Pumpkin GInger Snaps

These are the ultimate Christmas cookie.  They are soooo soft and yummy and I could eat a million of them! Plus, pumpkin is on sale right now!

Pumpkin Gingersnap Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

½ cup of butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling the cookies
½ cup of pure pumpkin (I used Libby's canned pumpkin)
¼ cup of molasses
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and smooth. Add the pumpkin, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, mix until well combined.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour. The dough can be chilled for 2-3 days.

3. When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Place sugar in a small bowl. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough in sugar until well coated and place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until cookies look cracked and set at the edges. The cookies will still be soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a 2-3 minutes after removing them from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Honey Butter Pull Apart Rolls

Okay, I made these tonight for my hubbies birthday and YUM!  I love how they look and taste.  The butter and honey is slathered in and on them before you bake them.  I also thought these were much easier than they look, bonus when bringing a dish to someone's house!  I will be making these little gems for years to come!  Give them a go sometime soon...

Honey Butter Pull Apart Rolls

http://www.highheelsandgrills.com/2012/10/honey-butter-pull-apart-rolls.html

1-1/2 cups hot water {as hot as you can get it out of the tap.}

1 Tbsp. active dry yeast

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. salt

3-1/2 to 4 cups bread flour {or all-purpose flour is fine)

3/8 cup (3/4 stick) salted butter, melted

3 Tbsp. honey

3/4 tsp. salt


*Note: I did this in my stand mixture with my dough hook and it was the easiest thing ever. Hand mixing should work well too, but I highly recommend it in a stand mixer if you have one!*


Spray a large bowl with cooking spray; set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together water, yeast, and sugar; let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the oil, salt, 2 cups of flour, and the yeast mixture until well combined.

Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl and is no longer sticky.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until elastic, about 8 minutes.

Place the dough in the greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth; let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

After doubled, punch down dough and lay on floured surface.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Roll dough out until about 20 inches by 12 inches.

In a small bowl, combine butter, honey, and salt.

Brush dough with half of the butter mixture.

With a pizza cutter, cut dough lengthwise into sixths and crosswise into twelfths.

Make stacks of 4 dough squares and place each stack into a greased muffin tin cup.

Brush with the remaining butter mixture.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve warm.

Chipotle Tamale Pie

I apologize for my absence lately.  It really is quite easy to get so swamped with life and endeavors that you want to pursue.  Currently, I'm pursuing the development of an App.  Yep, be excited for a really sweet App for both Android and Apple to come your way just before Christmas.

Even with this App excitement I have been baking and cooking.  I can't let my family go hungry.  Last week I made my Chipotle Tamale Pie.  This is a fabulously hearty, delicious, and nutritious meal.  Enjoy!

Chipotle Tamale Pie
From my Diabetic Cooking Cookbook (No, I'm not diabetic, and I'm not sure where I got the cookbook from.  However, there are some good ones in here)

1 lb of ground turkey or ground beef (I use an entire pkg of of the Jennie-O ground turkey so I believe that is 20oz)
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups of diced bell pepper (choose whichever color pepper you prefer)
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tsps ground cumin
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of stewed tomatoes, undrained (the recipe says 8 oz, but I use the big can which is 13.75oz or something)
2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (minced)- You can do more here if you like it super spicy
1-2 tsp of adobo sauce from the canned chilies (the more you add the spicier it will be)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of cilantro chopped
and whatever ingredients you need for cornbread whether that is a jiffy mix (egg, milk, and the mix) or your own

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook turkey, onion, bell peppers, and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until meat is cooked through.
3. Sprinkle cumin on top of skillet mixture and stir it all in.
4. Add beans, tomatoes, chilies, and adobo sauce; bring to a boil over high heat.  Then reduce heat to medium; simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
5. Remove skillet from heat and stir in cheese and cilantro (sometimes I don't do cilantro, or I used dry cilantro).
6.  I spray a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick spray.  Then I pour the skillet mixture into the baking dish.
7.  Finally, I make my cornbread (I have a great recipe that I'll share later) and pour the cornbread over the over the turkey mixture.  If you use a jiffy mix for cornbread then just one box of jiffy mix will work great.
8.  Cook the dish uncovered for 20-30 minutes until the cornbread is a beautiful golden brown.

I hope you enjoy this dish.  It is one of our family favorites!

Megs

Pumpkin Carrot Harvest Bars

First, sorry that all of my posts are out of order. This is another recipe from the recipe party I had the other night. There is one more recipe I need to add from the party. Second, sorry for the recipe bombing this morning. As I said in an earlier post, I fell a little behind.

These are my all time favorite fall recipe. I love everything pumpkin and I also love cream cheese frosting! This recipe has both of those! Hope you love these bars just as much as I do! Finally, sorry, but I don't have a source for this recipe because I really have been making it for years.

1/3 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Brown sugar

Beat together the butter and sugars until they are crumbly. Then add wet ingredients:

2 large eggs
2 egg whites
1-15 oz can Pumpkin puree

Blend until well combined. Add dry ingredients:

2 cups flour (or 1 1/2 flour and 1/2 almond flour)
2 1/4 tsp Pumpkin Spice
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda

Stir in:
1 cup finely shredded Carrot
1/2 cup Craisins, optional
1/2 cup pecans, optional

Put batter into a 13x9 pyrex. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350.

Once the bars are cooked and cooled add your favorite Cream cheese frosting. 

Apple Pie Oatmeal

Now that it is the fall and finally apple season again, I have been cooking a lot! One of the first Pinterest recipes I wanted to make was this one. I already love oatmeal and who doesn't love hot apple pie?! This recipe is one of those that perfectly combines two things that I already loved: you get the comfort factor of the oatmeal combined with the hot apples and syrup that make apple pie so yummy. I also love that since this is oatmeal, I don't get hungry before lunch like I do when I eat cereal. Although this was originally a Pinterest recipe, I have changed it here because the original recipe cooked the apples and oatmeal together, but I couldn't get them cooked right at the same time so I make the two parts separately here.

Here's how I make it:

1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup water
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 TBSP butter

I bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the apples, spices and sugar.  Saute everything over medium-low until the apples are soft but still have a little bite. Add your oat to the water. Add more or less water depending on the consistency that you prefer. Top with apples and syrup.
 That's all there is to it. Serve it with a splash of milk if desired.

