beef & brown sugar enchiladas

1.5 lbs. ground beef
1 can enchilada sauce
1/2 t. onion powder
1 can refried beans
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 cups grated cheese

brown & season beef. add beans, 1/2 enchilada sauce, brown sugar, and onion powder. bring to a simmer and remove from heat. fill each tortilla with filling and cheese. pour remaining enchilada sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

enjoy!

ham chowder

cook until tender:
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
4 cups diced potatoes
2 cups cooked diced ham
2 cups corn

white sauce:
3/4 cup butter
3/4 flour
1 t. salt
whisk together and cook until smooth and add 3 cups milk and 1 cup canned milk.

combine all ingredients and cook on low 2-3 hours.

Peanut Butter Pancakes

1 Cup Bisquick

2 Egg whites

1/2 cup Peanut butter

1 Cup Milk

1/3 cup Chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients expect chocolate chips together well. Cook on electric skillet at 350 degress or on the stove top. Add chocolate chips to eat pancake individually. That way you can make sure you get a chocolate chip in each bite.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 1/4 Cups Bisquick

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 egg whites

1 can (12 Ounce) fat free evaporated milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients, I start with 2 cups of bisquick, sometimes it seems a little runny so then add some more bisquick. Cook on stovetop or electric skillet. Whole eggs can be used instead of egg whites.

pumpkin waffles

1 cup flour
2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. ground cloves
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T. vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten

combine flour and next four ingredients. make a well in center of mixture. combine milk and next four ingredients in a seperate bowl. add to flour mixture. stir until moist.

pour batter in waffe iron and cook 5-7 minutes.

serve with maple syrup &/or whipped cream.

pumpkin whoopies

cookies:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup soft butter
beat until smooth & add:
1 pkg. 2 layer size spice cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

cook on a pan lined with foil for 15 minutes at 375.

filling:
1/2 cup soft butter
8 oz. cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 7 oz. jar marshmallow creme
1/2 t. cinnamon & nutmeg

beat until combined.

cool cookies. place filling in the middle of two cookies to form a little sandwich.

enjoy!

Crockpot Chili Verde

1 1/2 pounds chicken or pork boneless and diced into cubes
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup green chili sauce
2 cups tomatillos, husks removed and coarsely chopped
2 roasted green chilis, seeded and diced ( Anaheim or Poblano work well)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon sugar(optional)
3 tablespoons oil
2 cups water

Brown the chicken or pork in a small amount of lard or oil, over high heat.
Place the browned chicken or pork, chili sauce and tomatillos into a crock pot and set on low, or a large, covered pot over low heat. Simmer for 2 hours. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for and additional 2 hours. Check every 30 minutes and add water as necessary. Serve hot.

** Note- Next time I make this I am going to roast the tomatillos just to see if it gives it a different flavor, but the tomatillos were good unroasted as well.

Crock Pot Southwest Chicken Spaghetti

You have to try this recipe!!!!! I am giving you the link because it is copyrighted, but it is so worth making this. Just a note. The recipe calls for 4 chicken breasts. I only used 2 and all the other ingredients I left the same but I did use pinto beans instead of the black. I also mixed it all together once the spaghetti was cooked. It was so good, and even better the next day!!!
You will need to copy and paste this link in your URL.

thepioneerwoman.com/tastykitchen -- this link will take you to pioneerwoman.com so you have to scroll down until you see the tasty kitchen link. When you get to the tasty kitchen home page, do a search on that site for "southwest chicken spaghetti and you should be able to find it from there.

Sorry this is so confusing, but its the only way since its copyrighted.

Bethie

Garlic Chive Mashed Potatoes

This is the best recipe ever! Quick and EASY!!!!

Potato Pearls
Garlic
chives

Make the potato pearls according to the box. I always add some milk and butter in mine if it doesn't call for it. Mix in some chopped garlic i use a garlic press so you don't get a random chunk and add chives(if you don't have chives green onions work just as good) and that is it. you don't even have to tell anyone you used the pearls. You could always boil your potatoes and smash them too if you want.

