Saturday, October 24, 2009

Greek Pitas

Greek Pitas

grilled chicken
feta cheese
cucumber sauce
pitas

Fill pitas with above ingredients. Yummy! Serve with tomato/cucumber salad.

Tomato & Cucumber Salad
Dice tomatoes and cucumbers. Pour in a drained can of whole black olives. Add feta cheese. You can pour some Italian dressing over the top if you like. Enjoy on the side with greek pitas!

Cucumber Sauce for Pitas
1 c plain yogurt
Juice & rind of 1/2 small lemon
1 garlic clove, sliced paper thin like the onion; I use kind from a jar
1 sm cucumber, peeled & seeded, then grated

Combine and pour over chicken in pitas

Fish Tacos

I'm not a fish lover and I loved these!

Brush frozen tilapia fillets with butter and then sprinkle with Santa Maria Style seasoning or seasoning of your choice. Cook fillets for 32 minutes at 350. Shred fish with a fork and put in a bowl.

Fill tortilla shell with the following:
fish, shredded cabbage, ranch dressing, avocado, tomatoes. Serve rice and beans on the side.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups peanut butter chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, stir into the creamed mixture. Finally, fold in the peanut butter chips. Drop cookies by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until set. Cool on wire racks.

Day 32 - Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Ian's Favorite Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. cinnamon chips (you can use chocolate chips or any other chips instead)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs. Beat about 1 minute. Sift the flour, soda and salt in a bowl. Add to the butter mixture and mix until all ingredients are well-combined. Stir in the cinnamon chips. Drop tablespoons of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Day 31 - Earthquake Cake

Cali requested this for her b-day dessert. Love it!!

Earthquake Cake

Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the pan with 1 cup chopped walnuts (or nut of your choice) and 1 cup coconut. Prepare a chocolate cake mix as directed on the package. Pour over nuts and coconut (don't mix). Mix together 8 oz. cream cheese (softened), 1 cube butter (softened), 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Drop spoonfuls of this mixture on top of cake batter. Don't mix. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. The cake will set up more as it cools.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Day 30 - Fried Rice

calrose rice
eggs
crisp bacon
grilled chicken
green onions
soy sauce

Cook 4-5 c. rice in rice cooker in the morning. Let sit during the day.

Pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a hot skillet. Break 6 eggs into skillet and stir around until fully cooked. Add crisp bacon, cooked grilled chicken and green onion. Stir in cooked rice and enough soy sauce to cover all the rice. Eat by the bowlful!

Day 29 - Best Chicken Marinade

Put chicken breasts in a gallon Ziploc bag and marinate overnight:

1 bottle Lawry's Teriyaki Pineapple Marinade
1 can Coca-Cola

Day 28 - Biscuits & Sausage Country Gravy

Old-Fashioned Biscuits

About 10 biscuits

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 c. butter or shortening
3/4 c. milk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Sift or whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. With a pastry blender or fork, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk all at once. Stir quickly with a fork just until the dough clings together; do not overmix.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 10 or 12 times. Excess handling makes biscuits tough. Just be sure all the ingredients are well-distributed throughout the dough. Gently roll or pat the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Press a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter into the dough and swivel once or twice to make sure it has cut through. Dip the cutter into flour between cuts. Gather up the dough scraps into a ball and pat out again to cut one or two more biscuits.

Place the biscuits close together in a square baking pan and bake until light brown, about 12 minutes. Serve warm, right out of the oven.

Sausage Country Gravy

8 oz. maple-flavored bulk sausage
1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. milk
1 c. water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Prepare the biscuits and bake them while you make the gravy.

Cook and stir the sausage in a small skillet over medium heat, crumbling it with a wooden spoon. Drain the fat, if necessary.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Cook until the roux begins to darken slightly. Slowly whisk in the milk, water, salt, and pepper. Continue stirring until the gravy thickens and comes to a simmer. Stir in the sausage.

