BON APPETIT

Broccoli Salad

2009-05-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sunflower seeds
10 slices bacon
I added:
1 cup red grapes

DIRECTIONS

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Crumble and set aside.
In a salad bowl, toss together broccoli, raisins and red onions. In a separate bowl, whisk together the white sugar, vinegar and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Before serving, sprinkle with sunflower seeds and crumbled bacon. Toss and serve.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2008-05-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

I stole this from Alison, I thought they looked yummy...

Pumpkin Pancakes
2 eggs
½ cup canned pumpkin
2 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger
1 cup milk1
¾ cup Bisquick
¼ cup oil

Beat eggs in small mixing bowl on high speed 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour batter onto medium hot greased griddle. Cook until puffed and bubbles begin to break. Turn and cook other side until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup and whipped cream.

Little Sizzler Breakfast Bites

2008-04-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

1 tablespoon butter or margarine
6 eggs
1 (12-ounce) package Little Sizzler Pork Sausage Links, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1-1/2 cups dry biscuit baking mix
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, in large skillet, in butter, cook eggs until lightly scrambled; set aside to cool slightly. In large bowl, combine Little Sizzlers pork sausage links, onion and garlic powder. Add baking mix and shredded cheese. Using clean hands, knead mixture until well blended. Stir cooked eggs into sausage mixture and combine until blended. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until sausage is cooked through and bites are lightly browned. If desired serve with salsa on the side. Makes 42.

Yummiest Orange Rolls Ever!

2008-03-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

I challenge you to find a better recipe than this one. Trust me...they don't get any better!!
*
You can also make Cinnamon rolls or caramel pecan rolls with this dough. They take a little time, but you can make several pans, and freeze them. When I make this recipe, I triple it. It makes about 5 - 10x13 cake pans of large delicious rolls.
*
* If you are using a 5 1/2 - 6 quart KitchenAid Mixer, you will only be able to double this recipe, or you will have a huge mess on your hands! I use the largest Tupperware bowl to triple this recipe, and a lot of arm power!*
*
Before freezing, frost them, cover with saran wrap, and then heavy duty foil. When thawing, remove the plastic wrap, and loosly cover with the foil. ENJOY!
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"ORANGE ROLLS"
by Jonna
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1 cup milk (scald & cool til luke warm)
3 TBSP Butter
1 Cup flour
3 eggs beaten
1/2 Cup sugar
1 TBSP Yeast
Beat the above mixture together and let sit for 15 minutes.
Then add:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
Mix together well, kneading slightly. Form a nice ball of dough, that is soft,
but doesn't stick to your fingers. Add additional flour if needed.
Grease a large Tupperware bowl with butter, place dough in bowl, and cover with tight lid.
*
Rise dough until doubled in size.
*
**Tip from a great Chef**
Place 2 large clean bath towels inside your dryer.
Turn your dryer on, and heat those towels, until they are very warm.
Open dryer, and nest your bowl of dough in the warm towels.
Close your dryer door.........DO NOT TURN ON YOUR DRYER!!!!
The dough will raise in no time at all. Trust me it works wonders.
*
*
While your dough is rising, prepare the following GLAZE for the dough:
*
6 TBSP melted butter
1/2 C. Sugar
Grated rind of 1 orange
*
Now prepare your FROSTING:
1 bag of powdered sugar
All the freshly sqeezed juice from your orange
2 TBSP Vanilla
1 cube softened butter
enough milk to make frosting the right consistency
Mix together until fluffy with your hand mixer.
*
*
(You will need to cut your powdered sugar in half, if you are only using a single or double recipe)
use 1/2 cube of butter
use all the orange juice
1 TBSP Vanilla
and enough milk for the right consistency.
*
*
*When the dough has doubled in size, you are ready to roll!
Sprinkle a generous amount of flour across your counter.
(When I triple this recipe, I split the dough 4 ways)
*
Roll out dough, in an oblong shape, about 1/2 to 3/4 " thick.
Spread dough with glaze mixture.
Sprinkle with a little cinnamon. I also sprinkle coconut across my dough.
That is my husbands request....it's optional
*
*
Roll up your dough into a long log and pinch and seal the edges.
Cut 1" slices with a long piece of sewing thread.
Place in well greased pans. (3 across x 5 down)
Rise again.....until double. (Not in dryer this time around!)
*
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until Golden Brown
*
~Frost while they are warm~
*
Let cool before you wrap with saran wrap & foil to freeze.
*
*
BETCHA CAN'T EAT JUST ONE!

