Peanut Butter Kiss cookies

Ok this one is really easy. You can find this recipe anywhere. But just in case you want to know MY thoughts....which few do...well here, ya go.

For each batch:
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter
18 Hershey's Kisses (actually, I'd figure closer to 23)

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix sugars, egg, and peanut butter. Roll into one inch balls (maybe my balls were small, I didn't actually measure), and bake on a cookie sheet for 10mins.

When they come out of the oven, stick a Kiss in the center of each cookie, let them cool, and then remove from the sheet.


Other thoughts:
I made  a triple batch so...a cup of each sugar, 3 eggs, 3 cups pb (which was just about a 28ounce jar), and supposedly a bag of Hershey's kisses would have been more than enough. But It wasn't I had about ten without kisses. So sad. So tasty. So delicious.

While the cookies are baking unwrap the Kisses. Supposedly you can buy these without the wrappers but I was not about to go on a while goose chase for such a thing. The time driving and the increase in cost per bag. So just be smart and unwrap them ahead of time!

 I used Kisses with meltaway centers. I knew there would be consequences but it just sounded too good to pass up. I stuck the cookies in the fridge and let them sit there an hour before I touched them. If I had unwrapped the first batch ahead of time they might be standing a little taller but really they look fine and taste GOOD.

After I was done I saw a recipe on the back of the package to make brownie bites with meltaway Kisses. The instructions were to put the Kisses in the freezer before making the dough. Now THAT would have been smart!

There's a world of possibilities out there. Some people use crunchy peanut butter. I'd like to make chocolate cookies and put mint kisses in the center... Mmmm.

Really simple, good for kids to make, and a holiday favorite in many homes.

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken and Coconut Rice

Here's a meal my mom makes that my husband and I love. I made it for my husband and our sister-in-law last night and it was a big hit. Everything was GONE!

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken

Lay frozen chicken breasts (1-2lbs) at the bottom of a crock pot. If they aren't frozen that's fine but it's always nice to have a recipe that doesn't require defrosting. 

In a bowl mix: 

• 3/4 cup salsa. Use whichever one you like.
• 1/4 cup peanut butter.
• 2 tbs lime juice
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tsp grated ginger 

Mix together and pour over chicken. Cook on low or high or a high/low combo to make it's done for your dinner time. Gosh, I love not worrying about exact measurements but in case you don't... Approx times are: On low about 6-8hrs, on high 4-5 hrs, or on high for an hr and then low for 2-3. 

When it's done top with 1/4 cup chopped peanuts and chopped green onions. I skipped this last night and it was still tasty. 

*You can make this in a casserole dish in the oven. Bake at 350F for about an hour. I haven't made it this way yet so (as ALWAYS) make sure to check the temp of the chicken before serving!

Coconut Rice (two cooking methods)

This is my absolute favorite rice. I could eat it everyday. Easily doubles/triples. I only fed three adults but I wish I had made a double batch. For a double batch just double all ingredients; no special instructions. 

In a rice cooker combine 1 1/4 cups chicken broth, 1 1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1/3 cup coconut milk (reg or light but NOT cream of coconut). Stir in 3/4 cup white rice. Turn on rice cooker. When done top with 1/2 tsp grated lime zest, 2 medium green onions, chopped, and 2tbs toasted coconut. 

OR

Bring 1 1/4 cups chicken broth, 1 1/2 tsp grated ginger, and 1/3 cup coconut milk to a boil. Stir in 3/4cup rice. Bring back to boil then reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15mins or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and top with 1/4tsp grated lime peel and 2 medium green onions chopped. Garnish with 2 tbs toasted coconut.

*To toast coconut: Spread coconut evenly on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 5-7mins, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. You can make a large batch and store in a air tight container or zip lock for several months. 

Stir Fry Broccoli

I only add this b/c it uses left over ingredients from the chicken and it was also GONE. A can of chicken broth is about 2 cups so I simply dumped a bag of frozen broccoli, the remaining chicken broth, a good tbs or two of soy sauce, and a sprinkle of garlic powder into a stir fry pan and cooked until the broccoli was heated through and the sauce boiled off. It was really very flavorful and delicious! 

Note about the coconut milk: The recipe uses only 1/3cup coconut milk. I measured the remaining milk into 1/3 portions and froze in freezer bags. Coconut milk is about $1-$2 per can but makes several recipes. I may use the leftover for our favorite curry chicken :)

Note about fresh ginger: You can freeze the whole root and then just grate what you need each time! Lasts a LONG time and really a very cheap ingredient. Don't be afraid to break off a piece at the grocery store since it tends to be sold in very large portions (as it grows).

No pictures on these yet...Sorry but it went too fast!

Homemade Bagels

Last night I found a recipe for Easy homemade Bagels. I was intrigued and excited to try it out. After reading other recipes and watching a few videos I felt like the Easy Bagel recipe was missing a few things. It's a Recipezaar recipe with no ratings and at least one missed ingredient. It says to add salt but there is no measurement for the salt. So...I took part of the Easy Bagel recipe, part of about 3 videos, one how-to article from Allrecipes.com and a few other recipes and made my own. After tasting them I would say I added too much salt and I would change my method for adding toppings to the bagels in the future.  But it was fun, not very difficult at all, and cost me ...maybe a buck? Not more than $2.

Here's what I did.

Dissolve a tbsp of brown sugar into 1.5 cups of lukewarm water. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of yeast on top of the water. Let it sit that way about 5mins. Hint: If you freeze your yeast you should let it sit out about 10mins to get to room temperature before using it.

Then whisk. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and 1/2 tbsp salt. 

Mix 4cups flour into yeast mixture one cup at a time. Dump onto counter to incorporate up to one more cup of flour until dough is ready. (A total of 4-5cups flour). Hint: As you kneed push more flour to the sides of the dough and keep folding and pushing until you get the desired consistency.

