Carolina Corn Dogs

This is how Aaron gets the kids to eat when I am not home for dinner (J/K). It has become a "daddy's cooking for the boys" tradition. I got this recipe from when I worked at Beehive Clothing. We took turns bringing recipes each week. These are great because they don't require sticks.

1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. cornmeal
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 Tbsp. finely grated onion (Aaron says the kids eat it better when the onion pieces are really small, so he uses the garlic press)
1 pkg. hot dogs, cut in bite size pieces.

Combine egg and milk in a small bowl and set aside. Combine dry ingredients. Add milk and egg mixture to dry ingredients. Roll the hot dogs pieces in dough mixture. Deep fry until golden brown. Children love these.

Orange Chicken

I got this recipe from my BYU Wymount ward. Apparently it is close to what they serve at Panda Express. I can't compare, since I never ate there. It's a little time consuming, because you have to fry them in batches. And it's much better fresh than reheated, so you can halve the recipe if you want, or use it for when guests come over. I changed only a few ingredients (more orange flavor, more garlic and green onion and less cayenne pepper)

Sauce:

1 1/2 c. water
2 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 dashes cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy use a 1/4 tsp.)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/3 c. rice vinegar
2 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 c. plus 1 tsp. lemon juice
7 tsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. water

Combine all sauce ingredients except cornstarch and 3Tbsp. water, in a small sauce pan over high heat. Stir often and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch with 3 Tbsp. water in a small bowl until dissolved. Pour this mixture into the sauce. When sauce thickens, remove from heat.

Chicken
4 chicken breasts (I often use less)
1 c. ice water
1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. flour (divided)
Cut chicken into bit sized pieces. Beat together water and egg in a medium bowl. Then add baking soda and salt. Add 3/4 c. flour and stir with a fork until just blended. Sprinkle another 1/4 c. of flour on top of the batter and mix in with one or two strokes. Put the remaining flour into a separate bowl. Dip each piece of chicken into the flour and then the batter. Fry the chicken in 2 inches of vegetable oil (I use a fry daddy) at 350 F. Fry for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Put all the cooked chicken into a large bowl, pour thickened sauce over the chicken and stir to coat. Serve with steamed rice.

Peanut butter brownies

Apparently I'm famous for these. I got the recipe from my supervisor when I worked at the MTC. (I was not a teacher but a student custodian -those were fun times!) It is really simple, and very good.

1 box brownie mix (the best is Betty Crocker's Supreme Brownie mix with the Hershey's syrup packet)
the ingredients in the directions (usually water, oil and eggs)
3/4 c. peanut butter chips

1 (16 oz) can white frosting (can be vanilla or cream cheese or whatever)
1/2 c. peanut butter

Mix the brownies according to the instructions on the box. Add the peanut butter chips. Bake according to directions. Let cool completely.
Mix the frosting and the peanut butter together thoroughly. When the brownies are cooled frost with the peanut butter frosting. You can cut them as big or as small as you want, but they are VERY rich, so get a glass of milk!!!

Oven-Fried Pork Chops

This was so easy, and really good. I don't have herb-seasoned bread crumbs. I let bread dry out and make my own crumbs. I added 1 tsp. Italian seasoning and 1/4 tsp. garlic salt to the bread crumbs.

Oven-Fried Pork Chops
INGREDIENTS
4 pork chops, trimmed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Pour butter into a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Stir together egg, milk and pepper. Dip pork chops in egg mixture, coat with stuffing mix and place in pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn chops and bake for another 10 minutes, or until no pink remains in the meat and juices run clear.

Boston Baked Beans

We had some beans left over from making chili for the cook off, so Monday Aaron made this. It was really good. Aaron also used the slow cooker instead of the oven.
Boston Baked Beans
INGREDIENTS
2 cups beans (we had black, kidney and pinto)
1/2 lb bacon (we didn't have any - thus the meatless tag))
1 onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONS
Soak beans overnight in cold water. Simmer the beans in the same water until tender, approximately 1 to 2 hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Arrange the beans in a 2 quart bean pot or casserole dish by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with bacon and onion.
In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake for 3 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender. Remove the lid about halfway through cooking, and add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry.

