Tomato Herb Grilled Chicken

This recipe, for anyone who hasn't had it, is the bomb.com. There's nothing more to say than that. It is amazing! And so simple! Grill it on the BBQ or in the oven- both are favorites. The end for reals.

Tomato Herb Grilled Chicken

-Chicken breasts (3-6 depending on how much meat you eat)

Marinade:

-2 T olive oil

-3/4 cup chili sauce

-2 T lemon juice

-2 cloves minced garlic

-3 T fresh basil or 2 T dried basil

Make marinade. Reserve a few tablespoons of marinade for use during cooking. Marinate chicken breasts in remaining marinade overnight or AT LEAST 2-4 hours. Grill chicken for 12-15 minutes on one side, brushing from time to time with reserved marinade. Turn chicken over and repeat.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I feel kind of lame adding this recipe because it's Jen's and Christy gave it to me. But Briana requested it once upon a time.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

3 chicken breasts
1 egg (I usually use 2 or 3)
flour or breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Dip chicken pieces in egg and then breadcrumbs (or flour) to coat. Fry breaded chicken in butter until brown. Remove from pan and place in casserole dish. Combine remaining ingredients to make sauce. Spoon sauce over breaded chicken. Bake for 1/2 hour @ 350. Serve over rice.

This is like candy. I have never had someone try it and not love it. Win, win, win.

Labels

Guys: I'm going to do something really SWEET with this blog-- I'm going to make a place on the sidebar where you can click on main dishes, desserts, beverages, breads, breakfast food, vegetables, soups, etc and access all the recipes that have we have in that category. Each person who has contributed recipes needs to edit their posts and label each post. The labels spot is on the lower right of the posting page. Simply type in what you want to label it. It needs to be somewhat uniform so that all the desserts are together. So use the ones I wrote again. If your recipe falls into another category that I didn't think of, go ahead and type that. Make sense? Questions in the comments.

Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup

I got this recipe off off my friend Stacie's blog again and man, did it hit the spot. Perfect for a cold day. Or a cold. And I have both. :) Bonus: You just may have all these ingredients already in your fridge.


*Serves 4


Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced (I actually didn't have celery, so I left this out.)
1/2 cup diced carrots
3 cups chicken broth
2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

Directions:

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft/melty (about 30 seconds). Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

As promised...

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

-1/2 cup shortening

-1 1/2 cup sugar

-1 egg

-1 cup pumpkin

-1 tsp vanilla

-2 1/2 cup flour

-1 tsp. baking powder

-1 tsp. baking soda

-1/2 tsp. salt

-1 tsp. nutmeg

-1 tsp. cinnamon

-chocolate chips

Cream sugar and shortening, then add egg, pumpkin, and vanilla. Set aside. Mix together dry ingredients in another bowl and then add to the pumpkin mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen. Then bring some over to me. :)

Bag Meals

I don't think anyone took me seriously when I was talking about the food storage "Bag Meals." This is the best thing since canned butter.

So, I decided to post two of the recipes (with my personal adjustments) so you can try some for yourself. There are a few directions that will apply to all the recipes, so I am only going to write them once.

Re-sealable bags: for the bag meal if you are going to store it. Put those things in little snack size zip-lock bags.

"Packets" or seasoning mixes: These are spice mixes I have created to substitute instead of buying specialized cans or packets from the store (like Mexican tomatoes or enchilada seasoning packets). For example: for the Rice Pilaf recipe below, you can either buy Mexican style canned tomatoes or use Mexican seasoning and regular canned tomatoes--which go on sale more often than the flavored ones (I will provide these mixes as well). The Mexican tomatoes only come in diced--not petite diced, and I think these are too big, as obviously does Danny, who doesn't like tomatoes unless they are un-pick-out-able. I made a bunch of these packets at a time using the snack size ziplocks, then I can just grab one and use it. Also, if you look in the asian/mexican isles of the grocery stores for herbs/seasonings, they come in bigger quantities and are much cheaper. The recipes make one use--for example: substitute one Mexican Packet for one Taco Seasoning packet if you are making tacos.

Next, anything canned can be substituted or fresh or frozen as to cut the cost of using your long-term store-able foods. Most of the ingredients don't really need to be measured exactly--just guess. I usually use frozen chicken breasts cooked and shredded for the canned chicken.

* items: these are things that can't store--thus they are deemed to be used in "times of plenty," and I would recommend using if you have them--adds freshness.

I will also put my freezing opinion. I am freezer obsessed. I always try to make enough dinner to freeze half so that we can have an easy meal another night. Obviously this does not work with all recipes (only about half of my "regulars" actually), but if it does--you will thank yourself later. One night of work for two nights of dinner--sounds good to me. AND then Danny can just pop something into the oven--sounds good to him!

