Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temperature
2/3 cup peanut butter (creamy)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

2 2/3 cup flour
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 bag milk chocolate chips (maybe less. and try using half PB chips!)


Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla together until smooth. Combine flour, soda and salt and add to butter mixture. Fold in chocolate chips with a wooden spoon (I confess I still use my mixer, but I just do a quick mix so that I don’t overwork the dough).
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Just cook until they start to brown and then take them out and let them cool a few minutes on pan before transferring.

I got this recipe from the Sisters Cafe

Frank's Red Hot Chicken Salad..

I got this recipe from the Sisters Cafe. It is really good, but I would use the 3LBs Chicken if you use less it will be spicier.

12 oz bottle Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (Original, cayenne pepper sauce)
1 bag of chicken breasts (3 lb)

tortilla chips
lettuce
tomatoes
shredded cheese
guacamole
ranch or bleu cheese salad dressing

Dump bag of frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot. Pour bottle of hot sauce over chicken. Cook on Low for 7 or 8 hours. At dinner time, take breasts out of the liquid and shred. Serve on a bed of tortilla chips along with other ingredients. YUM!

Buttermilk Syrup

This is seriously so good my family practically licked the pan clean! I would use a really big sauce pan because the baking soda makes it really bubbly. It goes down after it is done cooking.

• 1/2 cup butter


• 1 cup sugar


• 1 cup buttermilk


• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla


• 1 Tablespoon corn syrup


• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon


• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. Bring butter, sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, corn syrup and cinnamon to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.


2. Once simmering, whisk in baking soda and cook for 10 seconds before removing from heat. Serve warm.


3. Also I made it before I started on the waffles and that way I could watch it and make sure it doesn't burn or boil over. It was still hot when we ate dinner.

Toasted Marshmallow Shake

Okay So I meant to take a picture but the shake didn't last long enough! One minute I had a cup full of yummy marshmallow goodness and the next I had a empty cup. I got this recipe from my Spike Mendelsohn : The Good Stuff Cookbook. He was on Top Chef and it is a great cookbook, it has tons of recipes for burgers, fries, shakes, and lots of other yummy stuff.

• So you will need:


• 1 -16 ounce bag Jumbo Marshmallows


• 2 Cups whole milk


• 2 Cups creamy vanilla Ice cream


• 1 Tablespoon sour cream


• Serves 4

Preheat the broiler. Reserve 4 marshmallows for garnish. So spread out remaining marshmallows on baking sheet in a single layer. Place the baking sheet under the broiler and cook, stirring once or twice, until completely charred, 2-3. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Repeat with the remaining 4 marshmallows, but cook just until toasted slightly golden, about 1 minute. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Add the Milk, ice cream, sour cream, and burnt marshmallows to a blender. Blend for 5 minutes. Pour into four 8 ounce glasses and garnish each glass with a golden marshmallow.

Cream Tacos

Okay so this recipe is a little more like a casserole, but it was very good and sounds super quick and easy to assemble. A friend in our ward here (Arizona born and raised) brought it to us for dinner and said it's a family classic she grew up with. She quickly told me how to make it and so here's my version of what she told me. Enjoy!

Brown 1 lb. of ground beef (drain)

Mix in the following:

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can green chilies

1 soup can of milk

Stir and simmer until everything is warm and incorporated.

Meanwhile, take approximately 1 dozen corn tortillas wrapped in a damp paper towel inserted in a ziploc bag and steam them in the microwave until softened.

Then, is a casserole dish layer tortillas, meat mixture, and then shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat layers until pan is full and ingredients are gone.

Put in the over for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until everything is warmed and melted.

We ate ours with shredded lettuce on top for some extra crunch and another veggie.

Crazy Good Enchiladas

The Best Chicken Enchiladas

Okay I got this recipe off a cooking blog. I sat at the table (per my bed rest condition) and Matt and I made them together. It was perfect combination of his love of red sauce and mine of green. We tweaked a couple of ingredients and our tweaks are in the below recipe. Anyway, it's a little different, some extra work, but really tasty...at least for us.

Ingredients
4 boneless chicken breasts or 8 chicken tenders
1 TBS olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of skillet)
1 small red onion, diced
1 jalapeno diced and seeded
1 can of red enchilada sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
2 cups Pepper Jack cheese, grated

2 cups Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

4.5 oz. diced green chilies (I ran them through the food processor)

1 jar of salsa verde
10 flour tortillas
2 cups whipping cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Boil chicken. Once cooked shred with a fork.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet at medium-high heat. Then brown chicken, onion, garlic. Cook until onions soften.