Meat Loaf

2 lb Hamburger
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3 slices of bread
2 eggs
1 dash hot sauce
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic
ketchup
salt and pepper

Saute onions until translucent, and set aside to cool. In a small bowl whisk together eggs, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic. Put egg mixture in a large bowl with hamburger and bread crumbs. Take the bread slices and run under water then squeeze out extra water and break into the hamburger bowl. Add onions into the large bowl of hamburger and mix with your hands until all together. place on a cookie sheet so it looks like a log and spread ketchup over it. Cook at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until its done.

Stove Top Chicken

1 box stove top stuffing
4 chicken breasts
2 cups sour cream
2 cans Cream of mushroom soup

Make stuffing according to the box. in a casserole dish place chicken breasts. Mix sour cream and soup together and place over chicken. Top that with stuffing mixture. cook in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked. (can use rotisserie chicken and then you just have to warm it up)

zucchini bread

i took a picture, but it didn't do any justice. it just looked...weird.

3 eggs
1 c. oil
2 c. sugar (can use 1 c. white, 1 c. brown)
3 c. blended zucchini
3 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
3 t. cinnamon
3 c. flour
1/4 t. baking powder

add ingredients in order given, mixing liquids then adding dry ingredients. bake at 350 for 1 hour for 2 loaves or 45 min. for 4 small loaves.

moist and delicious and a great way to use some of the fresh zucchini we keep getting.

Chicken Alfredo

1 Jar Alfredo Sauce
16 oz Ricotta Cheese
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Lb Chicken
Lemon Pepper
Broccoli
Bow tie pasta

Cook chicken with desired amount of lemon pepper. stem broccoli until cooked. Cook pasta until done. Mix everything together and serve warm. (can substitute rotisserie chicken for the lemon pepper chicken)

Chicken Skillet

1 Lb of chicken, cubed
4 large Potatoes, sliced
2 cups frozen mixed veggies
¼ cup water
1 Can Cream of mushroom soup
1 cup cheese
Season all
Cook chicken with season all. Once it is cooked place in a bowl and set it aside. In the skillet you just cooked the chicken, add the potatoes, frozen veggies and water (can add a little more season all if desired). Cook until veggies are tender. Add chicken, soup and cheese and cook until warm. Serve immediately. Quick and tasty!

Best Ever Steak Marinade

This here's a great marinade that contains basic ingredients that, when combined and allowed to blend, will give you a tender, juicy piece of meat every time.

INGREDIENTS

· 1 cup vegetable oil

· 1/2 cup soy sauce

· 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

· 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

· 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

· 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

· 2 tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard

· 1 onion, sliced

· 2 cloves garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, ground black pepper, mustard, onion, and garlic. Mix together well, and use to marinate your favorite meat. Best if marinate at least 8 hours, or even overnight.

Cream Puff Cake

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs

1(8oz) package softened cream cheese
4 cups milk
3 (3.5 oz) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (12 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup chocolate syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat butter and water to boiling over med-high heat. Add flour and reduce heat to low. Cook and stir until it forms a ball and pulls away from the pan. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.
Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the egg and flour mixture in the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool completely.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, combine softened cream cheese and milk and beat until smooth. Add pudding mix and beat until thickened. Spread over cooled shell. Top with whipped topping, and drizzle chocolate syrup over the top.
*you won't be able to eat just one, I promise* :)

Baked Potato Pizza

We do a card group every month and this is what I made, and it was a huge hit with all the ladies.

Crust:  (You can use any crust you choose, this is the recipe I use)

2 1/2 c flour

1 tsp salt

2 tbls oil

1 heaping tbls yeast

1 c warm water

Mix the water and yeast, then add remaining ingredients.  Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Then add toppings and melt cheese.

** This will fit a cookie sheet, but you have to stretch it a lot**

Toppings:

Sour Cream (about 1 small container)

3 large Potatoes*

Mozzarella Cheese

Cheddar Cheese

Chopped Green Onions

Bacon  (already cooked and chopped)

Tomatoes

Broccoli (already cooked and chopped)

*To prepare the potatoes chop them into small cubes.  Then coat them with melted butter (about 2 tablespoons) and sprinkle with garlic salt and dried italian seasoning.  Bake in the oven at 425 for about 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Spread the sour cream over a cooked crust, then spread shredded mozzarella cheese.  Put any desired toppings on the pizza, then cover them with cheddar and mozzarella cheese.  Bake in the oven long enough to melt the cheese.

Happy Cooking!

