The Old Tasty Sensations

CSN Product Review

2011-02-01T19:17:00.000-05:00

CSN recently contacted me to do a blog review on one of their products, and I had my eye on THIS. I placed my order, received it TWO short days later, got it mounted on my wall (super easy to do - for my husband, obviously), and loaded it up! I'm loving this new way to store my spices for easy access, and I really love that it created a little extra cabinet space for me. For less than $20! Not bad!!

Upcoming Review!

2011-01-23T13:17:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! Just wanted you to know that I'm doing a cool review of some cookware (watch for that coming soon) from the CSN stores coming soon! If you haven't heard of CSN, they have over 200 online stores and sell everything you could possibly imasgineThey have all sorts of awesome kitchen gadgets that I LOVE, but also have some really nice home decor, including modern bedding (love the accent pillows!).

Watch for the review, coming soon! In the meantime, check them out! You could shop there for hours (great, just what you needed....)

Head on Over to the Real Tasty Sensations

2010-02-05T13:36:00.002-05:00

For those who haven't switched over...please update your reader to:

http://www.tastysensations.blogspot.com/

Tasty Sensations is getting a face lift, so get excited and start following us there!

Tasty Sensations Changes!!!

2009-06-15T21:39:00.003-04:00

Hi Readers-

Please change your Tasty Sensations from http://www.heidisrecipes.blogspot.com/ link to:

TastySensations.blogspot.com

I decided since that's what I call the site, that's what the URL should be. I've also been daydreaming up some ideas on how to spice up my favorite hobby of food-blogging. Check out the same-old-but-good, and soon-to-be-new blog - I'll be getting around to adding some new recipes and other fun stuff soon!

Happy Eating,
Heidi

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies w/ Golden Raisin

2009-05-25T20:22:00.002-04:00

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix until fluffy:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
Add one at a time:
2 eggs
Add:
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Mix together and add:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
By hand, stir in:
3 cups quick oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup golden raisins (or substitute for chocolate chips if you prefer)

Bake for 13 minutes in preheated oven. Remove and let cool on pan for 5-10 minutes, then cool completely on wire racks (or eat warm!)

Allison's Muesli

2009-05-10T18:35:00.003-04:00

Please pardon the lack of posts lately! Lots of changes going on in the Tasty Sensations kitchen (new baby just came, moving kitchen from one state to another). Be patient for another month or so, and I'll be back with regular posts that will make you drool. Until then, I'll post some here and there that are worth trying out!

3 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1 c. slivered (not sliced) almonds
1 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. chopped dried apricots
1/2 c. chopped dried apples

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 300.

On a large baking sheet, combine the oats, almonds, and walnuts, and bake for 30 minutes, stirring once after 15 minutes. Transfer the cereal to a large mixing bowl. Add the honey and, using a large rubber spatula, stir to combine thoroughly. Add the apples and apricots and stir well. Cool, stirring occasionally. Serve at room temperature.

Another variation I like to call "Banana Nut Protein Crunch":

3 c. oats, 1/2 c. cashews, 1/2 c. almonds, 1/2 c. walnuts, 1/2 c. dried bananas - toast that all same as above (I toasted mine 20 min. on each side). Add honey (to taste), stir to combine.

Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes

2009-04-26T17:40:00.003-04:00

So good, and so easy! Thanks to Sylvia for this yummy one!

1 pkg. ranch dressing powder
2 lbs. red potatoes, washed and quartered
1/4 c. olive or vegetable oil.

Toss quartered potatoes and oil in a ziploc bag to coat. Add dressing powder and toss to coat. Place in ungreased baking dish in single layer.

Bake at 450 for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2009-04-26T17:37:00.002-04:00

Got this recipe from Summer/Mandi, and modified it a bit. It was great!

6 chicken breasts
6 thick slices of swiss cheese
6 slices of ham
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
6 tbsp butter
1/2 cup white wine
1 chicken bullion cube
1 can cream of chicken soup

Pound chicken flat. Lay slice of ham and a slice of thick cheese on top. Roll it up and secure with toothpicks. Mix the flour, salt, pepper and paprika in seperate container. Coat chicken in flour mixture.In a large saucepan/skillet, melt butter. Cook chicken on med-high till the outsides are golden brown, turning. Add white wine and bullion cube. Turn heat down to low and cover for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Take chicken out and keep warm in foil. Add can of chicken soup to the skillet with the remaining sauce. Wisk this into the skillet mixture. Turn heat up to med-high and stir till it gets thick. Use this sauce on top of the chicken.

Easy Caramel Popcorn

2009-04-23T06:27:00.000-04:00

In a saucepan combine:
1 cube butter
1/2-3/4 cup brown sugar
30 large marshmallows
Melt above ingredients together.

Pop 1-2 bags light butter microwave popcorn. Sift through and take out unpopped kernels. Pour caramel mixture on top and mix together.

Ham & Pea Pasta

2009-04-22T18:16:00.004-04:00

I stole this picture (and recipe) from Krista - of Krista's Culinary Creations. It was quick and yummy!
1 cup frozen green peas

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup turkey ham, chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 lb linguine, fettucine or other long pasta (I used cavatappi - the spirals)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or more to taste (I'm always liberal with cheese!)

Bring large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. While that cooks melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat; add mushrooms and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned. Add ham and cook 1 minute. Stir in peas, cream, salt, and pepper. Turn heat to low; keep warm, stirring occasionally, while pasta is cooking. Add Parmesan and toss. Serve immediately.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

2009-04-19T19:41:00.003-04:00

1 large egg
1 c. whole wheat flour (preferably fresh ground)
3/4 c. buttermilk
2 TBS. brown sugar
2 TBS. vegetable oil
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

With a whisk, combine all ingredients in bowl just until smooth (don't overmix). Heat griddle. Grease with cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 c. batter on griddle per pancake. Makes about 10 pancakes.

Heavenly Syrup

2009-04-19T19:39:00.003-04:00

This recipe is courtesy of my pal, Denise.

1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
1 c. buttermilk

Heat above ingredients until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with:
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Makes a ton! Very tasty!

Hungry Jack Casserole

2009-04-17T13:06:00.002-04:00

This is a quick and easy dinner fix.

1 lb. ground beef
S & P
1 large can baked beans
1 c. your favorite BBQ sauce
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 can jumbo biscuits (8 in a can)
cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef and onions on med. high until no longer pink, season with salt and pepper. Add can of baked beans and BBQ sauce (add more or less to your liking). When mixed, add into a 9x13 pan. Open can of biscuits, flatten each biscuit out , place on top of the beef mixture. Bake according to biscuit directions (mine was 375 for 15 minutes). Take out, sprinkle with cheddar to cover, and return to oven. Broil on high for 2 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly. This meal reminded me of a campfire cookout.

Cute Quiche Biscuit Cups

2009-04-13T15:40:00.003-04:00

3-4 slices bacon, crisply cooked and finely crumbled
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
2 chopped green onions (2 medium), 3 fresh chopped mushrooms, and some leftover chopped roasted potatoes, optional
1 can refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits)

Heat oven to 375F. Grease 10 muffin cups. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, milk and eggs on low speed until smooth. Stir in Swiss cheese and green onions (and mushrooms and potatoes, if you choose to add them); set aside.Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Place 1 biscuit in each greased muffin cup; firmly press in bottom and up sides, forming 1/4 inch rim. Place bacon in the bottom of the dough -lined muffin cups. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture over the bacon. I had some extra egg mix, so I filled the other 2 cups without the biscuit cup, and they were good too!

Bake for about 23 minutes or until filling is set and edges of biscuits are golden brown.

Quick Peach Cobbler from Cake Mix

2009-04-12T21:31:00.003-04:00

1 29 oz. can of peaches in light syrup, partially drained

1/2 box of white cake mix, give or take, depending on how much crust you like

1/2 stick of butter, softened

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 c. brown sugar

sprinkle of quick oats, optional

chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 375. In greased round casserole dish pour a bit of the juice from the peach can. Sprinkle with a small portion of the cake mix. Cover with entire can of peaches and an remaining juice. Cut butter into small dabs, to generously cover the dry cake mix. Sprinkle with cinnamon, brown sugar, oats and walnuts. Place in oven and bake for approximately 45 minutes. Serve with ice cream!

Lasagna...Thrown Together

2009-04-11T15:30:00.006-04:00

I was interested in making a lasagna that could be frozen and used for later use...I threw in some stuff I had in the fridge for "secret ingredients" (which I am about to divulge), and it was honest-to-goodness the best lasagna we've ever had. I made 2 lasagna's out of the below ingredients, and my measurements are purely estimates, so take liberties where you see fit!

Lasagna (makes 2, 9x13 pans) - Make one for tonight, and freeze one for a friend!

about 17-18 lasagna noodles, uncooked

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 lb. pork sausage

1 15 oz. carton ricotta cheese

2 c. cottage cheese

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

28 oz. jar cabernet marinara (or your favorite spaghetti sauce)

2 cans diced tomatoes, partially drained

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 bag of fresh spinach leaves

1-2 cans mushrooms, drained

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tsp. fresh minced garlic

s&p to season

4 c. mozzarella - divided

2 c. fresh shredded parmesan

1 c. shredded or sliced muenster cheese

1 c. fresh shredded asiago cheese

In large sauce pan, brown sausage and ground beef with garlic and onion on medium. Meanwhile, in separate bowl, mix eggs, ricotta, s&p to taste, cottage cheese and cream cheese together until well blended, set aside. Once the meat is cooked, add spaghetti sauce, all 3 cans of tomatoes, Italian seasoning, spinach and mushrooms. Simmer for 20 minutes or so, continuing to stir until well incorporated. While that's simmering, mix all the rest of the shredded cheeses together.