My Favorite: Oatmeal Toffee Cookies!

2008-03-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Makes about 2 dozen 3-inch cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light-brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1 cup dried cherries

1 cup semi or milk Chocolate Chips
1 cup toffee pieces, (5 1/2 ounces)
Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together flour and baking soda, and set aside.
Cream butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice during mixing.
Add egg, and mix on high speed to combine. Add vanilla extract; mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.Add the sifted flour a bit at a time on a low speed until well combined. Add oatmeal, cherries, chocolate, and toffee pieces; mix to combine. Bake on parchment-lined baking sheets, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a baking rack to cool. Eat and enjoy the calories!!

Spaghetti with Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella and Prosciutto

2008-03-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
3/4 pound spaghetti
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
6 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, diced (about 1 cup)

Cook the asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove asparagus from boiling water to a bowl of ice water to cool and stop the cooking. When cool, strain, cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces, and set aside.Return the water in the pot to a boil, adding additional water, if necessary. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add asparagus to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the pasta, and if needed, some of the reserved cooking liquid. Toss to coat. Add the prosciutto, mozzarella, and basil, and toss to combine. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve

Jumbo Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

2008-03-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

Cream-filled sandwich cookies are a peanut butter lover's dream come true.
Prep Time: 25 Min
Total Time: 1 Hr 10 Min Makes: 8 sandwich cookies

INGREDIENTS

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup Peanut Butter

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup Confectioner Powdered Sugar
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® Create ‘n Bake® refrigerated peanut butter cookies
**or better yet....make your own peanut Butter Cookie dough**
3/4to 1 cup Honey Roasted Dry Roasted Peanuts, coarsely chopped
DIRECTIONS:

In large bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter and honey with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar; beat just until smooth. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour while baking and cooling cookies.
Heat oven to 350°F. Make cookies as directed on package. Cool completely.
Spread 1/3 cup cream cheese mixture on bottom of 1 cookie; top with another cookie, bottom side down. Press cookies together slightly so cream cheese mixture just extends past edges of cookies. Roll edge of cream cheese mixture in chopped peanuts to generously coat. Repeat with remaining cookies.
Serve immediately, or store in single layer tightly covered in refrigerator

Chocolate Caramel Goo's

2008-03-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

2 cups All Purpose or Unbleached Flour

2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda1

/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups margarine or butter, softened

Filling:

1 (12.5-oz.) jar (1 cup) caramel ice cream topping

3 tablespoons Flour

1 (6-oz.) pkg. (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts (opt.)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9-inch pan.

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix at low speed until crumbly. Reserve half of crumb mixture (about 3 cups) for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom of greased pan. Bake at 350°F. for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine caramel topping and 3 tablespoons flour; blend well.

3. Remove partially baked crust from oven; sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

4. Return to oven; bake an additional 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. Tip: Go around the edge of the pan with a knife while hot...it will help you get these chewey morsels out of the pan easier.

Cut into bars. Eat and enjoy!

Apricot Caramel - Coconut Bars!

2008-03-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

1 cup Slivered Blanched Almonds
2 cups All Purpose Unbleached Flour
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Butter, cut up
1 cup SMUCKER'S® Apricot Preserves
1/3 cup Caramel Ice Cream Topping
3/4 cup unsweetened or sweetened shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. In food processor bowl with metal blade, place almonds. Cover; process with on-and-off pulses until finely chopped. Add flour, sugar and butter to almonds. Cover; process with on-and-off pulses until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. (Or, finely chop almonds. In large bowl, mix chopped almonds, flour and sugar; cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.)
3. In bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan, evenly press half of crumb mixture (about 2 1/2 cups).
4. In medium bowl, mix preserves, caramel topping and coconut. Spread over crumb mixture to within 1/2 inch of edges. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture evenly over apricot mixture to edges of pan.
5. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool completely, about 2 hours. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows.

Bacon and Mozzarella Panini's

2008-03-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
4 teaspoons basil pesto
1/4 cup Caesar dressing (creamy or vinaigrette style) (Italian Dressing is also great)

8 slices (1 oz each) regular mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 slices cooked bacon
2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, each cut into 4 slices
1/4 cup Butter

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray large cookie sheet with Cooking Spray. Unroll pizza crust dough on cookie sheet; press dough into 16x11-inch rectangle, pulling dough gently if necessary. Bake 9 to 16 minutes or until light brown. Cool about 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle.

