Whole-Wheat "sugar" Bears

This is a bread recipe. Actually meant to make bread bears, but we have found that this is the wheat bread recipe that we like, so I just make loaves out of it (2-3 loaves). I made it this morning and it actually rose! I got my other unopened yeast out, so maybe that helped.

1 1/4 c sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 packages active dry yeast

about 4 cups all purpose flour

4 c whole-wheat flour

2 c milk

1 c butter

2 eggs

1 Tbsp water

In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, yeast, 1 cup all purpose flour, and 2 cups wheat flour. In a saucepan over low heat, heat milk and butter until very warm.

With mixer at low speed, beat liquid into dry ingredients until blended. At medium speed, beat 2 minutes. Reserve 1 egg white; beat in remaining eggs and 1 cup of each flour; beat 2 minutes more. Stir in remaining wheat flour and enough additional all purpose flour to make a soft dough,

In floured surface, knead dough about 10 minutes, adding more flour. Shape into a ball. Cover and let rise about 1 hour.

Punch dough down, turn onto floured surface and let rest 15 minutes. Shape dough into loaves (2 or 3). Cover and let rise another hour.

Add 1 Tbsp water to egg white. Brush loaves with egg white (I usually forget this part and they still turn out fine). Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Chocolate Lover's Dream Cookies

The title says it all, doesn't it? Just think chocolate chocolate chip cookies. This is from my Taste of Home magazine. I have made it twice now and love them.

6 Tbsp oil

1/4 c butter, softened

3/4 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 c flour

1/2 c baking cocoa

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 c vanilla or white chips

1 c chocolate chips

I a large bowl, beat the oil, butter and sugars until well blended. add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, and baking powder; gradually add to oil mixture and stir well. Stir in chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

I actually only used chocolate chips in this and not white ones as well because we didn't have any.

Failure

The past two times that I have made bread it has not risen, it still tastes okay, but is small and dense. So I am thinking maybe I need new yeast or make sure it is really warm when it comes to raising it. Unless I haven't let the milk cool down enough and I killed the yeast.

Chicken Fringers

This is from The Joy of Cooking

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I only used 2)

Cut into strips.

Combine in wide shallow bowl:

2 cups dried bread crumbs

1/2 c Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp minced parsley or 1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Whisk together in a shallow bowl:

2 eggs

2 tsp water

Dip chicken in egg mixture and then crumbs.

Heat 3 Tbsp oil in large skillet over medium heat. Fry the chicken for about 4-5 minutes, turning to cook evenly.

Serve with some dipping sauce.

We loved this and had no leftovers. Ian ate a lot! I halved the recipe because I used less chicken and it worked great.

Oven Fried Chicken with Cornmeal Crust

This is from The Joy of Cooking

3 1/2 to 4 1/2 lbs chicken parts (I used 2 chicken breasts)

Whisk in a large bowl:

2 cups plain yogurt or buttermilk

2 garlic gloves, finely minced

curry powder or ground cinnamon, ginger, or cardamom (I used cinnamon)

1/2 c lemon juice

2 Tbsp finely minced shallots (I think this is green onions)

1 tsp dried rosemary or thyme

2 tsp salt

2 tsp chili powder

Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Combine in a wide shallow bowl:

1/2 c Parmesan cheese

1/2 c dried bread crumbs

1/2 c cornmeal

3 Tbsp minced parsley

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Whisk together in a shallow bowl:

2 eggs

2 Tbsp butter (melted)

Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, then coat with cornmeal mixture. Arrange the chicken on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes.

We liked this, well of course Ian did, it's chicken. Next time I will halve the recipe (I had a lot of the crumb mixture left over and there was a lot of marinade).

Mexican Chip Casserole

This is from The Taste of Home: Prize Winning Recipes

Recipe as is:

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can Mexicorn

1 can chopped green chilies

1 package (10 1/1 oz) corn chips

1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce

1 to 2 cups cheese

Brown hamburger, onion, and garlic. Add soup, corn, and chilies and mix well.

In a 3 quart baking dish, layer meat mixture, corn chips, enchilada sauce, and cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

So I did some things different. I used dried minced onions (that's what I had). Green beans instead of corn (wanted to use what we had in the fridge) and no chilies (Rex doesn't like them). I also made enchilada sauce from a packet. I thought it turned out really good, Ian wouldn't eat it though. Rex said he liked it alright.

