Christmas Cranberry Salad

Anya -- Tammy Phillips

**You'll need to start this the night before**

1 package raw cranberries washed and chopped (I use a food processor)

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 large bag of mini marshmallows

--Stir together and chill overnight--

2 bananas sliced

2 cups apples sliced

1 large can pineapple tidbits

1 pint whipping cream

Whip whipping cream and add vanilla and sugar to taste. Add cranberry mixture and fruit together just before serving. 

Phillips family tradition for Turkey Day and Christmas Day dinner's! Love...

Roasted Potato Medley

2 sweet potatoes or yams
4 russet potatoes
8 baby red potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian blend seasoning
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes or yams, and the russet potatoes. Scrub the baby red potatoes and cut all of them into cubes.
2. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan. Add enough lightly salted water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
3. Spread the potatoes in a single layer onto a large baking sheet.
4. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with the seasonings. Roast the potatoes until browned and crisp, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serve with Crispy Ranch Chicken or any meat dish for a fun and tasty potato variation!

(Recipe from Great American Recipes)

Crispy Ranch Chicken

2 cups crispy rice cereal
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
2 egg white, beaten
8 skinless pieces of chicken about 4 or 5 oz. each (breast or thighs)

1. preheat oven to 350. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the rice cereal, Parmesan and ranch salad dressing mix in a large bowl.
2. Place beaten egg whites in a medium bowl. Dip each chicken piece in the egg whites and then in the cereal mixture to coat evenly.
3. Arrange the coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden and juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve and Enjoy

Serve with the Roasted Potato Medley

(This recipe is from Great American Recipes)

Rich and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

This one's for you Anya!
4 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and diced
4 cups tomato juice
14 fresh basil leaves
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste

Place tomatoes and juice in a pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves in a blender. Pour back into the pot and over low to medium heat stir in cream and butter. Heat until the butter is melted. Do not boil. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Thanks to Aimee Seal for this recipe!

Swedish Meatballs

• 2 pound bag of frozen meatballs


• 1 can jellied cranberry sauce


• 12 oz bottle chili sauce "homemade" brand is recommended but I have used other brands and they work just fine. (Chili sauce can be found on the ketchup isle)


• 2 tablespoons brown sugar


• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Put the meatballs into the bottom of a crock pot. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a bowl and then pour over the top of the meatballs. Cook on high for 4 or 5 hours. Serve over rice.

(If you want to thicken up the sauce you can do so by removing the meatballs then mixing cornstarch with water and slowly adding it to the sauce until you reach the desired consistency. Once thickened, pour the sauce back on top of the meatballs and serve).

Serves 6 to 8

Tomato Tortellini Soup

This is a recipe I saw on Chanel 2 Noon News a few weeks ago. It's very easy and tasty!
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion (about 1/2 small onion)
1 glove garlic, minced
5 cups chicken broth
2 (14 -ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (9-ounce) package fresh tortellini
10-ounces fresh spinach - chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, very loosely packed (I used mozzarella because I didn't have any fresh Parmesan and it worked just fine)

In a 3 quart soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring often until onions are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes, turn heat up to high, and bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions. When tortellini is almost done, add spinach. Add salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of cheese.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk

Bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Add:
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla

Breakfast Pizza

Pastry for single 9' pie
1/2 lb. bacon
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
4 eggs
1 1/3 cup sour cream
2 Tbls. minced fresh parsley

Bake pastry shell on lower rack at 425 for 5 minutes. Press down bubbles. Sprinkle bacon and cheese over crust. In a bowl, beat eggs with sour cream and parsley until smooth. Pour over crust. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.

French Toast Bake

12 Slices of bread, cubed
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, cubed
8 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup maple syrup

Arrange half of the bread cubes in a greased 9x13 pan. Top with the cream cheese and add the remaining bread. In a bowl, whisk eggs, milk and syrup; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until golden brown. Serve with additional syrup.