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1- white cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
30 oreo cookies

Directions:
Pull apart 12 of the oreo cookies and place one half of each cookie at the bottom of 24 lined muffin cups. Try to get frosting on each half if possible.
Mix together cake mix, sour cream, oil, eggs and vanilla. Crush up the remaining oreos and put 1 1/2 cups of the crushed oreos in the cake mix. Fill cupcake cups about 2/3 full and bake at 350* for 18-20 min.
I topped mine with this yummy frosting and piped it onto the cupcakes. Top with remaining oreos.
Enjoy!

Weight Watchers Spaghetti alla Carbonara

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 cup chopped cooked ham
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, but reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid you cooked the pasta in. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the ham and cook for 2 minutes. Add pasta and ham back into the pan you cooked the pasta in.
In a seperate bowl, combine cheese, sour cream, salt, and garlic, mix well. In a different bowl, whisk eggs and slowly add the reserved pasta water, whisk well. Pour the cheese mixture on the spaghetti and ham, mix. Then add egg mixture, stir well. Cook over med-low heat 5 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring constantly(do not boil). Salt and pepper to taste.

Mexican Orzo Salad

1 (16 ounce) package orzo pasta
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 small yellow pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onion, chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can black OR pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8,75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves
salt and pepper to taste.
5 limes, juiced
6 TBSP canola oil

Fill large pot with water and bring to boil, salt water and stir in orzo. Cook about 11 minutes until firm to bite. Stir occasionally because it can stick to the bottom of the pan. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Place the drained orzo in a large bowl, and add the peppers, onions, corn, and all the beans. Mix well and salt and pepper to taste. Mix lime juice and oil in small seperate bowl whisk well. then toss into the salad.

NOTE I didn't have a red pepper so we used green, and I didn't use cilantro (I don't care for it). It turned out very good!! It is a very refreshing salad, and the orzo is a lot of fun to work with.
Bethie

stinky feet salad

let's just say it tastes better than it smells :)

salad
1 head broccoli
1 head cauliflower
5 chopped green onions
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
optional: sunflower seeds, raisins, and cheese (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup each)

dressing
1 1/2 c. mayo
8 T. red wine vinegar
3/4 c. sugar

in a small bowl, mix dressing ingredients together. place all salad ingredients in a bowl and top with dressing. the flavor is best if you let the salad and dressing sit overnight before serving.

ham & swiss sliders

sandwiches
24 white rolls
24 pieces honey ham
24 small slices swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayo
1/3 cup miracle whip

poppy seed sauce
1 1/2 T. poppy seeds
1 1/2 T. yellow mustard
1 stick melted butter
1 T. minced onion
1/2 t. worcestershire sauce

in a small bowl, mix together mayo & miracle whip. spread into both sides of the center of each roll. place a slice of ham & swiss cheese in each roll. close rolls & place in large baking dish or cookie sheet. place very close together.

in a medium bowl, whisk together all the poppy seed sauce ingredients. pour evenly over all the sandwiches. let sit 10 minutes, or until butter sets slightly. cover with foil and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. uncover and cook an additional 2 minutes. serve warm.

chimichangas

1 small onion, diced
7 oz. can salsa verde or green chile sauce
1 tomato, diced
garlic, minced
1 t. cumin
1 t. salt
8-10 tortillas
1 1/2 c. grated cheese
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 T. oil

in frying pan, heat oil. add onion, tomato, garlic, and cumin. saute 7-10 minutes. drain liquid and add chicken, salsa verde, and salt. cook until warm. warm up tortillas and place heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture in the middle of each tortilla. sprinkle with grated chees. fold tortillas over mixture, folding in sides and flap. fry in a little bit of oil until golden brown. garnish with guacamole.

these are especially delicious with fresh tortillas. mm mmm.

Poppyseed Chicken Casserole

1 large chicken breast, cooked & shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 12 oz. container sour cream
1 T. poppyseed
1 T. dried onion
1 T. garlic powder
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
1 row Ritz crackers

1. Combine soup, sour cream, onions, garlic powder, and poppyseed in a bowl.
2. In a casserole dish, layer chicken, then soup mixture.
3. Crush crackers in a bag and sprinkle on top.
4. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of crackers.
5. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Johnson Cookies

1 1/4 sticks (not cups) butter, melted
2 eggs
2 C. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 C. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
1 C. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla. Mix in remaining ingredients expect for chocolate chips. Press mixture in greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with chocolate chips and bake 30-35 minutes.

note: don't press this all the way to the edges because the dough tends to climb up the sides. after 30-35 minutes, they don't look like they are done, but if you bake them until they look done, they will be overcooked. the cookies will setup as they cool.