Ok...finally--to the recipes. Both of these ones are Mexican-y.


Santa Fe Chicken Pilaf

1 (3.8 oz) package rice pilaf mix
2 cups water (bottled)
Re-sealable Bag
1 tsp chicken bouillon
Re-sealable Bag
Mexican spice packet
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (13 oz) can chicken meat, drained or 1 pint home-canned chicken breast
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
*Diced avocado, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips

In medium saucepan, prepare rice pilaf according to directions on package using water and bouillon. When rice pilaf is finished cooking, add remaining ingredients. Simmer until thoroughly heated.

(Or follow microwave directions on the rice package, and add everything else at the end--microwave until hot.)

I HIGHLY recommend the cilantro and the avocado. SOOOO good. I put the cilantro in just after I serve it and stir it in. Danny likes to eat this one with chips--makes a great healthy dip (though is a total meal as well).
This recipe is good next day in the fridge as well as it freezes beautifully. There is enough for Danny and I to have dinner and some for lunch the next day as well as freeze half of it for another meal down the road.

Mexican Packet Substitute (can be used as a Taco Seasoning as well!):
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper


Enchilada Soup

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
4 cups water (bottled)
Re-sealable Bag
1 (1.5 oz) enchilada sauce packet
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
1 (13 oz) can chicken meat, drained or 1 pint home-canned chicken breast
*Diced avocado, olives, and fresh cilantro, tortilla strips

In a large saucepan over medium heat, simmer all of the ingredients until hot. Garnish as desired.
(Again--fresh avocado sliced right into the ready soup is AWESOME)
This recipe will last a few days in the fridge, but does not freeze--the milk separates and it gets all weird.

Enchilada Sauce Packet Substitute:
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/1 teaspoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin (Don't skip this!!! Go buy some...)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon coriander (I used it without this, didn't have it)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

So now you all can try the recipes. Let me know what you think and if you want more! Or you could just buy the book--cheap on Amazon.

Homemade Tomato Soup

For those of us in Utah, the weather is going to finally turn cold. The high on Monday is 47 degrees with rain/snow. Bring it on. :)

And what is the perfect meal for cold weather? Hot soup and yummy bread. Mmmm. And for those of you in not-so-cool climates, maybe turn your AC down really, really low to mimic cool weather because you won't want to miss out on this. :) I don't usually like tomato soup, but I love this. Here is my favorite recipe for homemade tomato soup, courtesy of the Food Network:

Homemade Tomato Soup

Serves 4-5 people

-2 (14 oz) cans tomatoes

-1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

-salt and pepper

-2 stalks celery, diced

-2 small carrots, diced

-1 large yellow onion, diced

-4 cloves garlic, minced

-2 cup chicken broth

-2 bay leaves

-4 TBSP butter

-1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (or 1/4 cup dried basil)

-1 cup heavy cream, optional (I have tried it with and without and I like it better without, but I'm not much of a cream person, as you all know.)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil and roast until carmelized, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and garlic; cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted chopped tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf, and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15-20 minutes. Add basil and cream if desired. If a more creamy consistency is desired, puree with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth. (If you don't have an immersion blender, you can just pour all this in the regular blender on a very low setting for a minute.)

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Guys, I'm here. Can you believe it? Here is a yummy recipe I found on my friend Stacie's cooking blog. We like it lots.

image and recipe found here

Meatballs

1 pound beef

1/2 cup oats

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup milk

1 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1 t. Worcestershire Sauce

Sauce

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

2 t. mustard

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

1 t. Worcestershire Sauce

Mix meatball ingredients together in bowl. Form into balls and place in a 9x13 pan. Mix sauce and heat until dissolved and smooth. Pour over meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Serve over rice.

One Pan Chicken and Potato Bake

This dish is so simple and so yummy! It's a great, portable meal for when you are taking someone dinner.

One Pan Chicken and Potato Bake

-1 - 1 1/2 lbs chicken, cut into strips or pieces (whatever you prefer)

-1 - 1 1/2 lbs potatoes, cut into thin wedges

-1/2 cup kraft zesty italian dressing

-1/4 cup parmesan cheese

-1/2 tsp. italian seasoning (optional)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken and potatoes in 13x9" baking dish. Top with dressing. Sprinkle with cheese and seasoning. Cover and bake 1 hour or until chicken is done, removing foil after 30 minutes.

