Brownie Batter Cupcakes

I made these for Cory's class for his 8th birthday.  (Yes, that's right, my Cory is turning EIGHT!)  The kids LOVED them. 
I almost forgot to add the toungues, so here the frog is without it.

• 1 (19.5 oz) package brownie mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 (18.5 oz) package white cake mix
• 2 TBS canola oil
• 1 1/3 cup water
• 3 egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line 48 muffin cups with paper liners
2. Whisk together the brownie mix, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup canola oil, and 1/4 cup water in a abowl.  Stir just until fully incorporated, about 50 strokes; allow to chill in refridgerator.
3. Mix the cake mix, 2 TBS canola oil, 1 1/3 cup water, and 3 egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until combined.  Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Spoon the chilled brownie batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each cup 1/3 full.  Spoon the cake batter over the brownie batter, until muffin cups are each 2/3 full. 
5. Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.

For the frog decorations, I used my creamy white frosting recipe, with green food coloring.  For the eyes, I used green lifesavers, and brown m&m's.  For the mouth: licorice rope, for the toungue: fruit by the foot.  Then I did a dab of white frosting for the nose.  Cute eh?  Before you are too in awe of my creative ability, I totally copied someone else online.  :)

Creamy White Frosting

This is a very good white frosting recipe.  I use it for cinnamon rolls (I add nuts), cupcakes (I add food coloring and/or a little bit of kool aide), or cakes.  After using homemade frosting, I can't go back to store bought frosting. 

• 1/2 cup butter flavored shorening
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (or you can use lemon or orange extract)
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 to 4 TBS milk

1. Beat shorening, vanilla, and extract with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Slopwly add half of the powdered sugar, beating well.  Add 2 TBS milk.  Gradually beat in remaining powdered sugar and enough remaining milk to reach spreading consistency.  This frosts the tops and sides of two 8 or 9 inch cake layers.

Here's my chocolate frosting recipe.

Fajitas

This was totally delicious this evening.  I'd never really made fajitas before (there was a feeble attempt once upon a time, but I'd rather not mention that particular incident).  I found a recipe on allrecipies.com and was quite impressed. 

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1-2 lbs meat, thinly sliced (I used round steak, but you could use chicken, shrimp, whatever you'd like)
• peppers (I used one green and one red), thinly sliced
• 1/2 a sweet onion, thinly sliced
• tortiallas
• sour cream

1. Combine lime juice through black pepper in a large plastic bag.  Add cut meat and allow to marinate in the refridgerator for 2-24 hours. 

The rest I'm actually pretty fuzzy on, I'm not sure how fajitas are supposed to be made.  I just heated a pan and dumped everything in it - meat, marinade, peppers and onions, but it was too much juice, so I drained it into a bowl, and let the meat cook the rest of the way.  I drizzled the juice over the meat once it was on the plate. 

Does anyone know how fajitas are supposed to be cooked??  Either way, these tasted amazing.

Orange Cream Fruit Salad

This is new dish I tried this Thanksgiving, and I will definately be making it again.  Yummy!  I thought it might be a little boring with mostly canned fruit, but I was way wrong. 

• 1 (3.5 oz) package vanilla pudding mix
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 (20 oz) can pineapple tidbits, drained
• 1 (15 oz) can sliced peaches, drained
• 1 (11 oz) can mandarin orange segments
• 2 bananas, sliced
• 1 apple, peeled and cored

1. In medium bowl, combine pudding mix, milk, and orange juice concentrate.  Mix with an electric mixer on medium for 2 minutes.  Mix in sour cream.
2. In large salad bowl, mix together fruit.  Gently mix in orange dressing.  Cover and refridgerate 2 hours.

Broccoli Salad

This side dish is a Thanksgiving tradition in our house, the whole family loves it! 

• 10 slices bacon
• 1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup mayo
• 3 TBS white wine vinegar
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1 cup sunflower seeds (I omitted because I didn't have them on hand, but I bet it would be awesome)

1. Cook and crumble bacon, set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine broccoli, red onion, and raisins.  In seperate small bowl combine mayo, vinegar, and sugar.  Pour mayo mixture over the broccoli and stir to evenly distribute.  Refridgerate for at least 2 hours.
3. Before serving, toss in crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds.

Jalapeno Poppers

John grilled these last night.  Oh so yummy.  I could so easily get fat off these.  :)  The recipe says to deep fry them, but I chose to skip the outer breading and then grill them.  I really could have gotten a better picture, but I simply didn't have time, but this should give ya an idea.

• 12 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8oz) package shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 TBS bacon bits
• 12 oz jalapeno peppers, seeded and halved
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 quarts oil for frying

1. In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and bacon bits.  Spoon the mixture into the jalepeno halves.
2. Pour the milk and flour into two seperate bowls.  Dip the jalapenos into the milk first, then the flour, making sure they are completely coated.  Allow them to dry for about ten minutes.
3. Dip the jalapenos in milk again, followed by the bread crumbs.  Allow them to dry, then repeat. 
4. In a medium skillet, heat the oil to 365.  Deep fry the jalepenos for 2-3 minutes each, or until golden brown.  Remove and let drain on a paper towel. 

