Chocolate Cake (extremely moist and rich)

This is the recipe I used for Truman's lightning mcqueen birthday cake.



1 pkg chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs (beaten)
1 pkg (large, but small works too) chocolate pudding
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup sour cream (vanilla or plain yogurt works too)

Mix well and follow baking directions on pkg of cake mix

Chicken Pot Pie

I was tinkering around in the kitchen last night with some extra veggies I had which I needed to use up, and I came up with what may be the most perfect chicken pot pie recipe I've ever eaten.

Ingredients:
2-3 cups shredded chicken
2 large leeks finely chopped
3 carrots, shredded
3-4 pieces of celery finely chopped
1/2 stick butter
3 Tbsp. corn starch
2-3 cups chicken broth
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
Double crust for a deep-dish pie (I just bought Pillsbury in the refrigerator section at the grocery store)
Red Wine Vinegar

Instructions:
Mix the leeks, celery, carrots, and butter in a large pan and sautee' with the butter. If you want to throwin in some peas or potatoes that would work as well, although I didn't have any on hand last night so I didn't include them.
When everything is cooked, whisk the corn starch with a small ammount of chicken broth to get rid of any lumps, and then add the mixture plus all of the additional chicken broth to the sauteed veggies. Simmer on low to medium heat until the whole thing thickens, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of your pan.
Meanwhile, prepare a deep dish pie pan by spreading the bottom pie crust evenly in the pan.
In a large bowl, mix the thickened veggie/gravy mixture with the shredded chicken. Drizzle with Red Wine Vinegar to taste. I like the balance of the sour vinegar with the sweet veggies and chicken, and I think this is really what made the recipe stand out for me. I only added a quarter cup or less, but trust me, it works. Pour the finished filling into the pie crust, and cover with the top crust. Crimp the edges, trim the crust, cut a few vents to let out the steam, then brush with a mixture of 1 egg beaten with 3 tbsp. water (it makes your crust shiny and goldeny brown).
Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until the crust looks flaky and golden.
Cool, serve, and enjoy
This was so good that we barely had any leftovers, and since the veggies were sliced up so small even my veggie-phobic 7 year old gulped his down. I had the rest for lunck today and I drizzled a little more vinegar over it. It was divine.

Chicken Masala

This is a hybrid of two recipes, one from Bon Appetit magazine, one from Allrecipes.com.  I ate so much it made my belly hurt. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (I used dried)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garam masala*
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1 large garlic clove, pressed
• 3 chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 small onions, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slice
•  
  Sauce
  1 tablespoon butter
  1 clove garlic, minced
  2 teaspoons ground cumin
  2 teaspoons paprika
  3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
  1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  1 cup heavy cream
   
  Mix yogurt, chopped cilantro, olive oil, garam masala, salt, and garlic in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add chicken to marinade, 1 piece at a time, coating all sides. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.
  Position racks in top third and bottom third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Arrange onions in thin layer on large rimmed baking sheet to form bed for chicken. Top with chicken pieces in single layer, spacing apart for even roasting (chicken will still be coated with marinade). Discard remaining marinade.  Roast chicken on top rack until cooked through and juices run clear when thickest portion of thigh is pierced with knife, about 35 mins.
  Meanwhile, melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.  Serve with chicken over rice.

 

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie
adapted from the Joy of Cooking

Ingredients

6 large potatoes, rinsed, peeled (unless using Yukon golds where you can leave skin on) quartered
Salt
3 tablespoons butter, divided, 2 tablespoons kept chilled
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup frozen chopped onion
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 pound raw ground turkey
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup beef or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme


1. Put the potato chunks in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, add a teaspoon or so of salt, and cook until tender but not waterlogged, 10-15 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain the potatoes. Return them to the pot and cook over low heat for a minute to remove excess water. Then mash with a potato masher, adding the cooking water along with 1 tablespoon butter and salt and pepper to taste. Beat with a wooden spoon until fluffy.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over a medium-low flame. When hot, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 15 minutes.
3. Increase the heat to medium and add the meat. Cook raw meat for about 10 minutes, stirring and breaking it up with a wooden spoon; brown leftover meat for about 5 minutes, stirring for even coloration. Spoon off any fat. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the stock, herbs, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
4. Spread the meat in a 9-inch pie plate or baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top, making irregular peaks with the tines of a fork. Chop the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter into small pieces and scatter over the top. Bake in the preheated oven until browned and heated all the way through, 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving in the baking dish.

