Monkey Bread

I couldn't find a monkey bread recipe that didn't use refrigerated biscuits, or a bread machine. Since I didn't have either, I made up this recipe gleaning from other recipes. David really wanted Monkey bread, and I really wanted to use my tube pan that I got for Christmas.

• A batch of my MIL's roll recipe
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

• Make the rolls and let rise for 2 hours or until double.
• Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube pan.
• Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
• Divide the dough in 64 pieces and roll in cinnamon and sugar.
• Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all dough is placed in pan. (Until pan is about 2/3 full.) If using nuts, arrange them in and among the dough as you go along.
• In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the dough.
• Let rise, covered, for 30-45 minutes.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

Pork Chops and Rice

I made this for the boys and me the other night. I used Creole seasoning instead of Cajun, but they are pretty close. I reduced the recipe according to our needs. I only used a little seasoning and added more to mine, I didn't think the boys would like the spices. The Cajun seasoning tastes great! I also mixed the soup ans water before I put it in the pan. It's much smoother that way.

Pork Chops and Rice

3 center cut pork chops, bone-in
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 can water
1 tablespoons of vegetable oil
garlic powder
Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning (or equivalent)
garlic powder, to taste
1 cup rice

Heat oil on medium heat and brown pork chops.

When brown, drain oil and add can of soup. When can is empty, fill the can halfway with water and pour into pan and stir. If you want more gravy, you can add a little more water. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 30-45 minutes. If you simmer longer, the meat will be more tender. Mine fall off the bone!

Adjust seasonings as it cooks. Taste occasionally; add more garlic powder and Tony's to the gravy while it simmers.

Cook 1 cup rice as directed on package. You can use Minute Rice if you prefer.

Serve together and pour gravy over rice.

snowball cookies

I got this recipe from my Wymount ward cookbook. Submitted by Lori T*. I use the almond flavoring. They are so easy, buttery, and fit the season. You can fit a lot on one cookie sheet since they don't spread of rise. Only two batches and you're done and have 60 little cookies. I made these to give away for a ward activity, so we didn't eat them. OK I had one - seriously only one. But I sure wanted more!

1 c. butter
1/2 c. powdered sugar (plus more for later)
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla or almond flavoring
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour, salt, flavoring and nuts. Combine well. Form into small balls. and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes. While still hot roll in additional powdered sugar

Baked Fish with Mushrooms

I found this on Mindy's recipe blog. It was so fast, easy and yummy. I used dried thyme.

Baked Fish with Mushrooms

1 lb fresh or frozen fish fillets, 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced green onions (2)
1 tsp snipped fresh tarragon or thyme
OR 1/4 tsp dried tarragon or thyme, crushed

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 4 serving-size pieces, if necessary. Arrange fish in a 2-quart rectangular baking dish, turning under thin edges. Sprinkle with salt.

2. In a small saucepan melt butter; add mushrooms . green onions, and dried tarragon, if using. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms and green onions are tender. Spoon mushroom mixture over fish; sprinkle with fresh tarragon, if using.

3. Bake, covered, in a 450 degree oven for 12 to 18 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Very fast, Very healthy!

Recipe from: Better Homes and Garden New Cook Book

Corn Noodle Casserole

Corn Noodle Casserole

• 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked egg noodles
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1 (15 ounce) can canned or frozen corn
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium casserole dish.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles, cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
3. Place turkey in a skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain grease.
4. In a bowl, gently mix cooked noodles and turkey, corn, and soup. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
5. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly.
   

Turkey Chili

I usually go for old standbys when I'm cooking for just me and the boys. But tonight I tried this. It was pretty good, but I would add more spices. It didn't have much of a kick. But the boys ate it. We topped it with a little sour cream and shredded cheddar. I put my changes into the recipe. The original is in the link.
Turkey Chili

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 c. onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (19 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin, or to taste
• 1 c. beef broth
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder, or to taste
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Place turkey and bell pepper in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook until turkey is evenly brown. Mix in beans, tomatoes, corn and broth. Season with cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes. Add more broth if you want a more liquid chili.

Layered cookies

I made this for the ward Christmas party tonight. I didn't think bring week old cookies would be very good, but I didn't have much time. These are quick and soooo good. Faustin S* asked me for the recipe once and the S* family gave these out for their Christmas goodies one year. Try them!
I got the recipe from the FHE ideas on the Deseret Book website. They got the recipe from Lion House Recipes.

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. shredded coconut
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips
1 c. chopped nuts
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Melt butter in a 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients evenly over top in layers. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. After removing from oven immediately cut away from the sides. While still warm cut into squares.

I will melt the butter and mix in the graham cracker crumbs and press to form and even crust. I don't trust my sprinkling skills to be accurate.

Gingerbread houses

We made gingerbread houses last night with family. Email me if you want the template for the cut outs!

Gingerbread

2 ¾ c. sifted flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp. ginger

2/3 c. molasses

1 egg

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. cloves

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

½ c. oil

Mix thoroughly and chill over night (at least four hours). Roll out on an oiled sheet aluminum foil and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 300° F for 20-30 minutes Place pattern on hot bread and cut before it cools

Royal Icing

3 eggs whites (room temp!)