Health(ier) Recipe #3 - Thai Coconut Curry

Here's a yummy, healthy dish with a different flair. Choose what type of meat you want to use: chicken, shrimp, etc.

Thai Coconut Curry

-1 tsp oil

-4 scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped

-1 tbsp Thai red curry paste

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-6 oz coconut milk

-2 tsp fish sauce(** if using shrimp, otherwise try adding just 2 tsp of chicken stock or mix it up by adding a little pineapple juice)

-1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

-1 lb meat of your choice, cut into strips (unless its shrimp)

- jasmine rice

-salt to taste

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add scallion whites and red curry paste and sauté one minute. Add meat and garlic, season with salt and cook about 5-6 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and mix well. Simmer about 3-4 minutes, until meat is cooked through. Remove from heat, mix in scallion greens and cilantro. Serve over jasmine rice.

*You can increase the sauce amount and add fruit/vegetables (pineapple, carrots, potatoes, celery, pepper, etc.) to make a complete meal.

Health(ier) Recipe #2 - Grilled Lemon-Herb Pork Chops

Pork - the other white meat, right? :) It's full of vitamins and generally pretty lean (especially pork chops). It's also lower in saturated fat than most cuts of beef. Just make sure you cook it fully.

This recipe is easy to make and tastes absolutely heavenly off the grill. But you must barbecue it to get the awesome flavor- the combination of the lemon and herbs along with the smoky grill taste is perfection. We made this in the oven once when we couldn't grill and it was BLAH! You couldn't soak it in enough A1. :)

Grilled Lemon-Herb Pork Chops

Serves 6

• -1/4 cup lemon juice
• -2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• -4 cloves garlic, minced
• -1 teaspoon salt
• -1/4 teaspoon (heaping) dried oregano
• -1/4 teaspoon pepper
• -boneless pork loin chops

In large ziploc bag, combine all but chops. Then place chops in bag, seal and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Turn bag frequently.

Preheat grill for high heat. Remove chops from bag and transfer remaining marinade to a saucepan. Bring marinade to a boil, remove from heat, and set aside.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill pork chops for 5-7 minutes per side, basting frequently with boiled marinade, until done.

Health(ier) Eating Solutions: Substitutes for Cream Soups

Here are a couple of different substitutes for cream soups. Like I mentioned earlier, I am not a fanatical health nut, so I will still use cream soups occasionally because let's face it - they are good for food storage and easy when you are really pressed for time. But, I tend to go through them a little too quickly for my food storage, so I alternate using these healthier substitutes and an occasional can of soup to rotate through my food storage.

Substitute #1 - Cream Soup Mix

Although this substitute is healthier than traditional cream soups, it still uses bouillon granules and therefore still has extra sodium and MSG. But, the bouillon makes is versatile and convenient. The dry mix can be made and stored and kept on hand when you need it.

-2 cups dry milk powder

-1/4 cup chicken bouillon granules

-1/2 tsp dried thyme

-1/4 tsp black pepper

-3/4 cup cornstarch

-1/2 tsp dried basil

-1 tsp. onion powder (optional)

Combine all and mix well. Store in air tight container. Yield 3 cups.

For condensed soup substitute:

Blend 1/3 cup mix and 1 1/4 cup water in sauce pan until smooth. Heat, stirring occasionally until thickens. Cool. Use as a substitute for 10 3/4 can of soup. For cream of celery, add celery flakes. For cream of mushroom, add chopped or sliced mushrooms.

Substitute #2 - Kristi's Lower Fat Cream Soup Substitute

This substitute cuts down some of the fat of cream soups and you can eliminate the MSG, too if you watch what chicken broth you buy.

- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup low-fat or fat free milk
- salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and add the chicken broth and milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed to taste.

Use in casseroles in place of condensed cream soups.

Substitute #3 - Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup Substitute

This recipe cuts out the bouillon granules and therefore cuts the sodium and MSG, too.

-1 cup water

-1/2 cup chopped onions

-1 clove garlic, crushed

-1-2 T olive oil

-2 cups chopped or sliced mushrooms

-1 TBSP corn flour

-some Worcestshire sauce or mustard, to taste (optional)

-salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil on medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and mushrooms. In a mixing bowl, add water and flour and beat until it thickens to the consistency of heavy cream. Add more flour if needed. Add the mixture to the onions, little by little so it doesn't get lumpy. Keep stirring. Add the rest of the ingredients.

Health(ier) Recipe #1 -Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon a.k.a. Heaven for Dinner!!

Salmon is loaded with good stuff for you - lots of good omega-3's, tons of vitamin D, etc. And it is out of this world delicious. Mmmm... I don't know that I've ever met a salmon that I didn't like. :) (Deal with it Amy and Ryan :) - you don't know what you're missing!) This particular recipe is phenomenal! It tasted like something you'd get at a restaurant.

Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon

(I forgot - again- to take a picture, so this one is shamelessly lifted off the food network. :))

-1 scallion, minced

-2 T soy sauce

-1 T rice vinegar

-1 T honey

-1 T minced fresh ginger

-1 lb. salmon fillet (cut into 4 portions)

-1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (see below)

Whisk scallion, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a sealable plastic bag, add 3 T of the sauce and refrigerate, let marinate for 15 minutes (no longer or the salmon will fall apart). Reserve the remaining sauce.

Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Transfer salmon to pan and discard marinade. Broil the salmon 4-6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6-10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.

The Food Network suggests making it a meal with brown rice and sauteed red peppers and zucchini slices.

To toast sesame seeds: cook in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2-4 minutes.

***We forgot to reserve any marinade and so just baked it in the marinade (about 390 degrees), rather than broiling it. It was SO good - very tender and flavorful.

Poppy Seed Bread

I bet you all thought I would never post on here. Ever. SURPRISE! Not so healthy... but still good. This is the recipe we got from the Castle Creek Inn which I served at our coupon class Saturday.

Bread:
3 cups Flour
2 1/2 cups Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
3 Eggs
1 1/2 cups Milk
1 1/8 cups Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp Poppy Seeds
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
1 1/2 tsp Butter Flavoring

Glaze:
3/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Orange Juice
1/2 tsp Vanilla

Mix altogether. Pour into 2 bread pans, muffin tins, or a bunt cake pan (greased). Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Muffins cook faster. Pour glaze over warm bread. Serve with fresh strawberries for most satisfied eaters:).

Health(ier) Eating Tips for Christy

So, in answer to Christy's request, I'm going to post some health(ier) recipes, tips, etc. this week.

Let me preface all this first by saying:

I consider myself somewhere middle of the road when it comes to cooking healthy foods. Anyone who is really fanatical about health foods would throw their head back laughing at me calling just about anything that I make "healthy".

But, I try to follow some general healthy food eating principles in cooking for my family:

*Cut the meat- I LOVE meat, but we try to really cut back on our portions. Any sort of pasta/stir-fry/rice dish - we split one chicken breast between the three of us (that eat real food) and up the vegetable amount to fill us up. We try to go like 85 or 90% vegetables and rice and 15 or 10% meat. So we just get a taste of meat, but it's not the main dish. Same thing when we have a meat "main-dish" meal (like tomato-herb grilled chicken), we split one chicken breast between us and then have lots of other vegetables/fruit/rice with it. Occasionally (like when we have salmon) we splurge and ramp up the meat, but the majority of the time, I try to cook with little meat.

*Cut the carbs - I also LOVE carbs (crackers, bread, etc.), so I'm constantly fighting a battle of moderation against them. I try to cut back excess carbs from our dinners like rolls, biscuits, garlic bread, jello side dishes, etc. Ramp up your vegetables and fruits rather than making rolls with your meals. And never double carb it up (i.e. potatoes and rolls in the same meal).

*Unclutter your vegetables - We eat mostly "raw" vegetables with our meals. By "raw" I don't mean uncooked, but I mean not adding butter, cream cheese, milk, sour cream, mayo, and other (nasty ;)) creamy things. We eat plain steamed potatoes, carrots, green beans, yams, broccoli, etc. Leave creamy (read: fatty) things like mashed potatoes, cheesy vegetable dishes, and funeral potatoes for the once in a great while special meals (once or maybe twice a month at most). Instead of adding butter on your vegetables, try lemon juice. It sounds strange, but it is DIVINE!!

*Cut the butter- Often, in recipes that use butter (cooking- not baking), I just add less butter to make things a little healthier.

*Substitute - Use substitutes for basics like "cream" soups (cream of chicken, cream of mushroom) that are fatty and loaded with MSG. I'll post more on this one in a few days.

*Use real foods in moderation - (Cousin) Anna said this and I thought it was pretty profound and smart! She talked about staying away from "diet foods" and fake foods - "low fat", "sugar-free", margarine, etc. It was quite a while ago that I read this, so I may not be quoting everything perfectly, but I believe she said that her basic philosophy was that if people were eating it a hundred years ago, you're good. Don't go for engineered, fake foods. Just eat real, whole foods in moderation. Like use butter rather than margarine because it's real. Just use butter in moderation.

So, there's a few things to try. Anyone else have tips they use to eat cook healthier?