Note: When using a gas oven, I usually have to cover with tin foil until the last ten minutes or else the tips burn.

Brownie Pudding Cake

I used to make a similar recipe but lost it a while ago.  After being struck with a major craving for it the other day, I found this recipe through Google on another cooking blog.  It is seriously DIVINE!  Same basic concept as the one I used to make- but SO much better.  The cinnamon is such an awesome touch!  It is super easy, but decadent and impressive.  It's a bittersweet cake, so definitely serve it with powdered sugar or ice cream on top .  Love it!

*Recipe and photo courtesy Sara's Kitchen

Brownie Pudding Cake

Ingredients

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

----

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 3/4 cups boiling water

1/4 cup cocoa

----

powdered sugar, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch square baking dish or round souffle dish. Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and 1/3 cup cocoa in medium bowl. Add milk, butter and vanilla, stir until just blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared dish.

Combine brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa in small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over batter. Pour boiling water over entire mixture; do not stir.

Bake 35 to 38 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the top layer comes out clean. Cool at least 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Garlic and Parmesan Mashed Red Potatoes

These are SO delicious and So easy!  They are going to be my new go-to mashed potatoes.  They're just like you get at a nice restaurant.  And I can imagine they're super versatile- add more herbs and spices, different kinds of cheese, whatever.  YUM!

Recipe by Valerie Mitchell - Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 8 medium red potatoes, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk, warmed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender. Drain well. Add the butter, milk and salt; mash. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

*Okay- I only had 6 medium red potatoes, so I used a little less garlic and cheese.  I also combined the Parmesan with some leftover Pecorino cheese I had, so I didn't add much salt.  Then I forgot I was reducing and still added the 1/2 cup of milk- but I loved how creamy they turned out.  I added the garlic cloves to the water like the recipe says to do, but I sliced them in half first. I'll try mincing them next time and adding after the boil to see how that changes the flavor.  As you can see- it's a forgiving recipe!  Play with it and make it perfect for your taste!

Carrot Cake

Laurie's Amazing Carrot Cake

6 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups raisins
4 1/2 cups grated carrots
3 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 1/4 tsp salt
3 teaspoons soda
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Prepare pans:
2- 9 inch round cake pans

Beat the eggs, oil and buttermilk together in a large bowl. Grind the pecans and raisins in a food processor with a metal blade. Pulse until chopped into very small pieces. Mix in grated carrots. Add all of the dry ingredients, including the nuts and raisins to the wet ingredients. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Pour into greased and floured pans, lined with parchment or wax paper. Only fill pans 3/4 full. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour if using 10 inch Spring form pans, about 45 minutes for round pans. Test with toothpick to see if done before removing from oven. After removing from oven, wrap each layer individually with saran wrap and place in freezer while still warm. Remove after cake is cooled and frozen, and apply one layer of frosting. Layer the cake on a platter. Return to freezer. Let cake refreeze until frosting is firm. Remove and frost outer sides and top of cake again. At this point you can either place back in freezer until ready to use, or let sit out to thaw. If making the cake in advance, cover when frosting is hardened and store in freezer. On day of serving, remove cake from freezer at least three hours before serving. You may decorate with lemon leaves around base of cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cube butter, not margarine
8 oz. cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice instead)
pinch salt
about 6 cups powdered sugar
cream or milk to thin, about 3 tablespoons

Cream the butter and cream cheese. Add flavoring, salt and about 3 cups of powdered sugar. Mix well. Add rest of powdered sugar and milk or cream to desired consistency. Frost as directed. If you are making 4 layers, I 1/2 this recipe again so you will have enough to frost all four cakes. If making either 2 -10 inch spring form cakes, or just frosting 2- 9 inch cakes, and keeping the smaller 8 inch cakes in the freezer for later use, one batch of frosting is enough.

