Sugar Cookies

This recipe makes the best thick soft sugar cookies. They are so yummy! It will be the best recipe, guaranteed! It makes a ton, you may want to half it.
3 cups sugar
1 pint sour cream
1/2 butter softened
4 well beaten eggs
8 - 12 cups flour (I usually have to add more)
1 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar, sour cream, butter and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs. Mix in dry ingredients. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. I usually have to add more than 12 cups.
Roll out and cut into shapes. Leave the dough thick when cutting.
Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes. Dont over cook.

Taco Seasoning

Tacos are always a fast meal. I found this recipe for taco seasoning mix. I try to stay away from pre packaged stuff, because it usually has mysterious ingredients in it.

I triple this and leave it in a shaker in my spice cupboard.

Taco Seasoning Mix

1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)


To make tacos, you'll need:

1 lb. ground beef (or other ground meat of your choice)
1/3 c - 1/2 c water
taco seasoning mix
hot sauce of your choice, to taste
tortillas or hard shells

Toppings:
cheese, onions, lettuce, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, avocado or whatever floats your boat!

It's really easy...
1. Brown the meat in a pan.
2. Drain off the fat.
3. Add taco seasoning and water.
4. Stir to combine and heat thru
5. Serve in tortillas or shells and top how ever you would like.

Pear Jello

This is my sister Liz's recipe. It is the greatest jello ever! We MAKE her bring it to every family event.

1 large pkg lime jello
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 qrt pears or 2-3 cans from store
2 c whipping cream

Pour off juice from pears (about 2 cups and heat) add water if necessary. Meanwhile, whip pears and cream cheese in blender. Dissolve jello in heated juice. Add 2 c. cold water. Add cream cheese and pears. Let it soft set, (45 min or so) then fold in whipping cream, chill and set.

Another Turkey Meatloaf

Well, Raygon beat me to the turkey meatloaf, this one is a little different. It's very easy to make and you could add spinach or other veggies to make it even better. Even Cade licked his plate clean and asked if I was saving the leftovers so he could eat eat it again the next day!

2 lbs. ground turkey
1 cup milk
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 lb Colby cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup ketchup (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, mix the turkey, milk, bread crumbs, and eggs by hand. (this was way too cold for me, so I used a spoon because it was very soft.) Season with salt and pepper. Fold the cheese cubes into the mixture. Transfer to a loaf pan, and top with ketchup.
Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, to an interal temperature of 180 degrees.

Fudge Tangelo Delight

HERE IS A POST ON THE RECIPE BLOG FROM JESS!!! YEA JESS!!! THANKS TO YOU AND BECCA!! THIS STUFF IS DELICIOUS!

This is Becca's recipe, but I am posting it cause it is good and I can make it all by myself.

Ingredients:
1 big package of Vanilla Jello
1 small carton of Cool Whip
2 cups of buttermilk
1 can of pinapple tidbits
2 small cans of mandarin oranges
1 bag of small marshmellows
1 package of E.L. Fudge striped cookies


Directions:
Mix vanilla Jello with buttermilk until smooth. Add the entire carton of cool whip. Drain and add all cans of fruit. Add about half the bag of marshmellows. Break up the cookies into pieces and mix it all together. Can be served immediately or can be refridgerated before served.

Hawaiian Chicken

This recipe is soooo easy and tastes yum!

6 boneless chicken breasts or thighs
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mustard
1/2 cup crushed pineapple with juice
1/2 cup brown sugar

mix everything together and cook in crock pot for about 5 hours. Serve with white rice and stir fry veggies.

Oven BBQ Chicken

This is so good hot and even better the next day served cold. I usually place the leftovers individually in ziplock bags. They make a quick pick me up and you can eat it with your fingers if it is cold! It is great to put in packed lunches.
This is one of the best chicken recipes I have made (in my opinion) A co worker shared her lunch with me years ago and this was in it. I begged the recipe off her and it is a favorite of mine now.