Tip: How to make sticky rice

Well, I'm actually kind of stealing this from Christy because she is the one who finally taught me who to do this - much to Eric's relief and delight. No more dry rice for us. You all are much smarter than me, so you probably already knew this. But, just in case someone out there is in the dark like I was- here you go:

Add extra water.

That's it. :) I felt sheepish when I found out that's all you have to do. In my rice cooker, if I'm putting in a scoop and a half of rice, I fill it with water up to the "2 1/4" line. Does that makes sense. It cooks as usual, although I let it sit with the lid on and steam for longer while I finish the rest of my dinner preparations. Yum!

Coconut Shrimp

(The oil was a little hot to begin with, but they weren't burned so they still tasted good. I did some without coconut for Danny--but he liked the coconut ones better!!)

I made these two days ago for dinner and they were AWESOME. The only thing I might do differently is to butterfly the shrimp. You can google how to do that.

1 egg
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup beer (I used Coke, but you could use Sprite as well)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup flour
2 cups shredded or flaked coconut (shredded will get more on because it is longer)
24 shrimp with tails on(totally estimated here--we could have made probably half as much more with the amount of batter.
3 cups oil for frying

Combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, COKE, and baking powder.
Place 1/4 cup flour and coconut in separate bowls.
Hold shrimp by tails and cover in flour, shaking off excess, dip in batter letting the excess drip off, and press into the coconut until coated well. Place on wax paper lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (I think this is to set the batter so it isn't as runny).
When oil is heated to 350 degrees (medium), fry the shrimp turning once for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and put on paper towel to drain. Serve warm.

I didn't have a sauce handy (because this was kind-of spur of the moment), so I mixed these things and got a pretty good dipping sauce. No idea on the measurements though--you will have to do it to taste. It comes out a little runny.

mayo
cinnamon
nutmeg
cayenne pepper
salt
honey
pineapple juice

I know--sounds odd--but it seemed to work.

Pumpkin Waffles and Buttermilk Syrup

I have been shamed, and now I am repenting.
I don't have any pictures because there is no canned pumpkin in ANY stores here--apparently the crop last year was destroyed by rain so pumpkin will be scarce this year. Buy LOTS if it goes on sale!

Pumpkin Waffles
--From Whitney Steck

Mix:
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Then add:
4 egg yolks (save the whites)
1 cup pumpkin
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cups melted margarine (not butter)

Then:
beat 4 egg whites until stiff and fold into batter. Cook on waffle iron. They will not get as crispy as normal waffles, but will brown slightly. Totally good reheated from the fridge if you have leftovers (or frozen and reheated as well).

Buttermilk Syrup

In a pan larger than you think you will need (this sometimes gets REALLY bubbly), bring to boil:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon corn syrup

Remove from heat and then add:
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Stir until it settles.

It will keep in the fridge just like regular syrup.

Never say die!

Alright ladies, consider this your official bum-whooping. :)

Before Kristi moved to Florida, she and I had a little chat and decided that we weren't going to let this blog die. The agreement was that I would do my best to post some dinner entrees and she would post all her breakfasts of goodness recipes. (I smile just thinking about those pumpkin pancakes!)

I was going to try and start posting pictures with my recipes, but last night when I made the recipe that I'm going to post, I totally forgot. That might have had something to do with the fact that it was 8:45pm and I was just starting dinner (!) and because I had been wearing Lily in the backpack for like the past 3 hours straight and I was losing my mind due to fatigue and muscle strain. ;)

Pictures aren't required, but recipes/cooking tips, etc are. So get to it.

***************************

Here is the recipe for the Chicken and Vegetable Summer Stir-Fry we had last night. Originally, I didn't know exactly what I was going to make for dinner last night, but I had chicken thawed. And we had a bunch of vegetables from the garden sitting in our fridge that needed to be used - corn, bell peppers, tomatoes. I also had carrots in the fridge. Voila! Slice the vegetables and start the rice before you begin cooking and this is a pretty simple meal to put together.

Chicken and Vegetable Summer Stir-fry

-1 T vegetable oil

-2-3 cloves minced garlic

-1 T minced fresh ginger (I didn't have any fresh ginger on hand and used dried ginger powder)

-1 lb chicken, cut into strips

-1 medium onion, diced

-2 cups shredded or sliced carrots

-1 large green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into small strips

-2 ears of corn, with kernels shaved off

-1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half

*** you can get creative and adapt this to your tastes/what you have in the fridge by substituting different vegetables: broccoli, sugar snap peas, red pepper, zucchini, etc.