1 lb powdered sugar

½ tsp cream of tartar

Beat all at once until it stands with very stiff peaks. Takes several minutes. Cover with damp cloth to keep from drying.

Aunt Fannie's Dinner

I made this last night. Other users commented that it didn't have enough flavor so I used a can of rotel in stead of 1 cup of diced tomatoes to spice it up. Aaron and I thought it was great. The kids thought it was too spicy. I added some cheese to tone it down p didn't help much, but it made it really tasty!

Aunt Fannie's Dinner

• 1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup stewed, diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the ground beef for 5 minutes. Add the onion and saute for 5 to 10 more minutes. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Add the tomato sauce, stewed OR diced tomatoes, corn and cooked macaroni. Stir well and allow to heat through, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Add the tomato sauce, stewed OR diced tomatoes, corn and cooked macaroni. Stir well and allow to heat through, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Nutty Toffee

I got this recipe from our HP ward cookbook. Channing D* submitted it. We got to sample some four years ago. This is the first time I've made this recipe. I altered it a little. Of all the goodies I've made this is the one I keep snacking on. Maybe that's because it's not as securely covered ;)

1 c. butter
1/4 c. water
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. corn syrup
1 c. chopped nuts (almonds, pecans etc - I used walnuts)
1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips (a chopped milk chocolate bar would work great, but I didn't have one)

Combine first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Melt and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for about 7-10 minutes or until mixture turns a golden brown, becomes fluffy and starts to smoke. (I waited longer it never got to 275 F but it was golden brown, it seemed to turn out good) Removed from heat and mix in the nuts. Spread the mixture evenly on a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle chocolate over toffee and spread as it melts. Score the toffee with a knife (into 1 inch squares) and let set for 5- 10 minutes (outside if it's cold!). Take toffee pieces off tray, break into pieces and enjoy!

Soft sugar cookies

This recipe comes from my Wymount Ward's cookbook. This was submitted by MaryAnn U*

3 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg, unbeaten
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla flavoring
1 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1/2 c. sour cream

Sift together dry ingredients. Combine butter, sugar, egg and flavoring, then beat. Add sour cream, then flour mixture. Roll out. Cut to desired shapes. Cook on ungreased cookie sheet for 7 minutes at 400 F.

Banana Roll

This was served at our wedding reception. I have used it numerous times since then. My MIL got the recipe from a friend. She gave it to others and was consequently told it was a secret recipe and it was not to be shared. Oops. So here's the "secret" recipe.
Just mix it up in the blender.

3 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. mashed banana
1 tsp. banana flavoring (I just substitute vanilla)
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c flour

Beat together eggs and sugar for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Grease and flour a Jelly roll pan (or a 10x15 cookie sheet with a low side). Pour onto pan (make sure it's very even) and bake at 375 F for15 minutes (don't over bake!)
Sprinkle a flour sack - or towel (not terry cloth)- with powdered sugar. Loosen with spatula and dump cake onto towel. and roll up in a jelly roll (it's OK if the towel is rolled up inside). Cool for at least 20 minutes and then unroll and frost. Reroll and wrap until ready to cut and serve. Can be frozen.

Frosting:
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese
4 tsp. butter
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat well and add 1/2 c. nuts if desired.

Marnae's cookies

This is a version of the Urban legend/Nieman Marcus recipe. I got it from my freshman roommate Marnae T*. they make a ton. It's easy to halve and even quarter.
Use the blender to make a flour out of the oats. Use can also use the blender to chop the Skor bars. I never found Skor bars in TX, so I used a bag of Health Toffee bits.


2 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. unbleached flour
5 c. blended oats
6 blended Skor bars
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
24 oz semisweet chocolate chips (I use less -about 18 oz)

Mix butter, sugars. eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Mix in Skor bars and chocolate chips. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes.

Easy fudge

I got this recipe at an Enrichment back in 1998 from Jenn W*
3/4 c. butter
3 c. sugar
1 can (5 oz) evaporated milk -2/3 cup
1 pkg (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips.
1 jar (7 oz) Marshmallow Creme
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla

Lightly grease 13x9 or 9x9 pan. Microwave butter in a 4 qt microwave safe bowl on High for 1 minute or until melted. Add sugar and milk; mix well. Microwave for 3 minutes. Stir. Microwave for 2 minutes or until mixture begins to boil. Mix well, scrape sides. Microwave on High for 3 minutes, then stir. Microwave for 2 1/2 minutes more. Gradually stir in chocolate chips until melted. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Cool at room temperature. Cut into squares. Yield 3 lbs!!!

This recipe can be halved - the marshmallow creme is a little tricky. But you must also halve the microwave time!

Peanut Butter Cookies

This is from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

1/2 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
Granulated sugar

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Beat till combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Bet in the egg and vanilla till combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. If necessary, cover and chill dough till easy to handle (I actually add about 1/4 c. more flour).
Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in additional granulated sugar to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on a n ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten by making crisscross marks with the tines of a fork. Bake in a 375 F oven for 7 to 9 minutes, or till bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack. and let cool. Makes about 36 cookies.