3 Tbs. ketchup
3 Tbs. white vinegar
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. worchestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
6-8 chicken breasts

Mix all ingredients for sauce and dip each piece of chicken in it. Place chicken in foil lined pan (make foil large enough to cover over top of chicken too) Pour left over sauce over the chicken in the pan. Enclose chicken in foil, sealing it tightly to juices wont run out. Bake at 500 for 15 minutes then reduce to 375 and cook for an additional 1 1/2 hours.

This is a great alternative for chicken. I usually have all the spices in my cupboard.

Cajun Chicken

This is a spicy chicken dinner. It is yummy. We toss it on the BBQ in the summer and cook it in a skillet in the winter time. You can put less seasoning in it if you dont want it to have a kick. I have had a hard time finding Cajun seasoning so I have been using Creole seasoning lately. Tastes just as good.

Picture found here
4 chicken breast
2 Tbs. Cajun seasoning (I have also used Creole seasoning)
Oil skillet and warm on stove. Coat chicken breasts with seasoning and cook in skillet.
Serve with following
1 pkg. rigatoni noodles (cook while chicken is cooking)
drain rigatoni then add 1 cup skim milk 1 bag spinach leaves 8 oz fresh mushrooms, 1 chopped tomato. Toss together and warm thru. Serve chicken on top of noodles.

Turkey Meatloaf

Since you all know I am a slacker when it comes to pictures of food...

I googled meatloaf to steal a picture from their catalog of images.

The result?

This:

Does he gross any one out besides me?


If you still have an appetite, here is the recipe and picture I intended to share.

Home style Turkey Meatloaf

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 onion, chopped (or you can use dehydrated, onion salt)
3 egg whites
1 cup salsa
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 pkg. vegetable soup mix
1/2 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients (minus ketchup)and press into a 9 x 5 pan. Spread ketchup on top. Bake about 1 hour. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Meatball Subs

(we keep scarfing our food down before I get pictures, I stole this one from a google image search)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup water
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 large sweet onion (purple) cut in half then sliced
36 frozen meatballs
6 hoagie buns
1 cup cheese

mix water, brown sugar, and tomato paste in a 3-4 quart crock pot. Stir in onions and frozen meatballs. Cook on low for 6 hours. Toast buns by broiling them a few minutes in the oven. Sprinkle with cheese and enjoy!

These are yum!

Chalupa

Another post about beans. This one has pinto beans in it. They are easily stored and probably in everyones storage. This is a good way to use them up!
I have had people ask me if this recipe works in the crock pot, I would imagine it does, but I have never tried it that way.

Chalupa
2 lb. pork roast
1 lb. pinto beans
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T. chili powder
1 can green chilies, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1 T. salt
(you can omit any of the spices if you dont have them on hand. You can also add some salsa after it is finished cooking to liven it up a little if you want)

Put all ingredients(everything is raw. beans and meat) in a big pan and cover with water. (The roast will be sticking out a bit). Bring to boil on stove, covered. Then place, covered, in oven on 300 degrees for 4-6 hours, or until done. Shred roast and continue to cook with lid off until thickened. Serve over tortilla chips with salsa, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, ect. Or you can put it in a warm tortilla for a burrito.

Spud Nuts

Watch out! These are so yummy, you wont be able to stop yourself from devouring them!

SPUD NUTS

1 package yeast
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup shortening
2 cups scalded milk
1 cup mashed potato
2 eggs
6-7 cups flour
oil (for frying)
Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
water
Directions
Dissolve yeast in warm water.
In large bowl,add salt,sugar,and shortening to milk,cool mixture to body temperature.
Add potatoes,eggs,yeast mixture, and flour to milk mixture.
Stir well.
Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick.
6Cut with doughnut cutter. ( I dont own one of these, so I used a mason jar wide mouth ring for the outer circle and the lid to some to some sprinkles for the inner circle)
Place on a pan and let rise 1 hour.
Fry in 350 degree oil.
Drain on paper towels.
combine powdered sugar,vanilla and enough warm water to make thin glaze.(start with just a few TBS. water, I added too much too quick and it made the glaze really runny. Delicious, but runny
Dip doughnuts in glaze or brush on with a pastry brush.