 It shouldn't be very sticky and when pulled it shouldn't easily tear. Here's what it will look like, notice most of the last cup of flour has incorporated into the dough:

Cover with a towel and let dough rise about 40mins. 

Towards the end of your rest time prepare to continue: Preheat oven to 450F. Bring a large pot (I used a stock pot) of water to a boil on the stove. Set out bowls of whatever toppings you would like to use. I used Kosher salt on half and cinnamon sugar on half. Prepare a baking sheet by sprinkling it with corn meal.

Punch air out of dough. Punch down and kneed about 8-10times. 

Divide dough into 12 pieces about the same size. Hint: Best way to do this is to divide the dough in half twice creating 4 equal pieces and then divide each of those into thirds. Also, it's easiest to cut dough with a serrated knife or kitchen shears.

Roll each piece into a ball. 

Stick your finger and thumb through the center of the ball to create a hole. Form the bagel shape from here. *Sorry, I don't have a photo of this b/c I couldn't do it while using the camera at the same time. Some people would rather roll out there dough and then form rings. Do whichever is easiest for you.* They should look like this when you're done:

Drop 4 bagels into the pot of water. Boil for 2 mins.

Flip by pushing on edge of bagel with a plastic spoon and boil for 2mins on the other side. This is what they look like just before you pull them out:

Remove with a slotted spoon to a towel to absorb some of the excess water off the bottoms.*Some people use paper towels but I hate buying them. They are used up quickly when a dish towel would have worked just fine. To me they are often an unnecessary expense but of course use whichever you prefer.

*From here I moved these to a baking sheet and sprinkled the toppings on the bagels but next time I will do it differently*. Dip each bagel into the topping of your choice. Be careful, they are very hot. You can use tongs or a fork to do this. Then transfer to baking sheet, topping side up. 

Repeat steps 9-11 with remaining 8 bagels (two more batches). 

Bake at 450F for about 15-20mins until brown and hollow sounding when tapped. 

*You can see that my excess sugar burned on the cookie sheet. I knew that would happen as soon as I followed the advice to sprinkle toppings on top. Next time dipping the bagels will prevent much of that.* The dark brown on some of my bagels is just cinnamon, they aren't burnt.

Let cool for a few mins but feel free to eat these warm! Here's one I cut into. Very good!

Tater Tot Casserole

Wow, it's been awhile since I last posted. It's also been awhile since I cooked anything interesting. Or rather, cooked something interesting, that isn't already on here, and that I had time to post. Last night I made some jambalaya but it wasn't all that good. My husband liked it more than I did.

Today, for lunch, I decided to make a tater tot casserole. Having lived in Minnesota for 9 years "hot dishes" are prevalent and unfortunately I usually don't care for them. They come out looking like chunky gray mush. No thanks! But I had some frozen tater tots and I really need to use up the stuff in our freezer since we're moving soon.

I found a recipe on Recipezaar that looked pretty good and I made a few adjustments and out came a REALLY good, flavorful, and colorful casserole. (I'm originally from Chicago and I've aways refused to say "hot dish", haha).

Ok so here is the recipe as I made it and at the bottom I'll include the link to the original recipe which was pulled out of a newspaper in the 1970s!

• 24ounce package of frozen tater tots (or your preferred frozen potato)
• seasoned salt, garlic powder, and black pepper
• 1/2lb browned ground beef
• 1 small can French's fried onions, divided
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 2 cups chopped steamed broccoli (I boiled for just 2mins and quickly drained and rinsed under cold water)
• 1/2cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or any cream soup I had a can of cream of chicken I needed to use)
• 1/2cup milk
• 1 small can mushroom pieces and stems, drained

1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C)
2. Spray a 8x12inch casserole dish with the frozen potatoes and sprinkle with the 3 seasonings, to taste. Bake for 10mins . 
3. Remove from oven and top with beef, 1/2 of the can onions, tomato, and brocolli. 
4. Mix the cheese, soup, milk, and mushrooms in a separate bowl and spread over the meat and veggies.
5. Bake for 20mins, COVERED.
6. Top with remaining onions, switch to broil for about 90seconds uncovered until onions begin to brown. Be careful not to burn. 

Serve with a salad. Serves 6 well. 

My husband and I both loved this! We will give it to our daughter for dinner tonight. It was too close to nap time to have her eat this for lunch.
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/print?id=109181

Asian Glaze for Pork Medallions

Here is the recipe for the glaze. I think it would be great on any meat. I pulled the recipe from the Betty Crocker New Choices Cookbook. I'll include the cooking technique for the pork at the bottom. This makes quite a bit of sauce. Next time I'll divide it and freeze some for another time. 

The Glaze:

1/2 cup tomato puree. 

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar (I used brown rice vinegar)

2 tsp grated ginger

2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tsp honey (whoops I used 1tbsp and it tasted great)

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tsp cornstarch

Combine everything in small pan through the garlic first. Then add beef broth. Heat until warm. Mix the cornstarch in about a tbsp of the mixture and then mix into sauce. Cook about 2mins or until thickened. 

To make the pork medallions:

Use 1.5 lbs of boneless pork, loin or chops, about 1/2inch thick. Or..whatever you have on hand. Cut into small pieces a few bites each. I had boneless ribs so I cut those and half and used them as is. You could use a meat mallet to flatten these but I was running short on time. They came out great. My husband loved them.

What you'll be doing here is basically broiling the pork for 5-6 mins per side until an internal temp of about 160 is reached. Watch these b/c the temp can FLY pretty quick. If you're at 150 or so just let them hang out on top of the stove and you may be surprised so see them finish cooking on their own. 

I put these on a piece of non-stick foil. Brush the pork with the Asian glaze then broil the first side for about 5 mins, flip and brush the other side and then broil until done. My chunks took a total of about 13mins under the broiler but if you use chops it won't take nearly as long.

This is how they looked when they were done.