***Now, here's what I did:
Instead of halving the jalapenos, I sliced them lengthwise and spooned the cream cheese mixture into them, and then wrapped them in foil and grilled them for a couple minutes.  Then, removed them from the foil and grilled them for a couple more minutes, until the outsides looked done.  I didn't use the bread crumbs/flour/milk at all.  I skewered them with a toothpick so they would stay closed.  They had a delicious kick to them!

Fruit Crisp

I got this recipe from a friend of mine.  It's really yummy and sooooo very easy.  Our friends made it for us a few weeks ago and the hubbs kept asking me to get the recipe to make at home.  It is so awesome served warm with ice cream!

• filling (this is where you can get creative, you can peel and cut about 5 apples, or if you're in a pinch for time, take the easy way out and use either 2 cans of peaches, or use 2 cans of pie filling)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter, softened or melted

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease an 8x8" pan.
2. Pour filling of your choice into prepared pan.  In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients until mixed well.  Pour over fruit filling, making sure it is distributed evenly.  Bake for about 30 minutes, or until apples are soft and top is golden. 

Pumpkin Waffles

I made this for our Sunday morning breakfast this last Sunday and they were super yummy.  The hubbs wasn't such a fan, but me and the kids really enjoyed them.  And they're relatively healthy.  It's a good way to use up extra pumpkin after the holidays.  You can make the batter and refridgerate it for up to a week, just be sure you mix it when you pull it out.  You can also freeze extras for a busy-morning breakfast.  We had leftovers and I think the flavor was even better.  MMMM

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup wheat germ (I didn't have any so I used a combo of ground flaxseed and brewer's yeast)
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 TBS baking powder
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 4 TBS melted butter
• 4 TBS olive oil
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup chopped pecans

1.  Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.  In medium bowl, combine flour, wheat germ, sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder.  Set aside. 
2. In seperate bowl, beat together milk, pumpkin puree, butter, oil, applesauce, and eggs.  Stir flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture.  Mix in the pecans.
3. Laddle the batter onto the prepared waffle iron, cook until golden brown, about 7 minutes.

Dinner Rolls

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

1.Place water, milk, egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough/Knead and First Rise Cycle; press Start.


2.When cycle finishes, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

3.Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.

Cinnamon Rolls

Bread:

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 3/4 cup flour
• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

Filling:

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup butter
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2-4 TBS cinnamon

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 4-5 TBS milk
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Put bread ingredients into bread machine and put on dough setting.  Remove when done and place on floured surface.
2. Roll out dough on floured surface into a rectanle.  Rub butter on dough, then rub remaining ingredients onto dough, making sure entire rectangle is evenly coated.  Roll dough so it resembles a snake shape.  Cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (I use dental floss.  Place the dental floss under the roll, then criss-cross it on top)  Place in greased baking dish. 
3. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes in a warm area (I preheat the oven to warm, then turn it off when I put the cinnamon rolls in, it stays nice and toasty in there without beginning to bake the rolls)
4. Remove cinnamon rolls from oven and preheat to 350.  Place cinnamon rolls in preheated oven and bake for approx 20 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.  Allow to cool slighly before topping with frosting.
5. For frosting, combine shortening, butter, vanilla, and almond extract.  Then alternately mix in powdered sugar and milk until desired consistancy is reached.  Stir in walnuts, if desired.

Here are my notes:
*You can use this bread recipe for sweet dinner rolls as well. 
**Play with the filling to get your desired taste, you can add raisens if you REALLY want to, but that just isn't allowed in our house.  :)

Meat Muffins

This was a super fast dinner.  Cory helped me with it, so that was a lot of fun.  The kids really like it.  Not too healthy, but I figure it's better than McDonalds (which is what I was really tempted to do tonight). 

• 3/4 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
• 1 TBS dried minced onion (I used about 1/4 cup chopped fresh onion)
• I didn't add any green bell pepper, but I think that would be a nice addition
• 12 oz package refridgerated biscuit dough (I used crescent roll dough)
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease muffin tin.
2. In medium sauce pan, brown ground beef with onion.  Drain grease.  Mix in green pepper and BBQ sauce. 
3. Flatten each biscuit and press into prepared muffin tin.  Make sure the dough comes to the top.  Spoon a portion of the meat into each cup. 
4. Bake in preheated oven for 13 minutes.  Add cheese to top and cook for another 2 minutes.  (If you're having problems with the dough cooking all the way, cook it for a few minutes before you add the meat mixture.)

Applesauce

I love fall, with it comes so many beautiful changes to the land.  Unfortunately, with some of the good changes, comes weather so awful that all you want to do is stay inside and make fudge.  BUT, if you make the fudge, you will more than likely be the one EATING the fudge, and that's no good for the diet.  Well, here's a recipe for comfort food that you won't feel QUITE as guilty after eating.  :)

Plus it makes your whole house smell like cinnamon.  Ahhhh.

• 4 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon.  Cover and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until apples are soft.  Allow to cool, then mash with fork or potato masher.