Yellow Cupcakes with Sticky Chocolate Icing

i gave in to the cupcake trend. i know, i know. sorry it's a terrible picture (taken with my phone) but these cupcakes turned out so yummy. i made them for my boss' birthday and they were a hit with everyone. but then it doesn't take much to make guys happy :)

muffins
2 cups flour
2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
2 t. vanilla
3/4 cup milk

preheat oven to 350. sift flour, baking powder, and salt. (or don't - who sifts anything these days?! they turned out fine without sifting) with an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. scrape sides of bowl and mix a few more seconds. add eggs, one at time, mixing well after each addition. add vanilla and mix well. alternate adding dry ingredients and milk to the butter/egg/sugar mixture. mix well.

fill muffin tins 3/4 full with batter. bake 20-22 minutes, or until poufy, but not brown. cool before icing.

sticky icing
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 T. butter

mix ingredients in small saucepan. melt ingredients over low/medium heat, stirring gently. the icing is ready when everything is melted.

spoon warm icing over cupcakes, stopping to stir in icing about every 3rd cupcake.

optional: sprinkle with mini m & ms for even more chocolatey goodness.

recipe found here.

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

I know, not the prettiest soup, but it's so good and super easy.  I like to cook a bunch of chicken in the crockpot and freeze it in 2 cup bags for things like this, it makes it a breeze!

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup:

By: Trina Asay

 2 cans diced tomatoes (optional to use tomatoes with green chilies, or add a can of green chilis, or both.  I really like the kick it gives it.)

1-2 cans chicken broth (maybe 1 1/2 cans or 3 cups)

2 can traditional refried beans 

1 can corn. You can use frozen corn

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Garlic salt, cumin and onion salt to taste

Optional: chopped onion, 

Shredded Montery Jack cheese, or regular cheese

Fried corn tortilla strips or corn chips

Lime juice for splashing in while serving. 

Combine tomatoes and broth in medium saucepan.  Stir in beans and corn.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add chicken and heat through.  Top with chips, cheese, lime juice and optional sour cream (it's good but deffinately doesn't need it) when serving.

 

Baked Chicken Fried Steaks & Gravy

1/4 C. all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2/3 C. seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tbsp cornstarch,
1 tsp. paprika
2-4 dashes of hot sauce
1 pound cube steak, cut into 4 portions
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
2 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth or chicken
1 Tbsp water
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Place all purpose flour on large plate. Place seasoned bread crumbs on separate large plate. Place egg whites in shallow dish.
Season flour with salt, pepper and paprika. Season eggs with salt, pepper and few dashes of hot sauce if desired. Season both sides of cube steaks with salt and pepper. Dredge cube steaks in the flour and shake off excess. Dip in the egg white and dredge in bread crumbs. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Reduce to med heat and brown both sides of steaks turning once, 3-5 min. total. Transfer steak to prepared baking sheet. Repreat process with other steaks. Bake until cooked through, 12-15 min.
Gravy:
Add broth to the same pan as you cooked the cube steaks in. Boil over med. heat, stirring occasionally until reduced to 1 C, 3-5 min. Whisk water and corn starch in small bowl until smooth. Remove the pan from heat and stir in corn starch mixture. Return to heat and cook, stirring until thickened. Stir in milk, salt and pepper. Serve the steaks topped with gravy.
Note: half and half can be used in place of milk but I didn't have it so the milk worked fine.
Beef stock is what recipe called for, but I didn't have any and chicken stock worked fine.
Makes 4 servings

--Bethie

Brownie Caramel Cheesecake

By: Trina Asay

1 (9 ounce) package brownie mix (I just used 2 cups of a regular sized one, and that      was ½ of it and about 9 oz.

1 egg

1 tablespoon cold water

1 can La Lechera, Dolce De Leche, by Nestle, it’s caramel sweetened condensed milk (you can use this in place of the caramels and sweetened condensed milk.)  It’s found in the Mexican food isle.