3. Stir in 1/2 of the red endhilada sauce and salt. Stir until the red enchilada sauce has covered the chicken then add in jalapenos, green chilies, all of the salsa verde sauce and 1/2 of the Pepper Jack and ½ of the Sharp cheddar cheese. Mix all ingredients until well blended and the cheese has started to melt. Remove from heat.

4. Warm tortillas in the microwave for 20 seconds. (wrap in a dampened paper towel).

5. To assemble the enchiladas dip the tortillas in whipping cream, place them in a greased baking dish, add a large scoop of chicken mixture and then roll, placing seam-side down. Repeat until all tortillas are filled.

6. Next pour the remaining whipping cream and red enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. Cover with remaining Pepper Jack and sharp Cheddar cheese.

7. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
24 candy pumpkins (optional)

Directions
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, pumpkin, oil and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cloves; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
For frosting, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spread over cake; garnish with candy pumpkins. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Yield: 24 serving

Cajun Chicken Pasta

*Picture by the Pioneer Woman*
I got this recipe off of www.thepioneerwoman.com and made it tonight and it was seriously sooooo good! My husband had thirds! It says it takes about 30 minutes to make, but it took me between 45 minutes and an hour. Well worth it though. We have tons of leftovers too.

Servings: 6
Ingredients
3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes
3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
1 pound Fettuccine
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
½ whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
½ cups White Wine (I just used more chicken broth)
1 cup Heavy Cream
Cayenne Pepper To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
Salt To Taste
Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a big heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley and chow down!

Short Ribs

I got this recipe off of the Campbell's website and then I changed a few things.

1. 6 serving sized pieces beef short ribs (about 3 pounds) I think you could add a few more.
2. 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3. 3 cloves garlic minced
4. 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves crushed (I used about half that with ground thyme)
5. 1/4 cup all purpose flour
6. 1 can campbells condensed french onion soup
7. 1 bottle (12 fluid ounces) dark ale, I used coke

I added 1 can campbells cream mushroom soup

Place the brown sugar, garlic, thyme and flour at the bottom of a 5 quart slow cooker mix ingredients and then add the short ribs and toss to coat them.

Stir the onion soup and coke in a bowl and mix then add cream mushroom soup and mix and pour over ribs in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. or on high for 4- 5 hours.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

It made the best gravy for the potaotes and my family couldn't get enough of it. Also the meat was really tender. Very Yummy!!!!

Rich Chocolate Frosting

(courtesy of Amy Via from Allrecipes.com)

1 cup butter (no substitutions), softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder (I prefer Hershey's)
1/2 cup milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter & vanilla. Sift powdered sugar and cocoa powder together. Gradually beat in powdered sugar & cocoa to the creamed butter. Add enough milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Don't add the milk before you get all the powdered sugar and cocoa in the mix...it will make the frosting runny. I frosted a 9 inch- 2 layer cake in the middle and the outside and there was some to spare. This is so good!

Chicken Salad

(Courtesy of Paula Deen)

2 Tbs. Lemon juice
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3 1/2 cups finely diced cooked chicken (about 2 breasts)
2 stalks finely diced celery
3 green onions sliced thin

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, mayo, salt & pepper. Toss with the chicken, celery, and onions. Serve on bread or croissant rolls.

Paula Deen's original recipe calls for 1/3 cup slivered almonds and no onions. I really like the onions and think it needs them. I also wasn't sure about the lemon juice, but I think it's what makes the recipe better (than others I have tried) and it doesn't have a lemon taste at all. I cooked the chicken in the slow cooker with water, salt & pepper for a few hours until it would shred easily. I Love this chicken salad!

French Toast Casserole (this is made the night before)

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)

Butter, for pan

8 large eggs

2 cups half-and-half

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash salt

Praline Topping, recipe follows



Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch thick each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.



In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.



The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with syrup or strawberry sauce.



Praline Topping:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter



1 cup packed light brown sugar



1 cup chopped pecans



2 tablespoons light corn syrup



1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon



1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg



Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread over bread as directed above.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree,canned or fresh

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

2 eggs,lightly beaten

1 cup evaporated milk,undiluted

2 Tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 unbaked pie shell (9inches)

Combine pumpkin,sugar,salt,spices,and flour in medium mixing bowl. Add eggs,mix well. Add evaporated milk,water and vanilla, mix well. Pour into pastry lined pie pan.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake about 35 minutes or until center is set.

After the first 15 minutes of baking I covered the edge of my pie crust with foil so the crust didn't burn.

This pie was good warm, but was even better cold!

Fruit Tart

CRUST

6-tablespoons butter softened

1/4- cup sugar

1-cup flour

2-tablespoon cornmeal

2-tablespoon lemon juice

in a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in flour, cornmeal, and lemon juice to form a ball of dough. Press onto bottom and up sides of a greased 9 inch tart pan with removeable bottom. Bake at 425 for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Leave in pan and cool completely.