In 2, 9x13 pans, pour enough sauce to thinly cover bottom of each pan. Cover that layer of sauce with the dry lasagna noodles (about 4 and a half, one will be broken to fit the short end of the pan). Pour a layer of sauce on top of this, then a layer of the wet cheese mixture, then a sprinkle of the dry cheese . To complete lasagna, place another layer of noodles, then cheese mixture, then sauce, then a whopping topping of the rest of the cheese for the top.

Set one of the fridge to get cool enough to put in freezer. Cover with foil. Freeze for later.

For the room temperature lasagna - Cover with foil, bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

For the frozen lasagna - there are 2 ways to cook it. I write both on the foil and let the recipient decide. 1) From Frozen, leave foil on and bake at 375 for 1 hour, remove cover and bake for 30 additional minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. -or- 2) Thaw in fridge for 8 hours. Bake with foil for 1 hour, remove foil, bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Kimmy's Smash Hit Ranch Southwest Chicken

2009-04-08T18:59:00.004-04:00

Got this one from Kim, the head chef over at...you guessed it, Kimmy's Kitchen! She's got lots of goodies, check it out. I changed a few things here, but stole her picture since they looked the same!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup medium salsa
1 cup corn (drained)
1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, or chopped fresh tomatoes
salt
pepper
1. Marinate four chicken breasts in 1/2 cup barbecue sauce for at least 15 minutes.
2. Place chicken halves in glass pan and cook chicken at 350 for 22-25 min, or until juices run clear (Kim used a little olive oil and fried hers up in a frying pan, which might be faster)
3. Remove chicken from pan, then baste the chicken with barbecue sauce on both sides.
4. RANCH SAUCE: Combine 1/2 a cup of ranch dressing and 1/2 cup salsa.
5. Toss 1 cup of drained corn and 1/2 cup of tomatoes together (or just throw in as much of each as you'd like). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Top chicken breast with ranch sauce and garnish with corn mixture.

This was definitely a favorite! Quite easy, too!

Resurrection Rolls for Easter

2009-04-08T05:20:00.001-04:00

Tube of Crescent Rolls (or however many you want to make)
Melted Butter
Large Marshmallows
Cinnamon
Sugar

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350
*Give each child a triangle of crescent roll (represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in)
*Give each child a marshmallow (represents Jesus' body)
*Have them dip the marshmallow in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon and sugar (represents the oil and embalming and the spices used to anoint the body)
*Wrap the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll-not as you would normally roll a crescent...but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside (This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after his death
*Place in 350 oven for 10-12 min. (The oven represents the tomb. Pretend it takes three days)*When the rolls have cooled slightly, the children can open their rolls (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there. HE IS RISEN!(The marshmallow has melted, and the crescent roll is puffed up, but empty)

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

2009-04-04T21:27:00.002-04:00

*These are just like those peanut butter bars with chocolate frosting that you used to find in your elementary school cafeteria! Yum!

3/4 C. butter, softened

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. brown sugar

1 egg (large)

2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 C. creamy peanut butter

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. flour

1.5 C. oats

Frosting: 1 C. milk chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 8x8 glass pan13x9x2 inch pan. Beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add egg, vanilla, and peanut butter and beat until light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Press mixture evenly into pan and bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. (Note: Will be underbaked.) While still warm, evenly distribute chocolate chips. When chips have melted spread into a thin layer.

Parmesan Ranch Chicken

2009-03-31T14:38:00.002-04:00

I don't think a main dish can get much more simple than this. It was gone so fast I don't even have pictures to post.

Chicken breasts or tenders - marinate for at least an hour in prepared ranch dressing (I used Hidden Valley and let it sit overnight, but any kind will do).

Dip marinated chicken in shredded parmesan cheese to coat.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until juices run clear. Easy as that. The sauce is yummy with a side of roasted red potatoes.

White Bread from Heaven

2009-03-29T13:13:00.002-04:00

There's a story behind this bread. Ohhhhhhh, this bread. It is manna straight from heaven. I can never turn down a second (or third, or fourth...) slice of this white, soft goodness. When I was 12 or 13, I used to walk home with my friend Jenny from junior high. Her mom almost always had fresh bread and jam, and I'm sure I made a fool of my junior high self indulging in more than my fair share of daily bread at their house. Eventually, Jenny and I went separate ways, but, all these years later I still think about that bread. So much that I emailed my old friend Jenny and asked for her mom's recipe. She was sweet enough to oblige (thanks!)...

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. potato flakes

1/2 c. vegetable shortening

2 T. salt

5 c. milk, scalded (5 min. in microwave)

2 T. yeast

12-14 c. flour

Combine scalded milk, sugar, shortening, potato flakes, and salt in bread mixer.

When lukewarm , add two cups flour and yeast.

Add remaining flour until dough leaves the side of the bowl and knead for 5 to 7 minutes in mixer. Place dough in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until double (about 1 1/2 hours).

Punch dough down and let rise again until double.

Shape dough into 4 loaves and place in greased pans. Let rise until double.

Bake bread at 350 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes or until bread is golden brown. Brush with butter. Let cool on racks.

Overnight French Toast w/ Peaches

2009-03-21T12:32:00.003-04:00

1/2 c. butter
2 TBS. light Karo syrup
1 c. brown sugar
Bring above ingredients to boil.
Meanwhile, drain 1 29 oz. can of peaches (fresh is best, but use canned if peaches aren't in season) and dice up into little bites.
Once syrup reaches a boil, pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Top with peaches.
On top of peaches, place 12 slices of thick Texas Toast (when I made this, I had leftover cubes of french bread) on top of peaches.
Mix:
5-6 eggs
1 Tbs. vanilla
1.5 c. milk
Pour over bread.
Sprinkle generously with cinnamon.

Cover and let soak in refrigerator overnight. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until well-browned.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

2009-03-20T21:38:00.000-04:00

I love these little powdered sugar delights!

1 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 t. water
2 c. flour, sifted
1 c. almond or pecans (I used pecans)
1/2 c. powdered sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and water. Add sifted flour and nuts, mix until blended. Cover and chill for 3 hours. Preheat oven to 325. Shape dough into balls or crescents. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Roll in powdered sugar. (the powdered sugar sticks better if the cookies are still slightly warm when you roll them.)

Cheddar Cheese Fondue

2009-03-20T21:33:00.002-04:00

2 cans cheddar cheese soup
1 8oz. block of velveeta (or any other brand of block processed cheese), cut in cubes
1 Tbs. worcestshire sauce
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 TBS. dried snipped chives (optional)
2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Mix all ingredients EXCEPT shredded cheddar in greased crock pot, heat on low for 2 hours. One hour before serving, add shredded cheddar, stir until incorporated, and keep on low until time to serve. Serve with cubed bread, roasted baby potatoes, blanched broccoli, cubed cooked chicken, or whatever other crudites you like!

Swiss Cheese Fondue

2009-03-20T21:31:00.002-04:00

Made this for book club and it was a hit!

Ingredients:
1 garlic clove, halved or 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 cups white wine, chicken broth or unsweetened apple juice, divided
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
7 cups (28 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese (if you don't have enough Swiss, you can substitute some with Gouda, Mozzarella or Gruyere)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Cubed French bread

Rub garlic clove over the bottom and sides of a fondue pot; discard garlic and set fondue pot aside. In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, bring 1-3/4 cups wine and nutmeg to a simmer. Gradually add cheese, stirring after each addition until cheese is melted (cheese will separate from wine). Combine cornstarch and remaining wine until smooth; gradually stir into cheese mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and mixture is blended and smooth. Transfer to prepared fondue pot and keep warm. Serve with bread cubes. Yield: about 4 cups.

Sticky Coconut Chicken

2009-03-13T19:11:00.002-04:00

This recipe is fantastic - a little spicy (if you're hot chili flakes are fresh), but flavorful and delicious.

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.5 lbs)
2/3 c. canned coconut milk
1 TBS. fresh minced ginger
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. hot chili flakes
3/4 c. rice vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
3 TBS. soy sauce
1 tsp. hot chili flakes
4-5 green onions, finely chopped

Rinse chicken, pat dry. In large bowl, mix coconut milk, ginger, pepper, 1 tsp. hot chili flakes. Add chicken and mix - cover and chill for at least one hour, or up to a day.

Lift chicken from bowl, reserving marinade. Pull thighs open and lay flat on lightly oiled grill on high heat (we broiled this in the oven and it worked fine). Cover and cook, turning thighs as needed to brown on both sides until meat is no longer pink inside. Baste frequently with remaining marinade (USE ALL MARINADE). Tranfer thighs to warm platter and pour chili glaze (recipe below) evenly over meat. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Chili Glaze:
In large sauce pan, combine rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and hot chili flakes. Bring to boil over high heat and cook until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup (8-10 min.) Makes 1/2 c. glaze. Make sure to put your pan straight in water after the glaze has been used- once it hardens, it's VERY HARD to get off - it turns to a candy-like substance!