1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped

1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

13/4 cup white sugar            

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 cup chocolate fudge topping (I just used chocolate syrup because you don’t need that much)

Raspberries (optional to add to filling mixture before pouring into pan and baking)

 

DIRECTIONS

1.                   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

2.                   In a small bowl, mix together brownie mix, 1 egg and water. Spread into the greased pan. Bake for about 12 minutes.  Brownies will not be done, but done enough.

3.                   Melt the caramels with the evaporated milk over low heat in a heavy saucepan. Stir often, and heat until mixture has a smooth consistency. Reserve 1/3 cup of this caramel mixture, and pour the remainder over the warm, baked brownie crust.  If using the La Lechera, Dolce de Leche, just warm enough to pour and spread, still reserving 1/3 co for topping.

4.                   In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour cream cheese mixture over caramel mixture.

5.                   Bake cheesecake for 50 minutes. Chill in pan. When cake is thoroughly chilled, loosen by running a knife around the edge, and then remove the rim of the pan. Heat reserved caramel mixture, and spoon over cheesecake. Drizzle with the chocolate topping.  I just used chocolate syrup because you don’t need that much and it’s really easy and already in thef fridge.

Cadbury Egg Cookies

1/2 c. crisco
1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 1/2 c. flour
6 T. cocoa powder
1 10 oz. bag cadbury mini-eggs

preheat oven to 350. crush the cadbury eggs by placing them in a ziplock bag and rolling them with a marble rolling pin.

cream butter, crisco, and sugars. add in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. in a seperate bowl, whisk together flour, soda,baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. add to the butter mixture to combine, then mix in the candies.

drop onto a cookie sheet and cook 8-10 minutes.

Baked Penne with Chicken

no picture- we ate it too fast.

3 T. butter
1/2 lb. wheat penne pasta
1 t. olive oil
1 chicken breast, 8 oz.
1/4 c + 1 T. flour
2 minced garlic cloves
3 cups whole milk
5 oz. white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (We hate mushrooms so I left them out. Next time, I will probably add artichoke hearts)
1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
3/4 c. shredded provolone cheese
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese + 1/4 c. for topping

Preheat oven to 400. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish. In a pot of boiling and salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout. Thinly slice and put on top of drained pasta.

Sauce: using the same pan you used to cook the chicken (just whipe out what is left of the oil), melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, one minute. Gradually add milk. Bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook one minute. Remove from heat and shirt in provolone and parmesan cheese.

Pour sauce over pasta and chicken. Stir well and pour into baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan. Bake uncovered until top is golden and bubblig, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Kneader's Bread Pudding with Cream Sauce.

Pictured without cream sauce

Kneaders is in Provo and Orem but may also be in Salt Lake.  They have a fabulous Raspberry bread pudding.  This is supposedly the recipe and it's wonderful.  I have made it with the cream it calls for and I've made it with just whole milk.  The cream may have made it a little better, we also felt kind of sick after eating it when it was made with cream, because it was so rich!  This is in no way healthy, but it's awesome.  Give it a try!

Cream Mix:
1 1/2 loaves aged, white bread
1 qt. heavy cream
3 C. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Fruit Filling:
5 C. frozen raspberries
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. apple juice

Vanilla Sauce:
1 1/3 C. butter
5 Tbs. flour
3 C. heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 C. sugar

In a large bowl, combine cream, sugar, egg and vanilla. Cut bread into 1 1/2" cubes and add to cream mixture, coating bread well. Let stand 30 minutes stirring every 5 minutes to allow cream to absorb completely. For fruit filling, combine raspberries, sugar and apple juice, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Layer a 9x13 dark baking dish 3/4 full with bread mixture, pour fruit filling over bread mixture, spreading evenly, top with remaining bread. Bake 40 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve warm. Top with vanilla sauce. For vanilla sauce, over medium heat, melt butter, and add flour. Stir 10 minutes until it has a nutty aroma; do not brown. Add salt, cream and sugar and boil till mixture is thick. Remove from heat, adding vanilla. Serve this wonderful sauce cold.

Moonbeam Cookies

18 oz package Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1 cup flaked or sweetened coconut

½ cup lemon curd

⅓ cup white chocolate chips

In a large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir in coconut. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. With thumb or handle of wooden spoon, make an indentation in center of each cookie. Spoon about ½ tsp lemon curd into each indentation. Bake at 350° for 10-13 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet and cool.