Gingersnaps

I am starting my holiday baking!
This recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c shortening
1/4 c. molasses
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 c. granulated sugar

In a large mixing bowl combine about half the flour, brown sugar, shortening, molasses, egg, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to medium high speed till combined. Beat or stir in remaining flour.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in the granulated sugar to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 F oven for 8 - 10 minutes or until edges are set and tops are cracked. Cool cookies on cookie sheet for 1 minute, Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 48 cookies.

Baked Salmon

This came from the back of the salmon package. Aaron fixed us a fabulous meal. He made this side dish (and added some dried onion flakes) and some veggies and salad. The meal was good. But the salmon seemed a little weighed down. I prefer the light flavor of fish. The bread crumb made it a little heavy. I think Aaron also substituted basil for the thyme.

4 Salmon fillets
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp thyme
1 stick butter
1 cup cracker crumbs (we used bread crumbs)
1/2 c. diced onions


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season the fish with salt, pepper, paprika and thyme. Cover with fine cracker crumbs. Place in 9x13 glass pan (we used an 8x8 pan) Put diced onions on crackered (or breaded) fish. Pour melted butter over fillets. Garnish with slices of lime (didn't have any so he sprinkled on some lime juice) Bake for 25-30 minutes until done. Do not over cook.

Pasta and White Beans in Light Tomato Sauce

I followed this recipe pretty closely. Although it is written for two. I doubled it, but there were lots of leftovers. I used less oil and one less clove of garlic. (It still wasn't very spicy. The sauce had a good kick to it though.)
Pasta and White Beans in Light Tomato Sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp minced parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained (white kidney beans)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 oz pasta, your choice, freshly cooked

1. Heat oil in heavy, large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and saute until golden, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes and cook 5 minutes.
4. Add parsley, basil and oregano and simmer, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.
5. Add beans and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Place freshly cooked pasta in bowl.
8. Pour sauce over and toss thoroughly.
9. Also nice with grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese.

Gingerbread men (or bears)

Aaron made gingerbread men with the boys on Sunday. We couldn't find the right cookie cutter (although I found it yesterday morning - oops), so they opted for gingerbread bears. They were so yummy! This is straight from the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book, with one exception. We ran out of molasses, so he substituted corn syrup for half of it.

1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. molasses
1 egg
1 Tbsp vinegar
2 1/2 c. flour

In a mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat till combined, scraping bowl. Beat in the molasses, egg, and vinegar till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill for 3 hours or till easy to handle (Aaron waiting an hour, I think).
Grease a cookie sheet, set aside. On a lightly floured surface roll half of dough at a time to 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter cut into desired shapes. Place 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 5-6 minutes or till edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

* for larger cutouts (4 1/2 - 6 inch) roll dough to 1/4 inch thick and bake 6 -8 minutes.

Cheddar Cheese ball

I made this in anticipation of a Thanksgiving pot luck - which didn't happen, so we ate it with our Thanksgiving leftovers. The basis of the recipe came from Better Homes and Gardens, but we've changed it to our tastes.

1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese.
3 oz cream cheese
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp finely chopped green onion
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
dash of bottled hot pepper sauce (or more if you like it)
1/3 c. finely chopped walnuts
assorted crackers

Bring the cheeses and margarine to room temperature. Add milk, green onion, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Beat till combined. Cover and chill 4 to 24 hours.
Shape mixture into a ball, roll in nuts. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve with crackers.

Pumpkin pie

I had to alter a few recipes to get this one since I didn't have any evaporated milk. It still turned out pretty good.

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) can pumpkin
• cup milk
• 1 unbaked single pie crust

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves and nutmeg in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

I also put foil around the crust edge for the first 25 minutes to prevent burning.

Tomato Basil Pasta

This was quick and easy and I made a few changes (recipe reflects my version - original is in the link). I didn't have enough tomatoes and it would have been better with more. I sauteed the onions because I was worried the kids wouldn't eat it if it was too strong. Timothy didn't eat much. David liked it but didn't want the onions or the feta (he thought that was what made it spicy). Aaron and I loved it. My fresh basil is pretty much dead so I added some dried basil too. I reduced the onion, oil and feta cheese and used 12 oz instead of 10 oz because I had a 12 oz box - why not?

Tomato Basil Pasta

• 12 ounces dry rotini pasta
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1/2 c. onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 6 leaves fresh basil, torn
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 oz crumbled feta cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Saute onion in a little olive oil.
   
3. Combine olive oil, garlic, onion, tomatoes and basil; let sit at room temperature.
4. Toss warm pasta with Parmesan and feta. Stir in tomato mixture and sprinkle on salt and pepper. You can add more Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately.

Mushroom Sauce Baked Pork Chops

This was pretty easy. I only used 4 pork chops, but kept everything else basically the same (who wants to use 2/3 of a can of soup?!). I reduced the salt, but kept the pepper the same and garlic powder was "to taste" anyway. I guess I only used one onion too. I thought it was really good, but I did have to bake the potatoes about 10 minutes longer (after removing the pork chops). And my potatoes were pretty thin.