Note: Ethan and I both liked this with lots of apples, so I make one apple for the two of us. This recipe also duplicates really easily, so I like to make two apples worth and then store the leftovers for later in the week.

Hamilton Chili

Sorry, that it has been so long since I have posted, but we are back from vacation, and back in the swing of making new recipes. Before I jump into the recipe I wanted to give Christina a shout out and thank her for being an amazing friend and letting us come to visit them in SF. Hopefully someday we will be back close again. We miss you guys already!

Now, for the Chili!! It is fall so, even here in Texas, we can finally start making some of our favorite comfort foods. We originally got this recipe from a book called "Come Home to dinner", but since then we have made a lot of little changes to make it our own. One of the changes that we have made is to add the kidney and black beans. Ethan and I love lots of different beans, so we added them, but feel free to take them back out if you don't like either kind. Finally, sorry for forgetting to take a pic, but it pretty much looks like every other chili.

Chili

1 lb. Ground Beef
1lb. Sausage, Mild or Spicy both work
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1-28 oz can Diced Tomatos, undrained
1-15 oz can Tomato Sauce
1-15oz can Black Beans, rinsed
1-15 oz can Kidney Beans, rinsed
1-32 oz can Chili/ Pinto Beans, rinsed
2 TBSP Chili Powder
1 1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream
Fritos
Corn Bread
This chili is also yum served over rice.

Brown the ground beef and sausage in a skillet, drain grease and add to slow cooker. Rinse all beans and then add to cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients. Let cook for 6-8 hours, on low. As with most chilis, feel free to let this simmer away on low all day!

Creamy Chicken Pockets

Okay, this is one of the recipes from the recipe party I hosted the other day. Thanks you Amber for bringing these super yummy pockets! Also, I made a huge mistake at the grocery store and accidentally  bought country biscuits instead of the crescent rolls. Although the biscuits turned out a lot thicker, they still made good pockets. So, if you get home and realize you have the wrong canister for this recipe, still give it a try. 

Yield: 24 pockets
4 TB olive oil
2 chicken breasts, diced (8 tenders or 2 big cans of canned chicken)
1 cup minced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 TB butter, softened
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
4 tablespoons milk
3 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls/ or 3 pastry sheets (each cut into 8 squares)
2 TB butter, melted
Bread crumbs (Italian seasoned or Panko)
Preheat oven to 375˚F.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken with the onions and garlic.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons melted butter until smooth. Stir in the cooked chicken, onions and garlic. Add the salts, pepper and milk. Mix well.
Separate the crescent roll dough into the eight triangles or cut into eight squares. Dollop a tablespoon of filling into the center of each triangle and fold the corners up to seal. Press and seal firmly. Place on ungreased baking sheet or stone and repeat with the remaining dough and filling OR use greased cupcake pans. Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with the bread crumbs (optional).
Bake for 11 – 13 minutes, or until golden brown.
Recipe Note: To heat up leftovers, bake in a preheated 350˚F oven for 10 minutes.

Crock Pot Italian Chicken

This isn't an amazing picture but I promise it tastes SUPER good :)

4 Chicken Breasts
1/3 cup butter
1 package Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup water

1 8oz package cream cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

Add first four ingredients into Crock Pot and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. (Perfect to have cooking during church!)
When chicken is done, take it out and shred it. Put aside.
Add cream cheese and cream of chicken in the Crock Pot and mix well.
Add the chicken and then eat up! I like to eat it on top of rice but you can do mashed potatoes or any sort of pasta as well.

Thank you Bingham family for the yummy recipe!!!

Cooking with Cast Iron

Remember this gem I shared years ago and you're still thanking me for? Well, I have unique cooking pans and I thought I'd share why I like them so much.

I started getting really sick of my pots and pans. They weren't the highest quality, the coating was wearing off already, and they weren't durable. I looked into new pans and discovered these cast iron pans. To back track a bit: I had been wanting to learn to cook with a Dutch oven and got one. I learned at a Youth Trek how to use it. And when searching for new pots and pans, wasn't too terrified with the idea of getting a cast iron pan. The one I got, and picture above, is only $30 on Amazon.

The reason I went with cast iron is because they don't warp, are very durable and can last your entire lifetime, they hold an even temperature, you can bake with them, and are great quality for a great price. There are some disadvantages as well. I took mine to Girl's Camp before even using it and when I got home--it was rusted. I googled online what to do. I cleaned it out, let it soak a bit in vinegar water, and then put it in the oven for a few hours--and it came out good as new. Literally.

Now that I've been using them for awhile, I'm a fan. They take some getting used to--but are my go to pans. And they actually are pretty easy to clean. Plus, if something bakes on hard--get out your metal scraper, go to town, and don't worry about a thing!

What I like:

• It won't warp.
• To clean: Rinse with water and coat with oil.
•  Can be used as two separate pans.
• One pot cooking--mix together over stove, throw into the oven.
• Decent pricing. 

Disadvantages

• Have to use a pot holder to touch handles.
• Cleaning takes adjustment.
• Can rust

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Last night we had our Standard's Night in Young Women's. It was amazing--like a miniature Time Out For Women for our gals. They rotated to different rooms where different ward members spoke about various For Strength of Youth topics. I loved it. What I liked most was the restricted time amount in each room--and so each speaker had to get straight to the point. There wasn't a lot of room for fluff.

Speaking of fluff--we had divine fluffy cupcakes served as refreshments. LOVE THESE.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Stacy Hanks

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup buttermilk
1   15 oz can pumpkin
2  ¼ cup flour
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp allspice
1 TBS baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Beat sugars and oil, add eggs and vanilla, mix well.  Add pumpkin and buttermilk until incorporated.  Combine dry ingredients and add to pumpkin.  Beat till creamy.  Grease or line muffin pans, fill 2/3 full bake at 350 18-22 min for regular 10-15 for mini


Frosting

8 oz cream cheese-soft
½ cup butter-soft
3 ¼ -4 cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
2-4 TBS water

Beat cream cheese and butter.  Add half of sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla.  Add remaining sugar and use water to get it to the desired consistency.  Beat until fluffy.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar

Fresh Roasted Salsa

I haven't posted in a very long time, and I have no excuse... except I'm lazy.