Twice Baked Potatoes

This is from The Joy of Cooking book. Rex and I like twice baked potatoes but I had never tried making it before, seemed like it would take a lot of work, but it doesn't take too much work. I was excited when I found this recipe and was excited to try it. I have now made it twice.

6 baked potatoes (already baked at 400 for about 1 hour)

Cut them in half length wise and scoop out the potato into a bowl.

Add: 3-4 Tbsp butter

1/2 c sour cream

2 Tbsp minced green onion, optional

1 tsp salt

Mix with potato.

Optional: fold in 2 beaten egg whites.

Fill the potato shells. Sprinkle exposed potato with parmesan cheese and paprika.

Broil at 400 until cheese is browned, about 5-10 minutes.

Brownie Cheesecake

We had a Windows 7 party Friday night and I had lots of cream cheese, so I wanted to make a cheesecake. When I found this recipe on allrecipes.com I just had to try it and it turned out so good.

1 brownie mix

3 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, softened

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of 9 inch springform pan (I used a square 9x9 pan, since I don't have a springform pan). Prepare brownie mix as directs on box. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until set.

2. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips (if wanted). Pour into prepared pan (over brownies).

3. Reduce oven to 300. Bake for 50 minutes or until set. Cool. Chill thoroughly.

I actually found that there as too much cheesecake mix to go on the brownies (would have over flowed). So I put some in a pie crust that I had and baked that as well.

Sugar Cookies

I made Halloween sugar cookies this weekend. This is a recipe that I like for sugar cookies. I got it from a friend in our ward at Wymount.

1 1/2 c shortening

2 c sugar

1 c sour cream

2 tsp vanilla

6 c flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream together shortening and sugar; then add eggs. Mix in sour cream and vanilla. Mix in all dry ingredients and then chill dough for 30 mins. Roll dough out and cut into shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 9 mins at 350.

Cheesecake

I am looking for a good cheesecake recipe for Friday. If anyone knows a good one let me know. I already have a crust (a ready made one that was on sale).

Granola

I love this granola and I know it is not the most healthy, but I don't care.

3 1/2-5 c oats

1/2 c oil

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp milk

1 1/2 c coconut or raisin or whatever you want.

Mix together. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 200 for about 20-25 minutes.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

This is really easy to make

2 c cooked cubed chicken

2 c cooked rice

1/2 c mayo

1 can cream of chicken

some vegetable, like corn or peas.

Mix together in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Chocolate Revel Bars

I needed something chocolate yesterday and this is what I tried. It turned out really good. This is from my Better Homes and Garden cookbook.

1 cup butter, softened

2 c packed brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 c flour

3 c quick oats

1 1/2 c chocolate chips

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp vanilla

Set aside 2 Tbsp butter. In a large mixing bowl, beat the remaining butter for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar and baking soda. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs and tsp vanilla. Beat in as much flour as possible and stir in any remaining flour. Stir in the oats.

For filling, in a medium saucepan combine the reserved 2 Tbsp butter, chocolate chips, and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over low heat until chocolate melts. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.

Press 2/3 of oats mixture in the bottom of an ungreased cookie sheet. Spread filling evenly over top. Dot remaining oats mixture in top (flatten before you put it on otherwise it will push the chocolate out of the way). You can place them randomly.

Bake at 350 about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Cool and cut into bars.

Chicken Enchilada Bake

So I've realized I have made a lot of Mexican type dishes lately (not truly Mexican, but you get the idea). This is from the Taste of Home magazine.

4 1/2 cups cubed chicken

1 can (28 oz) enchilada sauce

1 1/4 c sour cream

9 tortillas, cut into 1 1/2 in pieces

4 cups shredded cheese.

In a greased 13x9 baking dish, layer half the chicken, enchilada sauce, sour cream, tortillas, and cheese. Repeat layers.

Cover and bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

The recipe actually calls for green enchilada sauce, but since I had to find a recipe for the sauce that had things I had, I used a red enchilada sauce. I also halved the recipe because it does serve 10.

Red Enchilada Sauce (from allrecipes.com)

1/4 vegetable oil

2 Tbsp flour

1/4 c chili powder

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 1/2 c water

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion salt

salt to taste

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and chili powder, reduce heat to medium and cook until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent flour from burning.

