Apricot Dijon Glazed Chicken

I made a whole bunch (and I do mean A LOT!) of peach freezer jam last fall when my peach tree was overflowing with yummy goodness.  But it turns out that my kids don't like peach jam and there's no way I can eat it all myself.  I've had this recipe for years and years but it just occurred to me to try and use peach jam instead of apricot.  And guess what?  It was awesome, that's what!  So I guess I've found a great way to use up all that jam and my kids don't even know they're eating it.  By the way, there really wasn't anything wrong with the jam...it just wasn't strawberry or grape so therefore it was too "different."  I know jam and mustard don't seem like they go together, but believe me, it works.  It has kind of an Asian sweet and sour taste to it.  Try it tonight!

Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs (I used tenders instead)
1 jar (12 oz) apricot jam (or peach)
2 Tbsp. Honey
2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard

Bring jam, honey and mustard to a boil in a small saucepan.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until it's thickened and reduced to about half (about 15 minutes.)  You don't have to stir it constantly, but frequently.  And definitely don't let it boil over because that would be a terrible mess.  I'd probably move instead of clean it up! Put chicken into a 9X13 pan and salt and pepper.  Pour the sauce over the top and spread it evenly.  Bake at 425 for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Serve over rice. 

Chocolate Syrup for Pancakes/Waffles

I've been kind of on a syrup kick lately.  Once I realized there was more to syrup than just maple I've been keeping an eye out for other syrup recipes.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to try it out this morning.  It was a hit with all of us!

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• 3/4 cup commercially prepared chocolate milk (full-fat version)*
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

1. In a large pan (make sure it is large, this syrup will grow when you add the vanilla and soda), place the butter, chocolate milk, and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously.
2. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and soda (it will foam)
3. Serve over hot pancakes or waffles.

*I didn't have commercially prepared chocolate milk so I just mixed some Hershey's syrup into the milk until it was pretty chocolately looking.  I thought it worked great, but I do want to try it with commercially prepared chocolate milk and see if there's a difference. 

Recipe found here.

Homemade Pancake Mix

Ingredients:
8 cups all-purpose flour (you could substitute 2 cups with whole wheat flour for a healthier version.)
2 cups powdered milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking powder
1 Tbsp. salt


1. Mix all ingredients together well and store in an airtight container.  Makes about 5 batches.

Then use the following recipe to make the batter.

PANCAKE BATTER
2 1/2 cups homemade pancake mix
2 large eggs
water (about 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, but delicious)
2 tablespoons melted butter or oil

1. Whisk together all ingredients, adding water until combined but slightly lumpy!

2. Heat greased skillet or fry pan over medium heat.  Pour about 1/4 cup batter per pancake and cook until golden brown, flipping once.

Caramel Sauce

Tonight I was really craving something sweet.  So I started scanning my cupboards to see what I had and I noticed that my brown sugar was on the verge of going dry and hard.  It's not every day that you need to "use up" brown sugar, but...alas....if I must, I must!  This is a really easy caramel recipe that is great for dipping with apple slices.  I have an abundance of apples right now because I just bought a huge box from Bountiful Baskets.  I'm just doing my best to make sure nothing spoils before we use it up! Oh, and this can also be used as a caramel sauce on ice cream or other desserts.  Just heat it up for a few seconds in the microwave until it is pourable. This will keep in the fridge for several weeks...though there's no way it will last that long without being eaten!  Recipe makes about 4 cups.

Caramel Dip

1 c. real butter

2 c. brown sugar

1 c. light corn syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

dash salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, condensed milk and salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix in vanilla. If using as a sauce, reduce boiling time to 3 minutes. Keep covered in refrigerator and reheat as needed. 

**** This recipe was blatantly borrowed from my friend Lauren.  I'm sure she won't mind....I don't think.  http://laurenscooking.blogspot.com/2010/11/caramel-dip.html

Lasagna

1 pkg. lasagna noodles
Ricotta cheese (at least 15 oz.  I usually use more than that)
2 cups mozzerella cheese, shredded
1 lb. hamburger*
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 clove minced garlic
1 26 oz jar pasta sauce
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. onion salt
Salt and Pepper to taste

1) Start a large pot of water to boil.  Can add a bit of salt.  Once boiling add the noodles and boil until al dente.  