OR...use your crock pot (I doubled the recipe and used my crock)

1. Place apples, water, sugar and cinnamon in crock pot and cook on hi for about 4 hours.  No need to mash.  Serve warm or cool and serve.



Puffy Pumpkin Cookies (Low Fat!)

These cookies were yummy, and not QUITE as bad for the diet.  The kids gobbled them right up. 

Ok, ok, I did too.  :)

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/2 cup applesauce)
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp milk
• 1 TBS vanilla
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used half choclate chips and  half chocolate chunks)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used chopped pecans, either way it's optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, oil (or applesauce), and egg.  In a seperate bowl combine dry ingredients (flour through salt).  Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix.  Stir in milk and vanilla.  Mix in chocolate chips (and chunks) and nuts. 
3. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.  These are good warm, or for a more pumpkin-pie-kind-of-experience, serve chilled.  :)

Cinnamon Toast Casserole

This was good for our Sunday morning breakfast. 

• 5 cups bread cubes (I cut up some french rolls that were going stale)
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup Bisquick mix (optional)
• 1/4 cup white sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, divided
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 TBS butter

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Place the butter on the bottom of an 8x8" pan and place in oven for a few minutes until melted (to grease pan)
2. Line bottom of pan with bread cubes.  In a seperate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and Bisquick.  Mix in 2 TBS sugar, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Pour over bread and let stand 10 minutes.  Top with remaining sugar.  Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Here's an idea for a topping:

• 1 large apple, cut into cubes
• 1 TBS butter
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1. In small skillet, saute butter and apples until apples are soft (about 5 minutes).  Mix in cinnamon and put on top of cooked cinnamon toast casserole.

Or you could make a glaze to put on top.

Chicken Stir Fry

I tweaked the recipe just a little to add a little more zip, and now it's yummmmmy.  The kids all chowed down on it too.  I was impressed.

• 4 (4oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 3 TBS corn starch
• 2 TBS soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 3 TBS cooking oil, divided (I used olive oil)
• 2 cups broccoli floretts
• 1 cup sliced celery (didn't add)
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1 small onion, cut into wedges
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp chilcken bouilon granules  (I replaced this and the water with a cup of chicken broth)

1. Cut chicken into 1/2-in. strips; place in a resealable plastic bag. Add cornstarch and toss to coat. Combine soy sauce, ginger and garlic powder; add to bag and shake well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil; stir-fry chicken until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Add remaining oil; stir- fry broccoli, celery, carrots and onion for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add water and bouillon. Return chicken to pan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Chicken Taquitos

Please excuse the messy background.  I was in too much of a hurry to snap the shot before the sun went down and/or the baby started crying.

These were very yummy, good enough and pretty enough for company, but easy enough for a weeknight.  Sooooo much better than the frozen store-bought taquitos, there's not even a comparison. 

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked, shredded*
• 1 1/2 cups shredded smoked cheddar and swiss cheese blend (if you can't find the blend, you can just use smoked cheddar)
• 1 (7oz) can salsa verde (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 20 6-in corn tortillas
• 1 quart oil for frying or a little olive oil for baking**
• 1 cup sour cream (optional)
• 1 cup chunky salsa (optional)
• 1 cup guacamole (optional)

1. Heal oil in deep fryer to 350**.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together chicken, cheese, salsa verde, and onions.  Spoon about 1 1/2 TBS chicken mixture into soft*** tortilla.  You'll want your tortilla about 1" wide when rolled.  The filling shouldn't come close to the ends or it will fall out.  Secure with toothpicks.
3. Fry rolls 4 or 5 at a time, so they have enough room to cook evenly.  Drain on paper towels, top with sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.

Ok, here are my notes. 

*To make the shredded chicken, I just stuck the chicken and a can of chicken broth in the crockpot on hi for about 4 hours
**You can either bake or fry these babies.  I baked them.  I put the rolled tquitos on a cookie sheet, brushed them with olive oil (be sure to get the ends), and baked them at 500 for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. 

***There are several methods to softening the tortilla so they don't crack while rolling them.  My favorite method is to stick a couple of tortillas in a zip lock bag, zip it closed, and cook it on hi for 15 seconds.  When you do it this way, you won't even need to use the toothpicks, they'll just stay in place.  I've heard there are some health risks to doing it this way, but I guess that means I care more about having pretty taquitos than my health.  Shame on me!

Guacamole

Wowza this guac is full of flavor.  I made it with taquitos tonight, and it sorta stole the show.  VERY yummy, I'll be making this again very soon. 

• 3 avacados, peeled, pitted, and mashed
• 1 lime, juiced (I used 1 TBS of lime juice)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 3 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Roma (Plum) tomatoes, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

1. In a medium bowl, mash together avacados, lime juice and salt.  Mix in onion, cilantro and tomatoes, and garlic.  Stir in cayenne pepper.  Refridgerate one hour for best results, or serve immediately. 

I liked the guacamole chunky, but you can smooth it out by pureeing it.


**The lime juice helps the avacados not change color, so you can make it ahead (by a few hours, anyway)  If you're going to make it the night before, mix everything except the avacados, and add them right before you serve.