Serve warm over steamed brown rice.

Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2009-03-06T21:35:00.004-05:00

All I can say is, "un-button your top button" and get ready for some serious indulgence. This soup is (so not healthy for you) comforting, flavorful and should be served warm with your favorite bread. I make the bacon, bake & mash the potatoes, and saute the veggies ahead of time to make dinner assembly a cinch! Hope you love this as much as we do.

10 oz hickory smoked bacon
5 stalks celery finely diced
2 large carrots, peeled, finely diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups small cubed ham
32 oz chicken broth (or substitute with veggie broth)
6 oz heavy whipping cream
10 med/lg. potatoes, baked, peeled and mashed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ Cup heavy whipping cream
4 oz sour cream
1 ½ Cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Garnish each bowl with:
dollop of sour cream
sprinkle of sharp cheddar cheese
sprinkle of chives
sprinkle of crumbled bacon

1. Heat large pot over medium-high heat. Cut bacon into small pieces and cook until browned and crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Discard bacon grease, reserving 2 Tablespoons to sauté veggies. Saute celery, carrots, jalapeno, and onion in bacon grease for 10 minutes, stirring often until softened. Stir in garlic and ham; cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in chicken broth and cream.
2. Place mashed potatoes in bowl to mash/mix. Mix while adding salt, pepper and cream. Stir mashed potatoes into soup until combined. Heat for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in sour cream and cheese until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low until ready to serve. Spoon into bowls and garnish.

Easy Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-03-06T21:33:00.003-05:00

Or...if you like, white chocolate macadamia nut, or cranberry macadamia nut with white chocolate. You decide! This recipe is super easy and very good. Found it on sister's cafe.

1 white cake mix
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1 egg
1/2 cup cranberries*
1/2 cup macadamia nuts

Mix ingredients together. Bake at 350 degrees for 13 minutes, or until edges are starting to golden and top is not shiny anymore.
*To mix things up, substitute cranberries or macadamias with white chocolate chips

Cyndi's Chocolate Cream Cheese Raspberry Pie

2009-03-01T19:27:00.002-05:00

Topping:
1 pkg. frozen raspberries
2 c. whipping cream (prepared)

Filling:
1-8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg

Crust:
1 pkg crushed graham crackers
15 chocolate stuffed oreos
1 stick butter

Directions:
Use crackers, oreos and butter to make a crust in a pie tin. Freeze solid.
Combine filling ingredients pour over crust and refrigerate to set up.
Top with raspberries stirred into fresh whipping cream (prepare this right before serving).

Delightful!

Garlic Parmesan Loaf

2009-03-01T19:22:00.002-05:00

Oh, this is a wonderfully easy bread that is wonderfully addicting.

Grease a bundt pan. Cut up 1/2 - 1 stick of butter (depending on how greasy you like it) into small pieces. Place a few pieces of butter in the bottom of bundt pan. Sprinkle with a handful of shredded parmesan cheese. Drop a handful (maybe 6-8) rolls in the bundt pan. Sprinkle with garlic salt to taste, and Italian Seasoning. Cover with a few more pieces of butter. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese. Drop another layer of rolls, sprinkle garlic salt, and italian seasoning. Cover with more parmesan cheese. Let rise in cold oven overnight, or for 6-8 hours until bundt pan is filled to top. Bake at 350 for 20 min. Delicious!

Cafe Rio Pork - Another Version

2009-02-20T21:34:00.004-05:00

*FYI - These have a bit more spice/kick to them than the authentic cafe rio pork.

3-4 lb. pork roast (I used the Boston Boneless Shoulder Blade)
1 20 oz. bottle Dr. Pepper
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
7 oz. can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Place roast in crock-pot, cover half-way with water and cook on low for 8 hours.

I started mine at noon, shredded the pork and removed the fat around 8:30 p.m.

Mix remaining ingredients until sugar dissolves. I didn’t keep the actual chilies, I dumped the can into a bowl and added enough Dr. Pepper to get all the sauce off of the chilies - use all the sauce you can, but throw out the chilies. Pour the sauce over the shredded pork and stick in the fridge to marinate overnight.

In the morning, cook for 2-4 more hours on low. Serve with tacos or on salad. Great with tomatillo dressing - I'll post that recipe later.

Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies

2009-02-20T21:10:00.003-05:00

My friend Brook gave me these cookies for Valentines - 8 of them, to be exact. Guess how many cookies the rest of my family got? ZERO. They were THAT good. Oh, and she dipped them in white chocolate with coarse sugar sprinkles. I don't own a cookie press, so I borrowed hers, and now a cookie press is on my "to get" list.

1 cup butter (softened)
3 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon lemon or almond extract (I use almond)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat butter and cream cheese well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well (I added some red food coloring to make the cookies pink). Add dough to cookie press, press on to UNGREASED cookie sheet (I'm sure if you don't own a cookie press you could put small flattened balls onto a sheet (about 1/2" thick). Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until light brown just barely around the edges. Cool for 2 minutes on pan, and remove to cooling rack. Cool completely before dipping in chocolate, or serve just as they are!

Lettuce Wraps

2009-02-15T17:21:00.005-05:00

I made these for my valentine this year *sigh*....they were just as good as I had hoped. Goes great with this Beef & Broccoli, if you want to go all out with the Chinese theme.

Filling:
2 TBS. soy sauce
2 TBS. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 c. fried bean threads (Saifun) - you can find these in the Asian section of the grocery store (prepare these as directed and set aside - you add these when you're assembling the lettuce wrap, they're the white, crunchy topping)
3 TBS. vegetable oil
2 bnls, sknls chicken breasts
1 5 oz. can whole water chestnuts, chopped finely
2/3 c. canned straw mushrooms (also found these in Asian section of grocery store - they are the smaller mushrooms that have black tops), chopped finely
4 green onions, finely chopped from white part to middle of the green stem (where it stops being crisp)

Dipping Sauce:
1/2 c. warm water
1/4 c. white sugar
2 TBS. soy sauce
2 TBS. rice vinegar
2 TBS. catsup
1 TBS. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. sesame oil
To Spice it Up, you can optionally add:
2 tsp. (for mild spice) or more - Chinese hot mustard - about $2 in Asian section of grocery store
2 tsp. (for mild spice) or more - chili garlic sauce - also in Asian section of grocery store

1 head bibb or iceberg lettuce, (top cut off, split in half, washed and chilled)

Mix all ingredients for dipping sauce - adding the right amount of spice for your taste. Set aside in refrigerator before you start anything else.

For the filling, preheat a wok or large saute pan with 2 TBS. of vegetable oil on high heat (water flicked on the oil should pop). Add chicken breasts and cook 4-5 min. on each side, or until pink center is gone. Remove from pan to cool. Chop up the mushrooms and water chestnuts finely. Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar and rice vinegar in a bowl. Cut up the chicken into tiny minced pieces. Add an add't TBS. veg oil, add chicken, garlic, water chestnuts and mushrooms to pan. Add brown sugar, soy and rice vinegar mixture. Serve the chicken mixture into lettuce cups. Add your desired amount of dipping sauce.

We loved these! Let me know what you think!

Betcha Wish You Were My Kid's Teacher Cookies

2009-02-10T16:27:00.005-05:00

My sister gave me this award winning sugar cookie recipe - they're thick, soft, and turn out perfectly, and the frosting is great! This recipe is doubled so it makes a ton...

2 c. sugar
4 sticks butter (2 c.) - softened (DO NOT MELT)
4 eggs (room temp)
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking soda
4 tsp. cream of tartar
7 c. flour (plus more for rolling out)

Cream sugar and butter til fluffy. Slowly add eggs, milk and vanilla. Once incorporated, mix in baking soda, cream of tartar and flour. Chill for at least an hour. Flour the space you will roll out the dough - roll about 1/2" thick (the thicker the dough, the fluffier the cookie). Use desired shapes and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes at 325 degrees. Let cool on rack and then frost:

Mix 1 pound sifted powdered sugar with 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla. Gradually add 1/4 cup scant hot water. Add food coloring if desired.p.s. since I can't find my camera, I stole this picture from google. I promise mine look the same!

Favorites?

2009-02-04T14:34:00.002-05:00

I'm starting a category of favorites (recipes already posted on this blog)...I'd love feedback on some favorites that you have tried and tried again. Check out the category on the left - Favorite.

Feta Artichoke Asiago Dip

2009-02-01T17:44:00.003-05:00

14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1 can spinach, drained well
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
3/4 cup mayo
1 2 ounce jar chiles, drained and chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder

1. Mix all the ingredients together and place into a small casserole dish.
2. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes or until lightly brown.
3. Serve with tortilla chips or toasted baguettes.

Heather's Foccacia Bread

2009-01-27T18:49:00.004-05:00

My friend Heather gave me this recipe, and we swear it is like the foccacia they give you at Macaroni Grill - perfect for dipping with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Not too tough to make, either!