2) Meanwhile, brown hamburger with minced onion and garlic.  Drain off any excess oil.  Return meat to pan and add pasta sauce, tomato sauce, and all the seasonings.  Test your flavor as you go.  You don't want to get it too salty. Simmer for about 20 minutes. 

3)Spray a 9 X 13 pan.  Layer noodles, then ricotta, then pasta sauce mixture, then mozzerella cheese.  Do three layers.

4) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

*This can, of course, easily be a vegetarian meal.  Just leave out the meat and add layers of spinach leaves, fresh or frozen (if you use frozen be sure it is completely thawed and squeeze out any excess water.)

Chicken Pot Pie

1 lb. chicken, cubed and cooked
2 cups frozen veggies (microwave for a few minutes so they're thawed out)
2 cans cream of broccoli soup
2 pie shells (I buy the frozen ones and thaw them out....lots easier than making your own!)

Put one pie crust in your pie pan.  Mix chicken, vegetables, and soup together and pile in to the shell.  Top with the remaining crust.  Trim off excess pie crust and pinch the two crusts together.  Slice a few slits in the top for ventilation.  Bake at 350 for 50 minutes until nicely browned and bubbly.  You may want to put a pan underneath to catch any spills.  Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. 

Bean & Bacon Soup

While visiting my dad a few weekends ago he whipped up this little dish for us.  It's perfect for an easy weeknight meal, full of protein, and my kids gobbled it up like nobody's business!  It's way better than Campbell's version of Bean & Bacon soup!

1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas)
1 can corn, undrained
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup bacon, cooked and diced (I'll admit I buy the big bag of real bacon bits from Sam's Club)
1 can Rotel - optional, but it gives it a bit more "kick"

Rinse beans well then throw everything in a pot and heat through.  Easy Peasy!  

Breakfast Casserole

This is a great casserole to prepare the night before in your slow cooker and let it cook all night and in the morning you have a delicious breakfast. This turned out really great and it made enough that we had enough for two days in a row (the kids didn't seem to mind having it reheated in the microwave the second day.)

Ingredients:

• 1 bag 26 oz. frozen hash browns (or make your own)
• 12 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1 16 oz. roll sausage
• 1 can cream of mushroom or chicken soup
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups of shredded cheese

Directions:
Spray your crockpot or use a liner. Layer the hashbrowns  at the bottom.  Then put on a pretty good layer of cheese.  Cook the sausage, drain, and layer on top of the cheese (you could also easily use diced ham, or cooked and chopped bacon)  Spread the can or soup, undiluted, on top.  Mix everything together. Then crack 12 eggs into a separate bowl, add the milk, ground mustard, salt and pepper and whisk together.  Pour the egg mixture over the contents of the crockpot.  Then turn on low for 6 - 8 hours and you wake up to a yummy, hot breakfast in the morning.  I wouldn't advise cooking it for longer than 8 hours or it will be to dark around the edges. 

I did have a picture of this but can't seem to locate it.  But I got the recipe from HERE and she has lots of pictures.

Roasted Cabbage

I got 2 large cabbages in my Bountiful Basket and I really don't cook a lot with cabbage.  So I went looking for a new recipe to try.  This was so easy and turned out really good.  Just slice your cabbage into about 1/2 inch thick round sections.  Spray a jelly roll pan and place the cabbage on the pan.  Then either drizzle olive oil on the cabbage rounds or put a dab or two of butter on each round.  Then sprinkle your favorite seasoning salt, or garlic salt, and ground pepper on top. (I actually did a no-salt seasoning mix on mine which is why there looks like a lot.  You probably wouldn't want to put it that thick if your seasoning contains a lot of salt)

Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes until slightly browned and tender crisp. 