Mushroom Sauce Baked Pork Chops

• 6 pork chops
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• garlic powder to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 4 cups thinly sliced potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 2 quart baking dish.
2. Rub pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, add chops, and brown on both sides. Remove from skillet. Place onions in skillet, and cook until browned. Pour in mushroom soup and milk; stir until blended. Remove from heat, and set aside.
3. Arrange sliced potatoes evenly in prepared baking dish. Arrange chops on top of potatoes. Pour soup mixture over chops.
4. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Uncover, and bake 30 minutes more, or until potatoes are tender.

Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies

This is from the Mrs. Field's Best Ever Cookie Book (200 recipes!!!) David and I made these and then shared them at my Primary meeting.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 c. (packed) light brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
2 stick (1 c.) salted butter (I used margarine and a dash of salt)
2 large eggs
2 tap. vanilla extract
12 oz raisins (I used only 1 1/2 cups)
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)

Preheat oven to 300 F
In medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Mix well with wire whisk (I never do this). set aside.
Blend sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add butter and mix until grainy, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla extract, and mix at medium speed until smooth.
Add the flour mixture, raisins, and chocolate chips. Blend at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
Drop by rounded tablespoons into ungreased baking sheet, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 18 - 22 minutes. Transfer cookies immediately to a flat surface using a spatula.

After the first batch I upped the temp to 325 and baked for 20 minutes. Much better. Less gooey, and lightly brown.

Crockpot Italian Chicken

I can't believe I haven't posted this one yet. I thought I'd made this in that last 8 months. I first got the recipe from my MIL's ward cookbook. I have since seen it (and variations) elsewhere. It is really simple and fast if you think ahead. I halve the recipe, which is easy except for the half packet. I've also included my changes within the directions.

4-6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
2 10.5 oz cans cream of chicken soup
1 packet Italian dressing mix

Place chicken in bottom of crockpot (I cut into smaller chunks so it cooks faster and thoroughly). pour soup over top. Cut cream cheese into small pieces and scatter over top. Sprinkle dressing packet over top. Cook on high for 45 minutes, stir, then on low for 6-7 hours (or on medium for 3-4 hours). Serve over hot rice or hot cooked noodles.

Cinnamon muffins

This recipe came from my MIL's ward cookbook (submitted by Nedra C*). They were so good! I didn't have nuts, but yummy anyway!

1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. pecans (optional)

In a large bowl, stir the first six ingredients together. In a small bowl, beat the egg, milk and oil together. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and stir only enough to moisten the flour. Don't beat - the batter should not be smooth (optional fold in nuts). Line muffin tins with baking cups or grease. Fill each one 2/3 full with batter. Makes about 12. Bake at 400 F for 18-22 minutes.

Sorry no picture!

Tex-Mex Rotelle

I found this on the back of the rotelle pasta package. It was good with a few modifications. It called for 1/2 tsp. salt (I thought it had enough sodium already so I didn't add it) and 1/2 c. water (but I thought it would have been too juicy so omitted that as well) Quick and easy!

1 (16 oz) pkg. rotelle
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 pkg. (1.25 oz) taco seasoning
1 28 oz. can diced, peeled tomatoes in juice
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Cook rotelle according to package directions. Meanwhile in a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown meat until most of the pink is gone, breaking it into small pieces. Stir in taco seasoning, and tomatoes with juice. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta and place in large bowl, Add sauce to coat. Sprinkle cheese over each serving.

I just added the cheese to the whole dish and mixed it in until it melted. Lots of leftovers! Oh and I didn't have a full pkg of rotelle, so I did some farfalle (bowtie) pasta as well.

Stovetop Chicken

I got this recipe from an enrichment back at Wymount. Vanessa C* brought this recipe.

1 6oz box stuffing
4-5 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 c. sour cream
1 2/3 c. hot water (or chicken broth)

Mix hot water and stuffing in a bowl. Set aside. Place chicken breast in a 9x13 pan. mix sour cream and soup together in a bowl. Pour over the chicken. Fluff the stuffing with a fork and then distribute evenly over the tip of the soup mixture. Bake in the oven at 350 F for 30 minutes.
Note: You can use as few as 1 chicken breast (I use 2 for my family of 4), cut into bite sized pieces. Also chicken cooks better (faster) if it is in either strips of pieces, but baking whole works well too, just takes longer.
I also add veggies to the stuffing mix. 1/2 c. chopped celery, 1/2 c. chopped onion and a couple of mushrooms if I have them. Saute in 1-2 Tbsp butter or margarine then add water. Bring to a boil cover for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in stuffing mix. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes. (These instructions are usually on the box under "stovetop directions".
Also I didn't have a cream of chicken soup last night, but I did have cream of mushroom and it worked just fine. Sorry I didn't take a picture.

Whipped Butternut Squash

Fall is time for yummy squash! At least it is for me. I know that Aaron doesn't like squash, but I he knows better than to say so when I am introducing a new food to the kids. So he politely took some, and ate it with no complaints. I thought the kids would like it especially when David saw the squash and was so excited because he knew what it was (from the Winnie the Pooh video). But apparently their dislike for it is inherited. Even though Aaron didn't voice his dislike, the kids wouldn't eat it. David literally gagged down 5 bites so he could have seconds of his dinner.
I, on the other hand thought it was delicious. I needed to bake it a little longer. There were still some big chunks that didn't get soft enough to whip. But I thought it was very good and creamy. I only had one squash and so I halved the rest of the ingredients. I used real butter, but fat free sour cream. I added 1 Tbsp brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon. If you like squash, you'll like this recipe. It's not my picture, but mine looked like that - right down to the type of bowl!