Lentil Chili

If you need a little coaxing before you try out lentils, read here. Lentils are the powerhouse of beans(I think. We like them around here),and unlike other beans,they cook fast! Not to mention, if you look around, you can get them for super cheap! Making Lentil Chili for my famliy costs me less than $3 for 6 servings.

We have eaten this quite a bit. It has a great flavor. We sprinkle cheese on top and scoop it up with tortilla chips. You will not be disappointed. And remember all the goodness packed in this little bean.

Lentil Chili (the original recipe came from Rachels cooking blog)

Put about 1 1/2 to 2 cups washed lentils in a pot. Cover the beans with water. Bring to a boil on the stove. Let them boil a few minutes, then turn it down and simmer them for about 30 minutes. Watch them to be sure the water doesnt cook out, if it gets low add some more.

After about 30 minutes, the lentils should be cooked. Drain any water (if there is a ton, a little is fine) Add 1 can diced tomatoes, some onion powder and garlic powder if you would like.

You can add ground turkey to this or hamburger.

We put cheese on top and eat it like dip. This meal is pretty quick and SO CHEAP!

Corn Bread

I have tried lots and lots of corn bread recipes. This is by far, my favorite.

1 cup wheat flour (or you can use white)
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 c. milk
1 egg
1 Tbs. oil

Combine all ingredients and mix well until smooth. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes until lightly browned.

Italian Chicken Rollups

I saw this recipe on the Kraft website a few weeks ago. I did not have everything it called for, and wanted to add a few things to it. It is high in protein and fairly low in calories. Pair it with a green salad and this dish is GOLDEN. It tastes so good! I was sad when I ate the last bite.

The original recipe is here

Here is my version of it:

1 cup cheese
1 block Neufchatel cheese, softened (just like cream cheese, only a low fat version)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
tiny bit of fresh pressed garlic
1 package frozen chopped spinach (thawed)
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce

Combine the cream cheese, oregano, garlic, spinach in a bowl and mix. You can add peppers to this or chopped carrots or any veggies you want.

Pound the chicken breasts to about 1/2 inch flat. I put mine in a gallon ziplock bag and pounded them with the end of a rolling pin. You can use a meat tenderizer if you have one or whichever method you prefer. It is easy to pound chicken out.

Place some of the cream cheese filling in one end of the flattened breast. Roll up and place in greased 9 x 13 pan. Seam side down.

Bake 30 min at 400. When they come out of the oven, cover with one large spoonful of sauce. More if you want.

White Bean Chili

White Bean Chili

3 cans of Great Northern Beans
1 medium jar of medium or hot salsa
1/2 t. Ground Cumin
1/2 t. Chili Powder
1 salsa jar of milk (after you dump in the salsa, use the jar to measure the milk!)
3 Chicken Breasts
1 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese
Mix beans, salsa, milk, cumin, & chili powder in a large saucepan - bring to a boil. In a pot, boil chicken til fully cooked then chop into bite size pieces, or shred it. Add the chicken to the mixture and then add MOST of your cheese. Save a little to top your chili with!

This is easy and so yummy!

French Bread

I have made this a few times, this time I tweaked the recipe just a bit and it turned out fabulous! It has a nice crispy crust, with a soft chewy center.

The original recipe, and the picture above, are from here

Here is my version of it. I intended to get a picture to post here, but we gobbled it up too fast!

French Bread

5 to 5 1/2 cups flour
4 TBS yeast
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp salt
2 cups warm water
1 TBS cornmeal
1 egg white

In a large mixer (kitchen aid works fine) combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.

Mix in 2 cups warm water, and beat until well blended using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Add enough flour til the sides of the bowl are clean. I put in about 5 cups total.

Once all the ingredients are incorporated, and the dough is not sticky, let it mix for about 8 minutes on low in your mixer. This will knead the dough so you dont have to do it by hand.