*Also we mixed the dough in a food processor,think Martha Stuart. Thanks mom for teaching me that trick.

FILLING

1-package (8ounces) cream cheese softened

3-tablespoons sugar

2-tablespoons milk

2-cups fresh assorted fruit

For Filling beat cream cheese, sugar, and milk until smooth. Spread over cooled crust. Arrange berries or fruit over filling. Refrigerate while preparing glaze.

FRUIT GLAZE

1/3- cup apricot nectar (or Peach)

2-Tablespoon sugar

1 &1/2-teaspoons cornstartch

2-teaspoons lemon juice

For fruit glaze, in a small saucepan, combine nectar,sugar, and cornstartch. Cook stirring until mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Cool; brush or drizzle over fruit. Refridgerate for 1 hour before serving. Refridgerate any leftovers. This is a very yummy treat and really easy to make.

I got this from a Taste of Home cook book.

February Taster's Night - Chocolate!

PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIES submitted by Julie Roberts

Make Brownies (I use a mix) for first layer. Let them cool.

2nd layer:
1 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1tsp vanilla

mix together and spread evenly over brownies

3rd layer:
melt 4-5 semi sweet chocolate squares
with 1/2 stick of butter

stir and poor on top of peanut butter.

I refrigerate to have the choc. harden!

Really easy and yummy!!


Serves 16. Published December 14, 2006.

Although you can substitute natural cocoa for Dutch-processed, the cake won't rise as high. If you don't have baking spray with flour, mix 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon cocoa into a paste and brush inside the pan.
CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE
This recipe was published in The Best Light Recipe. Submitted by Elizabeth Nielsen

Ingredients

Nonstick baking spray with flour
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (2 1/4 ounces)
1 cup boiling water
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups packed light brown sugar (14 ounces)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Confectioners' sugar , for dusting

Instructions
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the inside of a standard 12-cup bundt pan with the nonstick baking spray



2. Combine the chocolate and cocoa in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the chocolate mixture, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk the chocolate mixture until smooth, then set aside to cool slightly, about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.



3. Whip the melted chocolate mixture, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together until smooth, about 1 minute.
Sift half of the flour mixture over the batter and gently whisk in. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and continue to whisk the batter gently until most of the lumps are gone (do not overmix).



4. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top. Wipe any drops of batter off the sides of the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 50 to 55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking (do not overbake).



5. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely, 1 to 2 hours. When cool, dust with confectioners' sugar (if using).



PER SERVING:
Cal 320; Fat 11 g; Sat fat 2 g; Chol 25 mg; Carb 51 g; Protein 6 g; Fiber 5 g; Sodium 170 mg


CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH BROWNIES
Submitted by Stacy Eagar - courtesy of Betty Crocker

1 box Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix (with chocolate syrup pouch)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting


1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan. Make brownie mix as directed on box, using oil, water and 2 eggs. Spread in pan.
2. Make cookie mix as directed on pouch, using butter and 1 egg. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls evenly onto brownie batter; press down lightly.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Frost with frosting. For brownies, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows.

I made a chocolate ganache frosting, but any chocolate frosting recipe will work. I do have to admit that I think next time I'll skip the frosting. It's such a rich recipe...good but rich and I think I'd like it better sans frosting.

Chinese Dumplings - aka Potstickers

Happy Chinese New Year tomorrow!

Ingredients:
Dumpling Dough*
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup boiling water
Filling:
8 ounces celery cabbage (Napa cabbage)
3 tsp salt, divided
1 pound lean ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, with tops
1 TB white wine
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame oil
Dash white pepper
Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Other:
2 - 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation:
Cut the cabbage across into thin strips. Mix with 2 teaspoons salt and set aside for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, mix the celery cabbage, pork, green onions, wine, cornstarch, the remaining 1 teaaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and the white pepper.

In a bowl, mix the flour and 1 cup boiling water until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly flour surface about 5 minutes, or until smooth.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a roll 12 inches long and cut each roll into 1/2-inch slices.

Roll 1 slice of dough into a 3-inch circle and place 1 tablespoon pork mixture in the center of the circle. Lift up the edges of the circle and pinch 5 pleats up to create a pouch to encase the mixture. Pinch the top together. Repeat with the remaining slices of dough and filling.

Heat a wok or nonstick skillet until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, tilting the wok to coat the sides. If using a nonstick skillet, add 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place 12 dumplings in a single layer in the wok and fry 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.

Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook 6 to 7 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

We served a dipping sauce of Yoshida's sauce (from Costco) warmed in a pan on the stove, cut 2 green onions finely, and sprinkled in 1/2 tsp. ground ginger in and voila - a delicious dipping sauce.