I served them with asparagus and rice. I have half my meal in the fridge. It's pretty filling.

Six Servings, 180 calories each

Flat Bread Veggie Pizza

Last night my husband had a guy's night out. There were several commercials for Papa John's (my favorite fast-food type pizza place in Minnesota). I knew that would be expensive and incredibly unhealthy so I went a different route.

Aldi's "Fit n' Active" brand sells multi-grain flat bread. Each piece is only 100 calories. Not bad.

I cranked up the heat to 370F and sprayed both sides of the bread with non-stick spray. I baked them for 5mins and then took them out to add the toppings. These directions are all on the package. You think I could be creative every now and then but...might as well go with tried and true.

After the pre-bake I added my toppings. I didn't show this off too well but here they are cut up and waiting. 

I used tomato, red pepper, sweet onion, spinach, mushrooms, pasta sauce, and fat free shredded cheese. My intention was to use just 1/4cup cheese on each on but they really need a full 1/2 cup. I also added a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and some Italian seasoning on each of the pizzas.

The directions on the Fit n' Active package suggest I baked these for another 8-10mins or until the cheese melted. The cheese melted in 3mins. Even if I had a half cup of cheese I don't think they would need 8-10mins. 

The finished product.

Pretty good!

Veggie Pancakes

This is a recipe my friend Katy just gave me. I've tweaked it (of course). She found the recipe in a baby food book but it is really a great recipe to use for children of all ages (or even adults). The original recipe calls for only carrots and onions. I added zucchini and in the future I will add other veggies (such as broccoli and mushrooms) and I will use Parmesan cheese instead of cheddar or mozzarella (which I used this time around). When I use Parmesan I would use less as it has a stronger flavor. Any leftover fresh veggies would be great for this recipe.

This is a great kid-friendly food. I am sure my daughter will love these eventually and in a few years it will be a great recipe to have her "help" make.

• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg, yolk and white separated
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 medium carrots, shredded
• 1 small zucchini 
• 3 ounces shredded cheese

I started with shredding 3 carrots and 1 small zucchini. I also went ahead and shredded half a red onion. I figured it would work fine for this purpose and it did!

Sauté the onion and carrot in the butter, remove from heat. I didn't sauté the zucchini b/c it's already so soft I didn't think it needed to be softened. 

I put the zucchini, yolk, cheese, and about 1/2 a cup of bread crumbs into a bowl. I added my sautéed veggies. 

Then I shaped the mix into pancakes a bit smaller than the palm of my hand. I dipped them in the egg yolk and then the bread crumbs and then fried them in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray. I'm sorry I don't have photos of this process but my hands were pretty messy!

I fit about 4 pancakes in my 7'' pan and while I was waiting for some to finish up I taste tested. Pretty good! Easy to handle and fun finger food for children.

My finished product.

My husband loved these. They kept well in the fridge although I might reheat them in the oven, toaster oven, or frying pan. 

This recipe will certainly be used in the future. My husband loved them. My daughter refused them and insisted we remove the pancake from her plate before she would eat anything else. She's a great eater but only 16 months old and these do look very new to her. 

Go-to Chili

We've had a lot of boring sandwich type of dinners for dinner lately. We've been pretty busy. Last night I had a Boca Burger.

Tonight Andy made dinner from a recipe/workout/nutrition planning type of book he has. It's our go-to chili recipe and makes a very fresh recipe cooked quickly over the stove.

• 1/2 lb ground beef, browned and rinsed
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 tsp jalapeño, de-seeded, finely diced
• 1 can black beans, drained and well rinsed
• 1 can red beans, drained and well rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes, not drained
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin  

1. Cook the jalapeno, green pepper, and onion in a pan sprayed with nonstick spray until soft.
2. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and cook until heated through. About 20mins. 

A serving is 1 cup and 255 calories. 

Dinner Tonight: Quick and Easy

We had a busy day today. After church we headed to visit some friends of course. We got home late so dinner was tuna sandwiches, soup, and carrots. Nothing exciting and no need for recipes.

One great thing to mention...Andrew found the power cord to our camera today! Woohoo! In the future there will be better photos!

Chicken Breasts with Mango Salsa

This is actually MY recipe! Woohoo, I made one myself! I did look at a few mango salsa recipes and get an idea of what flavors would go well together but in the end I just made up my own and threw things together.

I started with throwing in a bowl:

• One mango, peeled and diced
• about 1/3cup diced red onion
• 1/4cup chopped cilantro
• 2 green onions 
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1tbls honey
• salt and pepper
• dash of red pepper flakes
• red bell peppers (roasted if you have time)

I took 3 6ounce chicken breasts and threw them in the bowl for about 3 hours. (Actually my husband defrosted the chicken breasts and put them in the marinade while I was at work. He's awesome!)

When I got home I preheated the oven to 400F and lined a cookie sheet with non-stick foil. I placed the chicken on the foil and topped it with the salsa.

I also put about 2cups of large pieces of broccoli  crowns, drizzled with a bit of oil, kosher salt and pepper.

 I baked it all for 30 mins (or until the tips of the broccoli crowns are starting to brown and the chicken is cooked through).

On the broccoli I added about 1/4 lemon juice, and 1/2 tbls Kosher salt. 

I intended to serve this with Basmati rice except that my rice cooker punked out on me (again) and turned back to warm really early. Stupid thing. So now it will be dessert. I think I will make it a little more "Desserty" and top it with a little vanilla soy, splenda, and and cinnamon. Should be good!

Sorry, no pictures, I was too hungry to worry about taking pictures! Next time I hope!

Enjoy!

Sautéed Veggie and Chicken Sandwiches

I've recently learned that I have some health issues and loosing a few pounds would really help. Of course I already knew I needed to loose some weight but this has helped get things rolling. So hopefully you'll see better meal choices.