Remove the dough hook from your mixer and shape the dough into a ball. Place dough back into mixer bowl (greased), and turn once. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled. (I didnt have time to let it double, I just let it rise for about 30 minutes.

Punch dough down, and divide in half. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll each half into a long loaf, like french bread.

Grease a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until nearly doubled, 35 to 40 minutes.
With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 minutes. Brush with egg white. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until bread tests done. ( I only had to cook it an additional 7 minutes) If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on a wire rack.

This bread is so easy to make. And I priced it out and it cost me about 60 cents to make 2 large loaves. Much cheaper than the kind you pick up at the store. Although it does take some time. Not a lot of work involved, just a lot of waiting for it to rise and then bake.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 C. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 Cup salsa
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can corn (drained)
2 boneless skinless chicken breast browned in a skillet

combine broth, cumin, chili powder, and oregano in a pot. Bring to a boil. Add beans, corn, chicken and salso. Reduce heat to low. Stir and simmer for about 2 minutes. Add cilantro and ladle into bowls. top with tortilla chips broken into bite size peices.

I didn't have cilantro so I left it out. It still tasted good. we also added grated cheese on top and that made it really good.

Sloppy Joes

This is such a good homemade version of Sloppy Joes! It serves 10-12 people depending on how big your eaters are - my family eats about half , so I just bag up the other half of the Sloppy Joe mix and throw it in the freezer with some hamburger buns for a quick fix another night.

3 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup ketchup
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can tomato soup
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
12 hamburger buns

In large skillet brown ground beef. drain fat. Sprinkle with salt. Add chopped onion and cook until tender. Stir in ketchup, tomato soup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Spoon into hamburger buns and serve.

Beef Stroganoff

Here is another quick meal. I timed it all from start to finish, it took 35 minutes. The white sauce is a little bland, so be sure and add the onion and garlic at the end. I think it really helps.

Beef Stroganoff

1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak or stew meat.
3 T. olive oil
1/3 cup diced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 pound fresh chopped or sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 to 2 Cups milk
1 tsp paprika (less or more)
1 cup sour cream
onion salt
Egg noodles


In large skillet, saute meat sliced into thin bite sized pieces in oil with garlic and onions. When no longer pink on the outside, lower heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water if needed. While the meat is browning, slice up mushrooms and make sauce. When meat is not longer pink, add mushrooms and cover again for about 5 minutes. Stir in sauce. Be sure not to boil the pot anymore once the sauce is added, it will curdle the milk. I added a little more garlic powder and onion powder at the end.
Serve with medium egg noodles. Goes great with green beans.

Sauce:1/4 cup flour
1 1/4c milk (or more if needed)
about 1 cup sour cream
salt & pepper
a few shakes of paprika


Here is some information I found on mushrooms. I dont use them often, but am trying to incorporate them more. They pack a bigger punch than I though.

In 5 medium mushrooms there are only about 20 calories. Mushrooms also contain 3 major B vitamins; Niacin , which helps the digestive and nervous system work properly; Pantothenic acid which aids in the production of hormones and Riboflavin which promotes healthy skin and good vision.
The mushroom contains a very high amount of potassium. One 3 ounce portobello actually contains more than a banana. They are also the only produce with a significant amount of selenium. Selenium is an essential mineral important for immune and thyroid health. Researchers are just beginning to understand how wonderful these fungi are for the treatment and prevention of cancers.

Moo Shu Wraps

I made these the other night and they were a hit! Even Kaleb was disappointed when I did not serve them 2 nights in a row. From start to finish, this meal took me 30 minutes to prepare. If anyone has ever eaten at PF Changs, these are similar to their moo shu wraps. Dont let the ingredients scare you. You can substitute or omit as you wish.