Do any of you have a plethora of tomatoes in your garden and you are sick to death of bottling/canning/freezing - which is code for blanching/peeling/cutting/chopping/crying/boiling/burning yourself/waiting to enjoy the 'fruits of your labor'??  Me too!!

We used to bottle some pretty good salsa - but I came across this little gem on a blog, I can't for the life of me remember the site (this was before Pinterest) - once we ate this, the old stuff was disappointing.  It's a pretty flexible recipe.  Here's what you need:

Tomatoes - Approximately a sink full. Washed and cut in halves.
Onions - Washed, peeled and quartered.  I use two onions per tray of tomatoes.
Jalapenos - Washed, stems removed and cut in halves.  I use two per tray of tomatoes.
Garlic - Peeled whole cloves.  I like a lot, I think there are four or five per tray of tomatoes.
Salt - I use coarse salt, I don't know why, but I like to see that I've got plenty sprinkled on the veggies.
Cilantro - Washed and drained.  I like a huge handful of the ends with the leaves.  (But, save for after roasting.)

Lay out your tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and garlic on cookie sheets - sprinkle generously with salt.  Roast at 425 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.  The tomatoes loose their juices and everything gets a little 'charred'.  I use a slotted spoon to scoop everything into the food processor with the cilantro - this batch of salsa was about 3 food processors-full.  If you like thinner salsa - you can add the tomato juice from the cookie sheets.  I like thick and hearty salsa so I don't.  Add salt to taste.  If you like lime juice, you can add that too.  But, it really doesn't need it.

I hope you like this salsa as much as we do.  It's super easy and barely any prep work.  See.  I'm lazy.

Black Bean Soup

As I previously promised I am here to give y'all the oh so tasty, hearty, and healthy Black Bean Soup recipe.  I wish I had taken a picture of it b/c it looked delicious.  However, it was gobbled up way too fast, and I am a bit of a slacker in the picture taking department.

I actually made this soup last week and it's already been requested again.  Everyone loved it!  I mean absolutely everyone thoroughly enjoyed every bite of this soup.  My husband, my 1 year old, and a family friend ate this soup with gusto.  My little 1 year old (okay 16 months) was kicking her legs with each and every bite; she usually only does that with cookies, brownies, or peas.  Not only is this soup delicious, but it is really healthy.  I love when my family loves a good healthy and vegetarian recipe.  Don't you?

I made the soup as our main dish but we threw in some chips and corn tortillas for a little dipping fun as well as some fruit and we had plenty of tasty goodness.  We had enough soup to last us two days plus an extra small bowl to send home with our friend.  Overall, the soup makes a good amount, but if you have a big family and/or like a lot of leftovers I suggest doubling it.

Black Bean Soup
Slightly adapted from Our Best Bites cookbook

Ingredients:
A little bit of olive oil
1 cup diced or shredded carrots (you can use as many veggies as you want actually)
The recipe calls for 3/4 cup of diced celery but I omitted this due to my husbands anti-celery feelings
1 cup diced onion
1 Tbsp. of minced garlic
2 cans (15 oz) black beans rinsed and drained
1 can (3.5 oz) diced green chilies
4 cups beef broth (you could use water or vegetable broth if you are super vegetarian)
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 bay leaf (I just recently took to loving the flavor bay leaves can provide, be sure to give this a shot if you've been a bay leaf skeptic like me).
2 Tbsp of lime juice
Toppings of your choice:  tortilla chips, corn tortillas, cheese (we did cheddar and mozzarella), sour cream, green onions, cilantro, etc.

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add carrots, onion, any other veggies you desire, and garlic.  Saute the veggies until the onions are soft, or about 3 mins or so.

Add black beans, green chilies, and beef broth, and stir to mix them all together.  Add salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf to your soup.  I simmered the soup uncovered for approximately 20 minutes, but you can go as long as 30 minutes if you'd like.  Remove the pot from the stove and remove the bay leaf b/c it has now done its job.

If you have an immersion blender you can use that here.  However, if you are ghetto like me then pour the soup contents into your blender.  Now, if you doubled your soup recipe you will need to blend this in 2 batches b/c this one pot filled my entire blender.  Place the lid on your blender but be sure to remove the stopper to allow the heat to escape somewhere.  However, with the stopper removed you could make a large mess if you start to blend it.  Therefore, hold a paper towel over the stopper opening while you are blending the soup.

Blend/puree the soup until you reach a consistency and look that is most appealing to you.  This process took me only a few minutes and I pureed my soup to a good pureed mixture with no bean chunks for me.  Finally, pour your lime juice into the blender with the pureed soup and give it a couple of pulses to mix it in well.

Lastly, enjoy this tasty soup with as many or as few toppings as you want b/c it'll taste good no matter what.

Happy Fall soup eating!

MeganRuth

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

I was excited that Christina invited me to participate in this blog.  I love cooking, trying recipes, tweaking recipes, and creating my own recipes.  I enjoy cooking, but I absolutely love baking.  Baking is a release for me, and I love sweets.  Therefore, baking a fun treat is a win-win situation.

I may live in Arizona and it may still be 100 degrees, but I love the season of Fall.  I miss seeing mountain sides of yellow aspens.  I miss the cooler mornings and days.  I miss places that actually have the all of the season.  However, I live in a place that doesn't really have Fall.  Well, at least we don't have Fall when it comes to the weather.  In my home we have come to welcome Fall with open arms.

I put out the cute fall wreath I made last year, and I start baking Fallish (yes, I believe that is not a real word) dishes.  Yesterday, I made Black Bean Soup and it was delicious, but I'll share that recipe a little later.  I think it's fitting I share a Fall treat b/c that's what I am all about.  Plus, when you think Fall don't you also think pumpkins.  Therefore, the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars I just made is the perfect recipe to share with you all.  It's pumpkin-y, chocolate-y, sugar-y, and all around Fall-y (I do realize that that isn't a real word either).

Now, go ahead and make these delicious fall treats.  However, be aware that milk is the perfect companion for these treats that are sure to go quick.  This pictures literally shows the last two bars left in my house and I just made them Tuesday night.  