Break the warm biscuits in half and cover with the gravy.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Day 27 - Santa Fe Lime Rice & Pinto Beans

I love to serve this rice with tacos, on Cafe Rio Salads, or just on the side of just about anything. It has a fabulous flavor and a great texture!

Santa Fe Lime Rice

I usually 4x this recipe because everyone loves it so much!

1 cup uncooked calrose rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp. salt
juice of 1/2 lime
2 T. butter
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp. ground cumin

Put all ingredients in a rice cooker. Voila! or . . .

For the stove . . . Combine the rice, broth and salt in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to simmer and add the lime juice, butter, cilantro, and cumin. Stir, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender.

Pinto Beans in the Crock Pot from Dabney!

4 c. pinto beans
garlic
olive oil
water

Put about 4 c. of pinto beans in your crockpot. Cover with water. Add about 1 Tbsp. minced/crushed garlic and a couple Tbsp. of olive oil. Generously salt. Cook overnight and all the next day on high. Add more water as needed. These beans turn out very tender and have a delicious flavor.

We put this rice/beans into tortillas and serve with salsa, guacamole, cheese and sour cream. It can last for a week!!

Day 26 - French Toast

The best french toast is made with day-old french bread. It makes yummy edges!

French Toast
eggs
1/4 c. milk/egg
cinnamon
nutmeg

Slice thick slices of french bread. Dip in egg/milk mixture. Cook on sizzling hot griddle that has been sprayed with Pam or slathered with Crisco. (Boy, Crisco makes things taste good!) Sprinkle sides with cinnamon and nutmeg while cooking. Best topped with strawberry jam or homemade syrup!

Sterling's Best Buttermilk Syrup from Sarai Memmott

1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. buttermilk (I make my own: 3/4 c. milk + almost a T. vinegar; set for 5 min.)
1/2 c. butter
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla

Combine the first 5 ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Yummy!!

Day 25 - Taco Soup

This is my favorite recipe for taco soup. I almost always have all the ingredients on hand. The whole family loves it -- except Ian gags on the corn!

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pkg. mild taco seasoning mix
1 (16 oz.) can cut corn
1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28 oz.) can stewed tomatoes (I chop these up really small)
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
tortilla chips
grated cheese

Brown ground beef in heavy saucepan. Drain. Saute chopped onions; add to ground beef. (I actually combine those steps and cook the onion with the beef). Stir in taco seasoning, corn, kidney beans, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Serve topped with tortilla chips and grated cheese.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Day 24 - Not So Tasty Pork Loin

I was so grateful to my mom for making dinner on Sunday. My only assignment was to bring the rolls. Now, I have spent a lot of time training my kids to always be polite about whatever is served for dinner. They can be honest, but not mean. For example, when I served the Pizza Casserole last week, I got comments like, "This is interesting, Mom." "Is this pepperoni in here?" and my personal favorite, "Are we going to be having this as leftovers tomorrow night?" Because I force the kids to be polite, I also have to be a good example.

So, when Mom showed up with dinner, we peeked under the foil wrapped skillet to see what the main dish looked like. To my chagrin, I saw 2 lumps of grey meat with dallops of purple goo on top. My nostrils quaked as the ripe smell of fish filtrated through the air. What were we having for dinner?

The kids voiced my thoughts, "What is it, Grandma Joannie?"

"It's pork tenderloin," my mom said. "All I had to do was put a little grape jelly on top, check it with a meat thermometer, and voila, it was done!" The side dish mom brought was a new recipe as well: vegetable curry. The kids looked mortified.

Nyah pulled me aside. "Mom, do I have to eat that?"

"Yes, Nyah. You at least have to try it!"

I was wondering if I was going to be able to get it down myself.

Everyone sat around the table, staring at the pork tenderloin medallions on the plate.

Carson voiced our thoughts, "It sure looks like fish!"