2. Cut cooled pizza crust in half lengthwise and crosswise to make 4 rectangles. Remove rectangles from cookie sheet; cut each rectangle in half crosswise for a total of 8 squares.

3. On each of 4 crust slices, spread 1 teaspoon pesto; set aside. On each of remaining 4 slices, spread 1 tablespoon Caesar dressing. Place 2 cheese slices on each crust slice with Caesar dressing. Top cheese with pepper, 3 bacon slices, 2 tomato slices. Top with remaining crust slices, pesto sides down.

4. Heat 12-inch skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in skillet. Place 2 sandwiches in skillet. Place smaller skillet or saucepan on sandwiches to flatten slightly; keep skillet on sandwiches while cooking. Cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until bread is golden brown and crisp and fillings are heated. Remove from skillet; cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and sandwiches.

Banana Cookies

2008-02-21T12:28:00.000-08:00

This came from Jessica... they are really yummy! They taste like banana bread!

3/4c. shortening (I used Crisco Sticks-Butter Flavored)
3/4 c. brown Sugar
1 egg
1tsp. vanilla
2 bananas
2c. flour
1/4tsp. salt
1tsp. soda

Cream shortening adn sugar, add egg and mashed bananas. Add sifted dry ingredients(which I never do) and vanilla.

Bake at 350 for 10min. on a greased baking sheet.
Note: I added chocolate chips to the batch I made. Yummy either way!

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

2008-02-01T17:16:00.001-08:00

* These shortbread cookies, literally melt in your mouth!

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Combine flour, salt, butter, and sugar in a bowl. Mix with your fingers until it forms flaky crumbs and lumps. Mix in the egg, almond extract, and lemon juice. Continue to mix until it clumps; at first it may seem very dry. Shape into two balls, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic, refrigerate at least an hour, preferably overnight.

2 Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

3 Let the dough sit at room temperature for at least 10-15 minutes before attempting to work with it. The dough may be crumbly; if it falls apart, press it back together. Allow to relax enough to become somewhat pliable before rolling out. Roll out a disk, one at a time, between two sheets of parchment paper (or wax paper), to a 1/8 to 1/4-inch thickness, depending on how thick or thin you would like your cookies to be.

4 Dip the edges of one side of your cookie cutter into flour and cut out your cookie shapes. If the rolled-out dough becomes too soft to work with, place it in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up. Place on parchment paper, on a cookie sheet, with at least 1/2-inch distance between the cookie shapes.

5 Bake at 350°F for 8-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cookies, until the edges are just slightly golden brown. Remove from oven. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
Makes 3-5 dozen cookies, depending on how thick, and the size of your cookie cutters.

2008-01-29T19:22:00.000-08:00

I didn't get to try this soup, because when it was almost done, Bridger took the opportunity to pour about 1/4 cup of Chilli Powder into the soup! Then he looked at what he did and said "Yucky Mommy!" I will suggest not to try this at home when preparing this soup.

Bacon, Cheese & Potato Chowder

2008-01-29T13:23:00.000-08:00

I'm making this for dinner tonight, don't know how it tastes, but looks yummy and simple!

Bacon, Cheese & Potato Chowder
Prep: 20 Total: 30

3 cups fat free milk
1 can condensed cream of potato soup
2 cups frozen Southern-style hash browns
1 cup Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 slices Bacon, crispy cooked, drained and crumbled
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Mix milk and sould in large saucepan. Stir in hash browns. Bring to boil on high hear, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low simmer 10 min. stirring frequently.

Top with cheese, bacon and onions.
Makes 6 servings, 1cup each
(This is 4 points per serving Jes :) )
,

Speedy Chicken Stir Fry- from Kraft

2008-01-29T13:12:00.000-08:00

Prep: 10 min Total: 25 min

8oz. angell hair pasta, uncooked
2 cups broccoli florets
1 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. each; ground ginger, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat. Add Chicken; cook 6-8min. or untill cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper; cook 1min.

Meanwhile, cook pasta as diredted on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3min of cooking time. (Angel hair pasta cooks quite fast, so I add the broccoli when I add the pasta).

Drain past mixture; place in a large bowl. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Top with the peanuts.
Makes 4 servings 2cups each

This is really yummy! Jason and I have enjoyed it. We substituted green peas for the broccoli at Jessica's once, also very yummy! Quick and Simple- Give it a try!

From the Lion House - Wonderful!