Hot Chocolate Mug Cakes

Bake your favorite chocolate cake batter in individual mugs for a warming winter dessert. RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

Cooking spray
Chocolate cake batter
Marshmallow creme

1. Simply coat the insides of oven safe mugs with cooking spray, then fill the mugs halfway with chocolate cake batter. We used a mix for German chocolate cake, which is a lighter color than regular chocolate cake and looks more like hot cocoa.

2. Follow the cupcake baking instructions on the cake mix package. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Allow the cakes to cool for about 15 minutes.

3. Top each mug with a generous dollop of marshmallow creme and serve with a spoon. One cake mix makes enough batter for 12 of our mugs; if you want fewer than a dozen, bake the remaining batter in a small pan.

Navajo "Fry Bread"

3 cups Flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add 1 1/3 cups warm water. Mix well. Knead for about 5 minutes, adding a little flour if the dough is too sticky. Let dough rest for 30 minutes. Break off balls of dough and stretch into 1/4 inch circles (or you can use a rolling pin to flatten them out.) Fry in oil (about 1/4 inch in the bottom of a 10 inch frying pan), turning when you can see the bottom side turning golden brown. Drain on a pan lined with paper towels to remove excess oil. Top with honey or make a Navajo taco. Makes about 8 (six inch round) fry breads.

These are the real deal. My aunt got the recipe from a Navajo woman in New Mexico. There's no yeast in the dough and they're not sweet. They're exactly what you'd expect to get at the Flea Market.

Lindsey's Apple Dumplings

Over Christmas we updated our Eagar family cookbook. Needless to say I've been making new recipes all work. This one is very quick and fun too!

2 Granny Smith Apples

2 sticks butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 can Mountain Dew (I'm sure you could substitute Sprite/7-up if you'd prefer)

2 cans Crescent Rolls (just a sidenote - if you know me I hate Jack-in-the-Box toys because I think they're terrifying - well these stinkin pop cans are in the same category for me. Honestly, I jump and scream every time I open one. I know - I'm weird - at least I can admit it).

1 1/2 cups sugar

Cinnamon

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice into a crescent roll. Place in two rows of eight in a 9X13 buttered baking dish. Melt butter in saucepan, then add sugar. BARELY stir! The goal is to leave clumps of sugar. Add vanilla, barely stir. Pour mixture over dumplings in pan. Pour Mountain Dew around edges of pan and down the middles of the two rows. Sprinkle entire dish with cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes (my stove is gas and I had to bake it 50 minutes) - they were deliciously perfect and had just the amount of crunch on top. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

This recipe is one of those uniquely fun dishes that I think would be really fun to teach of one of my YW cooking camps.

Yummy Meatballs

Okay so I'm breaking my own rules and don't have a picture to post, but I still had to share this super easy and very tasty dish that I had at taster's night in December.

Take 24 oz. frozen meatballs (I used turkey...just as tasty...way less calories).

Put them in a crockpot and then add the following:

1 can of jellied cranberry sauce
1 jar of Heinz Chili sauce

Cook for 4 hours on low and enjoy them over rice. This meal is a great timesaver and guaranteed to please even your pickiest eater!

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

I was in the mood to try a new Thanksgiving sounding (non-pie) dessert and this turned out to be just perfect. It freezes well and would make an easy, yummy, and quick Thanksgiving day breakfast (along with Orange rolls at our house).

4 eggs

2 cups pumpkin puree

1 cup canola oil

4 cups sugar

4 1/2 cups flour

2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

4 cups cranberries , fresh (coarsely chop in food processor)

Combine the wet ingredients and then add the dry ingredients. Pour into 3-4 medium loaf pans and bake for 50-60 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Southwest Shredded Chicken 3 Bean Chili

This recipe is quick and tasty and complements the cornbread recipe below. It's a match made in heaven. I especially enjoyed that though this chili had some bite, it wasn't too spicy yet still full of flavor all at the same time.

4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 14 oz cans chicken broth
16 oz can black beans, drained
16 oz can red kidney beans, drained
16 oz can canelli beans, drained
15 oz can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
1 Tablespoon Tabasco hot sauce
1 fresh lime juiced
2 heaping Tablespoons chili powder
1 heaping Tablespoon cumin
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and shredded chicken breast; cook for 1 minute then stir in chicken broth, beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, hot sauce, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes then reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to serve.

Green Chili Cheddar Cornbread

1 Cup butter (2 sticks)
1 Cup sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ Cups flour
1 Cup cornmeal
1 ½ Tablespoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ Cup ultra gel (optional)
1 4 oz can chopped green chilies
1 16oz can creamed corn
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until well combined. Slowly add eggs until well combined. Pour in remaining ingredients in no particular order until just combined. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish or 24 muffin tins that have been sprayed with cooking spray. If baking in 9x13 inch dish bake for 25-30 minutes, if baking in muffin tins, bake for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center.