Marinated Shrimp Kabobs

My husband volunteered me to make shrimp kabobs for a BBQ at a friends house the other night.  I was nervous because I'd never made any kind of kabobs before, so I had my fingers crossed that they'd turn out ok.  Everyone seemed to love them.

I tripled the recipe and marinated everything in it, except the pineapple. 

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 2 TBS red wine vinegar
• 2 TBS chopped fresh basil (I had to use dry basil because I had no fresh stuff)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 lbs fresh shrimp, peiled, deveined (I used a frozen package and let them defrost), and whatever other items you'd like on the kabobs.  I added small pieces of thin-cut steak, green pepper, a package of mushrooms, and pineapple.
• skewers

1.In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar. Season with basil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice.


2.Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Thread the rest of the itmes onto the skewers.  Discard marinade, or you can brush the remaining marinade on the food while it's cooking.

3.Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

Ice Cream Cake

Oooh, look how beautiful it is!

I won't tell you how many slices of this I've had.

After last years disaster birthday ice cream cake (see below), I wanted to be sure to have a nice one for Bryson's birthday this year.

This year I looked up a recipe on allrecipies.com for an ice cream cake. This one was totally a cheater cake, but it tastes and looks great.

• 
  

  1 (16oz) can chocolate syrup

• 
  

  3/4 cup peanut butter

• 
  

  19 ice cream sandwhiches

• 
  

  1 (12 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

• 
  

  Whatever kind of topping you would like: nuts, candy, sprinkles, etc. I used an assortment of reese's pieces, the small reese's and the large reese's.

1. Pour the chocolate syrup into a medium microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Do not allow to boil. Stir peanut butter into the chocolate until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish with a layer of ice cream sandwhiches. Spread half the chocolate mixture over that, then add half the whipped cream, and top with whatever candy/nut you picked. Repeat these layers. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Cut into squares and serve.

Happy birthday, big guy! Love you tons.

How to peel a potato

I was sent this link as an email forward a long time ago, and I love it. Peeling potatoes for potato salad is always SUCH A PAIN IN THE you-know-what. This works, and it's so easy. Just thought I'd share.

If for some reason the link stops working, here's the directions:

1. Bring large pot of water to boil. Score the potatoes around the middle and carefully place potatoes in the water and boil until desired doneness is reached (usually about 15 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, place an even amount of water and ice.
3. Remove potatoes and place in ice water. When cooled off (about 1 minute), pull ends of the potatoe to remove the peel.

Old Fashioned Potato Salad

This is an awesome potato salad recipe that I use when we have a BBQ. I never add the eggs because I think they're disgusting in a potato salad, but to each his own. It's a pretty simple recipe, especially if you omit the eggs.

• 5 potatoes


• 3 eggs (if you like them)


• 1 cup chopped celery


• 1/2 cup chopped onion


• 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish


• 1/4 tsp garlic salt


• 1/4 tsp celery salt


• 1 TBS prepared mustard


• ground black pepper to taste


• 1/4 cup mayo

1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, peel, (or use this method) and chop.


2. Place eggs in a large pot of water and then bring to boil. Boil eggs for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Leave eggs in water for 7 more minutes. Remove from water, remove shells, and chop.


3. In large bowl, combine all ingredients and refridgerate until chilled (about an hour and a half).

Three Cheese Manicotti

This was very good tonight. Lots of flavor, just perfect if you're craving something italian for dinner. It's more of a company-coming-over type meal because it's so fatty and kind of expensive, but mmm mmm. Next time I'm going to try ground sausage in the cheese mixture. Also, if I'm not having company over, next time I will half the recipe and use an 8x8 inch pan. This was WAY too much for a family our size.

• 1 (8oz) package manicotti shells (in the pasta section)
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 TBS minced garlic (I just used garlic powder)
• 2 TBS dried basil
• 2 (26oz) jars pasta sauce

1. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add manicotti and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a bowl, mix 3 cups mozarella cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic, egg, and basil. Stuff cooked manicotti with the mixture (You can use a zip lock bag with the end cut, or just stuff it in)
4. Spread about 2 cups pasta sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed manicottiin the dish, and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese, and continue baking 10 minutes, until mozzarella is melted and bubbly.

Busy Weeknight Parmesan Chicken

This was an extremely fast, easy meal, and it tasted good too! It also looks real pretty when it's done. Total score for a weeknight meal, and maybe even for company. I used a few more pieces of meat (6 pieces instead of 4), and added a little more of the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, and also needed a little more butter and oil for the extra pieces of chicken.

• 4 (4 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves


• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs


• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


• 1/2 tsp dried basil


• 1 egg


• 1 TBS butter


• 1 TBS vegetable oil

1. Flatten chicken to 1/4 inch thickness.


2. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and basil. In separate bowl, beat the egg. Dip the chicken in egg, then dredge in bread crumbs.


3. In large skillet, brown the chicken in butter and oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.

Mexican Casserole II

I have another Mexican Casserole on here, to explain the name Mexican Casserole II

This was good tonight. Cory said it was better than Cheetos and he wanted it for his birthday - a VERY big compliment from him. :)


The beauty of this recipe is that you don't need to be precise about measurements. I added more chicken, and about double the salsa, and a little more cheese. I also added a little bit of Frank's brand hot sauce before putting it in the dish.