Serves 8

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 C. Chicken Broth
1 14 oz can of whole kernel corn
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups of shredded chicken
1/4 cup of salsa ( or more for taste)

Heat above ingredients to a boil.
Top with:
shredded cheese
chopped green onions
sour cream
slightly crushed tortilla chips
cilantro

I doubled the ingredients except the chicken. It was really good! :)

Cherry Cheesecake Pie

1 ready made graham cracker pie crust
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 can cherry pie filling (raspberry or strawberry is also yummy)

Combine sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese in a bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the lemon juice and mix until incorporated. Pour into pie shell. Refrigerate for about 4 hours or until firm. Just before serving top with pie filling. This cheesecake is so easy and every time I serve it, it is a hit!

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
sliced swiss cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or 1 can cream of mushroom and 1 can cream of chicken)
Milk (enough to make soup pourable/scoopable, usually about 1- 1 1/2 cups)
1-2 packages chicken Stovetop stuffing mix (depending on how crunchy you like it). ( I prefer 1)
1 1/2 cubes of butter

Place chicken in a greased 9X14 inch pyrex or stoneware pan. Cover chicken with sliced swiss cheese (just enough so that each piece of chicken in covered with a single layer of cheese). In a bowl mix soup and milk to make soup pourable. Pour soup mix over chicken and cheese. Spread Stovetop stuffing over the top of soup. Push Stovetop down into mixture to moisten. Melt butter in microwave then pour over the top of stuffing evenly to moisten further. Cover pan with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour or at 350 degrees for an hour and a half. WARNING- this makes a lot of food. If I am cooking for 2-4 people I cut the recipie in half and cook in a 8X8 inch pan.

Crockpot Chicken

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. dry Good Seasons Italian salad dressing
1 cup sour cream

Mix together cream cheese, soup, salad dressing, and sour cream. Place a small amount of water in crockpot (about 1/4 cup, just enough to line the bottom of the pot). Put chicken in crockpot. Cover with soup mixture. Cook on high for 5 hours. Stir about every half hour to hour to prevent the edges from burning. Serve over rice or noodles.

Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Anya -- Swanson

2 cans (14 oz) Chicken Broth or 3 1/2 cups

Generous dash of ground black pepper

1 medium carrot, sliced (I use baby carrots if I have them around)

1 stalk celery, sliced

1 cup uncooked medium egg noodles

1 cup cubed cooked chicken

Mix broth, black pepper, carrot and celery in saucepan. Heat to a boil.

Stir in noodles and chicken. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until noodles are done. 

Serves 4 or if you have a "Scott" serves 2 or 3 at best.

I usually make biscuits with this... served hot with butter and honey. Yum

Cranberry Chicken

6-8 chicken breasts
1 - 16 oz can of cranberry sauce
8 oz simple french dressing
1 pkg lipton dry onion soup mix

Place chicken in 9x13 pan. Combine cranberries, dressing, and onion mix. Blend until smooth and pour over chicken. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 60 - 70 minutes.

Serve with rice dish:

1 can Campbell's french onion soup
1 can water
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1 cube butter

Combine ingredients into a 9x9 pan and place cubed butter on top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Grilled Chicken with Tomato-Avocado Salsa

For the salsa:
4 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped or 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño chili pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 avocado

For the chicken:
1/2 cup non-fat, plain yogurt
1/2 small red onion
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 4 to 6 ounces each
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

For the salsa:
1. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, red onion, pepper and cilantro.
2. Chop the avocado and sprinkle it with 2 tablespoons of lime juice to keep it from browning. Add the avocado and remaining lime juice to the bowl and toss to combine. (This can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.)

For the chicken:
1. In a small food processor, puree the yogurt, red onion, lime juice and cilantro to make a yogurt marinade.
2. Transfer the marinade to a shallow bowl or a plastic bag. Add the chicken and coat well with the marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
3. Preheat the grill to medium-high.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard the remaining marinade and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken on both sides until it is cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.
5. Serve the chicken with tomato-avocado salsa.

(this came from http://www.foodfit.com/recipes TOTALLY GREAT SITE!)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1C. canned pumpkin
1C. white sugar
1/2C. vegetable oil
1 egg
2C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. milk
1 TBS vanilla
2 C semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C chopped nuts (optional)

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg. In separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add the flour mixture and mix well.