Garlic Pasta

The original recipe looks great, but I didn't have fresh herbs, so this is what I did.
Garlic Pasta

INGREDIENTS
12 oz whole wheat dry penne pasta
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (caynenne)
grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
In a skillet, saute garlic in oil on low heat, just hot enough to make the garlic sizzle; about 6 minutes. Season with basil, oregano, parsley, and crushed red pepper, and remove from heat.
In a large bowl, toss cooked pasta with garlic and herb mixture, and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve.

The whole wheat makes it a little more filling. It was really quick and easy to make.

Strawberry Romaine Salad

(I'm catching up on things we made this week)
There were numerous variations on this recipe, but I made up my own with the things that I had on hand. I used my poppy seed dressing for this. It makes a lot. The kids loved it, except for the onions. It was a great snack the next day too. Here's what I came up with:

Strawberry Romaine Salad
2 c. fresh Spinach, torn into bite size pieces.
1/2 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 onion, sliced
1 c. fresh strawberries, sliced
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges

In a large bowl, mix the romaine lettuce, spinach, onion, strawberries, and mandarin oranges.

Cool item

This is probably the coolest thing I have gotten from Aaron's grandma. We got it for Christmas, and I use it all the time. It especially comes in handy when I have to multiple liquids in small amounts or when I can't find my 1 T. measuring spoon!

the frosting

Oh, and this it the frosting I made, although I scaled it back since I wasn't doing a layered cake. Oh, and I accidentally put in too much vanilla, oops! Oh, and make sure it's at room temp, so it mixes well!

Cream Cheese Frosting II
SUBMITTED BY: Janni

INGREDIENTS
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Carrot cake

This is the recipe for the cake I am made for the chili cook-off tonight. It didn't win, but it was yummy. I had fun decorating it.
Sam's Famous Carrot Cake
SUBMITTED BY: Brian D'Amico

INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x12 inch pan.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture and mix well.
In a medium bowl, combine shredded carrots, coconut, walnuts, pineapple and raisins.
Using a large wooden spoon or a very heavy whisk, add carrot mixture to batter and fold in well.
Pour into prepared 8x12 inch pan, and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour. Check with toothpick.
Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Breakfast cake

I got this recipe from my MIL also. It's like a coffee cake, but since we don't drink coffee.... Anyway, it's really good. Make sure you bake until it's done or it will fall in the middle and be really gooey.

1/4 c. oil
1 beaten egg
1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Combine oil, egg and milk. Sift together dry ingredients; add to milk mixture; mix well. pour into greased 9x9 pan. Sprinkle with spicy toping. Bake at 375 F for about 25 minutes.
Spicy topping
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1/4 c. brown sugar (I use about 1/3 c.)
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. broken nuts (optional)
mix all ingredients and sprinkle over cake batter.

Polynesian Sausage Supper

This recipe came from Natalie H* in our HP YW cookbook from 2003. It was really yummy, and I just finished off the leftovers for lunch. I changed it a little only because I didn't have a whole green pepper, so I added half of a red bell pepper, and I had a polish sausage instead of a smoked sausage. So here's the original recipe:

1 lb. fully cooked smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" slices.
1 medium onion, chopped
1 med. green pepper cut into 1" chunks
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. beef broth
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 (20 oz) can unsweetened pineapple chunks
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
hot cooked rice

In a skillet, cook the sausage, onion, green pepper until the sausage is lightly browned; drain. Add tomatoes, broth, brown sugar, garlic powder and pepper. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Stir pineapple into sausage mixture. Bring to a boil; cook uncovered, for 5 minutes. Combine cornstarch and reserved pineapple juice until smooth; gradually add to sausage mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over rice.