1 T. yeast

1 T. sugar

1 C. warm water

(mix and let sit until bubbly)

Add:

1 t. salt

2.5 C. flour

Mix well then knead for 10 minutes, or put in food processor for 15 seconds so it's nice and mixed. Place in covered oiled bowl and sit in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled. Punch down, let dough rest for a few minutes. Divide dough into 2 flat rounded loaves, place on greased cookie sheet. Brush with 2 T. melted butter and 1 T. coarse dried salt and 1 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary (totally optional). Let rise for about 45 min. or until doubled. Preheat oven to 450. Bake 9-10 minutes or until light brown. Perfect w/ Spaghetti Bake.

Rosalie's Pork Chops 'n' Baked Apples

2009-01-25T16:01:00.002-05:00

This will be a new family favorite - we had it first at Christmas, and again for Sunday dinner tonight. It is scrumptious! Some people prefer the apples on the side...but not me. Slop 'em right on top and smear it all together...Delish. Oh, and you can bake them both in the oven at the same time!

BAKED PORK CUTLETS

2 cups finely crushed Ritz cracker crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teasponns garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
6 boneless pork chops
1 cup plain yogurt

In a medium-sized bowl combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and sage; set aside. Coat each pork cutlet with yogurt, then dip both sides into crumbs. Place in greased baking dish. Bake at 350 F. for 45 minutes or until tender. Makes 6 servings

APPLE TOPPING

6 apples, peeled, pared, and sliced
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine ingredients in an 8X8-inch baking dish and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes or until tender. Serve as a side dish or atop the pork chops. Makes 6-8 servings

Baked Coconut Chicken

2009-01-24T14:03:00.002-05:00

Mix:
2/3 c. bisquick (or similar baking mix)
2/3 c. coconut
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 TBS. dijon mustard

Dip 6 chicken breasts in wet mixture until well coated. Dip in dry mixture and place in greased 9x13 pan. Pour remaining wet mixture over coated chicken. Pour any remaining dry ingredients over that. Melt 1/2 stick of butter, pour over dry mixture. Place in over for 35-45 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through).

Blue Ribbon Gingersnaps

2009-01-19T21:47:00.001-05:00

Got these from Becky, just modified them a bit. They are GOOD, soft, and go wonderfully with hot chocolate!

3/4 c shortening
1 c packed light brown sugar
1/4 c molasses
1 large egg
2 c flour
2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t allspice
1 t ground ginger
1/2 c sugar (for rolling)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream shortening, brown sugar, molasses and egg in mixer bowl. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, blending until mixed. Dough can be chilled for easy handling.Shape the dough into balls the size of whole walnuts. Roll balls in sugar, place on baking sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes. Cool on sheet one minute before transferring to rack.Makes 3-4 dozen.

Best Breakfast Casserole

2009-01-19T08:07:00.007-05:00

I cannot believe that I have not yet posted this winning recipe. It is by far our favorite breakfast meal - and we love it so much we sometimes make it for lunch or dinner. It's also a great meal to bake ahead of time and freeze in individual portions.

24 oz. frozen Southern style (little cubes) hashbrowns

1/2 c. butter (I use less, unless I am trying to fatten up skinny guests)

8 beaten eggs

2 c. half & half (or you can use milk for thinner consistency, or cream for thicker)

1/2 tsp. season salt

1 c. fresh chopped mushrooms (optional)

2 small green onions (split in half and chopped)

2 c. grated Swiss cheese

2 c. grated cheddar cheese

1.5 cups diced ham (I've also used shredded ham, bacon or nothing at all)

Place butter in 9x13 pan and set in oven to preheat at 375. When butter is melted, add frozen hashbrowns and bake for 20 min. While hashbrowns are baking, mix remaining ingredients in bowl. Remove hashbrowns from oven and pour egg mixture over top. Return to oven and bake an additional 35-45 minutes (until cheese browns).

Split Pea Soup w/ Ham

2009-01-17T21:55:00.004-05:00

Found this gem on Southernfood...

1 (16 oz.) pkg. dried green split peas, rinsed
1 meaty hambone (you can usually get these for under $8 at Honeybaked Ham, and they are delicious, with tons of extra meat left on)
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 chopped vidalia onion
3 ribs of celery plus leaves, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. seasoned salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. fresh pepper
1 1/2 qts. hot water (that's 6 cups, people...)

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given; pour in water. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 to 5 hours or on low 8 to 10 hours until peas are very soft and ham falls off bone. Remove bones and bay leaf, shred meat, and return shredded ham to soup. Mash peas to thicken more, if desired. Serve garnished with croutons or crusty bread. Freezes well.Serves 8.

Divine Deep Dish Pizza

2009-01-16T13:21:00.003-05:00

I stole this recipe (and the pictures, thanks Krista) from one of my favorite food blogs. It is amazing - and better than any order-out pizza you can get! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

2 1/3 – 3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp yeast
1 cup warm milk
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil

In your mixer combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Mix well. In a separate bowl combine warm milk, sugar and olive oil. While your mixer is on low, slowly pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Let the machine knead the dough for 5 minutes. Put in a greased bowl and let rise. After dough has doubled in size put dough on lightly floured surface and divide in half. Roll each half into a 7 inch circle. Place over your knuckles moving the dough around in a circle so that the middle is thinner than the sides. Place each dough ball into 2 separate cake pans that has 1-2 Tbsp olive oil (or vegetable, whichever flavor your prefer) in the bottom. And press out to the sides of the pan, trying to avoid getting the oil on top of the dough. I probably only used about 1-2 Tbsp. You need enough so that it will fry the bottom of the dough. Let the dough rise 10 minutes. The put on your favorite toppings.

Bake on bottom rack of oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Crock Pot French Dips

2009-01-15T13:01:00.002-05:00

Sorry, I'm lacking pictures lately....Promise to be better.

That said, no picture for this one, sorry.

2-3 lb. chuck roast
2 cans beef broth
1 packet Au Jus seasoning
1 onion, chopped how you like it
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 can chopped mushrooms (optional)

Place roast and ingredients in crock pot on low for 8-10 hours. 30 min. before serving, shred and return to juice.

Serve shredded meat on broiled/toasted hoagie buns (broil with your favorite cheese, we like provolone or gruyere), and use the remaining sauce for dipping.

We use all the leftover juice to have French Onion soup the following day. All you need to do is add 1 can of condensed French Onion soup. Warm the mixture together, top with croutons and broil gruyere or swiss cheese on top. Serve with bread.

Get You Going (literally) Bran Muffins - 6 Week Mix

2009-01-14T13:30:00.002-05:00

This makes a huge batch - or you can leave the mix in your fridge for up to 6 weeks so you have fresh dough every time you want warm muffins.

Make the mix and it actually gets better with time in the fridge. I just make 1/2 dozen or so and keep making them until the batter is gone (since they're better fresh).

Combine:
1 C. oil
1 C. sugar

add:
4 eggs beaten
1 quart Buttermilk

Boil:
2 C. water
then add:
4 C. whole bran cold cereal (All-Bran)

Take off heat and let sit for 5 min.

Mix:2 C. 40% bran flakes (Raisin bran is good, remove raisins)
1Tbsp Salt
5 tsp. Baking soda
2.5 C flour
2 C Whole wheat flour

Drop in muffin tin (3/4 full). You can add raisins each time you cook them (although they are great without).Cook for 15 to 20 minutes at 400. Serve warm.

Yields 60 muffins.

Best Roast Marinade

2009-01-10T12:20:00.002-05:00

We had this on pork roast (thanks Audra), but I am sure it would be divine on beef roast, or even chicken or fish. It's delicious and easy.

1/2 cup light vegetable oil (Canola)
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
1 c. soy sauce
3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 to 3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp. fresh ground ginger

Combine with a whisk. Add roast in ziploc bag refrigerate for several hours or overnight, turning once or twice to cover well. We cooked our roast in the crock pot all day on low and it was tender and tasty!

Heavenly Easy Breadsticks

2009-01-07T13:05:00.002-05:00

4.5 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar, divided
2 cups warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees), divided
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups all-purpose flour (give or take)

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 cup warm water and let sit about 5 minutes or until bubbly. Add the oil, egg, salt, 2 cups flour, and remaining sugar and water. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Punch the dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; divide into 36 pieces (I usually make huge breadsticks and get about 18) . Shape each piece into a 6-in. rope. Place 2 in. apart on heavily buttered (I melt about 1/2 stick and spread it in the bottom) large baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes.

Bake at 400 for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with seasoning and parmesan if desired.

I'm BACK!

2009-01-07T13:04:00.001-05:00

A new year, a new me, and most of all NEW RECIPES!

Thanks for your patience while I took a little siesta.

Ditchin' the Kitchen

2008-11-02T18:36:00.003-05:00

I must apologize for the lack of recipes lately. Thank goodness for a few good guest chefs who kept me going! Anyway, I'm going to have to ditch the kitchen for a while. Actually, haven't made a thing for the past 2.5 months!

I've been busy baking a bun in my own oven if ya know what I mean. Check back in in the next month or two, hopefully I'm back by then.

XOXO,
Heidi

Frosted Banana Bars by Guest Chef Amy

2008-10-13T18:34:00.002-04:00

½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (usually about 2 bananas)
1 (16 oz) container cream cheese frosting or from recipe below
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 x 15 inch jellyroll pan or two 9 x 13 pans. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan(s). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting.