Microwave white chocolate in a small microwavable bowl on medium for 1-2 minutes. Stir well. Drizzle over cookies.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Peanut Butter Fingers

I've been wanting to make these yummy treats for a while now and just haven't been able to find a really good recipe. Well, I finally found one and made them today for a friend of mine that has been going through cancer and is now in remission. She hasn't been able to eat certain foods, but I was told a few days ago that she would enjoy these. :)

1 cup butter
1/2 cup + 3 TBS white sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 cups rolled oats

Cream together butter and sugars, add eggs and mix. Then add peanut butter, mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix together. Place in jelly pan ( it is enough dough for two 9x13 pans, the dough should be 1/2 thick for the size of pan you use) I used a cookie sheet and it worked great.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 min. watch closely, the dough will raise. Pull out of the oven when the dough first starts to fall. Do not overcook. Let cool in pan. Put a layer of peanut butter and then chocolate frosting on the top. Cut and serve.

pork quesidillas with jalapeno jelly

if you have ever eaten at cafe sabor, this jalapeno jelly is just like what they serve with their sweet pork quesidillas. delicious! the pork i made isn't really 'sweet' pork, but i liked it that way because you could taste the jalapeno jelly more.

oven roasted pork
5-6 lb. pork roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 T. rock salt
1 t. worcestershire sauce
1 t. ginger
1 clove garlic
1 t. liquid smoke

combine first five ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. lay three pieces of aluminum foil on top of each other and place pork in the middle. rub mixture over pork and drizzle with liquid smoke. fold all sheets of aluminum foil over pork and wrap tightly. place wrapped meat in a baking dish and bake 5 hours at 375. shred pork before serving.

this makes a LOT of pork, which i love, because then we have leftovers all week. we use the pork in taco salad, burritos, BBQ sandwiches, quesidillas, etc...

jalapeno jelly
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped jalapeno
5 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 6 fluid ounce container liquid pectin

mince peppers in food processor. in 5 qt. pot over high heat, combine peppers, sugar, and vinegar. bring to a rolling boil and cook for 3 minutes. remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. add pectin, stirring continuously, and cool 2 more minutes. pour into hot, sterilized jars and allow to cool in order to seal. yield: 2 quart size jars or 6 jelly size jars

i didn't want to deal with the sterilizing jars and canning part, so i halved the recipe and it made just under 1 quart of jelly. it was so yummy that it will definitely be gone soon.

Sweet Pepper Rice

FINALLY, rice that tastes like Bajio's rice! Mike thinks it could have done without the onion and pepper, but I know that they added to the yumminess :]

3 TBSP. butter
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 red pepper, finely copped
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup long grain white rice
3 cups chicken stock

In large saute pan, melt butter. Add onion and pepper. Cook until soft. Add cilantro, salt, and garlic powder. Cook another minute. Add rice and brown but don't let it burn. Disolve sugar in chicken stock. When dissolved, add to rice. Bring to a simmer, turn to low, and cook covered for 30 minutes.

Sweet Lime Chile Enchiladas

*recipe and picture from this blog. the flavor of the chicken was amazing!

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

12 oz. bottle salsa verde
1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup lime juice

1 TBSP. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup heavy cream

8-10 flour tortillas

5 cups shredded cheese

In a large bowl, whisk together honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Add shredded chicken to lime mixture. Let sit 10 minutes.

In a 9 x 13 pan, pour 3/4 bottle of salsa verde and reserve the rest. Take each tortilla and fill with chicken and cheese. Roll up and place seam down in the salsa verde. Repeat until tortillas are filled. After you remove all the chicken, there will be remaining lime sauce in the bowl. Add heavy cream and remaining salsa verde to sauce. Pour over enchiladas and cover with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Serve with Sweet Pepper Rice.

Cheesy Potato and Bacon Soup

3 cans cream of potato soup
2 cans evaporated milk
6 strips cooked bacon
1/4 cup pepper jack cheese
3/4 cup cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients in saucepan. Add cheese right before serving.

Fish Tacos for 2

4 fish sticks of your choice

4 corn tortillas

shredded cabbage

salsa

sliced avocado

"spiced" ranch dressing--we used 4 tablespoons of ranch dressing and 2-4 teaspoons of Iggys chili water, but you can spice it with just hot sauce.