Pancakes

We made pancakes this morning. I got this recipe from my MIL, but I think it's in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.


1 c. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 beaten egg
1 c. milk
2 Tbsp. oil

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
in separate bowl combine egg, milk, and oil. Add all at once to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened.
The rest I think you can get on your own. Of course I love to use half wheat/half white flour. We have also added oat flour and flax seed.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a quick and easy yummy soup. It takes about 30 minutes if you have everything ready (45 if you need to cut and cook the chicken and crush the tomatoes). It's pretty healthy too. I made a few changes, but there is a link to the original recipe. We make it all the time - well, on a cool day. I updated it with pictures!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 can white hominy
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 boneless chicken breast half, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
crushed tortilla chips
sliced avocado
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
chopped green onions

DIRECTIONS
In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir in , hominy, chiles, beans, parsley, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, and chopped green onion.


Notes: I didn't have any parsley, the kids don't like green onions, and I only used one chicken breast. I usually boil the chicken pieces. I add some chicken bullion to that water for the chicken broth.

Cooking the onions and garlic

I used diced tomatoes.

So I use my handy hand blender - one of my favorite wedding gifts - OK we used a gift certificate

Adding the spices

Add the tomatoes and chicken broth

After rinsing the beans and draining the hominy, I put the remaining in the colander

Add to the broth and mix

Then get the toppings ready

Grating the cheese

Have you seen these graters from IKEA? I love them!

Do you know how to cut an avocado?
Slice it in half

If you are dicing it, cut it while still in the skin

then use a spoon to dig it out

ta da!

The pit comes out easily if it's ripe and you stick your knife into it a bit and lift it out.

Soup's ready

Top it off!

Syrups

I decided to do a few syrup recipes to go along with my waffle recipe. Most of these I got from my MIL.

Maple Syrup
A really simple syrup (1 part water to 2 parts brown sugar) with maple flavoring (Mapleline) is a good cheap substitute for store bought syrup. I mix it in the 1 c. glass measuring cup and put it in the microwave for 1 minute.

Blueberry Syrup
Add fresh or frozen blueberries to the maple recipe - only cook it on the stove in a small pot over medium heat. Boil for a minute. When the berries start to burst it is done.

Orange Syrup
1 c. butter or margarine
1 (6 oz) can frozen orange juice
1 c. white sugar
In a small pot mix together all ingredients and boil for about 3 minutes. It's really sweet and yummy!

Dutch Honey ( I haven't actually made this one, but it's yummy- I've had it at in inlaw's!)
1 c. sugar
1 c. karo syrup
1 c. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Bring to a boil in the microwave on medium and then add vanilla.

Waffles

I can't believe it has been so long since I have made waffles! I used to make them once a week! But they aren't that healthy, so I do it less often. It takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. We love them here! I got the recipe from the Better Homes and Garden cookbook.

1 3/4c. flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, separated
1/2 c. oil
1 3/4 c. milk
In a large bowl mix together dry ingredients. Add egg yolks, oil and milk all at once and mix until just incorporated. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites, with beaters, on high, until stiff peaks form (I plug in the waffle iron just before I start to beat the egg whites). Gently fold the egg whites into the batter with a spatula. I use about 1/2 c. of batter per waffle, but it depends on the size of your waffle iron.
I have also used half wheat, but they aren't as sweet. I sometimes add ground flax seed to just my waffle at the end. Gotta keep my cholesterol down!

Breadsticks

I pretty much stole this from my MIL. It's yummy, and has lots of butter! It's also easy to halve. These are better fresh. So if it's for just our family I'll use a smaller pan and halve it, so we don't end up throwing so much away. But we had company today so we made the whole thing. I forgot to get pictures though!