-1/4 cup soy sauce

-2 tsp. corn starch

-1 cup chicken broth

Heat oil in wok or large skillet over med-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add chicken and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add onions, carrots, and peppers and cook 1 minute. Add corn (or other vegetables, but not tomatoes yet!) and cook 2 minutes. Add soy sauce and cook 2 minutes, until vegetables are crisp tender.

Dissolve corn starch in chicken broth in a small bowl and then add to pan. Simmer two minutes, until sauce thickens. Add tomatoes just before removing from pan to bowl. Serve over rice.

(Almost) Guiltless Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Guys, these seriously rock!! And they're a cinch to make, since you use a cake mix. They're healthier than normal cookies because they use little butter and mostly egg whites. If you use a light cake mix, they are even lower in fat and calories. Mmmm... I could go for some right now. If you make them, save one for me :)

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 (18.25-ounce) package devil's food cake mix (or "light" devil's food cake for even less fat and calories)

2 tablespoons stick margarine or butter, softened

3 tablespoons water

2 large egg whites

1 large egg (you can use egg beaters in place for less calories)

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Saucy Pork Chops

Here is a simple, tasty pork chop recipe. I had really thick-cut boneless pork chops from Costco and was worried about them cooking all the way through and still being tender. But this recipe did both!

Saucy Pork Chops

-4-6 pork chops

-1 can cream of chicken soup

-3 TBSP ketchup

-1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce

Brown chops in skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Place into lightly greased casserole dish. Mix soup with ketchup and Wor. Sauce; pour over chops. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Banana Bread

This is Tom's mom's famous banana bread. There is some baking in my oven right now. I am excited.

Ingredients:

5 large bananas
4 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup nuts (optional-- so if you are crazy and like that sort of thing)

Preheat oven to 300. Beat bananas until soupy. Add eggs and beat. Add shortening and sugar and beat. Add flour and baking soda and beat again (do you see a trend here?). Add the nuts if you so desire. Grease and flour bread pans. Put the mixture in and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. (Mine is usually done in more like 1 hour and 10 minutes). Enjoy. Oh, how you will enjoy. This makes two loaves.

Pepper Steak Packets

Pepper Steak Packets

- Aluminum foil

- 1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, 1/2 inch thick

- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

- 1/4 tsp. black pepper

- 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips

- 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips

- 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

- Hot cooked rice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees or grill to medium high. Sprinkle both sides of steak with garlic powder and pepper. Cut into thin strips. Combine steak strips and pepper strips with teriyaki sauce. Center one fourth of streak mixture on each sheet of foil. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Bake 12-15 minutes on a cookie sheet in oven or grill 7-0 minutes in covered grill. Serve over rice. Makes 4-6 servings.

Ginger Chicken and Vegetable Packets

Ginger Chicken and Vegetable Packets

- Aluminum foil

- 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

- 1 T oriental sesame oil

- 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

- Chicken breasts, cut in 1/2" strips (2-6, depending on your serving size)

- 2 cups small broccoli florets

- 1 medium red bell pepper, cut in chunks

- Water chestnuts (or you can use mushrooms -- sick! :P)

- Hot cooked rice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees or grill to medium high. Combine teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, and ginger. Add chicken and vegetables; toss until evenly coated. Center one fourth of chicken mixture on each sheet of foil. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Bake 15-18 minutes on a cookie sheet in oven or grill 12-14 minutes in covered grill. Serve over rice. Makes 4-6 servings.

Barbecue Chicken Packets

Barbecue Chicken Packets

- Aluminum Foil

- Chicken breasts (3-6 depending on your serving size)

- 1 cup barbecue sauce

- 1 package (10 oz) frozen whole kernel corn, or 1 can (15 1/4 oz) whole kernel corn, drained

- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees or grill to medium high. Center one chicken breast on each sheet of foil. Spoon barbecue sauce over chicken. Top with vegetables. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Bake 18-22 minutes on a cookie sheet in oven or grill 12-15 minutes in covered frill. Makes 4-6 servings.

Beef & Potatoes with Mushroom Gravy

Beef & Potatoes with Mushroom Gravy

- Aluminum Foil

- 1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, 1/2" thick

- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

- 1/2 tsp. pepper

- 4 medium red potatoes, cut in bite-size pieces

- 1 small red or green bell pepper, cut in strips

- 1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

- 1 1/2 T Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 450 degrees or grill to medium high. Cut steak lengthwise in half and then crosswise into 1/8" thick strips. Sprinkle beef with garlic powder and pepper. Combine beef, potatoes, red pepper, soup, and Worcestershire sauce. Center one-fourth of mixture on each sheet of foil. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Repeat to make four packets. Bake 25-30 minutes on a cookie sheet in oven or grill 15-18 minutes in covered grill. Makes 4 servings.