Moo Shu Wraps
8 oz lean sirloin beef (you could also use stew meat, to save you a little time)
3 T soy sauce
1 t. cornstarch
2 t. vegetable oil ( I use grapeseed oil)
2 medium scallions, chopped
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 C. Chinese or nappa cabbage. ( I used regular green cabbage and it was great)
1 C. sliced mushrooms (less if no one cares for these)
8 flour tortillas

hoisin sauce (you can find this in the Asian section of most stores)

Place beef in bowl, thinly sliced into about 2 inch by 1/2 inch strips. Add 1 T. soy sauce and cornstarch. Stir to coat. Heat oil in large skillet. Add scallions and garlic, saute 1 min. Add beef and cook until browned, about 2 min. Add remaining soy sauce and cook 1 min more.
Add cabbage and mushrooms. Saute until vegetables are tender but not soggy. To serve, place heated tortilla on a plate. Spread about 2 tsp. of hoisin sauce down middle of tortilla and then place about 1/2 cup of filling on tortilla. Roll up.

Don't shy away from this because of the ingredients. It is really good. I like to the tortillas that are uncooked. You can get them at Sams and probably Albertsons or other places. They are the kind you have to cook up yourself. (really you just warm them in a pan) I like them because they are much thinner and have a great texture for wraps. We usually opt for whole wheat tortillas in this house, but this recipe just needs good old fashion white ones.

Hearty six-hour stew

This is a no fuss stew that simmers all day in the crock-pot and smells so good! I especially like to make this when the weather starts turning colder like it is now because I love the aroma and the coziness it brings as my family all sits together at the dinner table on a chilly evening.

1 pound beef stew cubes
4 carrots, sliced
4 medium potatoes, cut in large chunks
1 bay leaf
1 (1-ounce) package dry onion soup mix
2 (10 3/4- ounce) cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (10-ounce) package frozen green peas

Place beef cubes on the bottom. Layer carrots, then potatoes, placing bay leaf on top. In a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients and pour over beef and vegetables. You can cook this for up to 12 hours on low. Serve with rolls or crackers.

* for those with kids ...
I have some fun cookie cutters for the seasons and holidays. So to add a little excitement to dinner we use these cookie cutters on tortillas. The kids love to cut out these shapes! Then you brush some butter on them and place them on a cookie sheet and throw them under the broiler for a minute or so until they are golden brown and voila! You have festive tortilla chips as a side to any stew or soup!

a food blog to consider...

Rather than cut and pasting some of the recipes I use from this particular blog. Just click on this link and it will take you to "Rachel's Cooking Blog" She's got some great stuff on there - I have used quite a few of her recipes.

Sunday afternoon caramel popcorn

We've carried on a Hymas tradition in our home by making caramel popcorn every Sunday afternoon. Hope you all enjoy it!

2/3 cup unpopped corn
1 stick of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup Karo light syrup

Pop corn and set aside. Melt butter, add sugar and Karo syrup. Boil for 1-2 minutes. Add soda and stir. Pour over the popped corn and mix thoroughly. Pour onto cookie sheet and bake 20-25 minutes at 250 degrees. Pour onto waxed paper to cool.

Quick N'Easy Meal tips

Tips for quick meal prep:

Cook ahead and freeze the things that take the longest in putting a meal together, such as:

• Cook a huge batch of rice or pasta. Divide into freezer bags in the amount you need for a meal or recipe. Get it out in the morning & put in frig. It's ready to use by dinnertime.
• Cook chicken, debone and/or dice if desired. Divide into freezer bags in the amount you need for a meal or recipe. Get it out in the morning & put in frig. Ready to use by dinnertime (although larger amounts need more time to thaw.)
• Cook a huge pan of potatoes. Put them into storage containers or bags in the frig. At dinnertime you can make loaded baked potatoes (cut in half, nuke until hot, add sour cream, and/or bacon bits and/or grated cheese and nuke again.), fried potatoes (fry in olive oil to increase intake of omegas), slice, dice and/or shred to make any number of casseroles or just eat them plain with butter. After 4-5 days, bag and freeze sliced, diced, shredded potatoes and use later (get out of frig in morning to thaw til dinnertime.)
• Cook enough veggies for 2-3 meals, refrigerate what you don't use and use for another meal.
• Assemble casseroles and put in the freezer. Take out and put in frig the day before to thaw or start cooking when frozen. It won't save any time if you start the cooking process when they are still frozen.