Gradually stir in tomato sauce, water, and spices. Continue cooking over medium heat about 10 minutes to until thickened slightly.

I didn't halve the enchilada recipe and found that I had too much sauce, so next time I will halve it.

Italian Cheeseburger Pasta

This is more of a twist on spaghetti than anything.

1 lb ground beef

2 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce

2 cups water

2 cups uncooked pasta

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger, drain off excess fat. Stir in sauce, water, and pasta. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve.

I thought this was really good. Ian loved the noodles of course. He didn't touch the hamburger part. Though the other night at my parents, he ate some browned hamburger, of course he said it was chicken (his idea, not ours, but we didn't correct him).

Cabbage and Rice

We went to our ward garden yesterday morning. We got some cabbage. I looked up some recipes for cabbage. I found one with cabbage and rice and I though I would try it, but I didn't really follow it. So this is my recipe.

1 cabbage, chopped up

minced onion

garlic salt

oil

rice

bacon (already cooked), crumbled.

Heat the oil. Fry cabbage, onion, and garlic salt. Add rice and bacon and heat through.

Apple Sauce Help!

So we got some apples from our ward garden (they have a ton there and it seems like no one has picked any). So today I thought I could dry some and make some applesauce. I tried making some applesauce today. If anyone has made it and will give me some tips, I appreciate it. How long do you boil/simmer the apples for (it seemed to take forever and still didn't seem long enough)?

Also, if you have any tips on drying apples (in an oven) before I try. I want to try making apple juice, but it seems like you need a juicer to do that and I don't have one.

Crispy Ranch Chicken

2 cups crispy rice cereal

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

2 egg white, beaten

2 skinless, boneless, chicken thighs (I used breasts)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray baking sheet. Combine the rice cereal, Parmesan cheese, and ranch salad dressing mix in a bowl.

Place beaten egg in a bowl. Dip each piece of chicken in egg and then in the cereal mixture to coat evenly.

Arrange on baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and juices run clear when cut, about 20-25 minutes.

I halved this recipe and used chicken breasts instead of thighs, okay so I didn't notice it said thighs until I started typing this up. It was good. We had this with mashed potatoes. Ian kept asking for more chicken.

Crockpot Pot Peach Cobbler

4 cups sliced peaches (fresh or canned, if canned reserve juice)

2/3 cups rolled oats

1/3 cup all purpose baking mix (like Bisquick or Jiffy mix)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup water or reserved peach juice

Place peaches in greased slow cooker. Mix dry ingredients together. Stir in water until well mixed. Spoon batter into cooker and stir into peaches, just until blended. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours.

Serve warm with ice cream or frozen yogurt.

I found this in my mom's new Fix-It and Forget-It cookbook (it's called Just Peachy). It is really good.

Parmesan Pork Tenderloin

"Use seasoned bread crumbs to add more kick to this dish. Serve these breaded pork medallions with tortellini and sauteed summer squash."

PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 10 Min
READY IN 25 Min

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound pork tenderloin
• 3 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 small zucchini or summer squash, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut tenderloin crosswise into 12 slices, approximately 3/4-inch thick.
Place each slice on its cut surface and flatten with heel of hand to 1/2- inch thickness. Combine crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper;
dredge pork slices to coat.

2. Heat oil over medium-high heat in nonstick pan. Saute pork for 2 to 3 minutes per side; remove and keep warm. Add onion, garlic and zucchini
or squash to skillet and saute 5 minutes or until tender.



I made this for Jon a couple of weeks ago. He really liked it. I put it with some Pasta Roni Fettucine, which was good. Also, I'm still not sure if one clove of garlic is the entire garlic thing, or one of the chunks you pry from it. So, being a garlic lover, I decided to put in the whole garlic thing. If it is indeed the whole thing, you might not want to put the entire thing in. I thought that amount of garlic was a little too much. And let's be honest here, it took me about 2 hours to make this, even though the recipe says you should be done in 25 minutes. Of course, I am a slow chopper/grater/meat cutter (I also bought meat with bones...I don't recommend that, it adds a lot to the prep time).

Pizza II

So I made pizza the other night. As I was making it, I decided to make the crust with wheat flour (half wheat, half white). It turned out great. I asked Rex after he ate it if he noticed anything different and he didn't. I was excited that it worked. It was the same recipe that I posted before.