• 2 TBS vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 lb cubed skinless, boneless chicken breast meat
• 1/2 (1.25oz) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (8.75oz) can sweet corn, drained
• 1/4 cup salsa
• water, as needed
• 1 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese
• 1 1/2 cups crushed plain tortilla chips

1. In a large skillet, heat oil and saute onion and garlic for a couple minutes. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning, beans, corn, salsa, and a little water to prevent from drying out. Cover skillet and simmer over medium low heat for ten minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. Transfer chicken mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with 1/2 cup of the cheese and crushed tortilla chips. (I ended up just mixing the cheese and crushed chips in with the casserole and it was really good.)
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Melt-in-your-mouth Snickerdoodles

John has raved about Judy Steventon's snickerdoodles for years, and I finally got the recipe and tried them and boy was he right. These cookies are really yummy, and I'm not even a huge fan of snickerdoodles. 

Cookie:

• 1 C sugar
• 1/2 C butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup flour (1 cup bob's red mill 1:1, 1/2 cup namaste)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Cinnamon Sugar mix:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Topping:

• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 1 C brown sugar
• 1 TBS cinnamon

Frosting:

• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 3 C powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2-3 TBS whole milk or heavy cream

1. In mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter until fluffy, about two minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt, scraping the bowl as needed. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Divide into seven pieces and roll into small balls.  Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.  Flatten the balls and place them on top of the cookies.
3. Preheat oven to 350. Shape dough into 3/4" balls. Roll in cinnamon sugar mix to completely coat the ball. Set cookies 1" apart on lightly greased cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool 3 on pan and remove to cool completely (on wire rack, or newspaper).
5. To prepare frosting, cream butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk/cream and mix until well blended.  
6. Spoon on top of cooled cookies. 

Aussie Chicken

OOOhhhh, I made this tonight and I think I've died and gone to heaven...or maybe I'm just in a fat-induced coma, but either way, I'm liken it here. :)

This one wasn't too kid-friendly, but I enjoyed it. Plus I had a lot of fun making it...kids in the back yard playing (nicely), the first monsoon storm rolling in, baby sound asleep in the next room, it was just nice, so I didn't mind that it took a little longer to prepare.

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
• 2 tsp seasoning salt (I actually used worchestershire sauce)
• 6 slices bacon, cut in half
• 1/2 cup prepared yellow mustard (I used dijon instead, but next time I want to try plain yellow)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup (I didn't add this)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 TBS dried onion flakes
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 cups colby-monterey jack cheese (I only used 1 cup)
• 2 TBS chopped fresh parsley (makes it look pretty, but not necessary for the taste)

1. Rub chicken breasts with seasoning salt (I used worchestershire sauce), cover and refridgerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until crisp, set aside. Saute mushrooms in bacon grease, remove and set aside. Place the chicken in the skillet and saute in bacon grease until browned (about 5 minutes per side). Remove from skillet and place the breasts into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, honey, corn syrup, mayo, and dried onion flakes. Remove half of sauce, cover and refridgerate to serve later. Pour other half over chicken in baking dish. Layer with mushrooms and bacon. Sprinkle top with shredded cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken juices run clear. Garnish with parsley and serve with the reserved mustard sauce.

French Toast

Healthy*Hearty*Delicious*Easy

Plus it makes the whole house smell like cinnamon in the morning!

What more could you ask for in a breakfast?

I like this recipe for french toast, it's a little different because it calls for flour, which makes it a little fluffier. Instead of using syrup, I usually use sliced bananas on top...yummy! I also usually use 100% whole wheat bread to make it a little healthier, and because of the egg batter, it doesn't have that heavy, dry texture that you sometimes get with whole wheat bread.

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 TBS sugar
• 12 slices thick bread
  

1. Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar until smooth.



2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat. (I use butter flavored shortening instead of oil)



3. Soak bread slices in mixture until saturated. (Be sure to stir before you put the bread in the mixture, the cinnamon tends to clump on the top, and you don't want to use all the cinnamon on one peice.) Cook bread on each side until golden brown. Serve hot.

Country Fried Steak

Someone gave us a bunch of cube steaks, and I had never cooked with them before, so I looked up some recipes, and found one for country fried steak. I'm not a huge fan of these, but boy oh boy is my husband. He literally took a few bites and had to call a friend to rave about them. ha ha. He wants me to make this for his next birthday or Father's Day. :)

The recipe I found was for the steaks and gravy, but I had a screaming baby while I was trying to make dinner, so I short-cutted it, and didn't make the gravy. I'll give it a go next time...which won't be for a while because it's so fattening.