Whipped Butternut Squash

• 2 butternut squash, halved and seeded
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 cup light sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place squash halves cut side down in a medium baking dish with enough water to cover. Cover, and bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until tender.
3. Scoop squash from skin into a medium bowl, and mix with margarine and light sour cream. Whip until smooth. Season with salt and pepper

Caramel Apple Dip

Tara B. had a great recipe for this. I don't know if this is it, but it's pretty close, and so yummy. I halved it and cut up a couple of apples for snack today. We didn't finish it off (apparently I liked it more than the kids), so I'm glad I didn't make much, or I'd be eating way too much!

16 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup water
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, or in the microwave, melt caramels with water, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar. Fold in caramel mixture. Serve immediately.

My own pot roast

This is my first attempt at making a pot roast of my own. Usually this is Aaron's thing. But since he was sleeping after a night shift I thought I'd take a stab at it. I think I did well

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 lb pork shoulder roast (you can use less, that's just the size I had)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
1/2 lb baby carrots
2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
3 medium potatoes, (skins on) cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
fresh Parsley, finely chopped
fresh Basil, finely chopped
fresh Oregano, finely chopped
(I didn't really measure the fresh herbs, but I think it was about 1 tsp each.)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Sear the roast on all sides. Place in slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on low 6-8 hours. I cooked it on low for 3 hours, and then after seeing the rawness of it. Cut the roast into about 6 chunks and cooked it on high for the last hour. It was done. If I could go back I would have liked to add more fresh herbs and used tomatoes instead of tomato sauce. I was worried I wouldn't have enough liquid, but the liquid came as everything cooked.

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Basil

Aaron made this for dinner on Sunday. He omitted the wine, and halved the recipe for the same amount of noodles. We didn't have Italian style tomatoes, so he added some Italian seasoning to the tomatoes and about 1/2 tsp salt. Again, no Angel hair, but a little fettuccine and spaghetti. We topped it with Parmesan cheese, but I forgot to do it before the photo. Hey at least I remembered to take one! I love digital cameras. Both David and Timothy wanted me to take one of their food. And I did, then deleted them. They didn't turn out very well.

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Basil

• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 pound large shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 2 (28 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Place pasta in a colander, and give it a quick rinse with cold water.
2. Heat remaining olive oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until the garlic is tender, about 1 minute. Do not let the garlic burn. Add shrimp, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from the skillet, and set aside.
3. Stir tomatoes, wine, parsley, and basil into the skillet. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half, 8 to 12 minutes. Add shrimp, and continue cooking until the shrimp are heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the shrimp mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

David wanted to make some cookies, and these definitely get me in the Halloween/Fall mood. the only change is to omit the nuts and substitute half of the all purpose flour for whole wheat flour. With the pumpkin you can barely tell! Oh, and I put a little more nutmeg in - 1/4 tsp.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and pumpkin until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir into the pumpkin mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips. Stir in the walnuts if desired. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until edges begin to brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely

Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these with the boys last week, and never posted the recipe. I took it straight off the bag. But I got the copy from their website I omitted the nuts since I didn't have any. Otherwise followed it precisely. Although I usually add a little more flour.
Of course they only look like this if you add some chocolate chips on top of the dough after you put them on the cookie sheet and then put them in the oven!

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.

FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.

Angel Hair Pasta Chicken

I thought I had posted this one already, but I guess not. I made this one very similar to that recipe except used one very large chicken breast and Fettuccine, because I didn't have angel hair pasta. I also used fresh broccoli which I cooked with the carrots. I also don't think it really needs much chicken broth, or that much oil. But it's a great light meal.
angel hair pasta chicken

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
• 12 ounces angel hair pasta
• 1 carrot, sliced diagonally into 1/4 inch thick slices
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (no longer pink). Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, or until al dente; drain and set aside.
3. While pasta is cooking, heat 2nd tablespoon oil over medium heat in same skillet used for chicken. Stir fry carrots for about 4 minutes, then add broccoli and garlic and stir fry for another 2 minutes. Finally, stir in broth, basil and cheese and return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 4 minutes.
4. Place drained pasta in a large serving bowl. Top with chicken/vegetable mixture and serve immediately.

Meatballs

I used my regular spaghetti sauce minus the sausage. Aaron made the meatballs. He added a few more spices (oregano and basil) and some milk. they turned out to be a little like meatloaf. But still tasted good. I'm still looking for something more like the ones from Costco.

Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs

• 
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 egg, beaten

1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store, covered, in refrigerator until needed.
2. Brown in frying pan. Keep warm until sauce is ready.
3. Prepare spaghetti sauce and add meatballs before covering and simmer 30 minutes more. Remove lid and simmer for 10 minutes or until desired thickness.
   