Whipped Cream & Cream Cheese frosting (as pictured on the banana bars below)
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
In a small chilled bowl with chilled beaters, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside. In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream.

Nutter Butter Cookies by Guest Chef Amy

2008-10-13T18:31:00.001-04:00

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup white sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
¾ cup all- purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup quick cooking oats
Filling:
3 Tbsp butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup smooth peanut butter
2 ½ Tbsp heavy whipping cream

In a large bowl, cream together ½ cup butter, ½ cup peanut butter, white, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and beat will. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir. Add oatmeal and stir. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet and press each mound down to form ¼ inch thick cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 – 10 minutes.
To make filling, cream butter, powdered sugar, peanut butter and the cream. Spread filling onto half of the cooled cookies, then top with the other half to form sandwiches.

Breakfast Shortcake by Guest Chef Amy

2008-10-13T18:30:00.000-04:00

(Okay so there is no cooking required for this one. But, it is easy and delightfully sensible and filling!)

1 frozen waffle
½ cup flavored yogurt
½ cup honey bunches of oats or granola cereal
Fresh or canned fruit

Toast waffle. Top with yogurt, cereal and fruit. Serve immediately.

Lasagna Style Baked Ziti by Guest Chef Amy

2008-10-13T08:48:00.003-04:00

½ lb.dried ziti
16 oz ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella
3 cups spaghetti sauce
½ cup grated parmesan
Italian sausage (optional)
Sautéed vegetables (optional)

Cook ziti until tender, about 8 minutes. Mix cooked ziti with ricotta and ½ of the mozzarella cheese in a large bowl. Grease a 9 x 13 dish. Spread ½ spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the dish. Add ziti mixture and cover with remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese on top. Bake @ 350 for 20-30 minutes or until it bubbles on the edges.

***Serve with Guest Chef Amy's Quick Breadsticks

Creamy Bean Soup & Taquito Dippers by Guest Chef Amy

2008-10-11T14:17:00.002-04:00

Start to finish: 30 minutes 4 servings

1 can (16 oz) refried beans
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup (from 14 oz can) unsweetened coconut milk (not cream of coconut)
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
1 package (1.25 oz) taco seasoning mix
6 sticks (0.75 oz each) sharp cheddar or chipotle cheddar cheese
1 pkg (10.5 oz) of 12 flour tortillas for tacos & fajitas
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 medium green onions, sliced

Heat oven to 450. Line cookie sheet with foil. In 2-quart saucepan, stir beans, tomatoes, broth, coconut milk, chiles and taco mix; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cut each cheese stick in half lengthwise to make 2 thin sticks. Place 1 cheese stick on one edge of each tortilla; roll tortilla tightly around cheese. Brush edges of tortillas with water to seal. Place taquitos, seam sides down, on cookies sheet. Brush each lightly with oil. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until edges of tortillas are golden brown and cheese is melted. Pour soup into serving bowls; garnish with cilantro or onions. Serve with taquitos for dipping.
**Amy’s notes:
--You can find unsweetened coconut milk in the oriental section of the grocery.
--Instead of prepackaged sticks of cheese, I just bought an 8 oz block and cut into thin strips.
--I had Azteca brand tortillas and Kroger brand tortillas. The Azteca sealed well with water. The Kroger brand wouldn’t stick and I had to secure with a toothpick for heating.

Sausage and Tomato Rigatoni by Guest Chef Amy

2008-10-08T15:23:00.002-04:00

4 cups rigatoni pasta, uncooked
1 lb. Italian bulk sausage, cut into chunks
1 medium red onion, sliced
¼ cup tomato paste
¼ cup Kraft Sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, brown sausage in large nonstick skillet; drain. Stir in onions and tomato paste; cover. Cook 15 min. or until onions are tender and sausage is cooed through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing. Toss sausage mixture with pasta. Sprinkle with parsley and cheese.
Makes 4 two cup servings.

Quick Breadsticks by Guest Chef Amy

2008-10-07T11:01:00.002-04:00

(*for picture, see previously posted Chicken Tetrazzini recipe by Guest Chef Amy)
½ Tbsp dry yeast
¾ cup warm water
½ Tbsp powdered milk
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
Butter
Garlic salt
Shredded mozzarella or freshly grated parmesan
Dissolve yeast in water. Add powdered milk, sugar, and salt. Add flour until mixture forms a ball. Knead. Roll out to approximately 8 x 10 inch rectangle (about the size of a sheet of paper). Lay on lightly greased cookie sheet. Using pizza cutter, cut into 1 inch strips but do not separate. Spread with butter and sprinkle with garlic salt and cheese. Let rise 15 minutes. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Chicken Tetrazzini by Guest Chef Amy

2008-10-07T10:59:00.002-04:00

4 chicken breasts, boiled, cubed
7 oz spaghetti noodles, cooked in chicken borth
1 jar sliced mushrooms
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
¾ stick margarine
8 oz. sour cream
Combine all ingredients and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 45 minutes.
(Breadsticks in picture will be posted next!)

Banana Crumb Muffins

2008-10-06T19:01:00.002-04:00

*stole this one from allrecipes.com. It got rave reviews, and we loved them!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed (I used frozen ones and let them thaw a bit)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Asian Marinated Steak by Guest Chef Amy

2008-10-06T09:11:00.001-04:00

Steak, sliced in small pieces
½ cup soy sauce
Scallions, chopped
¼ cup water
2 cloves garlic
4 Tbsp sugar
Pepper

Combine soy sauce, scallions, water, garlic, sugar and pepper to form marinade. Reserve a small amount of sauce to top steak. Add steak to marinade in large sealable bag. Keep in refrigerator 5 hours to overnight. Broil on top rack in oven in broiling pan until done (about 5 minutes). Serve with rice and reserved marinade.

Tangy BBQ Sandwiches by Guest Chef Amy

2008-10-03T12:40:00.001-04:00

1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 ½ - 4 lb.)
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 ¾ cups ketchup
Oval shaped buns/hoagies

In slow cooker, mix all ingredients except buns. Cover; cook on low for 5 hours, stirring occasionally. To serve, fill buns with beef mixture.

Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies by Guest Chef Amy

2008-10-02T08:25:00.001-04:00

2/3 cup Crisco shortening
1 ½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 oz. pkg) semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375. Combine Crisco, brown sugar, water, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat eggs into creamed mixture. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375 for 7 – 9 minutes, or until cookies are set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cookies will appear soft and moist. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling rack. Makes about 3 dozen.

Best Blueberry Muffins by Guest Chef Amy

2008-10-01T08:29:00.003-04:00

(also a great recipe for Apple Cinnamon Muffins!)
½ cup unsalted butter
1 ¼ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour, divided
2 tsp baking powder
½ cup buttermilk*
1 pint fresh blueberries**-- rinsed, drained and patted dry
2 Tbsp sugar
Position rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 375. Spray the top of the muffin pan with non-stick spray and line with paper liners. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, 1 ¼ cups sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix together 1 ¾ cup of the flour and baking powder. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Crush ¼ of the blueberries, and stir into the batter. Mix the rest of the whole blueberries with the remaining ¼ cup of the flour, and fold into the batter. Scoop into muffin cups. Sprinkle tops lightly with sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and tops spring back when lightly tapped.
* If you do not have buttermilk, pour 1 tsp lemon juice into a measuring cup and fill with milk until you reach 1/2 cup. Stir well and refrigerate at least an hour. I often do this step the night before if I know I’m going to make muffins.
**To make apple cinnamon muffins, substitute blueberries for 3 peeled, cored apples—chopped small. Also add 2 Tbsp cinnamon.

Homemade Pizza by Guest Chef Amy

2008-09-30T09:17:00.001-04:00

Homemade Pizza
(makes 2 large thin pizzas)
1 ½ c hot tap water
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. yeast
3 ½ to 3 ¾ cups flour
Pizza sauce
Mozzarella, shredded
Pizza toppings (green pepper, onion, pepperoni, sausage, ham, mushrooms, banana peppers, etc.)
Mix water, sugar, salt, baking powder and yeast. Let stand 5 minutes, then add flour. Knead for 3 minutes (adding a bit more flour if too sticky). Cut dough in half to make two dough balls. (You can put one of the dough balls in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for future use if only making one pizza.) Roll out the dough ball into a circle on a well floured surface with a greased rolling pin until about ¼ inch thick and about 12 – 14 inches wide. Place on a greased cookie sheet. (You can roll in the edge of the crust ½ inch all the way around if desired.) Poke dough randomly with a fork. You can top right away, or let rise for 45 minutes for a fluffier crust. Top as desired. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

If you are feeling really ambitious, here’s a recipe to make your own pizza sauce. I sometimes make this in large batches ahead of time and freeze in 1 cup portions until ready to use. (1 cup of sauce should cover one pizza.)

Pizza Sauce (this is supposed to be similar to Papa John’s sauce)
1 (10 ¾ oz) can tomato puree
¼ cup water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp olive oil
¼ tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp oregano
1/8 tsp basil
1/8 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Combine ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

White Chicken Chili by Guest Chef Amy

2008-09-29T17:50:00.003-04:00

Good news - Amy has almost 2 weeks worth of recipes to share! Here's the first.