• 4 (4oz) cube steaks
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1 3/4 tsp ground black pepper, divided
• 1 cup flour
• I also added a couple of tsp of seasoning salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup lard (I actually used bacon grease, but you could also just use regular canola oil)
• 1 cup milk

1. Season meat with 1/4 tsp of the salt and 1/4 tsp of the pepper; set aside. In a shallow dish, mix flour with 1 tsp of the pepper (and the seasoning salt, and maybe some regular salt). Dredge each steak in the flour. Dip in beaten egg, then dredge in flour again.
2. Heat lard in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Fry steaks 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
3. Pour off all but 2 TBS of the fat. Sprinkle 2 TBS of the dredging flour into the oil. Cook over medium heat for 1 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook, stirring frequently, 3-4 minutes, or until thickened and bubbly. Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp pepper; gravy should be quite peppery.

And don't forget the tums.

Home-made BBQ sauce

• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 2 TBS cider vinegar
• 2 TBS brown sugar
• 2 TBS molasses
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin (I might reduce this to 1/2 tsp next time, I'm not a huge fan of cumin)
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I'll probably add a little more next time)
• I think next time I'll add a little bit of liquid smoke
• 4 lbs bone-in chicken things and drumsticks (I just used chicken breasts)

1. Combine all ingredients except the chicken in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Set aside about 1/4 cup of the mixture. Toss the chicken with the remaining sauce.
2. Grill the chicken over indirect heat for 15 min with the lid closed. Turn, brush with the reserved sauce, and grill until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 F, another 16-18 minutes. (I actually just broiled them in the oven, but they'd be even better in the BBQ)

Spanish Rice Bake

Thought this was yummy tonight.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper (didn't add this because the hubby doesn't like them, but I bet it would be good)
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice (I used regular white rice, and ended up needing to increase water and cooking time a little)
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp worchestershire sauce
• pinch ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 TBS fresh chopped cilantro

1. Brown ground beef in large skillet and drain grease. Stir in everything except the last two ingredients. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. (At this point I added more water and cooked it a little longer) Be sure not to stir it too often, the rice won't cook.
2. While meat mixture is cooking, preheat oven to 375 F. When rice is tender, transfer mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish. Press down firmly and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Mini German Pancakes

This has got to be my favorite breakfast to make for the family. I tend to like the taste of the sweet breakfasts better, but I need something hearty that will see me through for a few hours. This has the best of both worlds. I made this recipe this morning and was suprised to see I hadn't put it up here yet.

• 1 cup milk
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup butter

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. In blender, combine milk, eggs, flour, salt, and vanilla. Blend in butter a little at a time.
3. Generously grease muffin tins (18-24)
4. Pour mixture into muffin tins until filled about half way. Bake for approx 15 min. Top with fruit and serve immediately.

For the fruit topping, my FAVORITE topping is this:

• 10 oz bag frozen raspberries
• 20 oz can pineapple tipbits
• 4 bananas
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• whipped cream

Just combine the fruit and brown sugar in a bowl, then top with the whipped cream.
For an easy morning, you can use canned fruit pie filling. We like cherry or apple. Mmmm mmm mmm

This recipe is pictured with a few cans of pears with cinnamon and brown sugar mixed with it. 

Breaded pork chops OR chicken

Here's another pork recipe that I made a few weeks ago but forgot to post. The family really liked it, and it was nice and easy. The recipe I found called for pork, but I've made it with chicken too, and was a hit with the family both ways.

• 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
• garlic salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 4 pork chops or chicken tenderloins
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 F



2. In a shallow bowl combine crushed crackers, garlic salt, and black pepper. In a seperate bowl, beat eggs.



3. Dip pork chops in egg batter, then in cracker mixture. Place the pork chops in a casserole dish and place chunks of butter around the pork chops. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.

Crock Pot Pork Chops

I don't cook pork very often, just not a huge fan of it, but it was on sale a while back, and I decided I needed to use some of what I had in the freezer. This was VERY good, good enough for company, I'd say. So moist it just falls apart, and the flavor soaked all the way through. And all the work is done ahead of time, so when company comes you can have a clean kitchen. Or, with a side of instant mashed potaotes, steam-fresh veggies, and a fruit salad, dinner can be on the table in 10 minutes.

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp seasoning salt
• 4 thick-cut pork chops (I don't think mine were thick-cut)
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 (10.5 oz) can chicken and rice soup (this is very different from cream of chicken soup, so don't try a substitution here)

1. Trim fat from pork chops. Combine flour, dry mustard and seasoning salt in bowl or pie pan.
2. Heat oil in skillet. Dredge pork in flour mixture then place them in the skillet and brown on both sides.
3. Place pork chops in slow cooker and pour chicken and rice soup over. Cook on low for 5-8 hours depending on how thick the cut is.

Shrimp Scampi

It IS possible to have a delicious home-cooked meal in 15 minutes...who knew! This was yummy, although the kids didn't seem to like it, the phrase "looks like throw-up" was used more than once at the dinner table tonight. However, with how fast and easy it was, I think I'll make it again. Yeah, cuz I'm a mean mom. :)


First of all, I changed the recipe quite a bit, I totally took the easy road on all the ingredients.

3 packages of ramen noodles, without the flavoring (or you can use an 8 ounce package angel hair pasta to do it the "right" way)
1/2 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used pre-cooked, and just defrosted it first)
1/3 cup white wine (I subsituted canned chicken broth)
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs (I used italian seasoned bread crumbs)
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese



Cook pasta (or ramen noodles) according to package directions, except don't add the seasonings.

