Easy and Yummy Recipes

Cheddar cauliflower soup

2010-11-30T09:54:00.000-08:00

OK, so this isn't the easiest soup recipe in the world, but it isn't the hardest either. I decided to post it because every time I serve it people request the recipe. The original recipe is on Rachel Rays' website with pictures. You can look it up if mine doesn't make sense :)

Cheddar Cauliflower Soup (From Rachel Ray)

Ingredients
· 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
· Salt
· 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
· 4 tablespoons butter, divided
· 1 medium onion, finely chopped
· 3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
· Pepper
· 3 tablespoons flour
· 1 quart chicken stock
· 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
· 2 1/2 cups good quality, aged, sharp cheddar cheese, grated (I usually add more, we really like cheese)
· A few grates of nutmeg
· 2 tablespoons Spicy brown mustard (optional, to taste)
· 1/4 cup chopped chives (optional)

Preparation
In a Saucepan, bring a couple of inches of water to a boil, add cauliflower, salt and cook until tender. Drain, puree (in food processor) and reserve.
Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil . Add 2 tablespoons of butter and melt, then add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, 4-5 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the stock and milk, bring up to a bubble, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.

To finish the soup, whisk the cheese into the liquid, stirring until all the cheese has melted. Stir in cauliflower puree then turn off heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of mustard and the nutmeg. Adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Top each bowl with some of the chopped chives for garnish.

Chicken Taco Rice

2010-09-14T12:57:00.000-07:00

I love when I find a recipe that every person in my family likes and eats! This one is easy and produces enough leftovers for another entire dinner.

Chicken Taco Rice

1 lb chicken breast, cubed
2 T. oil
1 can chicken broth
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix (4 T.)
1 can corn
1 med. red or green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 c. minute rice
shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, tortillas, chips, sour cream for toppings

Cook and sir chicken in hot oil until lightly browned. Add broth, tomato sauce and seasoning mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add corn and red pepper. Bring to a full boil. Stir in rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Put into tortilla for tacos or make a salad with lettuce and chips.

Perfect Whole Wheat Bread

2010-04-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my friend Annie who got it from her friend Bryttin, so I can't take credit for it. But, it is delicious and so easy! Bread usually takes so many steps, this one is an easy "dump and mix" recipe.

From the "Bee Prepared" cookbook--makes two loaves

Instant Yeast- 1 Tb.
Hot Water- 2 1/2 cups
Oil- 1/3 cup
Honey (or raw sugar)- 1/3 cup (I add a little extra)
Salt- 1 Tb.
Whole Wheat Flour 6-7 cups (I use 4 cups whole wheat flour and 3 cups white flour)

Combine all ingredients. Knead for 10 minutes. (I use the dough attachment on my Kitchen Aid to do all of the mixing and kneading). Form into loaves. Place in prepared bread pans and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
* Bryttin says make sure to knead for the full 10 minutes! This is what develops the gluten and helps your bread not to crumble.
**Prepared bread pans- I just sprayed my bread pans with pam and that worked, but they are the dark "nonstick" pans. My mom always greases hers with crisco. Then I covered them with plastic wrap with pam on it for the bread to rise, but I don't know if that is necessary. It's just what I do with Rhodes rolls so I figured it would work for the bread too :)

Simple Sesame Noodles

2009-10-04T01:15:00.000-07:00

The Pioneer Woman

12 ounces thin noodles, cooked and drained (angel hair, thin spaghetti, or Asian style)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
3 to 4 cloves garlic
minced2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 to 3 tablespoons pure sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon hot chile oil -- more to taste (i omitted this)
4 to 5 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons hot water
3 to 4 green onions, sliced thin

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions and toss. Serve in a bowl with chopsticks. Yummy!

*I added grilled chicken to this... it was simply delicious!

Honey Dijon Pork Chops

2009-05-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
6 boneless pork chops
1/2 cup honey dijon mustard (or your favorite dijon mustard)
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Italian bread crumbs

Method:
In a bowl, combine dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Dip each pork chop in the mixture and then in bread crumbs to coat. If freezing, see directions below. Otherwise Place on a broiler pan and broil on low 10-12 minutes on each side until done.
Freezer directions: Place breaded pork chops on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until firm. Then, place them in freezer bags. This allows you to pull out a few at a time as needed without them sticking together.

Sweet Mustard Dip
Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup honey
Method:
Mix all together and serve as a dipping sauce with your pork chops. Yum!
(Suzie Roberts - Author "Girlfriends on The Go")

Scott wasn't a huge fan (he isn't a fan of mustard) but I thought it was DELISH!!!

Twice Baked Potatoes

2009-05-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

I love potatoes and will eat them about any way you can make them. But I must say that one of my favorite ways to make potatoes is with this yummy recipe. Although I usually have to be thinking ahead to have these ready in time for dinner, it is totally worth it! I just had to share...