I got this recipe off the Picky Palate blogspot. It's absolutely delicious! The one suggestion I have is to make the cornbread in muffin tins rather than the pan. It's so moist and delicious that it took me a lot longer cooking time to get the center of the 9x13 pan fully cooked. But, it was worth the wait!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

PICTURE COMING SOON!


My recipe was "Pumpkin Cheesecake" from Real Simple Magazine (Nov 2008). This is actually not a cheesecake. It is called "cheesecake," but in reality it is an icebox pie shaped like a cheesecake. This is unbaked (no eggs), and it just sets up in the fridge. It has a lighter, less dense, creamy texture, not a traditional cheesecake texture. When I gave my husband a slice, he didn't like it at all. But when I said, "Don't think cheesecake...think 'PIE'", he said, "This is great pie!" It cracked me up.Pumpkin Cheesecake

For the Crust 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from 14 graham crackers) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling
1 .25-ounce envelope unflavored gelatin
1 8-ounce bar cream cheese, at room temperature
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make the CrustHeat oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan. Using a straight-sided dry measuring cup, press the mixture into the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Bake until set, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.Make and Chill the FillingSprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup boiling water. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until dissolved, about 5 minutes.Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the pumpkin, sour cream, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. Mix in the gelatin mixture until incorporated.Pour the mixture into the crust and refrigerate, covered, until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Yield: Makes 8 servings


NUTRITION PER SERVING -- CALORIES 458; FAT 29g (sat 17g); CHOLESTEROL 80mg; CARBOHYDRATE 44g; CALORIES FROM FAT 56%; SODIUM 233mg; PROTEIN 6g; FIBER 3g; SUGAR 32g


submitted by Elizabeth Nielsen

Creme Brule

Crème Brule
6-8 servings

Heat almost to a simmer:
2 c. heavy cream
In medium bowl, stir with a wooden spoon just until blended:
8 large egg yolks ½ c sugar
/or 3 large eggs (I do the 3 eggs)
Gradually stir into the cream strain through fine mesh into a large bowl. Stir in:
¾ tsp. vanilla
Pour into 6-8 4 inch custard cups or ramekins and place in a preheated water bath. Set in 250° preheated oven, bake until set but still quivery in center about 1-1 ½ hours. Remove from oven & water bath & cool to room temperature. Cover each one tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hrs or up to two days. Shortly before serving, gently blot any liquid that has formed on the surface with paper towels. Then caramelize the tops by using small kitchen blowtorch.





After it has sat in refrigerator over night.After you sprinkle sugar on top you caramelize it with a hand held torch.

As the sugar cooks it turns into this brown crispy crust. This one still needs more around the edges.
These are done, and ready to eat.

Pumpkin Caramel Corn

This was such a fun recipe to make - I mean c'mon who doesn't love caramel corn in all it's ooey goodness! :)

8 quarts of popped popcorn = 1 1/4 cups unpopped kernels

1/2 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup karo syrup

3/4 cup solid pack pumpkin

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

pinch of cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

Pop the popcorn into a large greased w/pam roasting pan. Melt butter in a medium saucepan and then add brown sugar, karo syrup, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cream of tartar. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Let boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla. Bake in roasting pan (or you can use a big bowl and greased cookie sheets) at 225 degrees for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. When it's done cooking, pour onto waxed paper/foil and stir every 5-10 minutes as it cools. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chili w/pumpkin

Submitted by Rebecca Cantwell

You will need the following ingredients:

2 large onions

4 cloves of garlic

1 large zucchini

2 large yellow squash (can substitute one small pumpkin for one of the squash)

2 large pepper of any color

2 cans diced tomatoes

4 cans black beans

3 cans kidney beans

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cumin

1 tbsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. red pepper/cayenne pepper

Dash of cinnamon

In a large pot:

Add 1 cup ow water, onion and garlic and turn on stove to medium heat. Add all the other veggies (peeled & diced), and cook for approximately 5 minutes until veggies are tender, but not yet cooked. Add cans and turn to low heat. Let simmer for1 hr.

*All the canned ingredients in this recipe are 14-15 oz. cans.*

Pumpkin Cheeseball

This cheeseball turned out quite tasty. It's an interesting assortment of ingredients that blended very nicely together. It's also festive looking as it's orange in color. The recipe doesn't call for the nuts, but the second time I made it I enjoyed rolling it in crushed pecans as pictured above.