Ian, my fish lover, had already dug in. "It tastes like fish too, Grandma!" Ian was overjoyed!

At the end of the meal, the pork tenderloin medallions were almost completely gone, thanks to Aaron, Grandpa Markie, and Ian. Grandma Joannie and I also made a valiant effort at eating the fishy pork. Needless to say, all of the pork eaters, with Ian as the exception (he has an iron stomach), were in the restroom most of the night. This recipe will not be added to my recipe collection.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Day 22 & 23 - Salads


Some of my new favorite toppings for salads:

blueberries
diced apples
raspberries
Gorgonzola cheese
diced, cooked chicken
slivered, candied almonds
yellow, red peppers sliced
cucumbers
wonton strips (deep fried and tasty!)

Salads topped with all this yummy goodness may not be the healthiest, but at least we are getting our fruits and vegetables. Most of the topping ideas came from my favorite salad, Danae's, from The Trolley! I can't wait to go out to eat, so I don't have to try to mimic their version!

Day 21 - Dutch Baby Pancakes

This is one of the kids' favorites. They like to make it, because it involves the use of the blender! Anything that makes noise!!

Dutch Baby Pancakes

6 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt

Mix ingredients in blender. Melt 1 cube of butter in 9x13 pan(you can use only 1/2 stick if you want to make it healthier). Pour batter over hot butter and bake for 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees. It will be tall and form bubble shapes on the top. The kids love to watch it bake! Serve it warm with syrup, jam, powdered sugar, or all three!!

Day 20 - Chicken Enchiladas


This chicken enchilada recipe is the easiest recipe in the world, and everyone loves it! Thanks to my neighbor, Amy, for this tasty dinner!

Chicken Enchiladas
1 big can green enchilada sauce
1 bag tortillas
chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
Colby/Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)

Pour s thin layer of enchilada sauce in bottom of a glass baking dish. Lay a tortilla out flat. Sprinkle a strip of cooked chicken down center of tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top of chicken. Roll up and place in pan. Line filled tortillas tightly together in 1 layer in pan. Pour more enchilada sauce on top to cover tortillas. Sprinkle with more cheese. Cover with foil. Cook at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Cook for 5 more minutes. Serve with rice and beans. Yummy!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Day 19 - Pizza Casserole

I guess I should've known with a name like "Pizza Casserole", it was bound to be a disappointment. I ate this meal 12 hours ago and still feel like throwing up!

Pizza Casserole (make at your own risk)

3 c. macaroni, uncooked
1 lb. ground sausage
1/2 c. pepperoni (quartered)
2 c. pizza sauce
1 can Italian tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese

Brown sausage and drain. Add pepperoni. Cook 5 min. longer. Cook pasta 10 min. Rinse and drain. Add pizza sauce, seasoning, and 1 c. cheese. Pour into sprayed
9x13 pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake @ 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Day 18 - Coconut Brownies


Coconut Brownies
1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. + 2 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 c. coconut

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine flour and cocoa; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in coconut. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes. Toothpick test for doneness.

**Macey's was trying to sell coconut and had this sitting on a table to sample. I fell for the sale. Yummy!! You could probably substitute chocolate chips, M&Ms or nuts for the coconut. Nice brownie texture.

Day 17 - Homemade Noodle, Chicken Noodle Soup

This is the kids' all time favorite meal! They love the homemade noodles!

Chicken Noodle Soup
1 pkg. chicken breasts, cooked & broken into pieces
2 c. chopped celery
2 c. chopped carrots
1 chopped onion
1 batch homemade noodles, or 1 pkg. grandma's homemade store bought noodles cooked and drained.

Boil vegetables until tender. Drain off water. Use broth off chicken or 1 can chicken broth. Heat together with 2 cans cream of chicken soup and 1/2 cup milk. Add the vegetables, chicken and noodles. Enjoy!!