I do these things when I am feeling ambitious and am doing something that lends itself to watching the cooking process-usually evenings after dinner or saturdays.

Broccoli and cheese soup

These recipe makes quite a bit so be prepared

1 Large bunch broccoli
4 carrots
4 potatoes
1 onion
3 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. Salt
1 cube margarine

chop veggies cook until tender,
then add...
2 cups half and half
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
then stir and add grated velveeta cheese.

I like to do mine in the crock pot and let the veggies cook in the broth. It just gives it a nice yummy flavor.

Pizza Soup

I have not tried this one yet. It is another recipe from the neighborhood dinner exchange. But I am sorting thru the recipes I got with the dinners, most of the recipes are basic ones I already have (chicken enchiladas, chili, etc.) But this one sounded interesting. Thought I would post it here so I can throw the pile away!

PIZZA SOUP

1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (10oz) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
2 1/2 cups water
1 pkg. sliced peperoni - cut into bite size pieces
1 med. red pepper, chopped
1 med. green pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

In a large pot, bring tomatoes, soup, water and peppers to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add pepperoni, mushrooms, and seasoning. Simmer 10 more minutes. Top with cheese and serve. Goes great with french bread.
Any leftovers freeze well.

I am guessing you could probably substitute the "pizza toppings" here to suit your fancy. And you could sneak in some more veggies if you wanted.

And since my garden is overflowing these days with tomatoes, we have been eating them in everything. This recipe sounds pretty healthy to me. (excepting the pepperoni, maybe) But here is some information on the tomato:

It is loaded with Lycopene which gives the tomato it's red coloring. Lycopene helps to prevent cancers, especially colon, prostate, lung and pancreas. Lycopene is more intense when you cook the tomato a bit which help break down the cell walls and release more of this nutrient.It is also better absorbed when eaten with a little fat. Tomatoes also contain Vitamin C and A.

Whole Wheat Bread

I know most of you have a delicious bread recipe. I am only putting this on the blog because I am really not good at making bread and this recipe always turns out for me.
Makes 2 loaves.

2 cups wheat flour
1/3 cup honey (or molasses)
1/3 cup oil
1 TBSP salt
1 TBSP yeast
2 3/4 cups water
4 cups white flour, plus more as needed. (You can do more wheat flour if you want, my kids can only handle so much wheat)

1) Mix and knead at least 10 minutes. ( I just throw mine in my Kitchen Aid for 10 min)
2) Cover and rise until double, usually 1-2 hours.
3) Form loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Rise again until loaves are 1 1/2 times in size, about 30-60 minutes.
4) Bake at 350 for 40 minutes until crust is golden brown. Remove immediately from pans.

Sweet Chicken

This recipe is fabulous! We eat ours on soft tacos. Just add sour cream and cheese on top.

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup apricot-pineapple jam
1 cup Catalina dressing
1/4 cup dry onion soup mix

Mix jam, dressing and soup mix together. Pour over chicken.
I throw it all in the crock pot at about 11:00am. After a few hours I shred the chicken and let it continue cooking until dinner.
(Recipe from Girlfriends on the Go, by Suzie Roberts)

Taco Casserole

Here is another one from the neighborhood exchange. We ate it over the weekend. It was pretty good. I have altered the recipe just a bit, here is my version of it.

2 (15 oz) cans chili
1 can diced tomatoes
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1/2 lb. ground turkey (or hamburger) browned and drained
1 pkg fritos
2 cups cheese

mix together chili, tomatoes, taco seasoning, 1 cup of cheese and browned turkey. Place mixture in 9 x 13 pan and top with chips. bake at 250 for 30 minutes. remove from oven and top with rest of the cheese. serve with sour cream, olives, tomatoes, etc.

Since everything just needs to be warmed thru, you could put this in your crock pot also. I would think putting it all in there for 3 hours or so on low (or serve if you have that setting) would do the trick. put the fritos and extra cheese on top of individual servings before eating. I think the fritos would get soggy in the crock pot.