Chicken Thai Sate Wraps

Quick, easy and a healthy dinner that can be served warm for dinner and cold for tomorrows lunch.

1 c. matchstick carrots
1/3 c. chopped scallions
2/3 c. coconut milk
1 +  T. soy sauce
1 + T. rice vinegar
3 T. peanut butter
1 t. curry powder
1/8 t. red pepper
2 c. shredded or cubed chicken, cooked
tortillas
finely chopped cabbage or angel hair slaw

Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat & coat in cooking spray. Add carrots and scallions; saute 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk and next 5 ingredients. Cook for 1 minute. Add and coat chicken. Serve on tortilla's with cabbage.
Can be served hot or cold.

** This is the original recipe but I am always adding a little more or less of the vinegar, milk soy sauce, and peanut butter. So make it to your taste! If you follow the recipe it turns out wonderful too!

sweet and sour chicken

... from simplerecipes.com

This recipe is great! Super easy and healthy.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" chunks
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 10-ounce can pineapple chunks (reserve juice)
• 1/4 cup juice from the canned pineapple
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
• 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Method

1 In a bowl, combine the chicken with the egg white, salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
2 In the meantime, whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt, and brown sugar.
3 Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates. Pour in the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. It's important that the pan is very hot. Add the chicken and spread the chicken out in one layer. Let the chicken fry, untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned. Flip and fry the other side the same for 1 minute. The chicken should still be pinkish in the middle. Dish out the chicken onto a clean plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
4 Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Let the oil heat up and then add the bell pepper chunks and ginger. Fry for 1 minute. Add the pineapple chunks and the sweet and sour sauce. Turn the heat to high and when the sauce is simmering, add the chicken pieces back in. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Timing depends on how thick you've cut your chicken. The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to take a piece out and cut into it. If it's pink, add another minute to the cooking.
Taste the sauce and add more brown sugar if you’d like.
Serves 4.

wonderful tortilla soup

Tonight I made a delicious soup that tasted so wonderful! It was so nice to eat a healthy, light and fresh meal after all the holiday calories! Bryan loved it too ... so it got put in the recipe box :)

Delicious Tortilla Soup from simplerecipes.com

• 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, preferably a little old and dried out
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil, peanut oil, other high smoke-point oil
• 1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium Anaheim, poblano or jalapeño chile, seeded, veins removed, chopped (Depending on the hotness and flavor desired. You can also mix chiles - 1 Anaheim and a half jalapeño.) **
• 4 cups chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (recommended Muir Glen fire-roasted)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 ripe medium avocado
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz) (or other mild, melting cheese)
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

1 If you are starting with somewhat old, dried out tortillas, great. If not and you are starting with relatively fresh tortillas, put them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 200°F for 10-15 minutes to dry them out a bit. It is best to start with tortillas that don't have a lot of moisture in them. Cut tortillas in half; cut halves into 1/4-inch strips. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry strips in oil, 1/3 at a time, until light brown and crisp. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels. Reserve.
2 Heat oil remaining in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion in oil 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and chile; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in broth, tomatoes and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken; heat until hot.
3 To serve, peel and pit the avocado. Cut into 1-inch slices. Divide half of tortilla strips among 4 individual serving bowls; ladle in soup. Top with avocado and cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Serves 4.

** Bryan and I do not like hot soups so instead of using a real chile, I just bought a can of the Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes with chiles. It brought a perfect amount of spice to the soup. I would recommend the Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes ... they just taste so much better than regular "del monte" tomoatoes in this soup! Also, I didn't have time to make my own tortilla strips so I just used a hearty tortilla chip and it was great!

I love new recipes and finding a recipe that I can use again! This will turn into a staple dish for me :)

My Dad's Taco Casserole

I remember one very distinct time that my dad made this. I must have been about 4 years old; my dad, brother and I were living in condo in Orem and we were having someone over for dinner. The casserole went around the table and everyone helped themselves. When it came to my turn, I dished some of the casserole onto my plate then promptly stuck the serving spoon into my mouth, not wanting to miss out on the good stuff that was left on it. I then received a very stern lecture from my dad on why we do not put the serving spoons in our mouths. My dad left the table to get a clean serving spoon for our guest. I felt pretty silly, needless to say. Anyway, I really enjoy this casserole and hope that your family likes it as well.

