Frosy Orange Cream Layered Dessert

Steve requested this recipe. I think if I try it again I will replace the orange sherbet and juice with lime. Both sound delicious to me. This is my kind of summer dessert. It does not have to go in the oven!

I got the recipe here, instead of copy and pasting it, just follow the link.

Loaded Sloppy Joes

I got this recipe from one of my idols. I love this girls blog and her cooking style.

The original recipe can be found here. I had to make a few minor adjustments. My version is as follows. This is a fantastic way to add whole grains into our families diet. I have not eaten many sloppy joes in my life, now that I have this recipe I will be eating them more often. I thought they were really tasty. I threw the leftovers in the freezer and we had them for lunch today. This recipe freezes and reheats well.

1/2 pound ground beef
1 cup cooked millet
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 onion, chopped - use the real thing, onion powder just is not the same.
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic - use real garlic here too
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook vegetables. Add garlic, grains, red wine vinegar and worcestershire sauce to meat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook mixture 5-10 minutes longer or until desired consistency.

Pico Burgers

Sorry, no picture!

This is something that my husband's grandpa used to make. It is a nice way to change up a regular hamburger.

Mix up your favorite pico de gallo and simply mix it in to your hamburger. Season with garlic salt and season all.

Top with some yummy guacomole instead of the usual condiments.

Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins

1 c. sugar

3/4c. oil

1 egg

1 c. mashed banana

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2c. flour

1 3/4c. oats

1 c. chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients and finally fold in the chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 17 minutes.

You can also throw these in the freezer and when you want one just pop it in the microwave until it is warm.

Yesterday I worked on making a healthier version. Here's how I did it:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup applesauce + 1/4 cup light tasting olive oil

1 egg

1 cup mashed banana

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2-3-4 cup chocolate chips

I also added about 3/4 a cup or so of cooked millet.

They taste great but next time I think that I might add just a little more sugar.

Lentil Salad

Of course there are no measurements, again. This is just something you throw together and season to taste. That's why I love it!

Cooked lentils (You can cook them in water or if you want a little something extra, use chicken or beef bouillon cubes)
Rice Vinegar
Olive Oil
Garlic Salt
Cucumber
Tomatoes

Let your lentils cool after cooking, either by letting them sit or running cold water over them. Season with rice vinegar (found in the Asian Section) and olive oil.

Now you can get creative. You can really add any spices you would like, but if I am making it for lunch I usually just add garlic salt. Top with cucumbers and tomatoes.

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffins

I got this recipe from a book labeled "Fast and Healthy Cookbook"

These muffins went together pretty fast, but I dont know about being healthy. Either way, they were good.

Next time, I would omit the cream cheese completely as I dont think it added anything to them.

1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup oil
2 egg whites
4 oz cream cheese cut into cubes
brown sugar for topping

Heat oven to 400 and line muffin tins or spray. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix well.

In another bowl combine pumpkin, milk, oil, and egg whites. Blend well. Add to dry ingredients all at once and stir until just incorporated. Spoon batter into muffin tin. Top with pat of cream cheese and top each with 1/4-1/2 tsp brown sugar.

Make 14 - 18 minutes Immediately remove from pan and serve warm.

Taco Soup

If you have big eaters, use the big cans of beans. A smaller family can use the small cans of beans. I use dry beans from my food storage that I have cooked, about 2 cups each.

1/2 lb ground turkey, cooked (use ground beef or you can leave out the meat completely)
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 packet of taco seasoning

cheese, sour cream, chips

Add all canned ingredients to pot. Do not drain anything. Add browned turkey to pot. Bring to a boil.

top with cheese and sour cream or guacamole. scoop up with chips and enjoy!

I double the recipe and stick 1/2 in the freezer. Next time just reheat and serve.

Homemade Oreos

(sorry for the teeny picture, I got it from somewhere on the Internet.)

There is not one nutritional thing about these cookies. But man, they taste yummy! And everything about them is kid friendly. Kaleb had a blast helping with these. Andy even lent a hand.

1 box deviled food cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter
beat together and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, the dough will be sticky and easier to work with if its cold.

roll into balls and bake. 350 for 9-10 minutes. let cool on a rack and fill with cream cheese frosting. Store bought tastes best with them. You can do homemade too.

Filling:
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 oz cream cheese

Oven BBQ chicken

This is quick to put together, but has to bake for a while. It is worth the wait. I usually make a big batch of it, as I think it tastes yummy cold. What ever is leftover, I stick in individual bags in the fridge and they are quick to take when I am on the go or stick in Andys lunch.

Oven BBQ Chicken
6-8 chicken breasts
Sauce:
6 Tbs ketchup
4 Tbs white vinegar
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tsp dry mustard
3 tsp salt
4 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
Mix all the sauce together in a bowl. Line a large dripping pan with foil. Be sure to have the foil long enough to cover the top of the chicken too.
Dip each piece of chicken in the sauce then place it in the foil lined pan. Pour remaining sauce over chicken in the pan. Seal tightly so juices dont run out. (this is important so the chicken wont dry out!) Cook 500 degrees for 15 minutes then reduce to 375 and cook for an additional 1 1/2 hours.

Well worth the wait and it makes your house smell so yummy! You could probably do this in a crock pot too.