Teriyaki Chicken Packets

Teriyaki Chicken Packets

Serves 4-6

- Aluminum foil

- Chicken breasts (like I've said before, it depends on your portion sizes - we do half a breast per person, so that would be about 3 chicken breast. But, if you use a whole one, than you would do 4-6, depending on how many people you want to serve.)

- 1 lb total: Broccoli, Carrots, and Water Chestnuts (or whatever stir-fry vegetables you want)

- 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

- 2 T orange marmalade

- Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees or grill to medium high. Center chicken breast on each sheet of foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with vegetables. Combine teriyaki sauce and orange marmalade and spoon evenly over the top. Bring up foil sides - double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside.

Bake 20-25 minutes on a cookie sheet in oven or grill for 13-16 minutes in covered grill.

A surprise for you....

Okay, I'm going to mix it up a bit and do a "series" of sorts. :)

Drumroll, please......

Are you so excited?

??????????????

I am.

:)

And without further ado, I give you:

A week of foil dinners!

I don't know about you guys, but I love recipes that cook in foil packets - they always taste good, are very forgiving, are easy to make, and best of all - a cinch to clean up! :)

Coming to a blog near you tomorrow.

Banana Pancakes

Here's another thing to do with really ripe bananas and a fun variation on traditional pancakes.

Banana Pancakes

(go ahead, sing it... you know you want to. ;) "makin' banana pancakes, pretend like its the weekend now-ow-ow.")

- 2 ripe bananas

- 1 1/2 cups Bisquick (if you don't have Bisquick, I assume you could just make pancakes from scratch and then proceed with the rest of this recipe as normal, minus the egg and the milk - haven't tried it myself, though.)

- 1 egg

- 1/2 cup milk

- 1/4 tsp. vanilla

- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

- pinch of nutmeg

Combine mashed bananas and Bisquick. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cook as usual.

Happy weekend to you all! :)

Zoupa Toscana

Here is an Olive Garden copy-cat recipe that my family loves.

Zoupa Toscana

- 3/4 lbs. spicy sausage

- 4 medium potatoes, cut in 1/2 lengthwise then into 1/4 slices

- 3/4 cup diced onions

- 6 strips of crisply cooked peppered bacon

- 2 T minced garlic

- Fresh parsley or Kale

- 2 T pwd. chicken base

- 1 qt. water

- 1/3 cup heavy cream

Remove sausage from casing and cook like you would hamburger. Remove from pan and set aside. In pot, place onion and bacon, cook until the onions are almost clear. Remove the bacon and crumble. Add garlic to the onions and cook for a few more minutes. Add chicken base, water, and potatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add bacon, sausage, parsley (or kale), and cream. Simmer until hot and serve- about 5 mins. Serves 6-8.

Can I Make a Request?

I'd like to request a recipe. Amy, could you post your recipe for that yummy teriyaki chicken that you make? I know you already sent it out once a while back, but I can't find it. :)

Thanks!

Asian Beef Noodles

Here's a YUMMY, quick recipe that I recently discovered when my mom fixed it while she was in town. You can also make it with rice instead of noodles.

Asian Beef Noodles

serves 4-6

- 1 lb. beef round tip steak (just a thin beef - 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick)

- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

- 1 T vegetable oil

- 4 pkgs. beef ramen noodles (retain the seasoning mix)

- 1/2 cup A-1 sauce

- 2 T chopped cilantro

- 1 medium carrot, cut into small pieces

- Other vegetables, as desired, like: broccoli, bell pepper, cauliflower, zucchini, water chestnuts, tomato, etc. - cut into small pieces

- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Cut beef into small strips. In medium bowl, combine beef, jalapeno pepper, and oil and toss to coat. Break noodles into 4 pieces each, reserve seasoning packets. Cook noodles and drain. Stir-fry beef in large skillet until no longer pink - DO NOT OVERCOOK. Remove beef and keep warm. In same skillet combine noodles, A-1 sauce, vegetables, cilantro, and seasoning. Return beef to the skillet, mix lightly. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve.

Yum, yum, yum! :)

smoothies a la christy

GUYS! we are slacking off. i felt it my duty to post something, so i thought my favorite smoothie recipe would do. we have these as treats all the time.