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
Adapted from: Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (I forgot to take them out of the fridge so the microwave soften them great and they turned out fine)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 can of pumpkin puree (15 oz) (If you don't like pumpkin as much as I do you can limit this down to 1 cup)
1 package (12 oz) milk chocolate chips (If you are a semi or dark chocolate fan then feel free to substitute b/c it will still taste delicious)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a non-stick cooking spray with flour.  Pam has one just for baking, but if you don't have it then spray with the cooking spray you have and flour the pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; then set it aside.

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on low until smooth; beat in the egg and vanilla until it's combined. Follow with beating in the pumpkin puree. The mixture might look not so appealing but keep going b/c it'll look like perfect pumpkin goodness soon.

Slowly mix in the dry ingredients you set aside until they are just combined.  Finally, mix in the chocolate chips.

Next, spread the batter evenly in your sprayed and prepared pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  I cooked it for 25 minutes, but my oven is a little fast and hot.  The bars will be more like a cake texture rather than a cookie bar texture, but they are delicious nonetheless.  Cool completely in the pan, or at least wait until it isn't pipping hot so that it doesn't fall apart when you cut it.

Enjoy these Fall treats, but plan ahead to share with others so you don't eat all of them.

MeganRuth

Latest and Greatest

Welcome to the Family Favorite Recipe Blog!

What started as roommates sharing our favorite recipes has grown to include new friends. We have a great history behind us with many go-to recipes.

However, things have slowed down. Postings are getting fewer in number. Comments are dwindling.

So, things are being shaken up!

Instead of having a few old friends share recipes, new women have been invited and hopefully they will accept!

We ask you try the recipe first and only publish your favorites. Be sure to comment and let us know if you're excited to try it, if you have tried it, and maybe even some tips.

Keep the recipes coming. At the very least our blog can be a resource to turn to for inspiration and in times of desperation.

Love,

Stina

Oven Tacos

Okay, I know all of your jaws are dropping right now. Yes, I am alive! I have been one busy mama and had to remove the unnecessary aspects from my life for a while...um year. I gave myself one pleasure and that would be pinterest. So, needless to say I have MANY recipes to post. The kids are back in school and I should be able to post more often. Sorry all for my absence and thank you for not kicking me to the curb :)


Okay, now to the recipe. It is a simple recipe that the family went crazy over. Don't you just love when you make something simple and easy, because you can’t figure out what to make for dinner, and the family loves you for the "special" meal you prepared for them?!?! This is one of those. Even Josh loved it and asked for it to be placed on the permanent meal plan list! I halved this recipe and made about 8 very full tacos.


Oven Tacos
Recipe from: lynnskitchenadventures.com

2 lbs ground beef
1 can refried beans
8 ounce tomato sauce

1 pkg taco seasoning or homemade taco seasoning

1 ½ cups shredded cheese

18-20 hard taco shells

Lettuce, salsa, sour cream, etc for serving.


1.Brown ground beef. Drain off any fat and add refried beans, tomato sauce, and seasoning.

2.Spoon mixture into taco shells.

3.Place filled shells into a 9×13 pan, standing up. Sprinkle with cheese.

4.Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes or until heated through.

5.Enjoy!


Okay ladies, it has been so long since I posted that blogger has changed everything! I cannot figure out how to get a picture on the post??? I wonder if the website is having a hard time because half of the buttons are not where they should be, according to the help video blogger has. When I figure out the new format I can add a picture.

Beef Chili Mac & Cheese

 

Before I get too far into this post I have always though of Chili mac as first, bizarre, and second, something that would strictly be for kids or other individuals lacking taste-buds. However, when we were making our menu almost two weeks ago, Ethan got so excited when he saw this recipe in a magazine that I couldn't refuse. Well, I couldn't refuse, but I could make a very big salad for myself as a back-up. To my surprise, I loved this recipe. Since I think that one of the main reasons that I had originally discounted this recipe was because I couldn't imagine eating noodles and beans in the same bite, I was glad to see that this recipe was really a beanless chili. I also liked all the different seasonings and tomatos in this recipe because I think it gives a more "grown-up" taste. Another thing that I really liked about this recipe (which has nothing to do with taste), is that this is really a pantry recipe. Even though we usually don't keep canned Tomatoes with Green Chilis on hand, or Mac and Cheese, all the other ingredients were things that we normally have on hand. In that way, I think this could be a fun recipe to just have on hand int he pantry as food storage. Finally, this recipe cost less than $10 dollars to make and Ethan and I were able to have it for two meals, plus Ehtan had it for a lunch too. So for all the rest of you with kids, this might not last as long, but it still is a cheap meal! With all that said, we will definitely be trying this recipe again next month.


Ingredients:
1 Packages (7 1/4 oz each) Mac & Cheese. Store brand worked out just fine.
1 lb Ground Beef
1 med Onion, diced
1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1-10 oz can Tomato with Green Chilis
1- 8 oz can Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp. Chili Powder
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 cups (16oz) Sour Cream
1 1/2 Cups, Shredded Cheese

Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add mcaroni; cook 8-10 mins. Leave the noodles Al dente.

In a large sauce pan brown the ground beef and onionsover medium for 6-8 minutes. Drain fat. Stir in tomatoes, tomatoes and chilis, tomato sauce, and seasoning.Drain macaroni and add to the tomato mixture. Add in contents of the Mac and Cheese packets, sour cream and cheese.

Transfer to a 13-9 pan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. (Ours took closer to 30 minutes.)

Serve and Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Carnitas

Ethan and I just tried this recipe last night and it was the best carnitas that I have ever made in the slow-cooker. No joke. We loved it! The only thing that we changed from the original recipe is that we added canned pinto beans and it turned out perfect so I'll just be sharing the recipe as we made it!


Ingredients:
3 lb. pork roast
4 oz can Chopped Green Chilis
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
2-10 oz. cans Diced Tomato & Green Chilis (Like Rotell)
3 cube Chicken Bouillion
2 cups Water
2-Cans Pinto Beans, rinsed

Toss the roast in the slow-cooker on Medium (or if your cooker is like mine, the 8 hour setting). Add in everything except the beans. Cover and Wait. Add the beans about 2 hours before you are ready to eat.At this time, you also want to shred the pork.

The original recipe called for this to be served over chips, but Ethan and I have always been fans of tacos so we ate it taco style. We also added lettuce, tomato, and cheese on corn tortillas.