Tonight I made Sautéed Veggie and Chicken sandwiches. I used to make this all the time. It's a nice thing to make ahead and pack for lunches. I used to make it when I nannied and then just toasted some bread and warmed the veggies in the microwave.

You can use any of your favorite veggies but here's what I did tonight.

I heated some oil in a stir fry pan. And then I tossed in some:

• red onion (thinly cut into rings)
• garlic  
• broccoli 
• zucchini
• green pepper (I wish I had red instead)
• mushrooms (I actually didn't have this but I usually use mushrooms b/c I love them).
• diced cooked chicken (Optional. I used about 3ounces leftover lemony chicken you could use more chicken for a hungrier crowd). 

Add 2-4 tbls of balsamic vinegar and 2tsp dried rosemary (I crush mine in a mortar).

Sauté until tender (or whatever tenderness-mush level you most enjoy). 

Toss on some Parmesan cheese.

Remove from heat. 

Throw your favorite bread in the toaster (if you want) and top with the veggies. 

The amount of veggies you need is all up to how many people you're feeding. 

Variations: Use black beans instead of or in addition to the chicken. Use Southwest style seasonings.

You could also sauté in sesame oil and use some soy sauce or any of your favorite Asian sauces. 

Use just olive oil and then add some pasta sauce in the last few mins for an Italian feel. 

Super easy and versatile. My husband had a second sandwich. I should have made more but since we're home for lunch it isn't hard for me to cook :)

My husband said it was "stellar". He didn't say that about the tuna last night. That was good. This was "stellar". *Gush*

Just a Tuna Sandwich Tonight

Last night we had tuna sandwiches, raw baby carrots and strawberries. Really nothing to give a recipe for.
One thing I do differently with tuna is only put mayo on the bread and then but the tuna right on top instead of mixing gobs and gobs of mayo into the tuna. It's really still good and much healthier. I also cut up a green onion and half a plum tomato for my sandwich. Pretty delicious.

Enchiladas with homemade sauce

Both recipes I got from Recipezaar but from different chefs.

Enchilada Sauce:
This is a brown sauce.
Combine in a sauce pan:
3 tbsp chili powder
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp cocoa powder (yes like the kind you make brownies and cakes with)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp oregano

Measure out 3 cups of water. Mix in enough water to make a thin paste. The idea is to not get a lumpy sauce. Start with just a little water.

Once you have a paste add the remaining water. Heat over medium heat and stir until sauce thickens.

Add a 6ounce can of tomato sauce. The sauce is now ready for your enchiladas but, if possibly, let it cool before using it so you don't burn your fingers!

Lime & Honey Salmon w/Warm Black Bean and Corn Spinach Salad

This is a Rachel Ray recipe from her book, "365: No Repeats". I would love the book and I know pause to check prices on Amazon... Looks like I can get it for $2 at textbooks.com (used of course). Shipping is $4 or free after $25 which makes me tempted to find other books...We will see.

Ok, on to the recipe! This one is all cooked on top of your stove and is very quick to put together. I actually took photos for the first time but bear with me as I had to use my cell phone b/c I cannot find the charger to my digital camera. I'll have to toodledo that...

To get started this is what you'll need:
olive oil
1 med red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/2-1tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper
juice of 2 limes or 4tbsp bottled
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp chili powder
4 6ounce salmon fillets
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 10ounce box frozen corn kernels, defrosted (I used bagged and just eyeballed it)
1/2cup chicken broth or stock (I used frozen broth with 1/2 cup water)
1 15ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
6 cups baby spinach rinsed (I used regular spinach and cut off stems)

You will need two skillets/pans. 1 big enough for your fillets to lay in a single layer and one big enough for your salad (which is 6cups of spinach the corn and beans remember). Next time I'll use a bigger pan for the salad but I just tossed it in a bowl at the end.

At this point my daughter woke up and cried in such a way that I knew I better not start cooking until my husband got home. She's been sick so luckily this isn't typical. Her's the little one:

In the meantime I made my marinade for the salmon and let it sit out for a few mins. Ray doesn't say to marinade the salmon but I didn't think it would hurt. 

For the Lime & Honey sauce combine: juice of 1 lime (or 2tbsp from a bottle), honey, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir and coat the salmon in the sauce. I set it on a plate while I waited for Daddy to get home to help me out.

In the salad pan sauté onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt, and pepper in a couple tbsp oil. Cook about 3mins.It will look like this:

 While the onions are cooking preheat your salmon skillet. Add a few tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot cook your salmon 3-4 mins per side. You will notice I only made two fillets. I only made half as much sauce but I wanted to leave the recipe above for 4fillets. That's b/c I was only cooking for Andrew and I. Since I needed to use the spinach and halving canned goods results in leftovers anyway I made the full salad.

After the onions are cooked (about 3mins) add the corn and bell peppers and cook for 1min. Then add the chicken stock and cool for 2mins. Add the black beans and cook for 1 additional minute.

While your working on the salad don't forget about your fillets. Once the edges begin to look opaque it's time to flip the fillets. Be careful not to break the fillet which might happen if your sauce is becoming a sticky glaze (which it is). In the next photo the fillets are ready to flip.

Once they flipped they look like this:

They look a bit burnt but really they aren't ruined; it's just the glaze.

By now your salad is about done. Remove the pan from the fire and add in the spinach and cilantro. Toss to coat and allow the greens to wilt slightly. I had to toss mine in a large bowl so don't feel bad if that's the case for yourself!

Serve the salmon on top of the warm salad and enjoy! 

My husband LOVED this. He said something very close to, "I really like this because it isn't a "regular" everyday meal. It's like something I would order in a restaurant if I was being adventurous but you made it!" I said, "Thanks love" but I was gushing with pride on the inside. Really not hard at all! Thanks Rachel Ray!

I loved it too. We both marveled at how perfectly the salmon was cooked. Not at ALL overcooked which is very easy to do! I impressed myself but I think the easy recipe should get the credit!