1 cup orange juice
1 cup milk
1 banana
2 cups frozen fruit
2-3 tbsp yogurt or vanilla ice cream

blend baby, blend. this makes enough for two very large smoothies. probably 32 oz total or so.

there, we're out of our blogging rut. now hop to it ladies! i blame each one of you for the lame meals we've been eating lately. ;)

Strawberry Margaritas

Every year, on our anniversaries (hehe... first-date anniversary, engagement anniversary, wedding anniversary - the more celebrating, the merrier!), we get a new set of fancy glasses. For our most recent anniversary, it was Margarita glasses. We christened them by making these strawberry margaritas. And holy cow! They were AWESOME!!

Strawberry Margaritas (virgin, of course ;)

• 1 can (12 oz) frozen limeade concentrate
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 package (16 oz) frozen strawberries
• 1 cup ice cubes

We used less ice. It just depends on the consistency you want. And to finish off, we dipped the rims of the glasses in sea salt. Yum Yum!

Mexican Chicken and Rice

Here's another really easy chicken and rice dish. Really simple ingredients and really yummy!

Mexican Chicken and Rice

Serves 6

-Chicken breasts (how many depends... for our family of 6 growing up, my mom used 6 chicken breasts, but Eric and I eat less meat (rice is cheaper, you know ;) - usually one chicken breast for every two people, so we would only use three chicken breasts to feed 6 people. it just depends on what you want.)

-2 tsp. chili powder

-1 jar salsa (the medium size ones)

-1 cup water

-2 cups minute rice

-1 cup cheddar cheese (and/or mozzarella cheese)

Cut chicken into cubes and cook in skillet. Add chili powder, salsa, and water once chicken is cooked. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmer for 10 minutes. Return to boil and stir in rice. Cook for 5 minutes or until rice is done. Sprinkle with cheese and cover. Cook for five more minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and guacamole, if desired.

Oreo Cookies

So I've had these lots of times, but never made them myself until yesterday. This recipe was so simple, I couldn't resist. They were way good.

Ingredients:

Devils Food cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 c flour
1/2 c oil

Mix ingredients together. Roll into balls. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Put two cookies together with cream cheese frosting.

Chicken Divan

Here is a recipe that we all enjoy! Even the kids! Hope you do too!

chicken ( I usually do 2 chicken breasts) cooked and cubed
broccoli ( steam enough to cover bottom of 8x8 pan)
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 t lemon juice
1/4 t curry powder
cheddar cheese, shredded (however much you like!)
bread crumbs
rice

Layer broccoli on the bottom of a 8x8 pan followed by a layer of chicken. Heat soup, sour cream, lemon juice, curry powder in a pan just heated through. Add cheese and stir until melted. Pour mixture over chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Put in oven, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve over cooked rice!

Peanut Butter Bars

So, I've been trying to think of a "real" recipe to share - you know, like an entree, something with substance. :) But, last night Julie convinced me to put up this recipe. It's one of the easiest and yummiest things in the world. So here you go:

Peanut Butter Bars

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 1/4 cups pwd. sugar

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 T shortening

-Melt butter and peanut butter in medium bowl in microwave on high for 1-2 minutes.

-Stir in crumbs and sugar -mixture should be very stiff.

-Press mixture in greased 8x8 square pan.

-Melt chocolate chips and shortening in microwave for 2-3 mins at medium power

(Note: this timing really depends on your microwave! Don't burn the chocolate chips! I ALWAYS do it for 2 mins on 50% power in my microwave, but last night I burned them doing that in Mom and Dad's microwave. I redid it in theirs and it only took 40 secs on full power. So, take it slow and watch them.)

-Spread chocolate mixture over peanut butter mixture and chill.

-Cool completely before cutting.

Apple Dip

So I thought about taking the credit for this recipe, but then I had a temple recommend interview today and I was asked some question like, "Are you honest in your dealings with your fellow men?" So...this recipe is Amy's.

1 8 oz package of cream cheese (I use reduced fat and it tastes awesome)
1 tsp vanilla
Brown Sugar to taste (I use about 3/4 cup)

Eat with freshly sliced apples!

Black Bean Soup

I got this recipe from a friend in Houston and it has been a favorite ever since! It is so yummy. You have to try it. We like to eat it with Fritos and cheddar cheese on top, but normal tortilla chips are good too. It is pretty easy to make-- it just takes a few minutes to chop the onion and cilantro. Besides that, it's a cinch.

Black Bean Soup

Saute:

1 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp oil
2 garlic cloves

Stir in:

2 cans black beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
1/2 cup salsa verde (I've used regular salsa if I don't have salsa verde. It works great.)
1/4 cup water

Boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Add:

1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp lime juice

Simmer for a few more minutes, then add cilantro and sour cream.

(I add a TON of cilantro-- that stuff rocks-- and just a few spoonfuls of sour cream. YUM YUM YUM.)