Mexican Lasagna

This is another one from my Taste of Home magazine (I love finding new recipes to try and that work out). We had this last night and was really good.

1 1/2 lbs ground chicken
1 c each diced red onions and diced green bell pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 c canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c diced tomatoes
1/2c frozen or canned corn
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 c tomato pasta sauce
1 c medium salsa
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
4 large or 8 small tortillas
1 1/2 c packed shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large pot or skillet, cook ground chicken, onions, green pepper, and garlic until meat is no longer pink. add black beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder, and cumin, Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add pasta sauce, salsa, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro and remove from heat.
To assemble the lasagna, spread 1/3 sauce mixture over bottom of casserole dish. Top with tortillas, overlapping and cutting them as necessary to fit. Top with 1/3 sauce mixture, followed by 1/2 the cheese. Cover cheese with tortillas, followed by remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese over sauce.
Cover with foil and bake for 35 mintues. Uncover and bake 10 more mintues. Let lasgna stand for at least 10 mintues before serving.

I actually used ground beef instead of chicken, as I don't have ground chicken and have never used it. I also didn't put the green pepper in since Rex doesn't like peppers. I also skipped the cilantro because I forgot to get any at the store this week. I used wheat tortillas on one layer and white tortillas on the other. The recipe also says to top each piece with some sour cream and chopped green onions. Rex had sour cream, I didn't (I don't like sour cream when it is not cooked in). I also halved the recipe, since this serves 8.

Lemon chicken tortellini

I made this last night and it was really good. I got it from my Taste of Home magazine

1 pkg (19 oz) frozen cheese tortellini
1 lb chicken, cut in 1 inch pieces
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 small sweet red pepper, julienned
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken broth, divided
1/3 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 pkg (6 oz) fresh baby spinach
6 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute chicken in butter until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. In same pan, cook red pepper until crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add 2 cups broth; bring to a boil.
Combine flour, salt, pepper, and remaining broth until smooth; gradually stir into the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken and lemon peel. Add spinach; cook just until wilted. Drain pasta; toss with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.

It was easy to make. Instead of the lemon peel, I used lemon juice. Next time I don't think I will add the red pepper (it was fine, Rex just isn't a fan of peppers).

Barbecue Pork Ribs

3 to 4 lbs boneless pork ribs (I get the country ribs)
1 onion, sliced (I sprinkled in minced onion instead)
2 cups barbecue sauce
2 tsp lemon juice.

combine all ingredients in slow cooked. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours.

I made this last night and had my parents over for dinner. My dad loved it and kept saying I had to teach my mom how to make it, so I am posting it.

Honey Glazed Chicken Stir Fry

12 oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves or thighs (I use 1 chicken breast)
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp orange juice
4 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp cooking oil
4 cups cut up veggies (I use broccoli)
2 cups hot cooked rice

1. Cut chicken into bite size strips; set aside. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together honey, vinegar, orange juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch; set aside.

2. Pour oil into wok or large skillet. Heat over medium high heat. Add veggies; cook and sitr for 3 to 4 mintues or until veggies are crisp tender. Remove veggies. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Push chicken from center of the wok/skillet. Sitr sauce and add to the center. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

3. Return cooked veggies to wok/skillet. Cook and stir about 1 minutre of until heated through. Serve over rice.

I make the sauce while the broccoli or chicken is cooking. This takes about 20-30 minutes to make. Last night I started making it and forgot we didn't have orange juice, so I just didn't add any and it turned out fine. I would have taken a picture, but I thought I had already posted this. I looked this morning and realized I hadn't posted it before.

Veggie Chili

2 T. olive oil
2 medium onions,chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 jalepeno pepper (seeded, de-veined, and chopped)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 16oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 14 oz. can black beans
1 16 oz. kidney beans
1 T. cumin
2 T. chili powder
1 T. hot pepper suce
1 t. salt
1 can refried beans with chiles

in a large pot, add olive oil and warm over medium heat. Add onion, peppers, and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes or until softened. Add tomatoes, black beans and kidney beans, stirring well to combine. Add cumin, chili powder, hot sauce and salt. Stir in refried beans to thicken chili. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