In a large saucepan, melt butter, saute garlic until tender, remove garlic and discard. (I left the garlic in) Add shrimp and cook until colored pink (or, if it's precooked, just cook until defroasted). Stir in white wine (or chicken broth). The bread crumbs are used as thickening, so stir in a little at a time until desired thickness is reached.


Serve shrimp over pasta, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

I also cooked a package of steam fresh brocolli in the microwave and tossed it into the mix.

Mexican Pizza

This is similar to the Mexican pizza at Taco Bell. Pretty yummy and pretty cheap too. The presentation is nice enough for company, and it's made from ingredients we usually have on hand. Plus, it's ready in about 45 minutes....it's like the perfect fall-back meal!

1/2 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 TBS chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 (16 oz) can refried beans

4 (10 inch) tortillas

1/2 cup salsa

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese

2 green onions, diced

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup finely chopped jalepenos

1/4 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat 2 pie plates with cooking spray.
2. Place beef, onion, and garlic in skillet over medium heat. Cook until browned. Drain grease, and season with chili powder, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and salt.
3. Lay 1 tortilla in each pie plate. Spread half the can of refried beans on the tortillas. Spread half ground beef mixture on each. Cover with 2nd tortillas. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
4. Let cool slightly. Spread 1/2 of each on each tortilla: salsa, cheeses, tomatoes, green onions, and jalepenos.
5. Bake 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let cool slightly before slicing.

We are sour cream lovers, but this meal was able to hold it's own without the sour cream. The jalepenos were a little too spicy for the kids, I think next time I'll only add them to one of the Mexican pizzas.

BBQ Pork Sandwhich

I couldn't wait to have the leftovers of this for lunch today. It's SOO simple, just takes some time in the crock pot.

1 pork roast (approx 3 lbs)
1 can BBQ sauce (about 14oz)
1 can beef broth
Dinner rolls

Put ingredients in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. About an hour before dinner needs to be done, take the meat out, shred it, and put it back in the juices and let it cook for the last hour. Serve on a sliced dinner roll. Ta da. Dinner. I'm going to freeze half of the shredded pork for a later meal.

BIG Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've always wondered how people make those BIG sized chewy chocolate chip cookies. Well, this afternoon, I DID IT! I got this recipe off of allrecipies.com and they were beautiful, chewy, huge, and delicious.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (I prefer it with salted butter)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 TBS vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used half semisweet chocolate chips, half semisweet chocolate chunks)

1. Preheat oven to 325. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy (be sure not to over-beat). Mix in sifted ungredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15-17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toated. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. (I use newspaper instead of a wire rack...one of these days I'll by the rack)

Braised Balsamic Chicken

This was a nice variation to the regular chicken routine in our home. Very easy and very fast, so that was nice. I got this recipe from allrecipies.com

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic salt
2 TBS olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Season chicken breasts with pepper and garlic salt. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, and brown the onion and seasoned chicken breasts.

In small bowl, combine vinegar, tomatoes, and remaining seasonings. Pour over chicken and onions. Simmer unti lchicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, about 15 minutes.

Baked Chimichangas

These babies are so yummy, and sooo much less fat/less mess than your average fried chimichanga. I was very pleased, and so was the rest of the family.

The shredded beef was made from leftovers from the roast we had the night before. I threw the leftovers back in the crockpot (with all the juices and seasonings), left it in the fridge overnight, then the next afternoon let it cook on low for another 4-6 hours.

The recipe I got this idea from actually called for ground beef, so you can do it that way too, I just prefer the shredded stuff. If you use ground beef, brown the beef first, then drain the grease, then simmer with the tomatoes. Instead of diced tomatoes, you can also use salsa.


1 pound shredded beef (approx)
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with jalepenos (this was not spicy at all, just added a good flavor)
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
8 (12 inch) flour tortillas
1 (16 ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon butter, melted
shredded lettuce
1 fresh tomato, diced
sour cream



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large saucepan, combine shredded beef and canned diced tomatoes. Simmer on med-lo heat for about 20 minutes, or until the juices are gone. Mix in the can of refried beans and cheese.

Spoon the beef mixture down the center, and roll up the tortillas, and place them seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush the tortillas with melted butter.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Serve with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream.

Lactation Cookies

I got this recipe from Stephanie Fritz a few years ago. They have a few ingredients in them to help boost milk supply, they're really just a healthier cookie. Call me crazy, but I just LOVE these cookies, the "healthy" ingredients give it a good rich flavor. Just don't eat too many of them :)

* 1 cup butter
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 4 tablespoons water
* 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal*
* 2 large eggs* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 cups flour* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups oats, thick cut if you can get them
* 1 cup or more chocolate chips
* 2 tablespoons of brewers yeast* (be generous)


Directions:


Preheat oven at 375 degrees F.

Mix together 2 tablespoons of flaxseed mealand water, set aside for 3-5 minutes.