1 1/2 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. flour
1/2 c. butter or margarine
Garlic salt
Parmesan cheese, grated
Parsley (my addition)

Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add remaining ingredients. Knead for 3 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Melt butter on a cookie sheet over low heat.
Roll dough on lightly floured surface and cut into strips (I cut them once across the long way and then cut strips the other direction).
Dip in butter and turn over and arrange on pan. Sprinkle with garlic salt, Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Let raise for 30 minutes. Bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes.

Lasagna

Perhaps you all have a lasagna recipe. This is one that I originally got from JoAnn L* (a great aunt of Aaron's). She gave us a recipe book she published when we got married. I have changed it enough to make it my own. Here it is:

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp. flour
1 can tomato soup
1 soup can water
8 oz. tomato sauce
8 oz box of lasagna noodles
2 beaten eggs
1 lb. cottage cheese (I use fat-free)
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. dried parsley (or 1/4 c. of the fresh stuff, chopped)
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated

For the meat sauce: Brown meat, onion and garlic together until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender. Add salt, pepper, oregano, Italian seasoning and flour. Mix well then add tomato soup, water and tomato sauce. Simmer 15 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare noodles according to package directions. Rinse and drain.
Beat together the eggs, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and parsley.
To Layer, spread 1 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Place 1/2 of the noodles overlapped, 1/2 cottage cheese mixture and 1/2 the mozzarella, 1/2 the remaining meat sauce. Repeat with remaining noodles, cottage cheese, mozzarella and meat sauce. I also sprinkle a little more mozzarella on top of the meat sauce. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Cut into squares to serve.

I know ricotta cheese is more authentic, it is also more expensive and more fattening, so I don't use it. This is really good with breadsticks, salad and any other veggie. It is also really great to make ahead of time (the night before or morning of) and throw it in the oven an hour before dinner. I'm told my lasagna is famous - maybe it's my recipe!

Cream of Potato Soup with Sausage

This recipe cam from Aaron's family recipes. They gave him recipes to use on his mission and this is one of them. I don't know who gave it to him. But it's great fro a cool windy night like tonight.

2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. diced onion
3 c. diced raw potato
3 1/2 c. water
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1/2 lb sausage browned

Melt butter in large pot. Saute onions. Add potatoes, water, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until potatoes are tender. Add evaporated milk and heat through. Don't boil. Cut browned sausage into pieces, add to soup mixture. Serve immediately.

This is great to dip rolls or biscuits into.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

This is one of the first recipes I used from Allrecipes.com. I believe it is their top rated recipe, with over 2000 reviews. You can see why, it is so easy, quick and delicious. I usually halve it to feed my family of four - but there are no leftovers. My kids love it and always ask for more! The only thing I change is I omit the onion powder, since I don't have any, and I use a little less mayo. Everything else is the same.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
SUBMITTED BY: Phoebe


INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

We sometimes serve this with mashed potatoes and some other vegetable, but my thought the other night was that it would go well with a rice pilaf or orzo pasta. I didn't have any, but it would be great!

Banana Nut Muffins

David said he wanted muffins this morning, so I found this recipe in my trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I made it as is, but I made some into mini-muffins, so they don't take as long.

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 beaten egg
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. oil
3/4 c. mashed banana
1/4 c. chopped nuts

Grease twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin cups, set aside. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of dry mixture, set aside.
In another mixing bowl combine egg, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture and bananas and nuts all at once to the dry mixture. Stir till just moistened (batter should be lumpy).
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake in a 400 F oven for 20 minutes or till golden. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm. Make 10-12 muffins.

Gobble Up Granola Snacks

I also made this for the BBQ. I left the recipe intact, but I'll tell you the minor changes. I didn't have crunchy peanut butter, so I added a few chopped peanuts and I left out the raisins. It is really fast, easy and yummy!

Gobble Up Granola Snacks
SUBMITTED BY: TinaMarieS

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, stir together the rice cereal and oats. Set aside. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine the brown sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat just until boiling, then remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Pour over the cereal and oat mixture, and mix well.
Press into the prepared pan using the back of a large spoon. Allow to cool, then cut into squares.

Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad

I made this for a BBQ and I thought it was pretty good. As always I changed it a little. The original recipe called for way too much mayo, so I cut back. I used whole wheat macaroni. I also omitted the tuna and substituted 1/2 of the green bell pepper for 1/2 of a red bell pepper. I probably could have used less mayo still and cut back on the mustard. There is a link the the original recipe if you want it.

Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad
SUBMITTED BY: Jennie Minor (revised by Me)

INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole wheat macaroni
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tablespoons garlic powder
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Rinse under cold water, and drain.
Mix onion, bell peppers, celery, garlic powder, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and mustard together in a large bowl. Add pasta, and mix well.

Bar-B-Que Sauce

I've used this before. It's a much better sauce than it is a marinade, but it's quick and yummy! Great for grilling. And from allrecipes.com of course.

Bar-B-Que Sauce
SUBMITTED BY: Debi K

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, hot pepper sauce, garlic powder, mustard powder, and salt. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before brushing on your favorite meat.

Basic Roll Dough

This is a favorite. I got this from my MIL. It's really yummy!!!

1 Tbsp. yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 c. milk, warmed (1 min. in the microwave will do it)
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. shortening
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. flour
1 egg

Soften yeast in warm water, set aside. Combine milk, sugar, salt and shortening. Cool to lukewarm. Add 1 1/2 c. flour, beat well. Beat in yeast and egg. Gradually add remaining flour. Cover and let rise two hours.
Turn out on lightly floured surface. Shape rolls (I usually tear off a small piece and form a ball by pushing the dough with my right thumb, through a circle formed by my thumb and forefinger on my left hand - I'm sorry if that's really confusing. Now I wish I could add a video demonstration - sorry no camera) Place on greased cookie sheet close together- they will rise and squish (is that a real word?) together. Let rise until doubled (about 30-45 minutes). Bake at 400 F for 12-15 minutes.
When I take them out I'll spray them with a non-stick cooking spray - it prevents them from getting too hard and makes them shiny. I also usually use half wheat flour and half white.

Easy Taco soup

This is one of those dishes that I do when I need a quick easy meal, especially when it's just me and the boys. But it's also worth posting. There are tons of great, involved taco soup recipes, but this is really simple. I think I got this from my MIL. (no picture-Aaron has the camera)

1 can chili (with beans)
1 can tomato soup
1 can corn (drained)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
tortilla chips
sour cream
shredded cheese

Mix it all up in a pot and simmer for about 5 minutes, just to let everything get hot and thicken up a bit.
In your bowl crush up some tortilla chips, add some soup, top with sour cream and shredded cheese.
Sometimes I put less than a whole pkg. of taco seasoning because my kids complain that it's too spicy (but they still eat it).

In case you are wondering

I don't post every meal or dinner we have obviously. But in case you were wondering this is what we have on nights I don't post:
Macaroni and Cheese
Hot dogs
Taco Salad
Tacos/burritos
Hamburgers
Sandwiches
leftovers

And since Aaron is out of town for a few days and it's just me and the kids, I may just have those kinds of meals. Except I think I'll make some yummy rolls on Sunday. It is Easter. But I'm not making a ham for the three of us!

Basil Chicken and Pasta

This was quick and easy and I made a few substitutions, but would be yummy as is.

Basil Chicken and Pasta

INGREDIENTS
1 (12 ounce) package rotini pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot with boiling salted water cook rotini pasta until al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet melt the butter or margarine. Add the chopped chicken and garlic, saute until lightly brown and juices run clear. Stir in the ground black pepper, dried basil, heavy cream, and grated Parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
Toss drained pasta with basil sauce and serve immediately.

The only changes I made were to use whole wheat rotini and milk instead of heavy cream. Since I didn't have the heavy cream I added a couple of Tbsp. of flour to the sauce to thicken. My version is just a little healthier, and maybe a little cheaper (whole wheat pasta is a little more expensive, but the milk is way cheaper than the heavy cream especially with WIC). And there was plenty for the next day.