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp crushed garlic

18 5 1/2 in round corn tortillas

1 bag frozen corn

2 cups shredded cheese (I use either cheddar, colby jack, or Monterey jack. If you want some heat, pepper jack would be good.)

Chopped tomotoes

Shredded lettuce

Salsa

Sour Cream

Guacamole

Preheat oven to 375.

Cook the ground beef with the spices and garlic until cooked through. Drain Add the two cans of tomato sauce and re-season if necessary.

Spoon a little of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Lay down 6 tortillas on the top of the sauce (they will overlap). Add about 1/3 of the remaining sauce on top of the tortillas, sprinkle on some frozen corn and cheese and the next layer of 6 tortillas. Add another 1/3 of the sauce, more corn and cheese and a final layer of tortillas. Cover the top layer with the remaining sauce and cheese and put it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes.

Serve with your favorite taco toppings, and don’t lick the serving spoon.

This recipe could easily feed 8-10 people. I always cook too much. So, if you don’t need that much, just cut it in half and put the casserole together in a smaller dish.

Deconstructed Chicken and Rice

My Love-Hate Relationship with Chicken & Rice

I love Chicken & Rice; creamy rice with perfectly seasoned chicken all cooked together in a savory casserole. Done right, it is yummy comfort food that can satisfy the most ferocious hunger. The key phrase here is “done right”. I’ve made some version of chicken and rice more times than I care to count, and maybe, just maybe, it’s turned out perfectly one or two times. Part of the rice gets over cooked and mushy; some of the rice is still crunchy and hard. If by some miracle, I managed to get the rice cooked just right, the chicken is still raw! AARRRGH!!!

So, instead of putting uncooked rice, mushroom soup and chicken all together to bake. I’ve deconstructed the dish and it always turns out (finally)!

Baked Chicken with Rice Pilaf and Chicken Cream Sauce

Serves 6-8

4 large chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

Kosher Salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

onion powder

Italian Seasoning

Cayenne pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil

2 cups of uncooked long-grain white rice

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 stalks of celery, chopped

4 carrots, peeled and chopped into half circles

4 cups of water

4 teaspoons of chicken bouillon

Drippings from baked chicken

Flour

Milk

Chicken bouillon

Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare a baking pan with aluminum foil if desired. Rinse the chicken and pat dry; place in baking pan and season with salt, pepper,onion powder, Italian seasoning, and a dash of cayenne pepper (if desired).

Bake at 375 for about 30-45 minutes or until done.

While the chicken is baking away in the oven, place the oil, onion, celery and carrots in a pot and saute vegetables until the onions begin to become transparent. Add the rice and stir well. Dissolve the chicken bouillon in the water and add to the rice and vegetables, bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to low. Cook for about 20-30 minutes or until there is no more water in the pot and the rice is tender.

Once the chicken is done, place it on a cutting board or plate and cover with foil. Drain all the juices and fat out of the baking dish into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce and add enough flour to make a thin paste. Slowly, add cold milk to the flour mixture all little at a time and stir constantly. The sauce will thicken, as it does, slowly add more milk until the sauce reaches desired consistency. Add chicken bouillon and pepper to taste.

Uncover the chicken, and carve off the bone.

To serve, place rice on a place, top with chicken and smother in sauce.

Aunt Glenda's Amazing White Bean Chicken Chili

This recipe is SO good!  And so easy!  I used fat free, low sodium broth, fat free sour cream, and low fat cheese, and it still turned out great!  I also just baked a few plain pieces of chicken with the dinner I made the night before so I had cooked chicken ready to go.  It made the prep time next to nothing.  Try serving it with cornbread and jam- delicious!  And so good leftover too.