South-of-the-border chicken and pasta skillet

2 c. pasta, uncooked
2 boneless chicken breasts thawed cut into bite-size pieces
16 oz. salsa (about 2 cups)
10 oz. frozen corn, unthawed (about 2 cups)
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 t. cumin
1 c. kraft mexican style finely shredded four cheese

Cook pasta. meanwhile, cook and stir chicked in large skillet on medium-high heat 6 min. or until done. Add salsa, corn, cream cheese and cumin; simmer on medium-low heat 6 min. or until corn is heated through and cream cheese is melted, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta add to skilet with half the shredded cheese. Simmer 3 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining cheese: cover. Remove from heat; let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Cinamon Bread

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Topping:
4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp butter (yes, tsp not Tbsp)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x5 loaf pan.
Mix together dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until mixed. Pour half into pan.
Prepare topping. Put half topping in pan and swirl with knife. Add rest of the batter and then topping and swirl with knife again.
Bake for about 50 minutes.

This turned out really good, but I think I will bake it for a little less time next time. The crust turned out really hard. I think our oven bakes faster than I am used to, many things need less time than the recipe says.

Prok Chop Rice Bake

4 pork chops (I used 2 since we don't need 4)
2 1/4 c chicken broth
1/2 c onion
1 c rice
1 tsp salt

Brown chops well. Remove from skillet. Add broth, onion, and salt to skillet. Heat to boiling. Stir in rice. Turn into baking dish. Top with chops and cover. Bake for 1 hour at 350.

The pork chops are okay, I think they need more seasoning. Ian ate a lot of it though. He kept asking for more "chicken." All meat is chicken to him, except hot dogs. The rice is really good though.

Cream Cheese Brownies

Rex made this on Sunday, and they are great!

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 Tbsp butter
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1- 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Line a 13x9 baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Grease foil; set pan aside. In a large heavy saucepan cook and stir the chocolate and butter over low heat until chocolate melts. Remove from heat, cool.
In a large mixing bowl, beat 2 eggs with mixer until foamy. Add the 1 1/4 cups sugar, water, and 1 tsp vanilla; beat about 5 minutes or until mixture is thick and lemon colored. Beat in cooled chocolate mixture. Stir in the 1 cup flour, baking powder, and salt. Spread half the batter in prepared baking pan; set pan and remaining batter aside.
In a medium mixing bowl beat the remaining 2 eggs, the remaining 1 tsp vanilla, cream cheese, 2/3 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp flour, and lemon juice with mixture until smooth. Spread evenly over batter in pan. Spoon remaining batter evenly over cream cheese mixture. Swirl batter with knife to marble. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Frost with chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze:
In a small saucepan cook and stir 1/3 cup whipping cream and 6 oz finely chopped semisweet chocolate (Rex used milk chocolate chips) over low heat until chocolate melts.

Granola

This morning Ian was eating yogurt, and I suddenly thought that granola would go great with it. So I wanted to make granola. I love this recipe. Rex hates it because he hates coconut, so he won't eat it and it is all for me (and a little for Ian).

3 1/2 to 5 cups oats
1 1/2 cups coconut
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Mix together. Spread in a cookie sheet. Bake at 200 for 30 minutes.

You can add 1/2 cup of nuts if you want, but I don't like nuts, so I leave it out.

Fried Rice

Make 3 cups rice. Heat 3 Tbsp oil. Stir in rice. Add copped green onions, vegetable (I usually use corn), and ham (I use lunch meat, cut up). Make a hole in the middle. Scramble 2 eggs until semi-cooked. Stir rice into eggs. Stir in 1/2 cup chicken broth and 2 Tbsp soy sauce. Fry 1 to 2 minutes.

This is a great and moist fried rice. When we were first married and I made this, I didn't read all the directions and didn't add the chicken broth. Then I had it at my parents' and asked my mom why it was different. She started listing the ingredients and when she got to chicken broth, I was surprised. I went back and looked at the recipe and there it was, chicken broth! It is much better with chicken broth.

Cream Tuna on Toast

This is fast, yummy meal/treat. We used to make this when my dad was gone on business trips growing up, I guess he doesn't like it (he doesn't like lasagna either).

4 Tbsp butter (melted)
4 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk

Stir together in saucepan over medium heat until almost boils and add a can of tuna. Serve over toast.

With just the three of us, I halve the recipe and it still works out great.