Ingredients:
3 or 4 large potatoes
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp season salt
1/2 cup bacon bits
3/4 stick butter
salt & pepper

Bake potatoes on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Don't wrap them in tin foil or anything because we want the crust of the potato to be hard. Make sure they are cooked through. While they are baking, add butter, bacon and sour cream in a bowl and mix. Once the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and cut each potato in half, length wise, and scoop out the insides of the potato skin and add to the butter/bacon/sour cream mixture. Mash the ingredients together. Lay the empty potato skins on the cookie sheet. Then, add remaining ingredients to the potato mixture and stir. Now fill the empty potato skins with the potato mixture you have created. I like to fill them very full so each skin is heaping with potatoes. Once you have sufficiently filled each skin with the potato mixture place them back on the cookie sheet and top each potato with cheese. Finally you place the potatoes back in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. These are so yummy! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Simplify Supper

2009-04-16T15:42:00.000-07:00

I was watching Studio 5 a few weeks ago and saw my neighbor on the show. I was so surprised to see her as a guest and even more surprised to see her fabulous website. It has dinner menus for every day of the month. You can print grocery lists... search the archives... and much more!

Check this site out for FABULOUS recipes and ideas!

Simplify Supper

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-03-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

I know this seems like a no-brainer, but these are my all-time favorite cookies. There is just something special about them. It obviously makes a TON so I usually half the recipe. I have had a lot of friends asking me for this recipe lately, so I thought I would share it with all of you as well. I hope you like them as much as I do!

Ingredients:

2 cups Shortening 2 2/3 cups flour
4 Eggs 4 cups Quick Cooking Oats
2 cups White Sugar 2 tsp. Salt
1 cup Brown Sugar 2 tsp. Soda
4 tsp. Vanilla 1 package chocolate chips

To make:

Mix the 1st collumn... shortening, eggs, white and brown sugar, and vanilla... Add remainder of ingredients... flour, oats, salt and soda... Mix... then finally the chocolate chips. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Take them out just before they look done and they will be perfect.

Chicken Puffs

2009-03-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

I know there is already a recipe with the same name, but this is a little easier to make and quite a yummy one. This was the first real recipe I ever got from my mom when I was in college because I missed them so much. I haven't met anyone who hasn't liked them!

Ingredients:

1 package of chicken breasts (usually 3 chicken breasts)
8 oz package of cream cheese
2-3 Tblsp of butter
2 packages of cresent rolls

To make:

Cook the chicken in a pan of boiling water. Once cooked, shred and set aside. In a large bowl blend the cream cheese and butter. Add chicken and stir. Open cresent roll packages and spread apart individual rolls. Stretch them until just before they break. The softer they are the farther they will stretch. Place a spoonful of chicken mixture onto each roll dough and fold corners over to create the puff. Bake according to the directions on the cresent roll package. I think it says to bake at 350 degrees and I usually do 325 degrees. Watch them and take them out when they are light brown on top.

**I usually cut the chicken into small pieces before I cook them and they cook faster. Plus, they are easier to shred when they are already in small pieces. Just a thought**

Mom's famous spaghetti

2009-02-20T10:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, this is one of my mom's classic recipes. And anyone who has tried knows that there isn't a marinera sauce out there that can beat it. I asked her for the recipe not too long ago and she didn't even have it! She had to make the sauce and write down what she was doing because she usually just throws the ingredients in. One day I hope to be able to cook in that way! Just throw things in without a recipe! Well, here you go... it is really yummy!

Ingredients:

2 bottles Newman Marinera Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 packets of McKormick Thick & Zesty Spaghetti Sauce mix
1/4 cup sugar
Ground Beef

Directions:

Brown the ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Add remainder of ingredients and stir until mixed well. Cook in skillet for 15 minutes and serve.

**As you can see this makes a TON of sauce. I have halfed the recipe and it is still delicious. I usually make this when I am taking a meal to another family and there is enough to feed mine as well!

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

2009-02-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on All Recipes.com It says it feeds five, but Steve, Reagan & I ate most of it with just one serving left over. (Steve could have been extra hungry, but keep that in mind).

Ingredients:

2 slices of bacon
8 ounces penne pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
3. In a large pot with boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain.
4. In a medium skillet saute the chopped onion, and minced garlic. Take off heat and add chopped cooked bacon and set aside.
5. To make the sauce, in a medium saucepan melt the butter or margarine over low heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Gradually add milk and continue stirring until thickened. Stir in 2 cups of the grated cheddar cheese and stir until melted.
6. Combine cooked pasta, sauteed vegetables and bacon with sauce. Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish. Add the last cup of grated cheddar cheese to top of mixture.

Bake uncovered in preheated oven until cheese on top is melted and brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

**You will love the flavor of the sauteed onion, garlic and bacon in this rich and creamy macaroni and cheese bake. The secret to the cheese sauce is constant stirring over low heat. Add the milk just a bit at a time and keep stirring!

Artichoke Heart Dip

2009-01-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

1- 14oz can of artichoke hearts
8oz softened cream cheese
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (the fresh kind that usually comes in a bag, NOT the stuff in the green can)
1- 4oz can of chopped green chilles (If you want a hot and spicy dip, you can add 2 cans. I am a wimp and prefer only one can)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup mayonnaise

Drain and chop artichoke hearts into small bite size pieces. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well blended. Pour mixture into a greased 8X8 inch glass or ceramic pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve while still warm with tortilla chips.

Christmas Cranberry Salad

2008-11-21T21:31:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-16T14:03:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-16T13:54:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-16T13:04:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-01T14:37:00.000-07:00

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

2008-11-01T13:12:00.001-07:00

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

2008-11-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

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

2008-11-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-21T16:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-18T21:04:00.001-07:00

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...

2008-09-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

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.