2008-01-24T11:03:00.000-08:00

*Sweet and Sour Chicken* - Version 2

Note: We use this recipe a lot in our home. It never fails to get eaten!
Takes slightly longer than the cranberry chicken, but worth it.
There is also an easier way to prepare this dish. Instructions below:
**I usually double the sauce recipe, and use 8-9 large chicken breasts**

Lion House Recipe:

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx. 6 breasts)
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 beaten egg
4 to six tablespoons cornstarch or flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 1/2 tablespoons ketchup or catsup
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt & pepper. Let stand for 5-10 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Dip chicken in beaten egg, then in cornstarch or flour. (cornstarch makes chicken crispier). Brown in hot oil. Place in baking dish. Cover with following suace:

Mix sugar, vinegar, chicken stock, catsup, and soy sauce in saucepan and heat. Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Turn chicken once or twice. Makes 6 servings

**Faster, easier version - When time is limited**

Same recipe as above, only eliminate frying your chicken, and add 2 large tablespoons cornstarch to the above sauce recipe.
Layer raw chicken breasts in glass dish (9x13). Mix all sauce ingredients in bowl, (plus 2 TBSP corn starch) with wire wisk. Pour directly over chicken breasts. Bake uncovered at 325 for 1 hour, or until sauce is thick and dark in color.
So Easy, and so good! This dish is great for company. Leftovers are wonderful.

5 Minutes, and your done!

2008-01-24T10:52:00.000-08:00

CRANBERRY CHICKEN
(Sweet & Sour chicken - version 1)

When you need to prepare something super fast, this is the recipe!
Serve with a Baked potatoe and green salad, or great over rice.

1 16-oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 8-oz bottle French dressing
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Combine cranberry sauce, dressing, and soup mix. Put chicken breasts in a greased casserole dish, or 9x13" glass baking dish. Pour mixture over the chicken. Bake, uncovered approx. 1 hour. (Sauce should be thick and gooey!) Serves 8

This is also wonderful the next day. Break up your chicken pieces and put on a soft flour tortilla.
Roll up and eat!

Easy as Pie!

2008-01-24T10:41:00.000-08:00

*MEXICAN FIESTA BISCUIT BAKE*

* Note: I got this recipe from a friend of mine. Her family devours it up. I am looking forward to trying it myself. It looks very fast & simple!
Leave a comment if you try it.

1 (1 pound 1.3 oz can) Pillsbury Grand Biscuits, cut into quarters
1 (16-oz) jar thick and chunky salsa.....or your favorite salsa
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/2 cup chopped green pepper...(optional)
1/2 cup chopped onion...(optional)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Place quartered biscuits in a large bowl. Add salsa, cheese, green pepper, onion, cilantro, garlic, and chicken. Mix. Place mixture in a greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake, uncovered, 35 to 40 minutes. Serves 5-6

Fattening.....but soooo yummy!

2008-01-23T10:44:00.000-08:00

*Note: These are meant to be an appetizer, but I make them as a Main Dish,
with a green salad, and rolls. Add whatever you like, but don't fill them too full
before deep frying. Enjoy!

PIZZA WONTONS

½ lb. ground beef
½ lb. Italian sausage
6 oz. pepperoni, sliced thin and chopped
½ small can of chopped black olives (opt.)
2 jars of your favorite pizza sauce (14 oz.)
4 cups of shredded cheese
wonton skins or egg roll wraps for larger size
vegetable oil

Fry up your ground beef and sausage; drain. Mix with pepperoni, & black olives. Blend in cheese, then stir in pizza sauce until well mixed.

Drop a generous dollop of filling onto a wonton skin, folding the bottom up and over the filling, then folding the sides inward. Moisten top "flap" & fold down to seal package. Deep fry until golden brown. Serve with any sauce you like.

*This makes a lot of wontons. Cut recipe in half, if you want to make a smaller batch*
Variations: Taco meat & cheese, Steamed veggie's and cheese.....then deep fry.

Fast & Easy

2008-01-23T10:33:00.000-08:00

My daughters & I love these!

Five Layer Bars

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 cup butterscotch chips (opt...can use 2 cups chocolate chips instead)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle remaining ingredients over crumb mixture. Pour sweetened condensed milk over the layers. Bake for 30 minutes, or until very golden brown.

Allow to cool and cut into bars.

Gone in 60 seconds!

2008-01-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

* One of my YW girls brought these to our "Cookie Crunch" activity. They were the first cookies to disappear!