Stew

2 lbs. stewing beef, cubed (Kristi, you can buy stew meat at the grocery store)
15 baby carrots, halved
1/2 dried minced onion
3 large potatoes, cubed
1 can tomato soup
1 soup can water
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vinegar
pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cover and cook on high heat 5-6 hours or low heat 10-12 hours.

We had this Sunday night when we had my sisters and a cousin and her husband over for dinner. It was good. Kristi really wanted the recipe. I think I forgot to put the minced onion in, which would have given it a little more flavor.
I like being able to throw things in the crock pot early in the day and have dinner ready without much work later. This stew is easy to put together. The only thing that really takes some time is peeling and cutting the potatoes.

Chicken Tetrazzini

8 oz spaghetti or linguine
2 cups fresh mushrooms (I don't use)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups milk
2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a large saucepan, cook mushrooms and green onions in hot butter until tender. Stir in flour, pepper, and nutmeg. Add broth and milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in chicken and half in Parmesan cheese. Add cooked spaghetti, stir gently to coat.
Transfer pasta mixture to a baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven, uncovered for 15 minutes.

Pizza

I made pizza last night for Ian's birthday/Mother's Day. Ian loves pizza and always asks for it.

Pizza Crust:

1 package active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Stir in flour, salt, and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to lightly greased pizza pan. Spread with desired toppings and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

This time I kneaded the dough some with a little more flour so it wouldn't stick to the counter like previous times and it worked much better.

Pizza Sauce: (this makes a lot)

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 Tbsp ground oregano
1 1/2 tsp dried minced garlic
1 tsp paprika

I use a little less oregano because we found that you can really taste it in this recipe.

Crepes

Rex made crepes yesterday morning for Mother's Day because that is what I requested, I even bought strawberries and whipping cream.

4 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups flour
2 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup melted butter

Whisk together eggs and salt. Add some flour. Whisk in milk an d flour alternatively until you have added it all. Add the melted butter and whisk again.
Cook in an 8 inch skillet. Preheat pan on medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the pan. Twirl the pan around as you add the batter. Flip crepe over and cook over side for about 20 seconds.

Ian loved the strawberries. As I was cutting them, he kept asking "More, strawberry." Last year he wouldn't even let a strawberry into his mouth.

Easy Chicken Bake

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I actually only use 2 or 3)
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 c evaporated milk
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp paprika

Place chicken in slow cooker. Mix together soup, milk, and seasonings. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high heat 4 hours or low heat 8-10 hours.

This is really good. We had it with brown rice. It was my first time making brown rice, it doesn't cook very well in a rice cooker or I need to learn a different way to do it in a rice cooker. Ian ate close to half my chicken. He kept wanting more.

I got this recipe from 101 Things To Do With a Slow Cooker.

Grandma Cisney's Meatloaf

1 egg
1/3 c milk
3/4 tsp salt
pepper
onion salt
1 lb hamburger
1/4 c ketchup
Worshere sauce

Mix. Bake 1 hour at 375.

Ian actually ate this tonight. He hasn't eaten any other hamburger yet. I have tried a couple recipes, and this is the one I like the best. I love having baked potatoes when we have meatloaf, they just go together.

German Pancakes

6 Tbsp butter
6 eggs
1 c milk
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour

Put butter in 13 by 9 in pan. Heat oven to 425 and melt butter. Mix together rest of the ingredients. Put in pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Puffs while baking. Flattens when it cools.

Top with syrup, we like this buttermilk syrup.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 c sugar
1/2 c buttermilk (1/2c milk with 1 tsp vinegar)
1 1/2 cubes butter
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a large saucepan. Boil 5 minutes. Watch carefully, boils over easily. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

I always have these recipes, as there is only three of us and it works out perfectly. You can also use the extra syrup on ice cream.

Beef Taco Bake

I got this recipe at an Enrichment recipe swap. It is good and easy to put together.

1 lb ground beef
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 c salsa
6 tortillas, cut into 1 in pieces
1/2 c milk
1 c shredded cheese

Brown meat. Add soup, salsa, milk, tortillas, and half the cheese. Spoon into 2 quart shallow baking dish. Cover. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Ian loved the tortilla part, but wouldn't even put the hamburger in his mouth. He doesn't liked ground beef for some reason, wouldn't eat it in stroganaff either, though he gobbled the rest of it right up.