AUNT GLENDA'S AMAZING WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (cooked and shredded)

1 tbs olive or vegetable oil

6-8 small garlic cloves (minced)

1 small onion, diced (I don't like onion so I omitted it and it was still very flavorful)

(one) 7 oz can diced green chilies

(two) 15 oz cans white beans, undrained

4 cups chicken broth

1 tsp chicken bouillion granules

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne (I only did a 1/2 and it gave it a medium spice level)

1 cup sour cream plus additional for topping

3 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

fresh cilantro

1- cook chicken and tear into pieces

2- heat oil in large pot over medium, add onion and garlic and sautee until flavor is released

3- add broth, beans, chilies and spices, and simmer 35 to 40 minutes

4- add sour cream and cheese and cook til cheese is melted (this sounded weird to me to add the cheese instead of just serve it with cheese, but it's what really thickens it up)

Serve in bowls with extra sour cream and cilantro

Butter Sage Sauce (For Pasta)

Pumpkin ravioli was on sale this week (from FreshDirect) and I found this recipe to top it with.  It was seriously to die for!  It was VERY rich with the pumpkin ravioli (which had Amaretti biscuits ground up inside it btw!), so in the future I will make several sides to go with it or do it as an appetizer.  But, Oh. My. Gosh.  Enjoy!

Butter and Sage Sauce                                                                         Recipe Courtesy Mario Batali on Food Network

Ingredients

• Pasta, of choice
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 8 sage leaves
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

While your pasta cooks, melt butter in a 12 to 14-inch saute pan and continue cooking until golden brown color ("noisette") appears in the thinnest liquid of the butter. Add sage leaves and remove from heat. Add lemon juice and set aside. Drain the pasta, but leaving some cooking water, and gently pour into saute pan and return to heat. Add the cheese, toss to coat and serve immediately.

Chinese dish

Ingredient:

-1 chopped onion
-2 sticks of chopped celery
-4-5 chopped carrots
-chopped cashew nuts or walnuts (optional)
-1 lb of chicken breast
-2 sliced raw potatoes
-any other vegetables you'd like to add
-2 eggs
-1 Tbsp olive oil
-2 Tbsp of rice vinegar
-soy sauce

Directions: saute onions and celery in olive oil and add cut up chicken breast. Sprinkle chicken seasoning in pan and fry chicken until it's brown. Add 1/4 cup of water, sliced potatoes, carrots, and any other vegetable. Cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes on medium-low. Add 2 eggs and cook until done. Add rice vinegar, cooked noodles, chopped nuts, and soy sauce.

If you can't tell this is one of my made up meals that happened to turn out great!

(This meal is a great way to use up left over spaghetti noodles. Whenever we have spaghetti I either cook way too many spaghetti noodles or not enough.)

Chicken enchiladas

I haven't been a faithful poster on this blog (or on any blog for that matter), but I'm stepping out today for my first blog post on this site.

I get so many of my recipes at allrecipes.com, and as long as I stick to the 4-5 star rated recipes (that have more than 3 people rating them) I've been pleased with the results. If you are not familiar with this site, you should be. You can even (all free) create your own recipe box on the site with your favorites so you don't have to search each time for that great cookie recipe you make last summer.

Anyway, one of the very best recipes I've found is Angela's Awesome Enchiladas found here: Angela's Awesome Enchiladas

I used green enchilada sauce instead of red enchilada sauce that the recipe calls for and I can't imagine anything yummier! It's the spices in the chicken that make it so delicious, too! Enjoy!!!

Short cut pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

I found this recipe in a cookbook I got from my mother-in-law's ward. All of the women put in their best recipes, etc. You can whip these up in 5 minutes and they taste just the same as the longer version!


1 pkg. spice cake mix ( I didn't have a spice cake mix, so I used a carrot cake mix. My kids didn't know they were eating carrots in their cookies)

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin

chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together and bake @ 350 for 15 to 18 minutes. These cookies need to look done to be done. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Berry Granola

This granola is so easy to make, very healthy and super delicious! My neighbor Carrie gave me the recipe and I have added my own ideas as I have experimented with it. Carrie is a health nut with 7 kids so she wanted something the kids would eat, but not know they were getting a good dose of fiber and protien at the same time. The only thing she could not replace with something better was the sweetened condensed milk. It has sugar,but not too much. The canned milk is really the key that makes this granola different than the other recipes that use oil and other sweeteners. Tip: Buy the ingredients in bulk so that you always have everything on hand to whip up a batch. I try to make it every Sunday and bag it up in small portions for my family to grab and go through out the week.