Hazelnut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces English toffee candy (recommended: Heath or Skor bar), finely chopped
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, and chopped (optional but wonderful)
1 (12-ounce) bag chocolate chips (milk or semi)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Finely chop the oats in a food processor. Transfer the oats to a medium bowl.
Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in the toffee, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips.
For each cookie, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough onto sheet, spacing 1-inch apart (do not flatten dough). Bake until the cookies are golden (cookies will flatten slightly), about 13- 15 minutes. Or light golden brown. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. (The cookies can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Bet-cha can't eat just one!

2008-01-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

Caution: If you like Lemon......you won't beable to resist!

* Lemon Bars *

4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Hot shortbread base, recipe follows
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until combined well and stir in lemon juice and flour. Pour lemon mixture over hot shortbread. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. And bake in middle of oven until set, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan and cut into 24 bars. Bar cookies keep, covered and chilled, 3 days. Sift confectioners' sugar over bars before serving.

Shortbread Base:
1 1/2 sticks
(3/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut butter into 1/2-inch pieces. In a food processor process all ingredients until mixture begins to form small lumps. Sprinkle mixture into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan and with a metal spatula press evenly onto bottom. Bake shortbread in middle of oven until golden, about 20 minutes. While shortbread is baking, prepare topping.

OH MY GOSH!

2008-01-17T17:08:00.000-08:00

Fried Ice Cream

1 quart vanilla ice cream
1 cup crushed frosted cornflakes
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, or 1 cup chopped walnuts, or 1 cup cookie crumbs
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
Vegetable oil, for frying
Hot chocolate sauce, optional
Whipped cream, optional

With an ice cream scoop, form 4 large balls of ice cream. Place on a waxed paper lined sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 2 hours. In a bowl, combine the cornflake crumbs with either the coconut, walnuts or cookie crumbs (or any combination). Spread the mixture in a shallow dish. Dip the ice cream balls in the crumb mixture and freeze for 30 minutes.
In a bowl, beat the eggs and sugar. Dip the coated ice cream balls into the eggs, then roll in the crumb mixture, coating completely. Freeze for 1 hour. (If necessary, or for a thicker crust, roll again in eggs and crumbs until the balls are completely coated.)
Heat the oil in a large pot or fryer to 400 degrees F. One at a time, lower the balls into the oil and fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the oil and place in a dessert bowl. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and whipped cream, as desired. Repeat with the remaining ice cream.

BETTER THAN CAMPING!

2008-01-17T16:35:00.000-08:00

S'more Brownies

Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch fine salt

Brownie:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I used only 3 oz. )
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 large cold eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping:
4 cups large marshmallows

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch. (optional)

For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the brownie.
Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted.
Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.

TOO GOOD TO PASS UP!

2008-01-17T16:31:00.000-08:00

OREO PIE

Ingredients:

1 (15-0Z) PKG. OREO COOKIES
1/4 C. MELTED BUTTER
1/2 GALLON VANILLA ICE CREAM
1 MEDIUM CONTAINER COOL WHIP
TOASTED PECANS (Optional)
CHOCOLATE SYRUP

Instructions:
Crush Oreos and combine with melted butter, spread crumbs into a 9x13 pan. Let ice cream become soft enough to spread onto crumbs, or cut ice cream into slices and layer over crumbs. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and sprinkle with toasted pecans if desired. Spread whipped topping over all, and drizzle again with chocolate syrup. Cover and return to freezer until frozen. YUM YUM!

*This tastes like the Dairy Queen Frozen cakes.....only better and much cheaper.
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 9x13 pan serves 8-12

MOM'S FAVORITE CASSEROLE!

2008-01-17T16:26:00.000-08:00

POPPY SEED CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

4 CUPS COOKED AND CUBED SKINLESS & BONELESS CHICKEN BREASTS.
16 OZ. CONTAINER OF SOUR CREAM
2 CANS CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP
2 CUPS SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE
1 TO 2 CUPS STEAMED BROCOLLI (OPTIONAL)
2 CUBES OF BUTTER
4 ROLLS OF RITZ CRACKERS
2 TBLS OF POPPY SEEDS
9X13 GLASS CASSEROLE DISH COATED WITH COOKING SPRAY
TIN FOIL TO COVER.