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened - do not microwave, just let it sit out on the counter for a couple of hours

1/2 cup. solid pack pumpkin

1 jar (2 1/2 oz.) dried beef slices, chopped. This was very easy to find in the grocery store next to the canned meats. It's an ingredient I've never used before, but it was easy to work with and necessary for the salt in the cheeseball

2 cups (8 oz.) sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1 tbsp. chopped onion

Mix and form into a bowl. Roll in chopped nuts if desired and/or score the cheesball with a knife to look like a pumpkin and use a short celery stick to represent a pumpkin stem. Serve with crackers and enjoy.

Pumpkin Cobbler

I'm experimenting with new pumpkin recipes because I'm hosting a Taster's Night in October and pumpkin is the focus ingredient. This was very simple to make and quite tasty. It also looks more appealing in person than in photograph.

1 29 oz. Libby Pumpkin Puree (follow the pie directions on the back and mix the filling in one bowl).

In another bowl - mix a dry yellow cake mix with 1 cube of softened butter.

Pam spray 1 9x13 pan - pour in pumpkin puree and top with cake mix (optional - can chop some nuts and sprinkle on top).

Heat oven to 350 and bake for 1 hour.

ENJOY!

Pasta Salad

12 to 16 oz. bag tri-color rotini
1/2 green bell pepper, diced small
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 medium cucumber, peeled and cubed
4 oz cheddar cheese, cubed
1/2 container grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/4 carrot, shredded or chopped
5 oz. Wishbone Italian dressing or Ranch dressing

Boil pasta, make sure you don't over cook it. Drain and then add cold water & ice cubes to cool off, then drain again. Add the dry ranch dressing mix & bell peppers to the pasta. You can let this part sit over night or if you're eating it soon, add the rest of the ingredients right before serving. The cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes will get soggy if you let them sit too long in the dressing. I like to omit the Italian dressing and top mine with Ranch. If you plan on eating this over a couple of days, don't add the Italian dressing to the bowl, just add it when you are eating. You can make it a meal by adding some cubed grilled chicken to it. YUMMY!

Chicken Shish-Kabobs

2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes

1 medium zucchini cut into 1 inch cubes

1 red onion cut into 1 inch square pieces

1 green, red, orange or yellow bell pepper cut into 1 inch squares (or mix it up and use more than one color.)

Italian Dressing (I use Wishbone brand)

Wood or metal skewers (if you use wood, you need to soak them in a pan of water for at least an hour so they don't burn and if you use metal, spray them with cooking spray before you add the food to them.)

1. Cube chicken and place in a ziploc bag. Pour enough Italian dressing over it to coat. Let marinade for about 6 hours.

2. Cut up vegetables (make sure they're all about the same size as the chicken) and add them all to a different ziploc bag and coat with Italian dressing. Marinade for about 6 hours.

3. After everything is done marinading, alternate chicken and vegetables on skewers, making sure that you don't leave gaps on the skewer (the wood might burn between the food if it's exposed to the flames). The onions turn out best if you stack 3 layers together at a time.

4. Grill for approximately 3-4 minutes on each side on a Med-High heat, turning 3 times. The Italian dressing will turn black when you grill the kababs, but won't have a burned taste.

*These are great with the twice baked potatoes and corn on the cob.

Freezer Jam

Okay so I LOVE some good jam on a loaf of homemade bread. I've made lots of freezer jam and it always seem to be a hit and miss process for me. Sometimes it sets up, but other times it separates no matter what - even when I double the amount of sure-jell. Well, on my trip to Idaho my mom gave me this awesome product called Ultra Gel. It's AMAZING!!! There's no cooking involved at all - plus you don't have to let the jam sit out for 24 hours before freezing it. The jam will thicken within 5 minutes. My mom bought it at her health food store, but the website address is http://www.carnetfoods.com/ Again the product is called Ultra Gel - modified food starch. My mom paid $6.79 for 11.7 oz. This may sound like a lot of money, but you only use a little bit and it can be used in lots of different recipes. I've figured that it's cheaper than sure jell. Anyway, it's wonderful and delicious and without further adieu, I give you :

Never Fail Basic Freezer Jam

3 3/4 cups of fruit puree(any type you want - I just pureed mine in the food processor)
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup Ultra Gel

Combine crushed fruit, sugar and lemon juice. Gradually add Ultra Gel, stirring constantly. Let stand 5-10 minutes and stir until smooth. Add additional Ultra Gel if necessary for desired consistency (I didn't have to add any extra.). Put in plastic or glass containers and freeze immediately.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes....YUMMY!

This is a recipe that Stacy introduced our family to several years ago. We LOVE it and so does everybody else who tries it.


Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes

5 baking potatoes
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
3 T. dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (1 packet)
2 green onions, chopped

Oven Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash potatoes and poke holes in them with a knife. Place them straight on the oven rack (do not cover them with foil because you want crispy skins). Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 375 degrees. Cut each potato in half lengthwise, scoop out the middles with a small spoon and place in mixing bowl. (To save your hands from being burned, use a small hot pad to hold the potato halves when removing the middles.) Use a hand mixer to combine the middles with 1/4 cup butter and salt & pepper to taste. Stir in, with a spoon, 1 cup of the cheese, sour cream, ranch dressing mix and green onions. Spoon mixture into potato skins and place on baking sheet. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 15 more minutes.

Microwave Directions:
Wash potatoes, poke holes in them with a knife, then wrap them in plastic wrap. Cook for however long your microwave says for baked potatoes. Then cut each potato in half lengthwise, scoop out the middles with a small spoon and place in mixing bowl (the skins will be delicate, so be careful). (To save your hands from being burned, use a small hot pad to hold the potato halves when removing the middles.) Use a hand mixer to combine the middles with 1/4 cup butter and salt & pepper to taste. Stir in, with a spoon, 1 cup of the cheese, sour cream, ranch dressing mix and green onions. Spoon mixture into potato skins and place on a microwavable plate. Top with remaining cheese. Microwave for 3-4 minutes.

*Serve as a side for grilled steak, chicken or pork.

Spicy Crockpot Chicken Tacos

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or about a 2 pound pork roast)
2 cans green El Pato sauce (jalapeno flavor)
1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar

Place chicken in crock pot. Mix El Pato with brown sugar and pour over the top of chicken. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Chicken cooks really fast in the crockpot, so check on it after a couple of hours. When the chicken is cooked through, remove from crockpot and shred; add whatever sauce is left in the pot and mix together. Place chicken mixture on flour tortillas and top with your favorite taco toppings. This is good and easy! When I made it we had more of a chicken burrito because I didn't have smaller tortillas and I halved the recipe for our family.

Lasagna Sammy

So I saw this recipe on another blog and tweaked it a little bit for our family. It turned out so yummy. Since we've moved to Ohio, the only good food we can find is Italian food because there of the influence here. I think it's due to an Italian immigrant overflow from New York. It's been a lot of fun tasting and learning all the authenticities of real Italian food, not just the Americanized versions. Anyway, I incorporated all my new "Italian tips" into the recipe.

You will need:

1 lb. ground Italian Sausage (I prefer sweet over Hot, but either one will work well)

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 26 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce. ( I think the 3 cheese combo. works best for this recipe).

8 leaves fresh basil, chopped (you can used dried if you want, just make sure to rub them around in your hands to release their flavors)

15 oz. container of Ricotta cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (I always use Parmesano Reggiano when a recipe calls for Parmesan).

1 cup shredded mozarella cheese

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. Italian Seasoning

1 package of Garlic Roasted Ciabatta rolls and/or 1 loaf of Garlic Roasted Ciabatta Bread. Both of these can be found in the Bakery section of the grocery store.

1 ball of fresh mozarella

Nutmeg


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Heat EVOO in a skillet over medium heat until sausage is browned.

3. Reserve 1/4 cup Sausage.

4. Reduce heat to low and stir in pasta sauce and basil leaves. Simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Place reserved 1/4 cup sausage, ricotta, parmesan, shredded mozarella, salt, pepper, pinch of nutmeg and Italian seasoning into a bowl and mix together.

6. Split each roll and/or loaf and bread and place on a baking sheet.

7. Spread Ricotta mixture on bread. Then top with a pasta sauce and slices of fresh mozarella cheese.

8. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and hot. Remove, sprinkle with a little more parmesan cheese and serve.

Cherry Salad Mix

This is my new favorite salad to make! The flavors and bold and seem to have a party in your mouth. It's perfect for summer and I love to eat the leftovers for lunch paired with some homemade potato rolls. If you add the dressing to individual servings - it will keep longer.

You will need:
1/2 cups pecans
1 bag of Spring Salad mix
3 tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 small red onion (finely diced)

Dressing:
4 tbsp. raspberry vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable and/or canola oil
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. parsley

1. Caramelize pecans with sugar by stirring them in a fry pan with sugar until the sugar melts. Let cool.

2. Whisk together dressing ingredients. Add dressing right before serving. Enjoy!

Mac & Cheese - grownup style

If you're in the mood for some real cheesy goodness, please skip the Kraft blue box and make this. It's delish, simple to make and downhome cozy.

You will need:

3 tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

3 cups whole milk

3 cups sharp cheddar

salt & pepper

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. paprika

1 cup chicken stock (a little pricey, but makes your food taste so much better!)