Because I'm a parent who can't get enough of my family, here's one of Madelyn with her Daddy:

Hopefully I can find the power cord to my camera before my next meal because some of these photos are horrible and I apologize! 

Porcupine Balls (beef and rice meatballs) Slow Cooker style

Porcupine Balls are meatballs made mostly of beef and rice cooked in a tomato sauce. This particular recipe uses hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce which really adds a lot of great flavor!

I used a combinations of recipes for this one but relied heavily on a recipe posted on one of my favorite recipe blogs, Suburban Bliss. I'll include the link at the bottom.

Suburban Bliss made her's stove top and with two cuts of beef. It's 95F outside and I'm trying to keep my apartment cool so I tried it out in the slow cooker. It worked very well!

Following is the recipe as I tweaked it:



Meatballs:
- 1.5 lbs ground beef (use a leaner beef for less oily meatballs)
- 3/4cups uncooked rice
- 1/3cup tomato sauce (open a 14oz can and reserve the rest for later)
- a small onion finely diced (I wish I had spent the time to dice mine finer)
- 1 tablespoon dry parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

You'll also need:
- 1 can of condensed tomato soup
- ketchup
- 1-2 TBSP hot sauce
- 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce



Mix these together and make meatballs aprox 2inches in diameter and drop them in the bottom of the slow cooker. I have a pretty big oblong one and this made about 1.5 layers. I put a bit of tomato soup on the first layer to prevent the balls from sticking to one another.

After the meatballs are in the pot top with about 1.5tsp tomato sauce and then a dab of ketchup.

In a bowl mix: remaining tomato sauce, remaining tomato soup, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Pour over meatballs. Add 1/2 cup water.

Cook on low 6-8 hrs or on high 4-5 hrs until meatballs are cooked through and rice is tender.

I served with green beans warmed on the stove with a bit of olive oil and some Parmesan herb seasoning. A simple salad would be nice too.

http://www.suburbanbliss.net/suburbanbliss/2009/12/did-they-eat-it-porcupine-meatballs.html

Mom's Rosemary Balsamic Chicken and Ravioli

I have no clue where she came up with this but she started making it sometime while I was in college. I would guess around 2001 or 2002. It's really good, really easy, and you feel like a "real" cook while preparing something a pre teen could make (with help and who knows something about cooking).

Ingredients:

• boneless skinless chicken breast cubed, raw
• cheese ravioli. I use the frozen kind.
• balsamic vinegar
• 2tbls olive oil
• butter
• rosemary (fresh preferred but I always use dried).
• salt/pepper to taste
• shredded Parmesan (not powdered please). 

Note about rosemary: If you use dried and you don't like the texture (like myself) grind the rosemary with a mortar and pestle.  

1. Bring a pot of water to a light boil and cook ravioli to package directions minus one minute
2. In the meantime, cook chicken in a olive oil with rosemary, a bit of salt and a bit of pepper. Add about 3tbls balsamic vinegar. When the chicken is cooked remove it from the pan and set aside. 
3. Don't clean the pan! Don't use a different pan! Strain the ravioli well. Add 2-4tbls of butter to the pan. Once melted throw in the ravioli. Add about 1/4cup of balsamic vinegar. 
4. Add more rosemary. I use about 2 tsps crushed.
5. Toss/stir the ravioli gently. The balsamic vinegar and butter will get thicker like a glaze. 
6. Toss chicken back in and serve.
7. Great with bread and a salad.

Enjoy!

Tortellini Spinach and Sausage Soup

This is a recipe I found in the break room of Chapel Hill Academy when I was student teaching 7th and 8th graders back in 2005. It was winter, it was really cold, and I didn't have an oven in the basement apartment I rented. This was perfect. With salad and bread sticks I swear this soup is better than anything at Olive Garden!

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground sausage, browned. I've also used sausage patties or links browned and cut. Make sure to rinse the sausage or the soup will be oily. 
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• garlic
• basil
• salt/pepper
• 3cans chicken broth or equivalent in water with bullion or homemade chicken stock, etc.
• 1 package frozen cheese tortellini (or dry)
• 1/2 "box" frozen spinach or about 3cups fresh

1. Combine sausage, tomatoes, seasonings, and broth in a large pot. Bring to a light boil. 
2. Add tortellini and cook to directions.
3. In last 2mins of cook time add spinach. 
4. Heat until spinach is hot and serve.

Low-fat/Low-Cal Iced Mocha

I've been playing games in my kitchen in attempts to find a treat to satisfy my sweet tooth. This cold coffee seems to do the trick!

In the bottom of a tall glass I mix 1 tablespoon of powdered cocoa with a splash of hot coffee and stir until smooth. Then I fill the glass with ice cubes. I pour coffee over the cubes leaving some room for milk. I add 1 packet of artificial sweetner. Top with a splash of skim or low-fat vanilla soy milk. Stir.

Sometimes I add more ice. I make a pot of coffee and let it cool and put it in the fridge sometimes..then I don't need ice. Sometimes I omit the cocoa altogether.

My husband helped me come up with this!

Caleb's Pasta Sauce

My favorite sauce: equal parts crushed and pureed tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic powder, EVO, basil, oregano, and cayenne pepper (sparingly to taste). Avoid Hunts brand tomatoes and pre-seasoned tomatoes. Can add browned ground beef, sausage, sausage links, or meatballs.


I use a large can of each of the tomatoes and a tbls of each of the seasonings (to start) EXCEPT the cayenne pepper. Start with 1/4tsp. Then let this simmer on your stove as long as a few hrs. Taste often and add more seasonings to taste. 


This is my brother-in-law's recipe and he swears that Hunts brand tomatoes are more bitter than other brands. I would tend to agree with him on that. 