Tropical Pancakes

Brent and I spent last week in Kauai. It was wonderful! And while there, we ate at a local restaurant and I had the best pancakes ever. I figured out how to make them at home and thought I would share! Kristi's family joined us for dinner because that girl is a pancake addict. She can vouch for these. They should be dessert--but since it has nuts and bananas and coconut, I'd like to consider them healthy.


Hawaiian Pancakes with Coconut, Banana, and Macademia Nuts

I used my pancake recipe from my friend Jenner:

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups milk
3 TBSP baking powder
1 mashed banana
1/2-1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Mix well together.


Cook on 375 preheated griddle.

While the pancakes are cooking on their first side, you can add pineapple tidbits to the gooey side so when you flip them they get all browned and yummy.


Coconut Syrup
allrecipes.com

1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1 cup flaked coconut
3/4 cup brown sugar

In a heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Serve immediately.

(It gets nice and thick, so you can add more coconut milk to thin it out a bit.)



Serve syrup over pancakes and add fresh toppings of banana, macadamia nuts, and coconut--and fresh, homemade whipping cream!!!!

Frank's Gyros

Yes, I have another Frank's Hot Sauce recipe to share, and this is why: Ethan. While we were making our menu for the next two weeks, he rattled off three different Frank's recipes that we have made. What I learned from that is that Ethan can never be left in charge of the menu, and that there are lots of different ways to use Frank's without making it too spicy. This is really a mixture of two different recipe, but I will put everything in this post. 

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
A drizzle of oil


Pound out the chicken so it is about 1/2 inch thin. Put the rub on the chicken and then saute in pan until cooked through.Thinly slice the chicken.

In the meantime slice up all your favorite salad veggies. We used:

Lettuce
Tomato
Cucumber
Carrot

Place a small portion of the chicken onto a thin wrap. We just used the wheat flavor. You want to put in in a thin layer that spreads across the width of the wrap. Then layer on your veggies. Finally spoon over a little bit of our favorite Blue cheese dressing. Finally start wrapping. Just remember that the tighter you make your wrap, the better everything will stay in.

Willena's Blue Cheese Dressing

1 Cup Best Foods Mayonaise

4 Oz. Blue Cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

¼ Cup Dry White Wine, or White wine Vinegar

1 TBSP Onion, Graded

4-5 Drops Tabasco

Coconut Strawberry Cake

Summer Strawberry Coconut Cake

Every year for my birthday I make a carrot cake. They are just my absolute favorite, and I love anything smothered in Cream Cheese Frosting. For some reason, this year, I just wanted something different. So, naturally, I looked at my Pinterest Dessert Board and found this fun gem. I love strawberries, and I just think this is the perfect summer cake. I hope you all enjoy!!                                                            1 (18.5 ounce) box white cake mix
4 T. strawberry gelatin powder  (3oz package)
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
2 T. granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. pureed strawberries
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. coconut extract
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, finely diced
1 c. coconut, finely shredded in food processor
several strawberries to fill cake and garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine dry ingredients in mixer bowl and stir together. Beat in oil, eggs, water, strawberry puree, vanilla, and coconut extract. Mix well. Stir in diced strawberries and coconut. Pour into two 8- or 9-inch round pans, greased and floured. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out mostly clean and the cakes are pulling away from the sides of the pans. My knife never came out completely clean, but once the gelatin cooled, it was perfect.

Put pans on wire racks and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and leave on racks to cool completely. While cooling, make icing.

Spread some icing on first layer, then top with sliced strawberries. Place second layer on top and ice the rest of the cake. Cover entire cake in shredded coconut and garnish with fresh strawberries.

The original recipe calls for cream cheese frosting, and it was super rich and yummy. However, the next time we do this I think I will use either Whipped cream on top or a combination of cream cheese and whipped cream to make it a little lighter.

Oreo Layer Dessert

I just tried this recipe for the first time and I am already in love with it. First it was super fast to whip up. Second, it is a no bake dessert. Which I love! Third, a lot of the ingredients are stuff that you have around the house already. All I had to buy were the Oreos and Cool Whips. I hope you all enjoy this fun summer treat!!

1 pkg of regular Oreos

1/2 c. of butter

1 lg box of instant chocolate pudding

2-8 oz cool whips

8 oz. of cream cheese, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

Crush the whole package of cookies either with a food processor, or in a bag and a rolling pin.  Save a 1/2 c. to sprinkle on top of dessert when it's done.  Pour remaining crumbs in a 13x9 pan.  Melt butter and pour into crumb mix.  Stir it up good and press crumbs in bottom of pan to make a crust.  

Make chocolate pudding according to package directions and let it setup in the fridge. 

In a mixing bowl blend cream cheese until nice and smooth and then add powdered sugar, mix.  Then fold in 1-8 oz thing of cool whip.  

Top oreo layer with cream cheese mix, then pudding, then your last 8 oz thing of cool whip, and then sprinkle remaining Oreo's on top.  

Cover and refridgerate until ready to serve. 

Zucchini Brownies

I've done it! I'm almost done using up all my frozen, shredded zucchini before this next batch arrives. I have one bag left and I have four zucchinis from my garden. Since you are all probably going to be up to your eyeballs in zucchini as well--I thought I'd share another dessert recipe using this fabulous and multipurpose vegetable.

Zucchini Brownies
(from the Aspen Meadows 2nd Ward cookbook--by an anonymous ward member)

1/2 cup vegetable oil
 1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting:
6 TBSP cocoa powder
1/4 cup margarine or butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan (I did not flour and it was fine).

In a large bowl mix together oil, sugar, and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour. Stir in 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Fold in zucchini and walnuts (I omitted walnuts b/c of Mr. Brent). Spread evenly into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Frosting: Melt together cocoa and butter. Set aside to cool. In a separate bowl blend together the sugar, milk, and vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.

Buttermilk Pancakes

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

sift dry ingredients together then add..
2 eggs
3 cups buttermilk
4 Tbs. melted butter


sift dry ingredients together then add..