Dr Pepper Roast

I know not everyone is as fond of Dr. Pepper as I am. If you want to substitute, I am sure Sprite or something diet would work, you could probably do caffeine free Dr. Pepper as well. My assumption is any type of pop will work, but I have only ever used the real red can.

I have tried lots of roast recipes. Some of them have turned out great. This one is the best, in my opinion. Make a big batch and use the leftovers for burrito filling. The meat just falls apart, so shredding it for burritos is not hard at all.

Roast (i usually get 2 lbs or so)
12 oz. can Dr. Pepper
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
1/2 - 1 tsp. Creole Seasoning (I could not find Creole Seasoning in Rexburg. I used Cajun spices instead. They are almost the same thing. And neither one makes this spicy in the least. but you can omit if you are worried)

Throw everything in your crock pot and cook it on low for about 6-8 hours. Or high 4-6.
Remove the roast and shred or slice for serving.
Remove about 1 1/2 cups drippings and add a few TBS flour to thicken. Heat in a saucepan and use as gravy.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

Quinoa Muffins

The original recipe came from good 'ole Martha Stewart. I altered it a bit, so here is my version of it:

*these are so good with butter or jam on them! They are easy to make ahead and freeze. They make a good quick hearty breakfast and have lots of protein.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups whole wheat flour (white will work fine too)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

2 tsp cinnamon
handful of raisins (it is all I had, you can add more or omit)
3/4 cup warm water plus 4 heaps of powdered milk whisked together

1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse quinoa well. It has a coating on it that will taste bitter if not rinsed well. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, 11 to 13 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine all wet ingredients. Whisk together. Add all dry ingredients. Stir until incorporated. Add 2 cups cooked quinoa. Mix together well, but dont over mix. Divide into muffin pans
Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days. These freeze well too.

Dont let quinoa scare you. It is easy to find. I have seen it at Winco and Broulims carries organic quinoa too.

Here are some interesting facts about quinoa. I have been reading a little about it lately, and what I have found is bottom line: this stuff is good for you. This is what wikipedia has to say about it:

Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place by maize. In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthy choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source.[5] It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered as a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.[5]

Italian Chicken

2-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar of Prego
2-5 thick slices of mozzarella cheese
Italian breadcrumbs

Defrost your chicken, if frozen, then cut off the fat and tenderize. Then dip your chicken into the bread crumbs coating each side. Place chicken into a frying pan on medium-high heat with a tiny bit of butter and brown each side (about 4 minutes on each side) Then place the chicken in a 9x13 or 5x5 pan (depending on the amount of chicken). Put a slice of mozzarella cheese on each chicken, then cover with a jar of Prego.
Put in the oven at 350 degrees for one hour (or until the chicken is cooked through)

Serve the chicken with noodles of your choice

yummy chicken rolls

this recipe doesn't really have measurements you just put stuff in until it looks like the right consistency. you need...
Pillsbury cresent rolls
1 package cream cheese (8 oz.)
1 small can mushrooms
boiled chicken
cream of chicken soup

after you cook your chicken mix it with the cream cheese and the mushrooms. this mixture needs to be kind of thick. after your mixture is ready unroll your cresent rolls. spoon the mixture into the rolls and then roll them up. bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes. your rolls should be slightly golden.
While you rolls are cooking add a little milk to your cream of chicken soup, and heat it up in the microwave. this is going to make the gravy that you pour on top of the rolls.
usually this recipe makes 8-10 rolls depending on how much mixture you put in the rolls.
Hope everyone enjoys. let me know how it goes.

Mealicious

You all have Andy to thank for the creative name of our blog! I sent out an invite to all the girls. And included a few guys if I had their e mails. If you think your husband will post, please get me his e mail address and I will include him in the authors.

Cant wait to see what everyone posts.

please remember to put a title on your post and also label them at the bottom. (down in the box that says LABELS FOR THIS POST) ie breakfast, dinner, crock pot, sweets, etc. This wil make things easier once we start getting more and more recipes on here. Thanks!