Sue's No Boil Lasagna w/my Favorite Sauce

No Boil Lasagna

You Need: 2 large eggs, 15-16ounce container Ricotta, 1/2cup shredded Parmesan cheese. 4cups your favorite pasta sauce, 4cups shredded mozzarella, 1 box lasagna noodles. A 9x13 in baking dish sprayed with non-stick oil.

Combine the eggs, Ricotta, and Parmesan in a small bowl.

Then layer things in the following order:

Sauce, noodles, ricotta mix, moz cheese, sauce. Repeat until done. Make sure you end with sauce then top with more moz cheese.

It's important that the noodles are always on top of the sauce.

Cover with foil! Bake at 350F for an hour. Remove foil for last 10-20mins if you like your cheese toasted. I know mine is done when a knife sinks into it and I think "Yum".

Serve with salad and bread.

Variations: cottage cheese can be used instead of Ricotta and is usually cheaper. Italian mix cheese can be used instead of Parmesan (also cheaper). Feel free to add meat to your sauce. I don't only because it makes it more costly and it's still good w/o it.

BTW: I've made this entirely from items purchased at Aldi. It freezes well. It's great to give to a family who needs a meal such as if someone in your church has surgery or has a new baby. It's inexpensive. Each lasagna makes 8-10 generous servings.

My favorite sauce: equal parts crushed and pureed tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic powder, EVO, basil, oregano, and cayenne pepper (sparingly to taste). Avoid Hunts brand tomatoes and pre-seasoned tomatoes. Can add browned ground beef, sausage, sausage links, or meatballs.

Spicy Chinese Tacos

From Pillsbury Everyday Family Suppers 2007

-box 12 hard taco shells
-3boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bit size strips (I dice)
-i tsp gingerroot. you can freeze this!
-1 small glove garlic (I use the jarred stuff sometimes)
-2tbls soy sauce
-1 tbls honey
-1 large green onion
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded iceburg lettuce


*I like to double sauce ingredients. You can use water instead of doubling the soy sauce if you want to watch the salt. Also be careful with the red pepper flakes. Omit or make some with and some without for children who may not care for spicy.

1. Cook gingeroot, garlic, and chicken 3-5mins over med-high heat until lightly browned.
2. Stir in soy sauce, honey, onion, and red pepper to coat. reduce heat to low, cover and cook 5mins. stir occasionally. I like to let mine boiling lightly until the sauce thickens.  Cook until chicken is cooked through.

3. put about 1/4cup chicken in taco shell and top with lettuce. 




I'm usually a soft shell taco kinda girl but these are really best in hard shells and if you like lettuce ...well to me it's a must!

I served this with some green beans sautéed with mushrooms. I'm not sure if it was the green beans or maybe the sesame seeds I topped it (they are a bit old) with but they came out tasting like cardboard. It was a sad green bean day.

Super Easy Pot Roast

This is a recipe I found on Recipezaar and tweaked. Here's my tweak and the link to the original recipe:


Ingredients
2-3 lbs roast (depends on the size of your crock pot)
1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope lipton's instant onion soup mix
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup (can use low fat)
2-4 cubed potatoes
.5-1lb baby carrots or carrot chunks
large cubes of onion
1-2containers of fresh mushrooms, washed well, I like Baby bellas best and I love that I can find them at Aldi sometimes

Directions
1. Put roast in pot.
2. Sprinkle envelope of soup on top.
3. Pour mushroom soup on top of all.
4. Cook on low for about 8 hours.

From Recipezaar.com
http://www.recipezaar.com/Easy-Crock-Pot-Roast-32215

So easy a caveman could do it. Andy did it. Not that I'm comparing him to a caveman...or AM I?

It was REALLY good with some fav sides (we did green beans and mashed potatoes) and provided plenty of leftovers to make other things with. Maybe soup or hot sandwiches. And it's good enough that we wouldn't mind eating again as is. I think it's soft enough that I can give little pieces to MJ although I didn't have a chance to try tonight. Will def make this again. Might add mushrooms if I have them on hand.

Amazing Roasted Broccoli

I'll have to find the website where I got this recipe. Really the same friend who gave me the Lemony Chicken recipe also passed this one on to me. It is seriously amazing and I think even people who don't like broccoli will love this.

What you need:

• One bunch broccoli, remove stalks, cut into large bite-size pieces, washed and very dry.
• olive oil
• Kosher salt (or reg if you must)
• Lemon Juice (fresh or bottled)
• Nuts: pine (original recipe calls for these), or chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds, slivered almonds (choose one). 
• Parmesan cheese 

A word about Parmesan cheese. Don't use powered. I mean, its ok and really I'm cheap. Really cheap. But the container of shredded such as DiGiorno brand cost about the same as the container of powdered. You can also buy shredded in bags the same as you buy shredded mozzarella or cheddar. It's WAY better than the bottle of powdered. 

Ok about washing/drying the broccoli. This recipe really doesn't work well unless the broccoli is VERY DRY. Typically I wash it ahead of time and then lay it on a clean dish towel for a few hrs. It doesn't take long but it's an important step in preparation.

On to the good stuff!

• Preheat your oven to 400F. Line a cookie sheet with foil. 
• Toss broccoli on the sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil, Kosher salt, and pepper. I like Kosher salt b/c the granules are larger and I think the flavor is better because of that.
• Bake for 20mins.
• Pull out of oven, drizzle with a little more olive oil, then add the nut/seed of your choice and about 1/4 cup of cheese. Taste and add more salt/pepper as preferred.
• Then, the best part. Squeeze or drizzle lemon juice right on the stuff! It's AMAZING. Taste it! Serve it! Serve it if you haven't tasted so much that there isn't enough left!

I got the recipe from a friend who got it from The Amateur Gourmet who got it from a book called "Back to Basics". Here's the link to the Amateur Gourmet you may very likely love her other recipes as well!

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2008/11/the_best_brocco.html

Enjoy!