1 cup grape nuts
3 cups oats (health food stores have 7 grain oat blends in the bulk bins-best for nutrition)
1 cup small grain cereal (health food stores sell these, you usually add hot water to eat these by themselves, it is like cream of wheat or malt o meal. You can do a flax cereal or whatever, just choose a smaller grain texture)
1 cup nuts ( I use slivered almonds or you could use cashews, etc.)
1 cup dried berries ( I use a 3 blend of cranberry, tart cherry and blueberry. I find it at Sam"s Club or Costco and it is delicious)
1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or not, your choice)

Add later:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp almond extract
Dark chocolate chips (optional, but to die for in this!)

Mix all of these ingredients in large bowl. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. I use ground saigon cinnamon. It is very flavorful, more like a cinnamon bear. Stir and sprinkle generously again. You really can't over do the cinnamon.

In a separate large bowl, pour in a can of sweetened condensed milk. Add 1 tsp. of almond extract. Stir. Microwave 2 minutes straight in the microwave. The bowl is large so that the milk will not boil over in your microwave. Take out and stir. Pour over the dry ingredients. Stir well to coat all of it.

Spread out evenly on a large cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Wait until cooled slightly but just a bit warm to remove from pan. The longer it cools, the more it hardens to the pan. Use a spatula. I usually put the granola right into ziplock bags while slightly warm and leave the bags open a few minutes until it cools completely. Once cooled, I put a small handful of dark chocolate chips into each bag, seal them and shake to mix. Granola is fabulous and soft right out of the oven and the next day as well. By day 3 and beyond it stays good in the bagies but becomes more like the crunchy granola to add milk to or put on yogurt etc. Enjoy

Manicotti Alla Romana

Michael took care of me all weekend since I had the flu, so I made him this as a thank you. It was a lot of work, but very good in the end. I made the red sauce from scratch.

Manicotti Alla Romana

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• salt to taste
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (12 ounce) package manicotti shells
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent. Saute garlic for 1 minute and stir in ground beef. Cook until well browned and crumbled. Season with salt and set aside to cool.
2. Cook spinach according to package directions. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add manicotti shells and parboil for half of the time recommended on the package. Drain and cover with cool water to stop the cooking process and prevent the shells from cracking.
3. To the ground beef mixture add the cooked spinach and ricotta cheese. When the mixture is cool, add the beaten eggs. Spread 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently drain the manicotti shells and carefully stuff each one with the meat and cheese mixture; place shells in prepared dish. Lightly cover the dish with plastic wrap or a clean, damp towel to prevent shells from cracking.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
5. Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and chicken bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in half and half and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Pour or ladle the sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.
6. Stir the basil into the remaining spaghetti sauce. Carefully pour or ladle spaghetti sauce over the white sauce, trying to layer the sauces without mixing.
7. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.

Coca-Cola Crock Pot BBQ Beef Sandwiches

1 c. Coca Cola
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. chili powder
a dash or two of cayenne pepper

1 1/2 lbs boneless beef roast or stew meat (cut into small cubes)
Your favorite BBQ sauce

 

Hamburger buns

butter

Garlic salt

Cheddar cheese

Instructions

Combine first 5 ingredients.  Add beef to crock pot (use a liner for easier clean up) and cover with coke mixture.  Add more coke to top if beef isn't covered well enough. Cover and cook 5 to 7 hours on low heat setting. Transfer meat to cutting board or bowl and shred.  Mix in BBQ sauce to desired taste.  Cover and keep warm.  Butter hamburger buns, cover one side of bun with cheese, and sprinkle garlic salt over the other side.  Broil or toast in oven until cheese is bubbly and edges begin to crisp.  Top with meat and enjoy!

*The meat is delicious without the BBQ sauce too- you can use it as it is for steak tacos or enchiladas, or make a stew by adding carrots and potatoes the first night, and then add the BBQ sauce to the leftover meat the next day.