Egg Muffins

Lately I've been trying to do better at making my kids breakfast.  I tend to feel kind of guilty when I  slap a bowl of Lucky Charms in front of them for the 5th (or 7th, or 10th) day in a row!  These egg muffins are super easy and if you cook them the night before you can pop them in the microwave for about thirty seconds the next morning and you have a quick, easy and delicious (well, if you like eggs...which I don't.  But everyone else in the family does so I keep making them!) breakfast.

Directions:  Whip together 12 eggs.  Add any ingredient you like to put in an omelet.  Mine had 4 green onions, shredded cheese, diced ham, and 1/3 cup of fresh salsa I had left over from dinner, and salt and pepper.  Then pour the mixture into a well sprayed muffin pan.  You can fill the cups almost to the top but then put a jelly roll pan underneath to catch any spills.  Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned and set. If you make them the night before then let them cool for about twenty minutes and then refrigerate. 

Whipped Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Okay, so I never do this, but I'm adding a recipe I haven't actually made yet.  I did have this the other night but it was made by a friend of mine.  I thought it was so good I had to come home and find the recipe and put it on the blog so I have it handy for the next time I'm craving cupcakes with AMAZING frosting.  This recipe comes from AnniesEats.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups, plus 2 TBSP unsalted butter (that's 3 sticks plus 2 tbsp.), at room temperature
3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (optional)
2 TBSP heavy cream
1 TBSP vanilla extract

Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium high speed until smooth, about one minute. Add the confectioners sugar and mix at medium-low speed until just incorporated. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean pod (if using one) into the bowl and add the pinch of salt. Continue to beat at medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Mix the heavy cream and vanilla in on low speed just until incorporated.  Increase speed to high and whip for 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.

*Yields enough to frost 2 dozen cupcakes

Sweet Potato Bread

I also got a bunch of HUGE sweet potatoes in my Bountiful Basket last week.  Normally I just mash them with some butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, which I love, but you can only do that just so many times! Then I ran across this recipe on Pinterest and thought I'd give it a try.  It is absolutely delicious and tastes a lot like pumpkin bread or pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  I doubled the recipe so I had 12 muffins for breakfast the next morning and a loaf of bread for snacks.  Though I almost hesitate to call this a muffin.  At what point does it become a cupcake instead of a muffin?!  These are so tasty they have to be considered more of a dessert than a breakfast food, don't they?

Sweet Potato Bread
1 ½ cups sugar
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1 ¾ cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 cup water
1 cup cooked sweet potato puree (I just boiled them until soft, then pureed them in my blender)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
***It's easy to sneak a bit more nutrition into these without the kids noticing.  I added about a TBSP of Wheat germ.  You could also add a TBSP of flax seed or bran. I won't tell if you don't! :)

Combine sugar and butter in a mixing bowl, beat until creamy. Add eggs and puree. Beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and beat. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake at 350' for about 1 hour.  For muffins bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Original Recipe found here.

Chicken Noodle Soup

The other night I made Chicken Noodle Soup. I tried to make my own egg noodles but I wasn't 100% happy with them so I'll have to perfect them before I post a recipe. They weren't bad, just a little too thick. I loved how my vegetables looked all lined up on the cutting board so I had to take a picture. I got rainbow carrots in my Bountiful Basket so I decided to use those to add some fun colors.

INGREDIENTS:
2 TBSP Butter
1/2 Onion (I used Leeks because I needed to use them up)
4 celery Stalks, cut
4-5 Carrots, sliced
1 1/2 quarts chicken broth or homemade stock*
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
Egg Noodles
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Stir in carrot, onion, and celery and simmer until  the onions turn soft and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes.
2. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add a little water if it seems to need it.
3. Season to taste with basil and oregano, black pepper, and salt, if necessary; stir in egg noodles and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in cooked chicken breast meat and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.

*Homemade stock is SO much better than store bought chicken broth.  It makes a huge difference in the taste of your soup, though it does take a little time.  I had a rotisserie chicken from the night before with most of the meat picked off that I covered with water, added 3 cloves or garlic, some diced onion, salt, and 2 bay leaves.  Let it simmer for a few hours.  Then strain the liquid into a couple of mason jars and discard the chicken bones and vegetables.