Argentine Lentil Stew

We took advantage of the rare cool spring evening and Aaron made this delicious lentil stew. We thought some of the ingredients were a bit odd, but he's always willing to try something if it says Argentine in the title! This was really good, and not as spicy as we thought it would be. Again from allrecipes.com.

Argentine Lentil Stew

INGREDIENTS
1 cup dry lentils
1 quart water
1 cube vegetable bouillon
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
1 carrot, sliced
1 medium apple - peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 large clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Place the lentils and water in a large pot, and mix in the vegetable bouillon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes.
Stir the tomatoes, onion, carrot, apple, peas, garlic, olive oil, barbecue sauce, and paprika into the pot. Continue to simmer 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

We used canned tomatoes, chicken broth, and fewer frozen peas (because we ran out).
The BBQ sauce was a yummy KC style sent from our BIL, Christian - from Kansas City. And we used a granny smith apple.

Chinese dinner

We had the missionaries over last night and served up a Chinese feast. The dinner included chicken stir-fry, fried rice and egg rolls. The dessert was provided by Jennifer B (from HP) Edwin Jen and Grace came over on Saturday for Conference and brought a cake to share. We fed the rest of it to the missionaries on Sunday.

The stir-fry recipe is one a made every week during the summer before my senior year of high school. I worked at a Scout camp and this was on the menu. The fun thing about Chinese food is that you can use what ever vegetable you have on hand or what's on sale at the store. It's different every time I make it. The only stable ingredient is the chicken marinade. Also this recipe make enough to feed 10 hungry people so feel free to halve it!

Stir-Fry
1 1/2 lb. chicken, thinly slices
1 whole onion, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. snow peas, stems removed
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 lb. bokchoy, thinly sliced
1 lb. bean sprouts
1 lb. broccoli, thinly sliced
8 oz bamboo shoots
8 oz water chestnuts, sliced
1 can baby corn
2 cloves garlic, minced
oil
marinade
4 Tbsp. wine vinegar
4 green onions
4 egg whites
2 Tbsp. ginger root, grated (or 2 tsp. ground ginger)
1 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. corn starch
Marinade chicken for at least 30 minutes.
Use a wok if possible otherwise use a large skillet.
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil - cook garlic (a few seconds only) and set aside. Add chicken cook until done. Add 2 Tbsp. oil. Add vegetable. Cover until half cooked. Return the chicken and garlic and cook until vegetable are done. Server with rice.

For what I made last night I added green and red pepper, celery and carrots. I didn't use bok choy, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, or baby corn.

Fried Rice
I'm sure you have recipes for fried rice, so I'll just list what I use.
About 6 eggs (I use the yolks discarded from the marinade and 4 whole eggs)
diced veggies - carrots, celery, broccoli, mushrooms, green onions, and frozen peas-if I have them.
Sometimes I add a meat, chopped ham, or cooked pork. You can use shrimp, of course, but I don't because it has lots of cholesterol and it's expensive!
The great thing about this is that you can use leftover rice, or make it earlier and keep it in the fridge.
I usually cook the eggs in a little oil and set aside while I cook the meat and veggies. When they are done I add the eggs and rice and a little soy sauce and warm it up.

Egg Rolls
This is also a recipe that you can add whatever you want to. The basis of the recipe comes from a roommate in college. Her basic recipe was 1 lb of ground beef and 1 lb bag of coleslaw mix. Cook up the meat and drain the fat add the coleslaw mix and cook five more minutes. Use about 1/4 c. mix per egg roll wrapper. Now of course I can't leave well enough alone. I added bean sprouts and green onion. The trick is to not fill them too full and make sure it's sealed well. I use a fry daddy, but a pot of oil works well too. I know it's not very healthy, but it sure is good!