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. sugar

 BUTTERMILK SYRUP
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
cook on medium heat until dissolved then add…

1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

This recipe has been on my Pinterest menu for about a month now. I kept putting it off because we have premade pancake mix that we use for pancakes most weeks. I actually didn’t put this recipe at the top of my “to try” list until a girl in our ward tried it and loved it. Please don’t be like me and wait to try this recipe; it is so good and so easy.
Finally, I don’t know how the rest of you are about buying special ingredients for one recipe and then having them go to waste. I hate it when I buy stuff like Buttermilk but then can’t use it all. I found that if you make the Costa Vida salad dressing you will use the entire quart of Buttermilk and not have to worry about wasting anything. Just something to keep in mind as you plan your menu.

Slow Cooker Parmesan Chicken

Parmesan Chicken

Many of you won’t know this, but my husband, Ethan has been working Sundays for the past year. Finally after a long year of going to church alone, his schedule changed for good and I had my partner next to me for church this week. I was so excited for his first weekend off in over a year that I decided that I wanted to make a super simple Sunday supper. When I think simple, I think slow-cooker, and so I tried this recipe. This was the perfect lazy Sunday recipe! No cooking ahead, just mix, toss it all in and come home to deliciousness!!

If I were going to change anything, I would double the rice, because we didn’t think there was enough rice. The original recipe also calls for 2 cups of Parmesan, but I thought that just sounded like too much. As you can see below, I only used 1 cup of Parmesan and we loved the out-come. Feel free to redouble the Parmesan.

Ingredients:

1 Packet Onion Soup Mix

1 cups, uncooked white rice

1 cup, Parmesan

1 ½ cups Milk

2 cans Cream of Mushroom (One Chicken and one Mushroom also works)

5 boneless, skinless breast

6 Tbsp butter

Pepper to taste

(Warning: I wouldn’t add any salt to this mix. We found that between the onion soup mix, the can soups, and the Parmesan there is just enough salt already! )

Spray Slow-cooker Bowl with non-stick spray. Mix the first six ingredients in a bowl. Place Chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow-cooker. Pour soup mixture over the chicken.

LOW for 8-10 hours

HIGH 4-6 hours. Ours was perfect after 4 ½ hours

Noodles with Peanut Sauce

recipe courtesy of bettycrocker.com

My mom is the one who inspired me to cook and try new recipes. Even when she had a busy day at school, she always made dinner. She claims that when she got burned out we'd eat frozen foods (ie. chicken patties), but I rarely remember that happening. And, I really have been so burned out on cooking--so thanks to everyone for keeping this up. My mom tried this recipe and Jordyn and I drooled over it while visiting. She let us try it and I had to make it at home, although since I have become such a lazy chef (who have  I become?!?!) I had to improvise.

Ingredients:

5 oz uncooked rice stick noodles
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp grated gingerroot
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth or water
4 oz canned bean sprouts
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 medium green onions, sliced (2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Instructions

Heat 2 qts water to boiling. Break noodles in half and pull apart slightly; drop into boiling water. Cook uncovered 1 minute; drain. Rinse with cold water, drain.

Mix peanut butter, soy sauce, gingerroot and red pepper in small bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Gradually mix in broth.

Place noodles ina  large bowl. Add peanut butter mixture, bean sprouts, bell pepper, and onions; toss. Sprinkle with cilantro.


MY VARIATION

My mom added chicken to hers. If anyone here has had  the kabobs with peanut sauce from Thai restaurants--this sauce is very similar--and it's my fave! I decided to do a kabob version, but just grilled my chicken and cut it into chunks. I didn't have rice noodles but I have PLENTY of spaghetti noodles in my food storage. So, I used that! I omitted mostly everything cause I didn't have it on hand. But, I did have chives. I doubled the sauce, mixed it with spaghetti noodles and grilled chicken chunks.

And guess what?

Brent said, "This is really good."

If that doesn't convince you to try it, what will? :)

Chocolate Drizzled Cheesecake FIlled Strawberries

I saw a recipe for these somewhere (probably a dr. office magazine) but I couldn't find it and had no idea what was in it so I made up my own!!  These are absolutely AMAZING!!  The filling is light and not too sweet and the chocolate drizzle just tops it off.  You could also use the filling as a fruit dip if you wanted. It is extremely addicting!  I used a spatula and scraped the bowl clean!

2 lbs. strawberries
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 Tbls. powdered sugar
1/3 c. yogurt (strawberry, raspberry or vanilla)
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Wash strawberries and hollow out center with a knife. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered  sugar and continue to beat until smooth.  Add yogurt and extract and whip for about 4 min. until light and fluffy.  Fill a Ziploc bag and snip the corner.  Fill each strawberry.
Melt chocolate chips until smooth and drizzle over strawberries with a spoon.  Refrigerate.

Old-Fashioned Chicken & Dumplings

Don't ask me why we decided to make hot soup when it has been over 90 degrees here, but we did. And I am so glad that we did! Even though this recipe was delicious and well-worth it, I won't blame you all for waiting until fall to try this one. The only good thing about making this recipe in the summer is that we got to make use of the Slow-Cooker which doesn't seem to heat up the kitchen at all, and you get a bread without baking int he oven. It's a win, win.

This is one of those slow-cooker recipes that actually turned out as well as the recipe claimed it would. The recipe is from America's Test Kitchen book  "Slow-Cooker Revolution". If you have never tried an America's Test Kitchen recipe you should know that they sometimes take a little more time, but they test the recipes over and over again so that they come out consistently. This is one of those, consistent recipes. Also, for a slow-cooker recipe, this ones takes a little bit of prep, but what I have learned is that a little bit of prep at the beginning of a slow-cooker meal often means better flavor and texture. The veggies in the recipe were cooked to perfection with just a little bite left to them, (I am no fan of mushy veg!) and the chicken was a perfect shredding consistency, and the sauce tasted better than I think any other slow-cooker sauce I've ever tried.

One little note: Ethan and I tend to prefer soup to thick stews, so we will probably be adding another cup of water to thin this stew out next time. Just a warning depending on where you fall int he soup versus stew spectrum. 

STEW INGREDIENTS
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken (we used mixed pieces)
Salt and Pepper
3 Tbsp, Olive oil
2 large onions, minced
3 celery ribs, diced 1/4 inch
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried Thyme
1/3 cup flour
4 1/2 cups low-sodium Chicken Broth (I used 5-6 cups water and 7 bouillon cubes. Next time I think I might even add another cup of water to make it a little more soupy.)
4 carrots, pealed and sliced 1/4 thick
2 Bay leaves
1 cup frozen peas (I forgot these and it was fine without...)
1 1/2 tsp dried parsley

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in skillet and brown chicken on both sides. 5-8 mins. If you are using bouillon cubes like I did, you will probably want to leave the chicken unsalted here because the bouillon cubes have enough salt. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. Place the chick with all of it's juices in the Slow-cooker.