No Bake Cookies

I love these cookies. When I want something chocolate but don't have chocolate chips, these are great and easy to make.

2 c. sugar
1/2 c milk
1/2 c butter
2 1/2 c quick oats
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp cocoa
1/2 c coconut (Rex hates coconut, so sadly I don't use it)
1/2 c peanut butter

Place sugar, milk, cocoa, and butter in saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add peanut butter; stir until well mixed. Remove from heat and add vanilla, oats, and coconut. Mix well. Drop by teaspoon fulls on buttered cookie sheet (I actually use wax paper). Let set until hard, you may cool in fridge.

Sour Cream Enchildas

2/3 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken
minced onion
Grated cheese
cubed/shredded cooked chicken
Green chiles, opitional

Combine 2/3 cup sour cream and a can of cream of chicken. Add in some minced onion (about 1/4 cup). Spread a little on bottom of casserole dish.
Add chiles to mixture if using (I don't use them because Rex doesn't like chiles). Spoon some into tortilla, put some chicken, and cheese. Fold tortilla. Place in casserole dish. Repeat with other tortillas. Put remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Stuffed French Toast

Rex loves stuffed french toast when we go to restraunts. So for his birthday breakfast, I wanted to make it for him. I was kind of scared about making it, until I found this recipe, which was easy to make.

8 slices bread
cream cheese
jam
5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
plus whatever else you want to put in the egg mixture. I put some nutmeg and vanilla.

Spread 1 slice of bread with cream cheese and another with jam. Put together like a sandwich. Dip in egg mixture and cook like regular French toast.

I had a lot of egg stuff left over, but I only made 3 because I knew that we wouldn't eat more. So I will use less next time.

BBQ Pork (Pulled Pork)

Rex loves pork, especially pulled pork. I made this for his birthday dinner and invited my family. My dad really loved it too. It is super easy. The roast I bought this time pulled apart so easy (I forgot what kind it was exactly but there was no bone).

2-3 lbs boneless pork roast
3/4 cup dried minced onion (I just sprinkled some in, didn't measure)
1 bottle bbq sauce
1/4 cup honey

Place roast in crock pot. Combine onion, bbq sauce, and honey. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours. When roast is done, use two forks to shred meat.

We eat it as a sandwich. I forgot to take a picture, sorry.

Strawberry Shortcake

I love strawberries. Growing up we always grew them. When I was grocery shopping on Monday, I just had to buy them. They weren't on sale, so they were expensive. I got ads the next day and they were on sale at the store I went to. I decided to make strawberry shortcake. It was my first time making it and it turned out really good, though not quite as pretty as the shortcake you buy at the store.

6 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup milk
1 cup whipping cream or cool whip

Preheat oven to 450. In a small bowl, stir together strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar; set aisde. Stir together remaining sugar, flour, and baking powder. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs/ Combine egg and milk; add to flour mixture. Stir just to moisten.

For whole shortcake: Spread dough in a greased round baking pan. Bake at 450 for 15 to 18 minutes.

For individual shortcakes (This is what I did): Drop dough into 8 mounds on an ungreased baking sheet. Flatten each mound with back of spoon until about 3/4 inch thick. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes.

Let cool on wire rack. Split in half horizontally. Put strawberries and cream in middle and then on top.

Hamburger Stroganoff

1/2 cup minced garlic
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1 lb hamburger
2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp salt, I use less salt, because when I use 2 tsp is too salty.
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream

Brown hamburger and onion (I don't actually measure the onion, I just sprinkle some in). Add flour (and mushrooms, if you like them). Cook 5 minutes. Stir in soup and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. I also add about 1/2 can of water. Stir in sour cream. Heat through and serve over noodles.

I have made this for years and we love it. Ian doesn't like the hamburger, that is picked or spit out. I think his favorite part is the noodles.

Oven Fried Chicken

So this morning I thought, I'll make fried chicken tonight for dinner. After church I was exhausted (probably because of 16 kids in nursery, 4 adults) and I didn't really want to make dinner. I've made fried chicken before and know it takes time and work, so I looked in my cookbook, and there was a recipe for oven fried chicken, which looked much easier.

1 beaten egg
3 Tbsp milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs (recipe actually says finely crushed saltine crackers)
1/2 Parmesan cheese
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 2/1 to 3 lbs chicken pieces (I always use chicken breasts when I cook)
2 Tbsp butter, melted.

