome French Bread Loaf Pans that make your bread look so nice and evenly shaped!

I found this recipe via Pinterest from this website http://www.dealstomeals.blogspot.com/2009/03/blog-post_09.html  I did increase the amount of flour by about a cup and I think it was much better that way.  This bread tastes so incredible!!!  I don't think I'll ever be able to buy french bread from the store again!

Guacamole #2

I've already posted one Guacamole recipe on this blog, but I think I liked this one even more. 

Ingredients:
2 ripe Avocados, peeled and pitted
1 1/2 Tablespoon of Lime Juice
1/4 Cup minced Red Onion
2 Tablespoons minced Cilantro
1 small clove Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt or 1/2 teaspoon Table Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
Half of one Jalapeño, minced

Directions:
Halve the avocado and remove the pit. Remove the avocado from the skin by scooping it out with a spoon. Place the avocado in a bowl and mash it gently with a fork. Mix in the remaining ingredients.
Serve immediately. The recipe also says you can cover and chill for up to 3 hours.
Makes 3-4 servings (but it will go so fast you should double it! I did.).

I found this recipe at  http://forfood.rezimo.com/2008/07/the-best-guacamole-ive-ever-made-recipe/ but I did alter it some.  I used less lime juice than the original recipe called for and it was plenty for my tastes.

Easy Blender Salsa

 

 I recently joined Pinterest and have been trying lots of new recipes that I've found on there.  There are so many that look amazing and so far almost everything I've tried has been excellent!  I'm not trying to take credit for any of the recipes on this blog, in fact, I think I'm the only person who reads this blog (maybe my mother-in-law too?).  So I'm really just trying to keep track of all the recipes I like in one central location so I don't forget about them!  I'll try and cite where I found them so credit can be given to the right source, assuming of course that there is anyone else who ever tries these recipes. 

Easy Blender Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1- 10 oz can original Rotel
• 1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded or not (depends on how spicy you like it)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• small to medium size handful of cilantro, washed
• juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in the base of a food processor or good blender and pulse to combine for 30 seconds or so until all the ingredients are finely chopped and salsa is desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste. Serve with chips or over tacos.

This recipe can be found at  http://www.mountainmamacooks.com/2012/01/quick-and-easy-salsa/