White Chicken Chili

Serves 6

2 large chicken breasts
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tsp cumin
Garlic (to taste)
1 can white kidney beans (undrained)
1 can garbanzo beans (undrained)
1 can white corn (undrained)
1 small can chopped green chilies (undrained)
1 cup chicken broth from can
Salsa
Shredded Monterey jack cheese
Sour cream
Hot pepper sauce
Tortilla chips
Boil chicken for 1 hour. Shred with fork. Combine chicken, onion, cumin, garlic, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, white corn, green chilies and chicken broth in large pot. Cook on low for 1 to 3 hours. Serve with remaining ingredients as toppings.

Introducing Guest Chef Amy!

2008-09-29T12:11:00.003-04:00

Introducing Guest Chef Amy - This lady is awesome! Check out her bio, and see the recipes she'll be featured for this week!
Location: Louisville, KY
Occupation: SAHM of three kids (and one on the way!)
Favorite cuisine: Italian or Cajun… or mexican… or Steak house… or… okay, I like it all!
Cooking preference: baking, especially trying new cookie recipes
Cooking handicap: husband who is a picky eater!
Most used recipe site: allrecipes.com (other than Tasty Sensations, of course!)
Cooking motto: I love scrumptious foods. I don’t mind the effort of elaborate cooking if it’s worth it in the end!
Recipes For Week:
Best Blueberry muffins
Choc chip brownie cookies
Creamy bean soup with taquito dippers
Asian marinated steak
Sausage and tomato rigatoni
Breakfast shortcake
Nutter Butter Cookies (her husband's all time favorite cookie)

Becky's Recipes

2008-09-26T17:48:00.001-04:00

If you haven't seen Becky's recipes - you must. I just tried this one. Yum!

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Macadamia Cookies by Guest Chef Kim

2008-09-19T17:52:00.000-04:00

2/3 CUP BUTTER
2/3 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR
½ CUP PACKED BROWN SUGAR
1 LARGE EGG
½ TEASPOON SALT
1 TEASPOON VANILLA
1 ½ CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
8 OUNCES OF CHOCOLATE CHIPS
1 ½ CUP SWEETENED FLAKED COCONUT
3 ½ OUNCES MACADAMIA NUTS, CHOPPED COARSELY (ABOUT ¾ CUP)

Heat over to 325 degrees. Lightly grease two 17x14-inch cookie sheets. In mixer, beat butter, sugars, egg, salt, and vanilla at medium speed until fluffy. Reduce mix to low speed, add flour, increase mixer speed gradually and beat just until blended. Stir in chocolate, coconut, and nuts. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough on cookie sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 17 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned and tops look dry. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to completely cool. Makes 26 cookies.

Chicken Tetrazzini by Guest Chef Kim

2008-09-18T20:11:00.001-04:00

8 OUNCES SPAGHETTI
8 OUNCES SLICED FRESH MUSHROOMS
4-6 SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS OR 8 BONELESS SKINLESS THIGHS (CUT IN BITE-SIZE PIECES)
1 TABLESPOON BUTTER
1 ½ TABLESPOONS LEMON JUICE
3-4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER
6 TABLESPOONS FLOUR
½ TEASPOON PAPRIKA
1/8 TEASPOON NUTMEG
¾ TEASPOON SALT
½ TEASPOON PEPPER
1 CAN CHICKEN BROTH (14 ½ OUNCES)
1 CUP SKIM MILK
¾ CUP PARMESAN CHEESE
SPRINKLE PAPRIKA

Cook and drain spaghetti. Stir fry the mushrooms and the chicken pieces with the 1 tablespoon butter and the lemon juice until chicken is done, about 15-20 minutes. Toss with the cooked spaghetti. Set aside. Melt the 3-4 tablespoons of butter and stir in the flour and spices. Add broth and stir until the sauce thickens, then add the milk. Pour the sauce over the spaghetti. Mix. Place mixture into a 9x13-inch pan. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and paprika and back at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Grilled Pork Chops with Mango Salsa by Guest Chef Kim

2008-09-17T08:02:00.001-04:00

PORK CHOP MARINADE:

1 CUP BROWN SUGAR
1 CUP HONEY
½ CUP SOY SAUCE
1 CUP CIDER VINEGAR
3 CLOVES GARLIC
1 TABLESPOON SESAME SEED OIL

Mix all the ingredients together and marinate the pork chops overnight. Then grill. (This recipe is for about 6-8 pork chops.)

MANGO SALSA

2 RIPE MANGOS – CUT IN SMALL CUBES
½ MEDIUM RED ONION – CHOPPED
½ LARGE RED PEPPER – CHOPPED
½ CUP CHOPPEN CILANTRO
¼ JALAPENO CHOPPED (REMOVE SEEDS)
JUICE OF 1 LIME

Chill the salsa. Serve with grilled pork chops.

Butterfly Chicken by Guest Chef Kim

2008-09-16T08:51:00.000-04:00

4-6 WHOLE BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS (depending on the thickness of breast. I usually pound the breasts with a meat mallet to thin the breast and end up getting two pieces of chicken out of each thick breast. You can determine how thick you want the meat.)
½ CUP FLOUR
½ TEASPOON SALT
¼ TEASPOON PEPPER
½-3/4 CUP BUTTER
LEMON JUICE
1 ½ POUNDS OF FRESH MUSHROOMS SLICED OR 2-3 JARS CANNED MUSHROOMS
3 CUPS WHIPPING CREAM
2 CUPS FRESH GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
MINCED FRESH PARSLEY OR DRIED PARSLEY

Pound chicken breasts between waxed paper or plastic wrap until thin like a cutlet. Dip chicken in flour that is seasoned with salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour. Melt part of the butter in a large skillet. Saute’ chicken two to three minutes on each side. While sautéing drizzle 4-5 drops of lemon juice on each chicken piece. Add more butter as needed to the pan for sautéing the chicken pieces. Transfer the chicken to baking pans (9x13 or a little bigger). Give each piece of chicken some space between to let the cream and cheese run between the pieces. Set aside.

Saute’ the mushrooms in the same pan as the chicken was sautéed in. Add more butter if needed. Don’t burn the mushrooms. Spoon the mushrooms and drippings over the chicken. Pour the cream over the chicken. Sprinkle generous amounts of parmesan cheese on each chicken piece. Get the parmesan down in the cream. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Stuffed Shells by Guest Chef Kim

2008-09-15T08:42:00.000-04:00

1 PACKAGE (12-OUNCE) JUMBO SHELLS
4 CUPS RICOTTA CHEESE
8 OUNCES SHREDDED MOZZARELLA CHEESE
½ CUP GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
2 EGGS
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED PARSLEY
½ TEASPOON SALT
¼ TEASPOON PEPPER
1/8 TEASPOON NUTMEG
1 JAR SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Prepare pasta as directed on package, cooking 9 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water, drain, and arrange in single layer to fill. Meanwhile mix together cheeses, eggs, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Fill cookie shells with cheese mixture.

Cover bottom of a 9x13 pan with some sauce. Arrange filled shells in single layer in the pan. Pour remaining sauce over the shells and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Makes 6-8 servings.

Featuring Guest Chef Kim

2008-09-14T21:18:00.003-04:00

Here's my next Guest Chef, Kim (and her lovely assistant Kira). Kim has lots of fun recipes to share...I've already made some of them and they were good! Stay tuned this week for her recipes which will include:

Pork Chops with Mango Salsa
Chicken Tetrazzini
Stuffed Shells
Butterfly Chicken
Coconut Chocolate Chunk Macadamia Nut Cookies

Magical Morning Muffins

2008-09-11T07:28:00.003-04:00

2 TBS packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey (use sugar if you must)
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen blueberries, do not thaw
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray, or place paper baking cup in each muffin cup. In small bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
2. In large bowl, beat milk, oil, honey and egg with spoon. Stir in flours, baking powder and salt just until flours are moistened (batter will be lumpy). Gently fold in blueberries.
3. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (cups will be full). Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Bake about 18 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm with butter.

Allison's Sticky Toffee Pudding w/ Custard

2008-09-10T08:39:00.002-04:00

(this is more like a cake than a pudding, and is one of THOSE desserts that you dream about afterward)
Unsalted butter for baking dish
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup chopped, pitted dates (about 4 oz.)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cups boiling water
8 tablespoons packed brown sugar (1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Custard (see recipe below) or Ice Cream and Whipped Cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8x8 broilerproof baking dish. Sift the 1 cup of flour and the baking powder into a bowl; set aside. Toss dates with 1 tablespoon flour in small bowl. Beat 4 tablespoons butter and ¾ cup sugar in large bowl until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, along with a little of the flour mixture; beat for 1 minute. Beat in remaining flour mixture. Add dates, baking soda, and vanilla to the boiling water, stirring to combine; add to batter, beating until well blended.

Pour batter into prepared dish; bake until set and well browned on top, 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven to wire rack. Heat broiler. Heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream in microwave on simmer until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour over hot pudding. Place pudding in broiler, about 4 inches from heat; broil until topping is bubbling and becomes sticky, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately, top with custard or vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.

Custard
¾ c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
¼ t. salt
2 c. milk

Combine above and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir a small amount into:

3 egg yolks – slightly beaten

Add egg yolks to the rest of the mixture when tempered and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add:

2 T. butter
1 t. vanilla

Mix and chill. Serve atop sticky toffee pudding.