Garlic Chicken with Orzo Noodles

This was quick and delicious. I added about 1/4 c. onion, chopped and about 4 button mushrooms sliced, and my cloves of garlic were fairly large. I actually used crushed red pepper from a packet that I got with a pizza. It gave it the right amount of kick. Any more and it would have been too spicy for the kids. And they didn't even notice they were eating spinach!
Garlic Chicken with Orzo Noodles

• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
• grated Parmesan cheese for topping

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo pasta, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the garlic and red pepper 1 minute, until garlic is golden brown. Stir in chicken, season with salt, and cook 2 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned and juices run clear. Reduce heat to medium, and mix in the parsley and cooked orzo. Place spinach in the skillet. Continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Farfalle with Fresh Tomato Sauce

One last summer dish. I had to use the rest of the tomatoes. I seeded, but didn't peel the tomatoes. I didn't have quite 1/2 c of basil. I used too much garlic and the kids didn't like it. But I thought it was good. I would use a smaller clove next time.

4 large tomatoes (about 2 lbs) peeled and seeded and then cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 c. fresh basil, julienned reserve a few whole leaves for garnish
3 Tbsp. chopped red onion
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely minced
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/2 lb farfalle pasta (bowtie)

To make the sauce, in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, julienned basil, onion, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss gently to mix.
Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add the farfalle and cook until al dente, 10-12 minutes or according to package directions. Drain the pasta thoroughly.
Serve noddles with sauce on top. Garnish with fresh basil leaf.

From The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook

Sweet 'n Sour Pork

This is similar to the recipe a usually make, with the exception of the batter. I don't normally put a batter on the pork. I used less pork than called for and thus halved the batter. And I didn't deep fry, just pan fry. I changed the directions to fit how I make it.

2 lbs lean pork, cubed
2 eggs
1/2 c. corn starch
1/2 c. flour
1/2 chicken broth
1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained, 1 cup juice reserved
1/4 brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 med. green pepper, cut into chunks
1 med. onion, cut into chunks
cooked rice

Seat aside pork. Mix next 4 ingredients and dip meat in batter. Deep fry until brown. Keep pork in oven when cooked (I pan fried while the rest cooked).
Mix together juice from pineapple, brown sugar, vinegar, cornstarch and soy sauce. Stir fry onion and green pepper for 3 minutes. Add pineapple then sauce. Cook until vegetables are tender, and sauce is thick and bubbly. Add meat just before serving. Serve over warm rice.

Peanut Butter Confection

This is a favorite of Aaron's. Yesterday we had a "linger longer" after church with a rise Krispie theme. This recipe came from my MIL's 1993 Ward cookbook. submitted by Janet F (apparently the school recipe.)

1 c. peanut butter
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. soft butter or margarine
2 1/2 c. Rice Krispies Cereal
1 12 oz bag semisweet chocolate chips, melted (or melted dipping chocolate)

Mix first 3 ingredients thoroughly. Mix in Rice Krispies with your hands. Press into bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Frost with melted chocolate. Let set.

Quick easy and so yummy. I forgot to take a picture, oops!

Angel Hair with Garlic Spinach and White Beans

I had to use up the rest of the spinach thus this recipe. I didn't have enough spinach, but it still turned out great. David enough liked it and wanted leftovers today! I used great northern beans. (1 cup dried then soaked, cooked etc.) and the recipe reflects my reduction in the broth. I only used 5 cloves of garlic because I ran out. I wanted to use angel hair pasta, but I didn't have any.

Angel Hair with Garlic Spinach and White Beans

1 tsp. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
5 c. chopped fresh spinach
1 can cannellini bean, drained and rinsed
1 c chicken broth
8 ounces angel hair pasta
Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, spray with cooking spray, toss, set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in large non-stick saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add garlic, cook until lightly browned.
4. Add spinach and beans, cook 3 minutes
5. Add broth and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat, simmer 3 minutes.
7. Add cooked pasta, cook2 more minutes, stirring often.
8. Let stand a few minutes before serving
9. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Herb Vegetable Orzo Salad

Since I had cherry tomatoes and was craving orzo this came naturally!
Aaron said it was missing something. I thought it was pretty good. I used a yellow onion instead of a sweet onion, green pepper instead of red sweet pepper and black olives instead of Greek olives. So maybe it wasn't "sweet" enough. It's worth trying again with the right ingredients.

Herb Vegetable Orzo Salad

• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
• 1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup pitted Greek olives, halved
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a large serving bowl; add the corn, red pepper, tomatoes, olives, onion, basil and parsley. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper; shake well. Pour over salad and toss to coat.

Good for You Greek Salad

With all the tomatoes and cucumbers we gleaned it was natural to want a cucumber salad. This was really good. I didn't have a lot of feta cheese, so I settled for about 1/2 c. but it was still good. I also used black olives instead of Greek olives. I also just mixed it in a bowl. It's great try it!

Good for You Greek Salad

• 3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 6 black Greek olives, pitted and sliced

In shallow salad bowl, or on serving platter, combine tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. Sprinkle with oil, lemon juice, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle feta cheese and olives over salad. Serve.