10 Minute Pizza Crust

1 cup warm water

2 tsp. yeast

1/3 cup oil

1 tbs. sugar

1 tsp. salt

3 cups flour

Stir water, yeast, oil and sugar together. Let rest 5 minutes. Stori in salt and flour. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead 3-4 minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll into large circle or rectangle greased pan. Pour sauce over dough and sprinkle with cheese and toppings. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is browning and crsut is golden brown.

To make breadsticks, roll out and brush with melted butter, garlic salt and Italian seasonings. For cinnomon strips, brush with butter and sprinkle with connamon and brown sugar. Cut into strips and bake.

Tips and Tricks:

*This is not the ULTIMATE pizza dough recipe (although it is still very tasty) but it is great if you are in a pinch and don't have much time. It's so fast!

*I usually do half white and half wheat flour and it's delicious!

*I cook the pizza at 500 for about 8 minutes.

Honey Glazed Chicken

2 lbs of diced uncooked chicken breast
1/3 cup flour (I use half wheat)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
4 TB butter
1/4 cup honey
3 TB lemon juice
2 TB soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger (I always leave that out. We hate ginger!)

Heat oven to 350. In a shallow dish combine the flower and seasonings. Dip each piece of chicken in flour mixture and coat evenly.

Melt 2 TB butter in a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt remaining butter and add honey, lemon juice, soy sauce and ginger.

After chicken has baked the 30 minutes, turn each piece over and pour sauce mixture evenly over chicken. Bake another 30 to 40 minutes basting frequently.Serve over rice.

The lady that originally shared this recipe also included some "trade secrets":

I used three chicken breasts and it made enough to feed two adults and two children (who actually ate quite a bit). Also, Kristin says she normally doubles the sauce. I did just that but made the mistake of only pouring half the sauce over the chicken and leaving the rest on the stove to serve on the side. Next time, I will definitely pour all the sauce over the chicken because it "glazes" nicely (hence the name) in the oven. On the stove, it stayed too thin and potent for my taste. One other thing I did, mostly because I was running late, I baked the chicken for 30 minutes at 350 degrees first and then after pouring the sauce over the top, I cranked the oven to 375 for 20 minutes to finish it off, instead of the 30 -40 minutes at 350. It gave the chicken a nice browned crust and thickened the sauce - which may happen with the original instructions but I just thought I'd include exactly how I made it.

Another tasty recipe from My Kitchen Cafe.

Stir Fried Chicken Noodles

I found this recipe in an issue of Light and Tasty and few years ago and it has become one of our favorites.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine or additional chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups julienned carrots
2 cups shredded Chinese or napa cabbage
1 cup fresh or frozen snow peas, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 ounces spaghetti, broken
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions: In a bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; set aside 3/4 cup. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag; add remaining marinade. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Drain and discard marinade. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken in 2 teaspoons oil for 3-5 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. stir-fry broccoli and carrots in remaining oil for 6 minutes. Add cabbage and peas; stir-fry 3 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.

Combine cornstarch and reserved marinade until smooth; add to vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. drain pasta; stir into vegetable mixture. Return chicken to the pan; cook and stir until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

Don't feel like you can't make this if you don't have every vegetable. I usually don't add everything, just what I have on hand.

Peppy's Pita Bread

1 1/8 cup. warm water
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbs. oil
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. yeast

Mix like regular bread dough. Let rise about 30 minutes. Punch down and divide into 8 balls. Roll out into 6-7 inch circles. Cover with a towel and let rise 30 more minutes. Place on a rack and bake in a preheated oven at 500 degrees for 4-5 minutes. Take out and place in a damp towel until softened. Slice open and stuff! It should create it's own pocket.

Try stuffing it with these things:
Chicken (grilled is yummy!)
grilled onions
bell pepper
tomatoes
lettuce
cucumber
cheese
Ranch dressing

Burrito Enchiladas

Acutally, I don't know what they are called!

2 1/2 cup diced chicken, cooked

2/3 cup salsa

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup water

8 flour tortillas

1/2 cup butter, softened

Shredded cheese

Combine and simmer the first 6 ingridents until most of the liquid is gone. Brust one side of tortillas with butter. On unbuttered side, put a spoonful of meat and shredded cheese. Fold like a tortilla and place seam side down in a pan. Top with cheese and bake at 475 for 13 minutes.

Beef Stroganoff

2 lbs. sirloin (I usually use stew meat)
1/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups of water
2/3 cup sour cream
Rice or fettuccine


Cut meat into thin strips. Brown in skillet in half the butter. Remove meat and add remaining butter. Add onions and mushrooms; cook for 5 minutes. Add meat back and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Add water and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is tender. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir in sour cream and serve immediately over cooked fettuccine or rice.


This recipe is great because all of these measurements are just estimates. Add as little or as much as you want of everything!

Breadsticks

I got this recipe from my sister a few years ago and have given up every other breadstick or french bread recipe. These are so fast and easy! They also freeze well. If you have extras throw them in a freezer baggie and when you are ready to use them the next time, just toss them in the microwave for a minute or two.

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Tbs. Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 Tbs. Yeast
1 1/4 Cups Warm Water
1/2 cup butter
Garlic Salt
Parmesan Cheese

Mix together water, yeast and salt. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add flour and sugar and mix until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.

Melt butter and pour half onto the bottom of a cookie sheet. Roll out dough and lay on top of butter, streching it until it touches the sides. Cut into slices and top with remaining butter. Sprinkle with Garlic Salt and Parmesan Cheese if desired. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes.

I have also made this with about half the butter (and sometimes even less than that) and they still turn out great. I have also substituted the white flour for wheat and it worked great as well.