Heat remaining oil over medium-high heat in skillet. Add onions, celery, garlic and thyme and cook until veggies are softened and lightly browned. 8-10 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in 1 cup of stock (or one bouillon cube and one cup water). Slowly whisk and pick up browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Smooth out any lumps; transfer to slow-cooker.

Stir in remaining stock, carrots, and bay leaves into slow-cooker. Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender. 4-6 hours.

Transfer chicken to cutting board and shred into bite-size pieces. (I skipped dirtying a board and just shredded the chicken in the cooker.) Discard Bay leaves.

DUMPLINGS INGREDIENTS (half recipe for smaller crock pot)

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup whole milk
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Note: Ethan and I have a large slow-cooker, but with all the dumplings the entire top was covered in dumplings. If you have a smaller pot, or don't love dumplings as much I would suggest that you halve the dumpling recipe. 

Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Leave out milk and butter to room temperature, or microwave until warm. DO NOT OVERHEAT. Stir milk and butter mixture into dry ingredients until just incorporated and smooth.

Drop golf ball-size dumplings into stew about 1/4 inch between dumplings. Cover and cook until dumplings are doubled in size, 25-35 minutes. Serve.

Recipe from America's Test Kitchen "Slow-Cooker Revolution". The recipes in here are amazing.

Raspberry Lemonade Crystal Light Slushy

Final new post for today. With summer coming on strong, I thought that I would share this fun slushy recipe. Since I am lactose-intolerant, I am always looking for fun ways to stay cool int he summer that won't make me sick.  Not only is this recipe yummy, it is also super easy which means you can whip up a quick batch and be out to the pool in a jiffy. I also think these would make amazing popsicles for those of you with kids. I hope you can all sit back and enjoy a batch of these.

Raspberry Lemonade Crystal Light Slushy

Ingredients
2 Cups of Ice
1 Packet of Raspberry Lemonade Crystal Light
1 Cup of Frozen Raspberries

Directions:
Make packet of Crystal Light as instructed with water.
Pour ice, frozen raspberries and then crystal light drink into blender, blend and enjoy!

Ciabatta Pizza Dough

Ethan and I love PIZZA. We seriously make some kind of pizza recipe once every other week. So about two to three times a month. Because we love making pizza, I am always looking for ways to make pizza a little different. So when I saw this recipe for Ciabatta dough, I was sold. We finally found a recipe for pizza dough on Pinterest that was actually better than it claimed to be!!! The one drawback from this recipe is that it is a true yeast dough, and because of that it needs time to rise. What that means is that if you are smarter than I am you will read through the whole recipe before you start making it or you will be eating at 8:30 like we did yesterday! All in all, you will need to start the dough the night before or in the morning the day you want it; you will also need to have about two hours to layer this dough and let it rise. The good thing about this dough is that even though you have to go back to it a few times, it really just needs time to rise and then be worked with, and repeat. So, in the end, yes it is a little time consuming, but we really did love it, and will be making this again soon. Hopefully I'm not scaring you away from this recipe because it only look about an hour to make (all combined), and the quick occasional look.

Recipe from Food Pusher:http://food-pusher.blogspot.com/2012/05/ciabatta-crust-pizza.html

Ciabatta Crust Pizza

INGREDIENTS

Biga

• 1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1/2 cup water (4 ounces), at room temperature

Dough

• 2 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2  teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 3/4 cup water at room temperature
• 1/4 cup milk at room temperature

Pizza Toppings

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
• 8 ounces grated Italian cheese blend
• garlic salt to taste
• your favorite pizza toppings

INSTRUCTIONS

1. FOR THE BIGA: Combine flour, yeast, and water in medium bowl and stir with wooden spoon until uniform mass forms, about 1 minute. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature (about 70 degrees) overnight (at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours).

2. FOR THE DOUGH: Place biga and dough ingredients in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on lowest speed until roughly combined and shaggy dough forms, about 1 minute; scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Continue mixing on medium-low speed until dough becomes uniform mass that collects on paddle and pulls away from sides of bowl, 4 to 6 minutes. Change to dough hook and knead bread on medium speed until smooth and shiny (dough will be very sticky), about 10 minutes. Transfer dough to large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Slide parchment with loaves onto inverted, rimmed baking sheet or pizza peel.

3. Spray rubber spatula or bowl scraper with nonstick cooking spray; fold partially risen dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough toward middle. Turn bowl 90 degrees; fold again. Turn bowl and fold dough six more times (total of eight turns). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Repeat folding, replace plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes longer. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit at least 30 minutes before baking. (Note: We used a standard cookie sheet and had to problem with the edges. )

4. Prepare a pizza peel, inverted cookie sheets, or a rimless baking sheet with parchment paper.  You will need two of these.  Transfer dough to liberally floured counter, being careful not to deflate completely. Liberally flour top of dough and divide in half (or fourths if you want to make small pizzas). Turn 1 piece of dough so cut side is facing up and dust with flour. With well-floured hands, press dough into a rough 12-inch circle (about an 8 inch circle for small pizzas).  Carefully transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet or pizza peel.

5.  Using floured fingertips, evenly poke entire surface of each loaf to make dimples all over the dough (this prevents crust from ballooning into pita bread). Carefully slide parchment with crusts onto baking stone using jerking motion. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until bubbles on top and bottom are lightly browned. Transfer to wire rack to cool and wait for pizza making.

Two small crusts.  Not very round, but good.

6.  With a pastry brush, spread some butter around the edge of the crust.  Spread 1/2 cup of sauce onto pizza.  Mix the cheeses in a large bowl and use half (or less) to top the sauce.  Then sprinkle garlic salt all over top of cheese and around the crust edge.  Top with other favorite toppings.  Bake at 450 degrees until cheese is melted and bubbly, 5-10 minutes.  Carefully remove with pan or peel.  Allow to sit for a couple of minutes and then slice with a pizza cutter.  Serve hot, but be careful.