Baked Chicken and Zucchini

While at my SIL's house we raided their garden (with their permission of course). They had a plethora of zucchini and tomatoes among other things. So I went to the trusty allrecipes.com and found this. I only used two chicken breasts and cut them into quarters. I didn't need as many bread crumbs. Other reviewers suggested using seasoned breadcrumbs, and since I make my own I added garlic salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese. Since the zucchini I had were large I only used two. I thought it was really good, but Aaron thought it needed a little more seasoning. He added salt and pepper and said it was good. I also didn't saute the zucchini very long. Just long enough to get the flavor from the oil.

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 5 medium zucchini, sliced
• 4 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh basil

Directions

1. In a shallow bowl, beat egg, water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Set aside 2 tablespoons bread crumbs. Place the remaining crumbs in a large resealable plastic bag. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then place in bag and shake to coat.
2. In a skillet, cook chicken in 2 tablespoons oil for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown; remove and set aside. In the same skillet, saute zucchini in remaining oil until crisp-tender; drain. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
   
3. Sprinkle the reserved bread crumbs over the zucchini. Top with tomato slices; sprinkle with 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese, basil and remaining salt. Top with chicken. Cover and bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Oatmeal Cake

This is Aaron's favorite cake and requests it for his birthday every year.
1 1/2 c water
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c quick oats
1 cube butter
2 eggs
1 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. white sugar
1 1/2 c. flour

Topping
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c butter, melted
1/4 c. evaporated milk
1 c. coconut
1/2 c. chopped nuts (we used pecans, walnuts works well also)

For cake; Boil water and salt, add in oatmeal and margarine and mix well, cool. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased 9x13 cake pan. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.
For topping mix melted margarine with all ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Spread over hot cake and broil in oven until it's bubbly. Remove cake from oven and cool slightly. Serve cake warm with vanilla ice cream!

Greek Penne and Chicken

I got this one from Recipezaar. Aaron also beat me to it. It was really good, but I had only marinated artichoke. and we used whole wheat penne. We think it also could have used more tomato. Maybe ours was just a small tomato.

1 (16 oz) package penne pasta
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. red onion chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 (14 oz) can water-packed artichoke hearts
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt
ground black pepper

1. In a large pot bring salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook until al dente, drain and set aside.
2. Using a large skillet and over medium-high heat melt butter. Add onion and garlic to melted butter and cook for 2 minutes. Stirring occasionally, add chicken and continute cooking until golden brown, approximately 5-6 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, begin adding drained and chopped artichoke hearts, chopped tomato, feta cheese, fresh parsley, lemon juice, dried oregano, and drained penne pasta to the chicken. Cook until heated through, approximately 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste, serve warm.

Pudding Chocolate Chip cookies

This is a recipe my SIL Beverly put in our family newsletter. I was planning on making, but Aaron beat me to it. They were so good and soft.

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 bag semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix butter with sugars and then mix in pudding, vanilla, and eggs. Gradually add flour and baking soda until mixed will. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or till the edges are slightly browned. These cookies are super soft and taste great for days. Beverly said that her favorite new trick is to mix up a double batch and then freeze the dough in balls so all you have to do is heat the oven and you can have 2 to a dozen cookies in as little as 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Magnificent Mini Bar Cookies

This recipes was on the back of the mini bar chocolate pieces (It's also on their website in the link) and it was really good. I had used some of the mini bars for somethings else, so I had to substitute come milk chocolate chips (not semisweet) to make up for it. I also used just margarine, and not shortening, because I didn't feel like getting out the shortening.
But I just learned this cool trick from my SIL Amy. If you line the measuring cup with plastic wrap before you fill it with shortening then it comes out easy, and you don't have to clean the measuring cup! Why hadn't I figured that out before?!!!

Magnificent Mini Bar Cookies
Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/3 cup butter flavored shortening
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/3 cups (8-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Mini Milk Chocolate Bars, divided
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts(optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. Beat butter and shortening in large bowl until well blended. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar; beat thoroughly. Add egg and vanilla, beating until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup mini chocolate bars* and nuts, if desired. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool additional 1 to 2 minutes; press 1 or 2 of the remaining chocolate bars onto the surface of each cookie. Cool completely. About 3 dozen cookies.

*The entire bag of mini chocolate bars can be stirred in; omit topping baked cookies with additional chocolate bars.

Cherry Smash

I got this recipe from a co-worker. It's pretty good. This last time (Wednesday) I cooked it too long and the cherry part was really crumbly, oh well. It still tasted good. I also just used Chunky peanut butter, instead of adding peanuts, and that worked well. I keep forgetting to take pictures. Maybe next time....

1/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
12 large marshmallows, (or 1 cup mini marshmallows)
12 oz pkg cherry chips (or any other flavor)
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz (1 cup) chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Mix together in a sauce pan butter, milk, sugar and marshmallows.
Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, or until “soft-ball” stage. Removed from heat and mix
in vanilla and cherry chips until completely melted. Spread into greased 9x13 pan. Let Cool.
Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips and butter** in double boiler or in medium microwave safe bowl in microwave
very carefully. Then stir in peanuts and peanut butter. Spread over cherry layer and chill until set.
**Hint for melting chocolate in the microwave: Use 50% power stirring every 45 seconds, or normal (high)
power for 30 seconds at a time.