Instructions:

Combine Chicken, brocolli (opt.) sour cream, and cream of chicken soup in large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine popy seeds and gently crushed ritz crackers. Add 2 cubes of melted butter and gently mix together. Combine half of the cracker mix with the chicken mix and pour in the glass baking dish. Cover with shredded cheese. Pour the remaining cracker mix on top to cover completely. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. * Do not mix melted butter with crackers until you are ready to bake. The rest can be prepared ahead of time. *Do not crush the crackers finely (leave chunky). Don't forget the poppy seeds.

THIS DISH IS GREAT SERVED WITH A GREEN SALAD AND ROLLS.
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
Yield: 9X13 PAN SERVES 6-8 PEOPLE

GONE IN A FLASH!

2008-01-17T16:19:00.000-08:00

RICE KRISPIE SCOTCH-A-ROOS

**1 1/2 times this recipe for thicker, chewier bars**

Ingredients
1 CUP KARO SYRUP

1 CUP SUGAR

1 CUP PEANUT BUTTER

6 CUPS RICE CRISPIES

2/3 PKG MILK CHOCOLATE CHIPS

2/3 PKG BUTTERSCOTCH CHIPS

Instructions
Bring karo and sugar to a slow boil. Make sure all sugar is dissolved, and then remove from heat. Add peanut butter and rice crispies. Mix together and spread in greased pan. On Low heat melt together: 2/3 pkg milk choc. chips 2/3 pkg butterscotch chips Spread on top of rice crispies and let set until hardened. Cut into bars.

Difficulty: Easy

Yield: 9X13 pan

Labels...

2008-01-17T07:10:00.001-08:00

Okay... I just figured out how to do the labels. That way if we are looking for a particular category (Appetizers, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Cookies, Deserts) then we can just click on the label and it will take us to only those recipes....cool huh! So here is how you do it....at the bottom of the post page before you publish it there is a little white box that says Labels for this post:....type in whatever category it belongs under. Then publish post! It will automatically add the label, or add to an already created label.

Now start typing recipes!! :)

Chicken Parmesan Bundles...

2008-01-17T06:58:00.001-08:00

For dinner a couple of nights ago I tried this recipe that I got from my friend Lindsey's blog, who got it from the Kraft website. It was really yummy...but kind of took a while to prepare, especially with Boston hanging on my hip!! So the fast way is to lay your chicken in the pan, spread the cream cheese spread on each piece, pat down some of the cracker crumbs on each and so on....(the steps you would leave out are the pounding of the chicken & rolling of it). I had about 4 tenderloins that I did the whole pounding and rolling, but then had about 4 tenderloins that I had to do the fast way....they both turned out really good...tasted no different.
Oh and I didn't have spinach so I just left it out...I think broccoli would be a good substitute. And Bran, I know Jason doesn't really care for Parmesan Cheese but I think if you would sub it with just Mozzarella or another kind of cheese it would be just as good!

My Favorite Cookies...

2008-01-17T06:02:00.000-08:00

Mom's Applesauce Cookies will always be my absolute fav...and I know we all have the recipe...but this is for visitors who want to make a batch of cookies from heaven!

If you are looking for a Chocolate Chip Cookie that doesn't go flat and really tastes yummy...here is your recipe!...

2008-01-16T19:50:00.000-08:00

Just a special Thank you to Chant for doing this!!! I love the design, you have done yet another great job!!!

BON APPETIT

Broccoli Salad

INGREDIENTS1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces1/2 cup raisins1/4 cup red onion, chopped2 tablespoons white sugar3 tablespoons white wine vinegar1 cup mayonnaise1 cup sunflower seeds10 slices bacon I added: 1 cup red grapes

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Pumpkin Pancakes

Little Sizzler Breakfast Bites

Yummiest Orange Rolls Ever!

My Favorite: Oatmeal Toffee Cookies!

Spaghetti with Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella and Prosciutto

Jumbo Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Chocolate Caramel Goo's

Apricot Caramel - Coconut Bars!

Bacon and Mozzarella Panini's

Banana Cookies

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Bacon, Cheese & Potato Chowder

Speedy Chicken Stir Fry- from Kraft

From the Lion House - Wonderful!

5 Minutes, and your done!

Easy as Pie!

Fattening.....but soooo yummy!

Fast & Easy

Gone in 60 seconds!

Bet-cha can't eat just one!

OH MY GOSH!

BETTER THAN CAMPING!

TOO GOOD TO PASS UP!

MOM'S FAVORITE CASSEROLE!

GONE IN A FLASH!

Labels...

Chicken Parmesan Bundles...

My Favorite Cookies...

INGREDIENTS
1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sunflower seeds
10 slices bacon
I added:
1 cup red grapes