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 small onion

1 lb. chicken breasts and/or tenders chopped up in bite size pieces

1 lb. macaroni elbow noodles and/or cavatapi (pictured above) corkscrew noodles

2 1/2 cups broccoli florets

• 1.Boil pasta according to directions. Making it "al dente" is a little more preferable in my opinion.
• 2. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add the olive oil and chicken. Season it with s & p.
• 3. After a few minutes, add the onions and cook another 5-7 minutes until onions are tender and chicken is cooked through.
• 4. When your pasta has 3 minutes of cooking time left, drop your broccoli into the noodle pot.
• 5. Meanwhile, heat a sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, then add flour, cayenne and paprika and whisk together over heat until roux bubbles - then cook a minute more.
• 6. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat a little to bring the sauce to a quick boil. Simmer sauce till thickened - about 5 minutes.
• 7. Add chicken to drained noodles and broccoli.
• 8. Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt it in. Stir in mustard and season sauce with s & p.
• 9. Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli and cooked pasta and stir to combine.
• After tasting this, your kids will never want the blue box again!
• Recipe taken from Rachael Ray

Taco Salad

You will need:
medium head lettuce
8oz-grated cheddar cheese
4-tomatoes diced
1-can kidney beans
1lb.-ground beef
1-pkg. taco seasoning
1-bag tortilla chips or Doritos

1-8oz bottle thousand island dressing

1.Brown ground beef, When I am browning the meat I add dehydrated onion to add flavor.

2.After draining grease from meat add taco seasoning reserving 1Tbs for dressing.

3. Cut up lettuce, tomato, and shred the cheese, and if you use canned kidney beans make sure you drain them before using.

4.Select a large salad bowl allowing room to toss salad. layer salad, starting with Lettuce and ending with cheese. Cover and refrigerate.

5. At serving time toss with dressing. This is so good, and is easily adjusted for how many you need to serve. Because of the lettuce it is not good the next day so I just adjust the recipe to the amount of people we are feeding.

DRESSING:
8oz-Thousand Island dressing
1/3 Cup sugar
1Tbs-taco seasoning
1Tbs-taco sauce

mix all ingredients pour over salad and toss to get dressing through out the salad. We keep chips separate. Put chips on your plate and top with salad mixture. You can also add salsa and sour cream on top if you like.

Crockpot Chili Beans

1 pound ground beef or round steak, cubed
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup diced green chilies (we use frozen...they are spicier)
1 (29 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 cans pinto beans or 4 cups cooked homemade pinto beans (don't drain)
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground black pepper

1. In a pan, brown meat with diced onion.

2. Add remaining ingredients to crock pot, except pinto beans. Mix and then add meat mixture.

3. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high for 4 hours. During last hour add pinto beans.

The cayenne pepper really makes the chili spicy. If you want less heat, put in 3 tsp. of chili powder and omit the cayenne pepper. Also, if the chili starts drying out in the crock pot, add a little water.

We like to eat this on fryed bread (Navajo taco style), in tortillas, on top of bean burritos or in a bowl with cheese.

Honey Orange Chicken

We enjoyed this tasty dish last night for dinner. It's very quick. In fact, I managed to finish a Babybrags order and get prepared for mutual while cooking.

1. Combine 1 cup plain breadcrumbs (I store mine in the freezer for long keeping), orange zest from 1 orange (don't zest any of the white part - it's bitter) and 1 tsp. salt in a shallow dish.

2. Put 1/2 cup orange juice (I squeeze fresh from the orange I just zested and if I need more I add already made OJ) and 1/4 cup lemon juice (again I used fresh squeezed) in another shallow dish.

3. Take 1/2 bag (I had a 3.5 lb. frozen bag) of thawed chicken breasts and/or tenderloins. I prefer the tenderloins because they aren't as thick. Dip each piece of chicken in the juice, then into the crumb mixture, covering well. Pat on an even coating.

4. Place coated chicken into a greased 9x13 glass pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, combine 1/4 butter, 1/2 cup orange juice (again I prefer fresh squeezed - but already made will work too), all the leftover juice from coating the chicken, 1/2 cup honey, and 1 cube of chicken boullion. Heat on medium until honey and boullion are dissolved and then turn to warm.

6. After 20 minutes, pull the chicken out of the oven and pour the sauce on top. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake until chicken is cooked throughout. If using thawed tenderloins like I did - then 10 minutes will suffice. If unsure on the cooking time, read the directions on the back of the frozen bag of chicken and adjust accordingly.

We like to serve over sticky rice at our house. Having lived in Hawaii, Matt and I are quite fond of Calrose rice and like to cook it the old fashioned way on the stove. We follow the directions on the bag and add an extra 1/2 cup water for maximum stickiness.

I hope your family enjoys this tender sweet citrusy meal as much as mine does.