Chicken Enchiladas

I know practically everyone has their own recipe for this, but I thought I'd post the one I use. I got it from a course I took in college. I highly recommend it! Family Meal Management. There were two sections and only one guy between the two of them. We met once a week and cooked dinner together. There's a lot more to it, but that's where I got this recipe, from one of the girls in my group. I've changed it some, but the basic stuff is the same.

8 tortillas
1 cup chicken, cooked and diced or shredded
1/2 c. onion, diced
1 c. shredded cheese
1 4 oz can diced green chilies
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream

Okay it's not my picture

The basic idea is to put chicken, cheese, onions, and chilies in the tortillas - reserve some cheese and chilies for the top. Roll them and place them in a 9x13 greased pan. Mix the sour cream and cream of chicken together and spread over the top of the tortillas. Then sprinkle some more cheese and chilies over the top. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
You can add more chicken, cheese etc. to your liking (and budget). I will also saute the onions a little to add flavor and minimize the bite. Other recipes use more sour cream, but I'm cheap and it helps cut down on how much I'm eating.
I have made this with fat free sour cream and reduced fat cream of chicken soup and it still tastes fine. It might not be gourmet, but it's yummy and easy.

Sloppy Joes

This is a great recipe. I've used it several times and tried different things with it. I've substituted 1/4 c. of ketchup for 1/4 c. BBQ sauce and I made this Monday and didn't have green peppers and it was fine. It isn't really sloppy, so if you want it sloppy add some tomato sauce.

Sloppy Joes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 3 teaspoons brown sugar
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper; drain off liquids.
2. Stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I made these today with the boys. Yummy and a little healthier than peanut butter or chocolate chip (or so I tell myself). They are from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

3/4 c. butter or margarine
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp. cloves (optional)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
2 c. rolled oats
1 c. raisins

In a large mixing bowl beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and, if desired, cinnamon and cloves (of course use them why not?). Beat till combine, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla till combined. Beat in flour and oats. Add in raisins.
Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or till edges are golden. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Makes about 48 (mine were a little bigger and only made 36)

Pastachutta

I usually reduce this a little (to about 3/4 the recipe). However I'm finding that my boys are eating more and that my "serves 4" recipes don't have any left overs any more. The boys mostly just eat the pasta and the Parmesan cheese, that leave lots of mushroom and onions for us!!! Yum.

Pastachutta

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, but do not rinse.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute garlic, mushrooms and onion until tender. Toss with cooked spaghetti. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Summer Bean Salad

This is really quick and easy. I've made it with black beans as well. It doesn't have to sit in the fridge for hours. I just chop up a regular tomato because cherry tomatoes, are just WAY too expensive! And since my basil isn't ready to harvest yet I used dried basil.

Summer Bean Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomato halves
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, gently toss beans, corn, onion, tomatoes, lime juice, and lemon zest. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Mix in basil just before serving.

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

This is also really easy. I will halve the recipe for us, and there might be left overs. Timothy helped me mix the sauce and spoon it over the chicken.

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

INGREDIENTS

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste, and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the honey, mustard, basil, paprika, and parsley. Mix well. Pour 1/2 of this mixture over the chicken, and brush to cover.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over and brush with the remaining 1/2 of the honey mustard mixture. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Cheesecake

So last night I made a cheesecake for Aaron for Father's day. I guess I never really told this part of the story before. Before we started dating he brought me a plate of cookies (that he baked) for my birthday but I wasn't there. To thank him I wanted to make something for him. So I brought back his plate with a cheesecake. And the rest is history! I think this recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens book, but it's been in my recipe box for so long I don't remember. For the first time I tried it in a springform pan and it turned out great. It also works in a 9-inch pie pan.

2 pkg 8 oz cream cheese

2 eggs

3/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. lemon peel

Soften cream cheese. (This is essential if you want it smooth!) Cream eggs, sugar, vanilla and cream cheese together, until smooth. Mix in lemon peel. Pour into crust. Bake at 325 F for 35 minutes.

A trick I just learned is to turn off the oven and let it sit in the oven with the door ajar until it is set. Then it doesn't brown on the top but it cooks thoroughly.

I also make my own crust

Graham cracker crust:

16 squares graham crackers

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted

Mix together and press into bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan. In the springform pan I just put the crust on the bottom.

You can top it however you like. We like the cherry topping, or fresh strawberries or raspberries. Endless possibilities.