Lemony Chicken

This is an amazing and easy recipe to throw together quickly. I've also used bone in chicken thighs.
A friend first made this for me and I had to have the recipe. I was then introduced to one of my favorite cooking blogs (noted at end).

I mostly followed the recipe linked at the bottom of the page but here's my version:

Ingredients:

-1-2lbs of BLSL chicken breasts. I say 1-2. The recipe calls for 1 but the chicken I have is packaged in 1.25 so that's what I used. Really this is not science. Just make as much as you need.
-1 egg plus a little water whisked. Set in bowl.
-1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs. Maybe more; if you run out add more. And if you only have plain just season them yourself! Set in separate bowl.
-juice of one large lemon or bottle o' lemon juice (I had the bottle).
-1tbsp butter
-olive oil

1. I filleted the chicken breasts and then cut them in half. Then I mutilated them with a meat tenderizer pounder thing.
2. Dredge them in the egg. Then coat them with the bread crumbs.
3. Heat a few tbls Olive Oil in pan. I know it's hot enough when I throw in a few drops of water and it sizzles. Don't be crazy and throw in a buncha water! Just enough to get your hand wet! Add the butter.
4. Put the chicken pieces in the pan. Honestly I preheated my oil added a pat of butter and then dredged them and put them right in the pan. If you're slow moving you might want to coat them and then heat your oil but I like to skip steps and move fast.
5. I waited until things really got sizzlin' and then squirted that bottle o' lemony goodness right in the pan. I would say I used between 1/4-1/2cup. Whoooooaa does it sizzle! It's a great sound.
6. Once the first side was nice and crispy I flipped em.
7. Served with mashed potatoes and green beans. Veggies are preferred :)

Boy was it GOOD! And quite juicy!

Things you can do different:
1. Skip the egg or use only the egg white.
2. Skip the butter.
3. Substitute veggie oil for olive...or canola or whatever.

I think that's it. It's really really easy. Mine came out looking just a little burnt in places but so did Naomi's and it wasn't. It's just the nature of the beast. It was AMAZING. 


http://www.suburbanbliss.net/suburbanbliss/2010/03/did-they-eat-it-crusty-lemon-chicken.html#more

Good Morning Muffins

Here is a great recipe for muffins. This is a very very simple recipe and makes muffins that are fairly healthy. If I choose a muffin I always choose some dessert-like monstrosity. This makes something several steps up from the Jiffy mix type but not the dessert type either. Very good and I love that they are super quick and use items I have on hand!

1 3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil

Mix dry ingredients, add wet ingredients and mix until just blended. Spoon into muffin cups.

Mix 2T brown sugar and 1t cinnamon & sprinkle on top.

Bake at 400F for 10mins.
Makes 10-12.

Variations:
Oatmeal muffins: Use 1 1/3 cup flour and 3/4cups oats, add berries, sprinkle oatmeal on top (instead of sugar).

I made the oatmeal version so far and added banana and strawberries cut small. This increased my baking time a LOT. My oven also seems to have issues but just an FYI...if you add fruit watch for the tops to be golden brown and the centers to be toothpick set.

I gave Maddie one of these for breakfast this morning along with some fruit and she was in HEAVEN. I was amazed that she didn't make a bigger mess. I don't think she wanted to miss a crumb!

Update: I made the oatmeal versions again with raspberries. I didn't have to increase my cooking time as much this time around. Andrew liked those more. I think I would like to try blueberries or the original version. I doubled the recipe last time. I think these should be kept in the fridge to last longer. After a few days in Tupperware they started to smell sour. Whoops.

Sue's Pineapple Pretzel Salad

Pineapple Pretzel Salad

1 cup crushed pretzels
1 stick melted butter
1/2 cup sugar

Mix and spread on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 5 min. Don't burn! Remove right away and put in bowl. Set aside.

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
8 oz Cool Whip
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, well draine
1 20 oz can pineapple chunks, well drained

Beat cream cheese to soften. Beat in sugar. Add Cool Whip beating only to mix. Add both cans of pineapple. Mix well and refrigerate several hours. When ready to serve, mix in 2/3 pretzels. Use other 1/3 on top.

Easy to double for a crowd. Perfect for bringing to for pot lucks, etc.

Note: This is more like a fruity dessert. I would never call it healthy!

Sweet and Sour Chicken drumsticks w/dipping sauce

I found this recipe from mykitchensnippets.com. Pretty amazing!

I don't normally love dark meat but when it's less than a buck a lb it's hard to argue with. I often use it to make soups...boil the chicken down for to stock, remove the skin/bones, cube the meat and add whatever else to make a soup but when I saw this recipe I had to try it. Besides, soup season is pretty much over in Minnesota.

Marinate 2lbs (about 8) drumsticks with skin removed for at least two hours in:
1tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp lemon salt (I used kosher salt and some lemon juice, I have no clue if that's really a substitute but it tasted good)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 tbls balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste (I skipped)

Bake at 400F for an hour on a cookie sheet lined with foil. I thought that seemed like a REALLY long time but they came out crispy on the outside and really juicy on the inside. Pretty amazing.

Dipping sauce:
1 tsp orange zest (I skipped)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp coriander
salt and pepper to taste (skipped it again...soy sauce has enough salt)

When chicken is done bring ingredients of dipping sauce to a boil and then add a mixture of 1tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water to thicken. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

The author suggested serving with roasted potatoes (which I would have just thrown in the oven with the chicken) and salad. I served it with rice. It was pretty amazing. We only have 5 drumsticks. Now I have a great recipe to use when drumsticks are on sale!

Note: Most people know this but for new cooks out there whenever using cornstarch to thicken a sauce always mix it with a bit of cold water before adding it a recipe. FYI just in case.