Garden Vegetable Bread

2008-09-06T16:02:00.003-04:00

At Utah State, there was a bread place that I frequented...Hazel's. Mmmm, just the name brings back an aroma of fresh caramel nut bread, or the famous Marv 'N' Joe, a delightful open face sandwich that I've yet to duplicate perfectly at home. However, I used to order my Marv 'N' Joe on the savory, fresh veggie cheese bread. This recipe below is one that I concocted, and it tastes pretty darn close. I made mine in a bread machine, but you can certainly modify it to make it the old fashioned way.

1/2 cup warm buttermilk
3 tablespoons water (add 1-2 more TBS. to your bread machine in the mixture looks dry after mixing for a few minutes)
1 tablespoon canola oil
2/3 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup chopped red sweet pepper (I was out of red pepper, so left it out and added a little extra zucchini and it was fine)
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons sugar (I would suggest using honey instead)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (ground in blender until slightly smooth)
2-1/2 cups bread flour
1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Add ingredients according to bread machine - bake on regular bread cycle (mine finished about 12 minutes before the buzzer. No complaints for getting to enjoy a few minutes earlier! Serve warm with butter, or if you want to try one of my favorites:

Marv 'N' Joe:
1 thick slice of fresh, warm veggie cheese bread smothered in garlic butter. Top with 2 thin slices of vine tomato. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, grated parmesan (not fresh). Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and top with a slice of provolone cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly.

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake by Guest Chef Marli

2008-09-05T10:43:00.003-04:00

This one isn't really cooking but it's yummy. It's also Marli's last recipe as a guest chef! Thanks Marli!

Ingredients:
17 miniature ice cream sandwiches
1 jar (12 ounces) caramel ice cream topping
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1 Symphony candy bar (7 ounces), chopped

Directions:
Arrange 14 ice cream sandwiches in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. dish. Cut remaining sandwiches in half lengthwise; fill in the spaces in the dish. Spread with caramel and whipped toppings. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Sprinkle with chopped candy bar. Cover and freeze for at least 45 minutes. Cut into squares. Yield: 15-18 servings.

Crab & Cream Cheese Wontons by Guest Chef Marli

2008-09-04T12:12:00.000-04:00

8 oz. package of Cream Cheese softened
2-3 Green onions finely chopped (optional) If you don't like onions you can add onion powder.
6 oz. can crab meat drained
Package of 3x3 Wonton wraps

Thoroughly mix the crab, green onions and the cream cheese. Lay the wonton wrappers out and spoon 1 teaspoon or so of the crab mix onto the center of each. Wet the edges of the wonton wrapper with water and fold to enclose the crab and to form a triangle. Fold the corners from the base of the triangle together, and using a little water, pinch and stick them together. (I have also seen people use egg whites to stick the wonton edges together).

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or heat 2" oil in a heavy-bottom pot to 350F. Fry the wontons in batches, for 4-5 mins, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.

Chicken Cordon Bleu by Guest Chef Marli

2008-09-03T09:42:00.001-04:00

4 whole boneless chicken breast
4 slices Swiss cheese
8 thin slices cooked ham
thyme or rosemary
salt and pepper

1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup Cornflake crumbs

Place each chicken breast skin side down on wax paper and pound with meat mallet to about 1/8 inch thickness. Pour half of the melted butter into an 8x8 baking dish. Then sprinkle half of the Cornflake crumbs over the butter. Place two of the pounded chicken breasts on top of the cornflakes. (These two breasts should cover the entire bottom of the pan). Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Thyme (if you prefer Rosemary then do that). Place the ham and cheese slices on top of the chicken (also covering the entire surface of the chicken, you may have to cut and piece the ham and cheese to make it fit perfectly). Place the other two pounded out chicken breasts on top of the ham and cheese. (If you like seasoning you can sprinkle more salt, pepper and thyme. This is similar to layering lasagna, each layer should completely cover the layer below it. Then pour the remaining butter and sprinkle the remaining cornflakes on top.

Bake uncovered at 400 for 40 minutes. (Cooking time may vary so be sure to check on it now and then.)

As a side note. This is the same recipe I use to make the jellyroll style of Chicken Cordon Bleu but if you don't feel like toothpicking them and rolling them in the butter and cornflakes this is an easy alternative (just do it casserole style).

This is the sauce to put on top.

SAUCE / Topping

1 Can Cream of Chicken
1/2 Cup of Sour Cream
1 tsp. Lemon Juice

Mix together in sauce pan and heat to boil. Serve over the top of the chicken. (Can also be put on rice, noodles, potatoes, whatever you choose as your side dish.)

Ebelskivers (Danish Pancakes) by Guest Chef Marli

2008-09-03T09:39:00.002-04:00

Makes about 30
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 pint fresh blueberries
Confectioner's sugar
Pure maple syrup
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the egg yolks and buttermilk and stir until well combined; the batter will be thick.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high until stiff but not dry peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the batter using a rubber spatula until combined.
Put 1/2 teaspoon butter in each well of a filled pancake pan. Place over medium heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 tablespoon of the batter into each well and cook until the bottoms begin to brown, 2 minutes. Place 5 or 6 blueberries in the center of each pancake and top with 1 tablespoon batter. Using 2 wooden skewers or butter knives, flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy, 2-3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
Dust the pancakes with confectioner's sugar and serve with warm maple syrup.
The number of fillings and flavor combinations that you can incorporate into this recipe has no limit. Fill the pancakes with your favorite flavor of jam or preserves, chocolate chips, diced bananas, or diced apples that have been sautéed in a little bit of butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg. You could even try a teaspoon of peanut butter topped with a teaspoon of grape jelly for a "PB&J Pancake" for kids!
The batter can be altered as well. Fold in some toasted coconut flakes, your favorite spices, or finely chopped lightly toasted nuts. Substitute whole wheat or buckwheat flour for a portion of the regular flour.

Jambalaya by Guest Chef Marli

2008-09-02T07:41:00.002-04:00

2 Tbs. butter or margarine
1 Med. onion, chopped
1 Cup bell pepper, chopped
1 (1-lb.) pkg. Hillshire Little Smokies Sausages cut into slices
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 Cup converted rice
2 Cups chicken broth
1-2 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbs. salsa or Green Tabasco
Cajun seasoning to taste

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and sausage and cook 5 minutes or until vegatables are tender, stirring often. Stir in rice, chicken broth, salsa, tomatoes and seasoning. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes before fluffing with fork.

This is an easy yummy meal and depending on the salsa and seasoning you put in it it can have a good kick to it.

Featuring Guest Chef Marli!

2008-09-02T07:36:00.003-04:00

This is my next guest chef, Marli, and her cute kitchen assistant, Hayden. Marli is superwoman and makes lots of great dishes! This week her recipes include:

Jamabalaya
Crab & Cream Cheese Wontons
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert
Ebelskivers (Danish Pancakes)

Stay tuned for some amazing recipes this week!

Easy Lemon Meringue Pie

2008-08-30T14:08:00.001-04:00

1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 lemon, juiced and zested til there's nothin' left! + 1 TBS lemon juice
2 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
4 egg whites
6 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.
To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.
To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole by Guest Chef Kariann

2008-08-29T14:01:00.001-04:00

Here's the last of Kariann's favorite recipes! Enjoy!

1 bag Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix
1 cup melted butter
1 cup milk
2 cans cream of celery soup
3 cups cooked chicken chopped
10 oz. pkg. frozen peas
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
dash of pepper

Mix 4 cups Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix together with 1 cup melted butter. Set aside. Heat remaining ingredients in sauce pan. Put 1/2 stuffing mixture on bottom of 9x13 casserole dish. Pour chicken mixture on top. Then sprinkle the rest of the stuffing mixture on top of chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Baked Beans by Guest Chef Kariann

2008-08-28T15:18:00.001-04:00

2 cans (1 lb. 15 oz.) pork & beans
1 lb. bacon cooked & crumbled (I also have used turkey bacon and it tastes great too)
2 cups ketchup
2 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 chopped onion
3/4 cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together. Place in crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours.

Chunky Junk Cookies

2008-08-27T12:55:00.003-04:00

This the recipe I was talking about, "World's Best Cookie"... (thanks Em, I got this recipe from the cookbook you gave me) I had to give it a go. I renamed them. They are delicious, and the dough is especially inviting. However, I do have a thing for old fashioned milk chocolate chip cookies, and I believe I have the best recipe. This is a good one though, and I will try it again sometime. They are chunky, have lots of junk in them, and they are especially great for lovers of salty and sweet! Let me know what you think!

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 c. veg. oil
1 c. oats (quick or reg)
1 c. crushed corn flakes (yes. this recipe has corn flakes in it)
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. chopped walnut
3.5 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add egg, mix well. Add oil, mix. Add cereal and nuts. Mix. Add remaining ingredients. Form into walnut sized balls (I use melon scooper) and flatten with fork on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes (do not over cook). Cool on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. I also added some choc. chip cookies to some of the dough, and that was nice too.