Cook fish sticks according to the package. Soften corn tortillas so they are bendable. Place one fish stick in tortilla with a handful of shredded cabbage and drizzle with spiced ranch dressing. Top with salsa and avodado.

Chicken Tamale Pie

This is such a simple recipe, and so so Yummy! I love the sweetness of the cornbread along with the spicy-ness of the salsa. Its delish...give it a try! :)

2-3 breasts of chicken, boiled and cut into small pieces

1 16 oz. jar salsa or green chile verde sauce (either one is excellent)

1 lb. bag of marie calendar cornbread mix, prepare as package directs

Place cut up chicken into a 8x10 cake pan. Pour whole jar of salsa over the chicken. Pour cornbread over the salsa, spread evenly(its ok if salsa shows through).

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Garnish with sour cream.

Winter Salad

1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/2 cup craisins
1 apple, cubed
1 pear, cubed

Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
2 t. chopped onion
1/2 t. salt
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 t. dijon mustard
1 T. poppyseeds
2/3 cup oil
Place all ingredients except the oil in a blender. Blend and slowly add oil. Toss with salad right before serving.

Caramel Apple Croissants

2 apples
2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 t. vanilla
1 cup Mountain Dew
cinnamon

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple in 8 slices. Roll apple slices in crescent rolls. Place in 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes.

*note: this can be made healthier by using I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, Splenda, and Diet Mountain Dew. Also, I used half the amount of butter and sugar and it was still yummy!

Potsticker Dumplings

Mine never look as pretty as the picture above, but we love these. Recipe and picture from kraftfoods.com

1 lb. ground pork- browned
1-1/2 cups chopped napa cabbage (about 3 oz.)
4 green onions, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup Brianna's Ginger Salad Dressing *this dressing is what makes these so yummy. Make sure to get the Brianna's brand!
1/4 cup soy sauce, divided
1 pkg. (12 oz.) round won ton wrappers (about 4 doz.)
10 tsp. oil, divided

After you have browned the pork, mix with cabbage, onions, egg and 2 Tbsp. of the dressing and soy sauce. Spoon onto won ton wrappers, adding about 1 tsp. of the pork mixture to each wrapper. Moisten edge of each wrapper with water; fold in half to form a half-moon, pressing edges together to seal. If desired, edges can be pleated with five or six folds.

Heat 2 tsp. of the oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add 10 dumplings; cook 1 to 1-1/2 min. and turn so both sides are browned. Repeat with remaining dumplings.

Combine remaining 2 Tbsp. dressing, remaining 2 Tbsp. soy sauce and 1 Tbsp. water. Serve as a dipping sauce with the dumplings.

Chewy Lemon Cookies

Everyone that I have made these for loves them! They are a really light cookie which makes them kind of addicting! The bonus is that they are super easy to make!

1 lemon cake mix

2 eggs

1 8oz tup cool whip (thawed)

powdered sugar

Mix ingredients together until well blended. Chill in the fridge for about two hours. Take out of fridge and roll dough into balls and roll balls in powdered sugar. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Lasagna Soup

This is a new one I got from Family Fun magazine.  When I made it I didn't realize that I had used Spicy Italian Sausage,  and I would recommend not using it because the soup was extremely spicy.  But other than that it was very good.

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed)

2 onions, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 28 0z. can diced tomatoes

6 cups chicken broth

2-3 bay leaves

8 oz. fusilli pasta

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil

8 oz. ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

salt and pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1.  In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the sausage and saute, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink.  Drain any excess fat from the pot.  Add the onions and saute until soft.  Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and saute for about 1 minute.  Add the tomato paste and saute until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

2.  Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bit, following the time recommendations in the pasta package.  Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil.  If desired, season with salt and pepper to taste.

3.  In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the parmesan, 1/4 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper.  To serve, place a scoop of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top.  

Makes about 13 cups.

Berry Yummy Crepes

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

dash of salt

1 heaping tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon sugar

Whisk together in bowl. Heat frying pan on medium heat, spray well with pam. Pour in batter, cover with lid. Reduce heat to medium low. Let cook about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove lid, center of crepe should not be runny. If your pan is too small, either cook only part of the batter or flip the crepe. Gently remove with large spatula. Fill with fresh blueberries and strawberries, top with whipped cream.