2. Add the vanilla, chocolate chips, and the nuts.

3. Drop by spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes until light brown and firm.

Thanks Blissd2!

German Pancakes

Heat oven to 425 degrees
Melt 3 T butter in 9x13 pan
Whip:
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
Pour over melted butter cook for 12-15 min. until edges are brown. Serve with fruit, jam, syrup, or powdered sugar.

Another great recipe from Brooke Bowen... Thanks Brooke!

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous). And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Thanks Valerie Pahl for this great recipe!

Coming Recipes

I am participating in this recipe gathering thing and I am going to post the recipes that I recieve so that we can all enjoy... Here they come!

~Sarah

Chicken Roll-ups

One of my favorite meals...

3 chicken breasts
1 package Cream Cheese - softened
1/4 cup Milk
Salt, pepper, and seasoning salt (to flavor)
Croissant Roll dough - the pillsbury kind that come in a tube thingy
Butter - melted
Croutons or Stove Top Mix

Bring water to a boil. Add chicken and cook for 15 minutes (or you can use leftover cooked chicken)
Cut chicken breasts into cubes (or shred the chicken)
Mix chicken, milk, cream cheese, and seasonings.
Put a spoon full of chicken mixture in croissant roll and wrap.
Dip in melted butter
Roll in Stove Top mix or smashed croutons. Put on cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes

Beef Stroganoff

This one's pretty quick and pretty good. We had this at least twice a month when we were first married! Enjoy!

Meatballs
1 lb Hamburger
1/4 tsp Garlic Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Salt
2 T Parsley
1/4 cup milk

Mix ingredients and make meatballs. Fry meatballs until brown in 1/4 cup margerine & diced onion.

Add 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup. Simer for 5 minutes uncovered. Add lid and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add 1/2 pint of Sour Cream.

Serve over extra wide egg noodles.

Peach Blueberry Cobbler

This is perfect for this time of year! Mmmm...

1/2 cup butter

1 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk

3 cups fresh sliced peaches

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

Melt butter in 2 1/2-quart baking dish (i use a 9x13 pan); set aside. Combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar and baking powder. Add milk and stir until blended. Pour batter over butter in baking dish; do not stir. (it will be thick and a little molding is necessary, "do not stir" scared me, but don't sweat it, it works out!)

Combine peaches, blueberries and 1/2 cup sugar; spoon over batter. Do not stir. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Parmesan Chicken

Sarah - A Taste of Heaven

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 pkg Good Seasons Italian Dressing
1/2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
6 Chicken Breasts

Mix cheese, dressing, and garlic together. Wet the chicken with water to help the mixture stick better, and coat with mixture. Place chicken on baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

*This is a SUPER easy recipe and it tastes sooooo good! I am a very picky eater and was ecstatic when I found this recipe. If you don't need to feed 6 people you can use however much of the mix you need and put the rest in a Ziploc bag to save for later. Very easy. My kind of cooking!

Lemon Basil Pasta

Anya -- McCormick Recipe

8 oz. linguine or other pasta

2 T. butter or margarine, melted

1 T. lemon juice

1 1/2 t. basil leaves

3/4 t. garlic salt

1/4 t. ground black pepper

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Sauteed cubed chicken (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and return to pot.

Combine melted butter, lemon juice, basil, garlic salt, and pepper in small bowl. Add to cooked pasta and toss. 

Spoon into serving dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

Variations: Add 2 cups cooked, cubed, chicken or 1 pound cooked shrimp.

**This is one of Scott's favorites!

To my Friends and Family...

Anyone sick of cooking the same old thing every week? Well, I AM! I am on a search for easy, healthy, and yummy recipes that I can actually make (this part is key)! So, here's the plan... I am going to invite lots and lots of people to contribute to this blog in hopes of getting some fresh ideas on relatively easy cooking. So, here goes...

P.S. Label your recipe like I did in mine... so Pasta, Mexican, Chicken, Gluten Free, ect, ect.