Four Bean Salad by Guest Chef Kariann

2008-08-27T11:26:00.001-04:00

1 pkg. frozen baby lima beans
1 can yellow wax beans
1 can green beans
1 can red kidney beans
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced green pepper
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook lima beans according to package directions; drain. Drain canned beans. Combine beans in large bowl. Combine onion and green pepper; add oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well and pour over beans. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.

Flank Steak Marinade by Guest Chef Kariann

2008-08-26T07:48:00.002-04:00

3/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp. dry mustard
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce

Sprinkle garlic salt over meat. Pour marinade over meat. Marinate for 24 hours, then grill.

Sprite Potatoes by Guest Chef Kariann

2008-08-25T14:03:00.002-04:00

These potatoes are awesome as a side dish...or they're good enough to eat alone!

1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
Cook in big pot/skillet until onion is translucent and bacon is starting to crisp.
Then add:(I usually use my food processor to slice the potatoes and carrots)
5-6 potatoes, peeled and sliced thin (more or less depending on how much you want)
9-10 baby carrots sliced thin
Stir and season to taste with the following:
seasoned salt
onion salt
garlic salt
salt
pepper
Add:
1-2 cans sprite, enough to just cover the potatoes.
Cover and bring to a boil, simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender and most of the liquid has reduced.
Cover generously with grated colby jack cheese or cheddar cheese and let melt (about 3-5 more minutes).
Sometimes we add a little more sprite to keep them from drying out before the potatoes and carrots are all the way done. We also leave a little liquid in the bottom when we put the cheese on so it's not to dry) YUMMY!!

Introducing Guest Chef Kariann!

2008-08-25T13:57:00.004-04:00

Kariann has some fun recipes to share this week. She's great in the kitchen - even with twin toddlers going bonkers all over the place! Her recipes include:

Sprite Potatoes
Flank Steak marinade
4 Bean Salad
Baked Beans
CHicken Stuffing Casserole

Authentic Juliano Italian Lasagne

2008-08-24T22:07:00.003-04:00

Some friends invited us over for the yummiest dinner...His grandfather gave him this recipe and it was so delicious. There are no exact measurements, so add the amount you think you'd like.

Classico (Tomato & Sweet Basil) Pasta Sauce

Ricotta
Mozzarella (best if white and milky)
Parmesan
Romano

Sauce warm on side low heat.
Cook Italian Sausage in olive oil and garlic (cut into slices after cooking- we used ground)
Add the oil from sausage into tomato sauce.
Oven ready lasagna noodles already pre cooked (right into oven).
Layer of sauce in pan so nothing sticks bottom of pan.
Then noodles.
Then layer of sauce.
(1)For each pound of ricotta add a raw egg with cleaned up fresh parsley
Spread on Ricotta and chunks of mozzarella and some of sausage then some Romano & Parmesan cheese
Little bit of sauce
Noodles
Sauce
Repeat (1)
Top with shredded cheese.
For one of the layers - add some different Italian meats - like prosciutto or something like that.
Bake 300-315 degrees 30 minutes give or take.

Fresh Peaches 'N' Cream Pie

2008-08-24T21:33:00.003-04:00

Is it obvious that I love fresh peaches?

1/4 pint whipping cream
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
pre-baked 9" pie shell

1/4 pint whipping cream whipped until firm with1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 oz cream cheese, whipped with 1/4 cup powdered sugar
fold together, and put in baked and cooled 9" pie shell

peach glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup mashed peaches
Stir and bring to boil; coolPut peach glaze into pie that is filled with the whipped cream & creamed cheese. Slice l large peach on top of peach glaze.

My husband thinks this is better than...almost anything.

Easy Breadmaker Rolls by Julie

2008-08-24T21:29:00.004-04:00

Small Batch (20-24 rolls)
1 c. milk
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
3 c. flour
1 large egg
2 tsp. yeast

Throw all ingredients in breadmaker. Put on dough cycle until done. Roll in circle. Spray with non-stick spray. Cut into 24 rolls - Roll up crescent style. Rise 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 14 min.

Large Batch:
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. + 1/8 c. butter
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. + 2 TBS. sugar
4 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 large eggs
1 TBS. yeast

Follow directions above - watching bread machine to punch down if dough grows above pan. Rise 45 minutes.

Old Fashioned Fresh Peach Pie

2008-08-24T15:45:00.003-04:00

Basic 2 crust pastry (use any recipe you want) - enough to fill 9" pie plate top/bottom.
1 egg, beaten
5 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 5 large fresh peaches)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Line the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate with one of the pie crusts. Brush with some of the beaten egg to keep the dough from becoming soggy later.

Place the sliced fresh peaches in a large bowl, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour over the peaches, and mix gently. Pour into the pie crust, and dot with butter. Cover with the other pie crust, and fold the edges under. Flute the edges to seal or press the edges with the tines of a fork dipped in egg. Brush the remaining egg over the top crust. Cut several slits in the top crust to vent steam.

Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated 450 oven, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is brown and the juice begins to bubble through the vents. If the edges brown to fast, cover them with strips of foil about halfway through baking. Cool before serving. This tastes better warm than hot. Serve with ice cream, of course.

Microwave S'mores by Guest Chef Miriam

2008-08-22T08:43:00.001-04:00

1 bag marshmallows
1/4 c butter
1/4 c light corn syrup
l pkg chocolate chips (abt 2-1/2 c)
1 box Golden Graham Cereal

Mix 1st four ingredients in microwaveable bowl and zap for up to 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Pour one box (abt 8 c.) cereal into melted mix. Stir to coat. AND OPTIONALLLY, stir in 1 c mini marshmallows after mixture is cooled a bit just so they do not melt all the way. You can either pat into a 9x13 pan or what I did was put directly into paper muffin cups so they are ready to serve individually.

Thai Peanut Pork Stir Fry by Guest Chef Miriam

2008-08-21T13:16:00.002-04:00

Serve with either Minute white rice or Jasmine rice:
2 t. vegetable oil
12 oz pork tenderloin, trim fat and thinly slice crosswise
2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
3 1/2 c broccoli florets
1 med red bell pepper, halved and cut lenthwise
1 can (14 oz) reduced lite coconut milk
1 packet (3&1/2 oz) peanut sauce mix

Heat vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet, add the pork and garlic and stir fry 2 to 3minutes until cooked through. Place on plate. To skillet, add broccoli, red pepper, coconut milk and peanut-sauce mix. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer 6 minutes until vegetables are crisp & tender. Meanwhile cook rice. Return pork & garlic to skillet and simmer a fewminutes until sauce thickents slightly. Serve over rice.

Aunt Julia's Soft Batch Popcorn by Guest Chef Miriam

2008-08-20T20:27:00.004-04:00

3 batches microwave popcorn OR 1 scant unpopped popcorn (about 10 quarts total) popped

Bring to a boil:

1 lb. butter

1 c. Karo Syrup

2 2/3 c. sugar

Cook to softball stage of 116C OR 240 F, Pour over popcorn mixed with:

l c coconut

1 c. pecans

1 c. almonds

and Hershey's Kissables for color if desired.

This is a large amount which when I used, fills 25 cello bags approximately 5" x 71/2" Another very tasty treat!

Cranberry Delight Spread by Guest Chef Miriam

2008-08-20T20:24:00.001-04:00

(serve with crackers as appetizer)

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened,

1 Tbls sugar, zest of one orange

1/8 teas cinnamon

l/4 c finely chopped dried cranberries

l/4 c finelychopped pecans

small mint leaf for garnish-optional

In small mixing bowl beat cream cheese, orange juice concentrate, sugar,orange peel and cinnamon on medium speed until fluffy. Stir incranberries and pecans. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Coconut Pancake Syrup by Guest Chef Miriam

2008-08-19T08:40:00.001-04:00

Coconut Pancake Syrup:
1/2 c butter or margarine
1/2 c buttermilk
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp Coconut flavoring

Place in a med. saucepan cook all above except the flavoring and stir until it has boiled one minute. It will foam a lot. Remove from heat and stir in coconut flavoring. Store in a covered container in refrigerator.Best if served warm. Delicious on pancakes, waffles, French toast etc.(You could change the flavoring to pineapple, strawberry, orange, etc.)

Oh my, its delicious!

Ozark Pie by Guest Chef Miriam

2008-08-18T14:34:00.002-04:00

2 c sugar
1/2 c soft butter
2 eggs
4 large apples (grated thickly, I even like small chunks but not peeled)
2 c sifted flour
1/2teas nutmeg
1 teas cinnamon
2 teas soda
1/2 c nuts
1/2 teas salt

Cream sugar & butter, add eggs and blend well, add apples then add dry ingredients. Pour into 2 pie pans or 2- 8x 9 pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Nice served warm with sauce.
Sauce
Combine in a heavy pan on low heat:
l c butter
2 c brown sugar
1 c light cream
3 teas vanilla
dash of nutmeg
Do not boil but stir until dissolved and mixture thickens.

Featuring Guest Chef Miriam!

2008-08-18T14:30:00.003-04:00

Dearest Readers...You are in for a treat! Chef Miriam is a party plannin', good-time havin', yummy food makin' genius! She not only adds spice to the kitchen, she adds spice to my life! My own grandma! She has sent me some of her favorite recipes, and I know you will enjoy them, because who doesn't love grandma's cooking? Stay tuned this week for her favorite recipes!