Makes one large crepe

Homemade Tortilla Chips

A little healthier tortilla chip :)

12 yellow or white corn tortillas

spray canola oil

sea salt

Lightly spray each tortilla front and back with canola oil, stack on top of each other. Cut into 1/4 triangles. Spread out on cookie sheet so they are not touching but close together. Sprinkle with salt. Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Let cool. Serve with your favorite salsa.

Enjoy, Bethie

Bread Sticks

Thanks Bethie for this recipe. I have made these several times.

1 T. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
3 cups flour
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cube butter
Parmesan cheese
Garlic salt

Disolve yeast in water. Mix with sugar, salt, and flour. Knead for 3 minutes. Let rise for 30 minutes. Roll into sticks, then roll in butter. Sprinkle with garlic salt and cheese. Let rise 30 minutes before baking. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I think my mom got this recipe from my cousin. It was really easy and good. Mike even ate it, probably because I left out the onions and didn't make him eat an avacado with his soup.
Serves 8-10 (I made half and we'll have lots of leftovers)
4 chicken breasts
1 t. olive oil
1 t. minced garlic
1/2 t. cumin
4 cans chicken broth
2 c. onion
1 t. chili powder
2 T. lemon juice
1 c. salsa
Cook all of the above ingredients in a crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. A couple hours before serving, shred the chicken breasts and add:
1 can corn
1 can black beans
2 T. cilantro
Return to crockpot to cook.
Serve with a handful of crushed tortillas on top, as well as guacomole, sour cream, or a fresh avacado.

Creamy Garlic Potatoes

One of our friends invited us over for dinner one night and made these potatoes, and now they are one of our favorite things to make.

5-6 Potatoes

1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream

3 or 4 Minced Garlic Cloves

Salt and Pepper to taste

Slice the potatoes to 1/8 or 1/4 of an inch thick and place in a pot.  Pour in the cream until it just barely covers the potatoes, and mix in the garlic and salt and pepper.  Simmer on low to medium heat until the potatoes are tender.  Then place in a baking dish and sprinkle cheese on top.  Cook in the oven uncovered for about 10 min at 350, just long enough to melt the cheese and brown the potatoes on top.

Enjoy! 

Berry Trifle

Nate served his mission in England and loved the trifles they'd make. This recipe is our favorite.

1 Angel Food Cake, baked and cooled

1 large package vanilla pudding, prepared

1 pint cream, whipped

Fresh fruit - strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, bananas, etc.

Cut angel food cake into bite-size pieces. Place half the cake pieces into the bottom of the trifle dish. Next, pour half the vanilla pudding on top of the cake pieces. Cover pudding with half of the cream and layer with fresh fruit. Repeat above steps until trifle dish is full.

Nieman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

Well since we're starting off this recipe blog with desserts, I thought I might throw in one of my coveted recipes that I received from a patent lawyer during a lecture on patents in school.  The story goes that these cookies were sold by the Nieman Marcus company (hope I spelled that right) at a cost of $13 a pound.  A lady was curious as to why they cost so much and bought some, tried them and loved them.  She found the recipe on line, made them, and sure enough was just the same.  The big company found out tried to sue the lady and the person that posted the recipe.  The defending attorney did some research and found out that the recipe wasn't patented so the whole thing never went to court.  So the following is the recipe:

2 cups butter (not fattening at all!)

2 cups sugar

2 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

4 cups flour

5 cups ground oats (measure five cups first, then grind)

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 bags of Guittard chocolate chips (silver & blue bag)

1 oz grated Hershey chocolate bar

Cream butter and sugars.

Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extract.

Mix with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Add chocolates chips and grated chocolate.

Roll into good size balls, place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 for about 10-15 minutes.

Makes about 85-90

ENJOY

Ben

Oreo Truffles

I will start us off with one of my favorite desserts to cook as of late. They are really easy to make, it just takes a while to roll the truffles in the chocolate.2 packages oreos

2 packages softened cream cheese

2 bags chocolate chips- white or milk

Blend oreos in a food processor until they are a very fine powder. Reserve a cup of mixture to sprinkle over truffles. Add softened cream cheese and mix using a hand-mixer. Roll into little balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Melt chocolate chips and roll truffles in the chocolate. Sprinkle with oreo crumbs. Allow to cool before serving.