Peach and blackberry cobbler

Aaron made this on Sunday, and I never got around to posting it. He kind of combine some classic recipes and this is his really easy recipe.

2 c. peaches, sliced
2 c. blackberries
1 box yellow cake mix
1-12oz can lemon-lime soda
1/4 c. butter

Place fruit in the bottom of the Dutch oven sprinkle cake mix over top. Pour soda over cake mix. put little pieces butter scattered over the top. Bake at 350 F for about 1 hour until the top springs back when poked.

*We usually line the dutch oven with foil to make it easier to clean up.

Thai Peanut Chicken

I made this last night and everyone loved it. I doubled the sauce (not the cayenne) as suggested by others but only used 2 large chicken breasts, and less oil. I didn't use as much rice either. I wish I had fresh ginger, but instead I had some ground ginger. It was quick and easy, and doesn't heat up the kitchen too much.
Thai Peanut Chicken

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups uncooked white rice
• 4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into thin strips
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger root
• 3/4 cup chopped green onions
• 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets
• 1/3 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the rice and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add chicken, garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring constantly, until chicken is golden on the outside, about 5 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium, and add green onion, broccoli, peanuts, and the peanut butter mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until broccoli is tender, and chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice.

Mussels with Basil Cream

Aaron made this with the mussels we bought after camping. We looked for a recipe that resembled the dish I had at a great French restaurant in H* (not paid for by us). We substituted the wine with apple juice and the heavy cream with half and half. It was so good. Someone recommended doubling the sauce, and we did, but I think it would have been fine with the amount in the recipe. We did deplete my basil plant though. We'll have to wait a few days before any leaves will be ready to pick.

Mussels with Basil Cream

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 lb mussels (preferably cultivated), scrubbed and beards removed
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook onion and garlic in butter in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add wine and mussels and cook, covered, over moderately high heat until mussels just open wide, 6 to 8 minutes. (Discard any mussels that have not opened after 8 minutes.) Transfer mussels with a slotted spoon to a serving bowl, then transfer cooking liquid to a blender along with cream, basil, and pepper and blend until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Season sauce with salt and pour over mussels.

Makes 2 main-course or 4 first-course servings.

Covered Wagon Special

This is a recipe I got from outside of Macey's when we lived in UT. Camping and Dutch oven are synonymous for me. I was glad we got to try this one out. It was really good. Aaron reduced it a little to about 2/3 of the recipe since there was only 4 adults and 2 kids, and no fridge for leftovers. We also added about 2 Tbsp of butter on top.
2 lbs cubed round steak or chicken (we used steak)
10 medium sliced potatoes
2 lbs carrots, cut in spears
4 medium onions cut 1/2" thick
2 med green peppers, cut in rings (we had one green, and one red)
1/2 lb sliced bacon
salt and pepper
Place the steaks on the bottom of the dutch oven, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue this seasoning with each layer of potatoes, carrots, onions and green pepper. Place individual strips of bacon over vegetables. Cover and put dutch oven on 12 coals. Place 12 coals on the lid. Cook about 1 hour. Turn bacon over when brown on one side.

Chicken Rolls

This a favorite recipe of mine. From my MIL once again, so I made it when family came over for dinner on Sunday. Jen loves to use left-over turkey in this recipe and it works really well. I use a basic roll recipe and then put the mixture inside after it has risen. It will fill about half of the rolls and the rest of the dough can be used for regular rolls.

2 cups chicken, cooked and diced or shredded
6 oz cream cheese with chives, softened (I add in my own chives instead of buying it with the chives already in it)
1/4 c. butter, softened
4 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. pepper.

Mix all ingredients together and place *into roll dough. Place on a greased baking sheet. Let rise 30 - 40 minutes and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

*I will flatten out the roll into a circle, put the filling in the middle and bring up the sides and pinch together, so nothing leaks out the sides. Oh, and don't put them side by side, they don't need to be touching, like rolls usually are- I forgot on Sunday, and the filling came out the sides of some when I pulled them apart - oops.

You can also make a sauce for them by taking 1 c. chicken broth and thickening it will cornstarch in a small sauce pan.

I've been bad about taking pictures. I'll have to remember next time I make them!

Chicken Pot Pie

I've never made a chicken pot pie, believe it or not. Maybe it's because of the amount of shortening I have to use (mmm transfat!), I should invest in the transfat-free kind. But the kids loved it. They even wanted leftovers at lunch today. (They usually complain about leftovers) I think it was really good too.

I looked for a recipe that didn't call for heavy cream. It was pretty simple to put together. I even made the pie crusts, now that I've got the hang of it. I would have followed the recipe exactly if I had all the right stuff. I only had one carrot (about 1/2 cup), and no frozen peas. So I made up the difference by using frozen mixed veggies (peas and carrots and more) in place of the frozen peas. And I didn't have celery seed, just celery salt. Oh and my chicken broth is the left over water from the boiling with some chicken bullion added. It it turned out great even though I added the onions to the boiling veggies instead of sauteing them -oops, and I forgot to up the temp to 425 and instead baked it at 350 for 25 minutes and wondered why it wasn't browning!!! It took it up to 425 for 15 minutes and it was fine. But I would recommend starting it at the right temp!

Chicken Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.