Makes two large, or four small pizzas.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars

Hey everyone, I'm sorry that it has been a couple of weeks since I have posted, but we have been trying out some new recipes (as always), but unfortunately, none of them were share worthy! Fortunately, though this recipe is amazing! Then again, how can you go wrong with so much chocolate. this amazing recipe and many more are from: http://blog.babygizmo.com/2012/02/ultimate-chocolate-chip-cookie-oreo-brownie-bars/. She also has a recipe for a similar bar with Reese's that I can't wait to try. Too bad for me that Ethan is a huge Oreo fan and they were on sale. I guess hubbies have to win an occasional battle too. These are also the easiest layered dessert I think I have ever made. Note: all the blue instructions are mine for using an 11x9 pan.

Ingredients:

• Package of Brownie Mix (+the eggs, oil and water needed for that!) Warning: Ethan and I needed two boxes of Ghirardelli's Brownies to cover our Oreos.

• Package of Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix (I opted to make the Original Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough from scratch! If you go this route – use a little less flour than you normally would to keep the cookies moist.)

• Package of Oreos (regular or Double Stuffed – you choose!)

How to Make Them:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×9 baking pan with wax paper or foil and spray with cooking spray. (You can opt for a 13×9 pan if you want thinner bars.) If you choose to use a 11x9 pan as we did, you will need to use a little more cookie batter and an extra box of brownies.
2.  Make your cookie dough whichever way you like and spread in the bottom of the pan. If you are making a full batch of homemade Toll House cookie dough, you will only need half the batch!
3. Top the cookie dough with a layer of Oreos. We used a whole bag minus a half dozen or so. 






 4. Pour Brownie batter evenly over the oreos. Warning: if you use a bigger, 11x9 pan you will need two boxes of brownies. 







5. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  11x9 pan needs about 50 minutes to heat through the middle of the brownie.
6. Cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy!  Add some ice cream to completely put this indulgence over the top!

Recipe, and mouth watering photos from:  http://blog.babygizmo.com/2012/02/ultimate-chocolate-chip-cookie-oreo-brownie-bars/

(Un) Fried Spaghetti

I know that this recipes sounds a little weird, but it is a family favorite of some friends of ours. I have to admit that I was reluctant at first, but once you try this recipe it will forever be your new favorite. It is also a great way to get rid of leftovers without having to eat the same exact meal twice in a row! This recipe is is good that Ethan and I can hardly wait through spaghetti night for Fired Spaghetti Night!! Finally, don't be scared off by the title. We call it (un) fried because it is really sauteed to perfection. We hope that you guys grow to love this recipe/ technique as much as we do!


These measurements are approximate because it is a leftover recipe. Feel free to throw everything you have in.

about 1lb. cooked spaghetti, chilled overnight (**this step is really important, if the noodles aren't cooled overnight, they are too wet and it just doesn't work)

about 2 cups spaghetti sauce (use either a new can or leftover)

about 3 Tbsp (not too much or it really would be fried)


Heat about 3 Tbsp oil in a large skillet. Once the oil is hot, place the leftover spaghetti on top and then layer the sauce on top of that. Press everything down with the back of your spatula. Now be patient. I mean it! Give the noodles 3-4 minutes before stirring everything up and then be patient again. When you're patient the sauce and noodles basically caramelize and you get this really great flavor and crunchy little bits. Stir and repeat a couple times, until heated through and until you have as much caramelization as you want. Ethan and I like it really caramelized.

Double Crunch Chicken (or Pork)

Yet another Pinterest Recipe. Ethan and I love Pork chops, but only eat them rarely, so when I saw this recipe I got really excited. However, I realized that the recipe was for chicken and not pork. Despite that, we loved this recipe with pork. So feel free to misread and try it either way. Plus a fun dip!

4  large boneless chicken breasts, beaten to 1/2 inch thickness  

 Sift together:

2 cup flour
4 tsp salt
4 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp ground ginger
2 tbsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground thyme
2 tsp ground sage
2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Make an egg wash by whisking together:

4 eggs
8 tbsp water

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then dip the meat in the flour and spice mixture. Dip the breast into the eggwash and then a final time into the flour and spice mix, pressing the mix into the meat to get good contact.

Heat a skillet on the stove with about a half inch of canola oil covering the bottom. You will want to carefully regulate the temperature here so that the chicken does not brown too quickly. The thinness of the breast meat practically guarantees that it will be fully cooked by the time the outside is browned. Fry them gently for about 4 or 5 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.

Drain on a wire rack for a couple of minutes before dipping the cooked breasts into the Honey Garlic Sauce. Serve with rice.

Honey Garlic Sauce

In a medium saucepan add

2 tbsp olive oil
3 – 4 cloves minced garlic

Cook over medium heat to soften the garlic but do not let it brown. Add:

1 cup honey
¼ cup soya sauce (low sodium soya sauce is best)
1 tsp ground black pepper

Simmer together for 5-10 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Watch this carefully as it simmers because it can foam up over the pot very easily.

Fruity Cookie Cups

Once again Pintrest has come to the rescue!  This is actually a Pillsbury recipe but I never buy pre-made cookie dough so I just used my favorite sugar cookie recipe.  These were AMAZING!  I took them to a BBQ and they were gobbled up so fast.  The kids and adults both loved them!  They are light and fruity and a perfect dessert for summer time!

2 rolls of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough, or 1 recipe for sugar cookies (mine will follow)

1/2 c. almonds finely chopped

1 egg white

any flavor yogurt

chopped fruit such as kiwi, fresh pineapple, strawberries, mango, blueberries, raspberries etc.

Break up cookie dough in a bowl (or mix up your favorite sugar cookie recipe). Add chopped almonds and mix well.  Make dough into large balls, about 1 1/2 in. and place in greased muffin tins.  Flatten slightly and bake at 350 for 15 min.  Remove cookies and poke a hole in the middle of each one to make a cup (I used the bottom of my ice cream scooper).  Brush the inside of each cup with egg whites so they won't get soggy when you add the yogurt and return to the oven for about 5 more min. or until mostly firm and very slightly brown.  Allow to cool completely.  Add a spoonful of yogurt to each one and top with fruit!  Sooooo good!!

Perfect Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 tsp. almond extract

4 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. soda

3/4 tsp. salt

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add flavorings and eggs.  Sift together dry ingredients and add.