In a small bowl combine egg and milk. In a shallow dish combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, oregano, paprika, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces into egg mixture and then coat with crumb mixture. Place the chicken a greased baking dish. Drizzle chicken with melted butter. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

This was super easy and good. We liked it better than regular fried chicken. It is a lot like shake and bake chicken, just cheaper.

Chicken Biscuits

This is a recipe that I have made a lot. Rex loves it.

Mix together:
cooked chicken, diced/pulled apart (I do about 2 chicken breasts)
8 oz cream cheese
some green onions (I use 3 or 4)

Melt butter in a bowl (about 4 tbsp)

Crush Stovetop Stuffing and put in another bowl

Roll out biscuits, fill with cream cheese mixture. fold and pinch edges closed. Roll in butter and the Stove top stuffing.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Gravy:
1 can cream of chicken
8 oz sour cream
1 Tbsp mayo
salt and pepper to taste

Heat through and serve over biscuits.

I know this recipe is really fatty, but it is really good. I tried to post a picture, but it wasn't working.

Steak Help

I have only made steak a couple times, since it is usually expensive. We got steak the other day because it was on sale. Any ideas/help on how to make the steak and what it season it with.

Thanks for any help!

Sweet and Sour Pork

I made sweet and sour pork tonight. Rex loves pork. We didn't have it much growing up except the occasional pork chops and of course ham. So I have tried a few recipes with pork. I just need to learn what kind to buy at the store. Though at Albertsons the guy in the meat section was very helpful when I was buying a pork roast to make pulled bbq pork.

So anyway, here is the recipe. It is from my 101 Things to do with a Slowcooker book.

1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained
1 cup sweet and sour sauce
1/4 tsp ginger

Place all ingredients in the order listed in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 4-6 hours. (2-4 servings).

I serve it with rice.

The first few times I used recipes that called for sweet and sour sauce, I bought the sauce from the store, but that is expensive. So finally I realized I could look up a recipe and make my own sweet and sour sauce for way cheaper. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp cornstarch

Mix together in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir continuously until it has thickened.

This recipe makes about 1 cup, so the perfect amount for the sweet and sour pork.

Ian loves the pork. He is picky about meat sometimes. He did actually eat a hot dog for the first time a week or so ago. Before he wouldn't even put one in his mouth.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies that I have tried so far. It is from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
Chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 for 8 minutes.

My favorite chocolate chips are Guittard chocolate chips. I found them at Maceys and they are really really good. They were even the same price as the Maceys chocolate chips. I like milk chocolate chips and these are really chocolaty.

Picture of Oatmeal Bread

So I just thought about taking a picture. Rex really likes the bread. When he got home, he just picked up the other loaf and bit a chunk out of it and then he cut it.

Oatmeal Batter Bread

I have been making bread to make our other bread last longer. We still buy bread from the store for sandwiches and stuff, because I have not yet found a good recipe for bread that we can use for sandwiches. I like trying other kinds of bread as well. Today I was looking through my Good Housekeeping Cookbook, which has a ton of recipes. I got the book from a Provo library book sale (I miss the Provo library), so it was cheap. The bread is good.

2 tsp salt
2 packages yeast
about 5 cups flour
2 1/4 cups water
1 cup oats (quick-cooking)
1/2 cup light molasses
butter or margarine

1. In large bowl combine salt, yeast, and 2 cups flour. In a saucepan mix together water, oats, and molasses with 1 Tbsp butter; over low heat, heat until very warm, but not boiling.
2. With mixer at low speed, gradually beat liquid mixture into dry ingredients until just blended. Increase speed to medium. Beat in remaining flour until makes a stiff dough that leaves sides of bowl.
3. Put in greased bowl; cover with towel and let rise 1 hour.
4. Stir down/punch down dough. Divide into 2 ans turn into 2 greased round straight sides casserole dishes (I used round cake pans). Cover and let rise about 45 minutes.
5. Cook 40 minutes on 350 degree oven.

The Beginning

So I've thought a little about start my own blog, aside from our family one, devoted to recipes that I have tried and what I think of them. Also to get any advice/ideas from anyone who decides to read this blog. I love to cook most of the time, sometimes I am just too lazy though. It is also hard to cook dinner with a toddler who wants attention right then.