Cream (beat well) margarine and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mix well. Stir flaxseed mixture and add with vanillato the margarine mix. Beat until blended.

Sift together dry ingredients,except oats and chips. Add to margarine mixture. Stir in oats then chips. Scoop or drop onto baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment or silpat.The dough is a little crumbly, so it helps to use a scoop.


Bake 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cookies.
Serves: 6 dozen cookies
Preparation time: 15 minutes


*can be found at any local health food store.**NOTE** *IT MUST BE BREWERS YEAST, NO SUBSTITUTIONS.
*If you don't like chocolate chips, it can be any sort of sweet chip-likething. (Peanut butter chips, butterscotch, whatever you like!) And I imaginethat you could even sub with nuts if you wanted! But those cookies?Seriously, the BEST EVER.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

This recipe was SO easy, I couldn't help but post it. It's not ESPECIALLY delicious, but it's nice for variety, and when the prep work is so easy, heck, why not add it to the recipe rotation???

• 1 cup (4 oz) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided (I didn't have this, so I used half cheddar, half pepperjack cheese)
• 1/3 cup fat free milk (I used 1%)
• 1/4 cup egg substitute (or just 1 large egg)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp ground red pepper
• 1 (14 3/4 oz) can cream-style corn
• 1 (8.5 oz) box corn muffin mix (such as jiffy or Martha White)
• 1 (4oz) can diced green chilies
• cooking spray, such as PAM
• 1 (10 oz) can red enchildada sauce
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I used 2 cans of chicken and it tasted fine)
• 1 (2 oz) can sliced olives (optional)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (I'm a sour cream lover, but I didn't think the recipe needed this)
  
  

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup cheese and the next 7 ingredients (through chilies), stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 9x13 in pan coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese and olives, if desired.
4. Bake at 400 for additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces, and top each serving with 1 TBS sour cream.

Caramel Apple Dip

Here's another ridiculously easy recipe that has been a hit every time I've made it.


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

In medium saucepan, over med-lo heat, melt caramels with water, stirring frequently. Once smooth, remove from heat. In medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and brown sugar, until very smooth. Fold in caramel mixture. Refridgerate until ready to use, or serve immediately.

Serve with apples, or whatever other fruit you'd like.

To prepare ahead of time, cut the apples, and let them sit in the refridgerator in 4 cups water and 1/4 cup lemon juice until ready to serve. This will keep them from turning brown. Be sure to let them dry off before you serve them.

Jalepeno Popper Dip

Super quick, easy, and yummy.  That's the BEST kind of recipe!

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayo
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies, drained
1 (2 oz) can diced jalepenos, drained
1 cup grated parmesean cheese (the real stuff, not the green can)

Stir cream cheese and mayo in large bowl until smooth. Stir in chilies and jalepenos. Pour into microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle with grated parmesean cheese. Microwave on hi until hot, about 3 minutes. *OR* to brown the cheese (which is what I did) bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Yep, it's THAT easy.

You can dip crackers, chips, or whatever you'd like in it. (I served it with Ritz crackers, and thought that was good, but most everyone else dipped Fritos in it)

Crepes Ensenada

This is a super easy recipe. I'm not thrilled with the cheese sauce, but the basic idea is pretty good, and I can't argue with how simple it is! If anyone has a better idea for the cheese sauce, let me know!

12 thin slices of ham (lunch meat)
12 10" flour tortillas
1 lb monterrey jack cheese, cut into 12 pieces (I just use string cheese)
7 oz can green chilies
chesse sauce (see below)
paprika

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat tortillas to soften. On each tortilla, place string cheese wrapped in the ham, and a spoon full of green chilies. Fold in the sides of the tortilla and roll it, enchalada style. Place in a greased 9x13 in baking dish, and pour cheese sauce over. Sprinkle with paprika, bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Cheese sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 tsp salt

In saucepan, melt butter. Slowly add milk and flour until thickened. Add remaining ingredients and cook until smooth.

I have never used all the cheese sauce, I might try halving in one of these times.

Mexican Casserole

I was suprised how yummy this came out (or maybe it's just the pregnancy that made this so delicious), but I thought it had a great flavor, and the family enjoyed it, Cory even went back for THIRDS! Don't expect the chips to stay crunchy, that's not what they're there for. I'd say this is a casserole pretty enough and tasty enough for company. This was not spicy at all, for a little heat, add red pepper flakes and/or hot sauce to the meat mixture.


1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1 can diced green chilis
season to taste (I used garlic salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, and taco seasonings)
1 cup salsa
1 cup diced tomatoes (I used the tomatoes with jalepenos)
16 oz can chili beans (you can sub black beans, if desired)
3 cups tortilla chips, crushed
2 cups sour cream
2 oz can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350

In large skillet, over med-hi heat, cook ground beef with desired seasonings and green chilis until beef is no longer pink. Stir in salsa and canned tomatoes, reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in beans and heat through.

Lightly grease a 9x13 in baking pan. Spread crushed chips over bottom of dish, then spoon meat mixture on top of chips. Spread sour cream over over meat mixture and sprinkle with olives, green onions, and fresh tomatoes. Top with cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.