My Favorite Chicken Curry

This spicy chicken curry also uses bananas, apples, coconut, and nuts. It can get pretty spicy so for less bite cut down on the cayenne pepper. My one year old LOVES this stuff! She wants more and more. She ate it when our friends made it for us and we were amazed. At home we made it and she wasn't interested but the second time she begged for it. We hadn't bothered to give her any but she was so insistent that we gave her a taste and since then she gets very excited whenever we make it. I think it's one of her favorite foods. Her little eyes water from the spiciness of it but she still wants it! I would say that those results aren't typical, lol. The recipe was passed along from our friends, the Nash's and is as follows:

This recipe is written in steps. So sometimes you will need to add ingredients twice. I hope it doesn't confuse you!

I used a large pot for this to give me plenty of room to mix things up. Most of the time it's over medium heat. The idea on this is to bring it up to a good simmer but don't let it really boil (although I had to for part of it and I'll talk about that later).

K, to get started throw in the pot:

2sticks (I used one!) of butter
3 cups onion, diced (two medium)
3 tbls curry powder
1 tsp red pepper (cayenne)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp black pepper (we only have a grater...that took forever)
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp corriander

Cook over high heat 5 mins (to soften onions) THEN let simmer.

Then ADD: 1 cup diced apples, 1 cup sliced bananas, 1/2 cup dry roasted pecan halves (I used chopped tonight) and let simmer 20mins.

Then ADD:
1lb diced chicken (raw)
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp garlic powder (or salt and then omit salt)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 white pepper (I didn't have so I omitted)
1 cup diced apple (so yes, a total of 2cups)
Cook on HIGH 3mins (instead I let simmer about 20mins until chicken was done and then served immediately after adding the last 3 ingredients)

Add: 1.5 cups chicken stock (I happened to be making some so that worked out nicely!)
3/4 cup cream of coconut (I don't have this so I used coconut milk instead)
1/2 cup coconut (I can't read and added 1.5 cups but it was still fine, whoops!)
Let Simmer 15mins

Notes:
Dry roasted pecans: just throw them in a skillet on your stove on high for about 5mins shaking the nuts often. Or you can put under the broiler in your oven and watch em.
Add ins: Tonight I added about 1/4-1/2 cup raisins in with the last set of ingredients
I also added 4 (really small) cubed potatoes in the first set of ingredients. I think I should have at least partially cooked these before adding them. I ended up adding about 1cup of water and letting it boil down to cook the potatoes. It was still really good. I can't imagine harming this recipe very easily so no worries.

I served over Jasmine rice.

Easily serves 4-6 with a side salad you can get 8meals out of this. And super easy to double/triple.

Boston Cream Cake

Yea there's such a thing ;)

I first found the recipe on William Sonoma's website. I liked their recipe for the cake. I don't have a cake mix on hand and, let's face it, running to the store for one item with a toddler takes just as long as making a cake from scratch. I didn't really care for their recipe for the filling though only because I am low on time today and I have to work all day tomorrow. Dez found a recipe on a blogspot called The Fat Bottomed Girl. I used her idea to use vanilla pudding for the filling and I think I'm going to use her frosting too since it seems like people generally thought it set up well. So here would be "my" recipe (really a combination of other's).

Filling: Make up a small envelope of vanilla pudding according to filling directions. Put in fridge to set up. You will only need half the pudding do the other half can be used for something fun. A facial perhaps.

Cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter,
at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease and flour a round cake pan.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk to mix, set aside.
Combine butter and sugar in large bowl, beat at medium speed for 2mins, until fluffy.
Combine milk, extract, and eggs in a medium bowl. Mix well.

Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk/egg to the butter/sugar bowl and mix well. Scrap down bowl and mix again.

Pour in cake pan and bake for about 60mins or until toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for 10mins then turn out onto cooling rack.

When the cake is cool slice in half with a serrated knife (like a hamburger bun). Press a well in the bottom layer with your finger tips in the center of the cake up to 1/2 inch to the edge of the cake. Add half of the pudding you made and top with second layer cake.

Top with the following icing/glaze or use your favorite. I haven't done the glaze yet so I'm not sure how I'll like it. It doesn't look like it's a good idea to make the glaze ahead of time b/c you want to pour it on the cake while it's still fairly liquidy and easy to spread. If you want the icing can just dribble over the edge, it doesn't have to be spread on like a regular cake. Really, go to the website(s) for photos or maybe I'll add one tomorrow.

Glaze:
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 oz. Unsweetened Baking Chocolate (OR 9T cocoa mixed with 3T oil or melted shortening)
1 C. Powdered Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Water


"Melt butter & chocolate together in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Mix well (mixture will be stiff). Stir in water 1 tsp. at a time until smooth and spreadable.Spoon glaze over the top of the cake. You can let it drip down the sides or smooth it over them if you wish. Smooth the tops also. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until glaze sets and serve or cover and store in refrigerator."

If you use a cake mix instead of the homemade cake you will have enough for two cakes. You already have enough pudding for two cakes but you will need to make two sets of glaze. These refrigerate well once assembled and taste yummy cold (from what I remember as a kid). I seem to remember eating something like this but I can't remember if my mom made it or where I had it. I'll let her comment on that.

Tomorrow is my husband's Bday and this will be his Bday cake!

Sources (b/c really I hate to be a theif!)
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/boston-cream-pie.html
http://thefatbottomedgirl.blogspot.com/2007/06/easy-boston-cream-pie.html

Post Taste-Test:

We liked it. Andrew loved it. Said it is his new favorite cake. I think I would make a homemade custard instead of vanilla pudding in the future. It would also be fun to experiment with different types of filling. The cake itself is pretty dense and a more delicate cake might be preferred. Cake flour instead of all purpose might be nice. All in all a great recipe and one that is worthy of keeping tabs of here.

Also, the frosting is the best part of the cake in my opinion. I am certain that I will use the frosting on other cakes and creations in the future. It sets up firm and dense. It's rich and has a deep chocolate taste. I didn't have baking chocolate on hand so I went with the cocoa powder/oil combo. Very good!