Homemade Noodles

6 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. salt
about 2 cups flour to start with!
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Add baking powder and salt to 1 cup of flour and mix with the eggs. Put the other cup of flour on a board and make a well to pour the eggs into. Fold in the flour as you knead it. Add more flour to your dough until it's not sticky. (I use a lot more!) Roll out thin. Cut noodles with a pizza cutter. Add noodles to a pot of boiling water. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring as you add them. I always taste test the last ones I've added to make sure they are all done. Add the noodles to the above soup recipe. Yummy!!

Day 16 - Raspberry Streusel Coffee Cake


This is the absolute BEST breakfast cake/dessert I've ever eaten! It takes a while to make, but is SOOOO worth the effort! Try to make it when raspberries are in season, or you can use frozen raspberries. Just as good!

Raspberry Streusel Coffee Cake

3 1/2 c. unsweetened raspberries
1 c. water
2 T. lemon juice
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. cornstarch

In a large saucepan, cook raspberries and water over medium heat for 5 minutes. If you don't use a LARGE pan, the raspberries will splatter all over you! Combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir into fruit mix. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick. Cool.

Batter:
3 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1 c. cold butter
2 eggs/lightly beaten
1 c. (8 oz.) sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, powder and soda. Cut in butter till it looks like crumbs. Stir in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Batter will be stiff. Spread 1/2 in a greased 9x13 pan. Spread raspberry filling on top of that. Spoon remaining batter over the filling. Combine topping; sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Combine glaze; drizzle over warm cake.

Topping:
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter; softened
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Glaze:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Friday, September 4, 2009

Day 15 - Lasagne (without cooking the noodles!)



This is my favorite lasagne recipe, hands down! You skip the step of cooking the noodles (yes, you use regular lasagne noodles, not the no cook kind), and it has a great flavor. The picture doesn't do it justice.

Lasagne

1 lb. ground beef
salt and pepper
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 c. water
3 c. mozzarella cheese, grated
16 oz. cottage cheese
2 eggs
1/2 c. fresh grated Paremesan cheese
9 regular lasagne noodles (don't cook them!)

Brown ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Drain. Add spaghetti sauce and water to the meat. Simmer. Mix cheeses, eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl. Put some of the sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish and add 3 pieces of uncooked lasagne noodles, more sauce, and 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Add 3 more noodles, more sauce and the other 1/2 of cheese mixture. End with 3 more lasagne noodles and the rest of the sauce. Bake covered at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 minutes. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Day 14 - Breakfast Sandwiches




Has anyone ever heard of a KrustBuster? You basically make yourself a sandwich, with whatever you want inside, and squeeze off the yucky part of the bread! It's like an Uncrustable that you buy in the freezer section.

My kids' favorite sandwich to make is an egg, ham and cheese. You just layer, bread, a cooked egg, ham, cheese, and another slice of bread, squish it in the Krustbuster, pop it in the toaster to melt the cheese and VOILA! Delicious! The kids can even make it on their own.

Fun, fun, fun!!

Go to http://www.krustbusters.com to purchase one! **No, I'm not getting any royalties from this!

Day 13 - Leftovers Again!

Wish I could do this everynight!

Monday, August 31, 2009

Day 12 - Homemade Salsa


(Doesn't it look like a light from heaven is shining down saying, "Look at this beautiful piece of work!" It better taste like heaven. It took all day to make!)

I spent all day canning salsa, so guess what's for dinner? You guessed it!

Tuckett's Homemade Salsa

10 qts. quartered tomatoes
3 red peppers (sweet)
4 Anaheim peppers
1 qt. celery (chopped fine)
3 green peppers (sweet)
8 yellow peppers
5 Jalapeno peppers
4 medium onions
6 cloves of garlic (diced)
2 Tbsp. coarse pepper
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. paprika
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup salt
4 tsp. cumin

Quarter tomatoes. Dice all other vegetables in food processor. Chop peppers with gloves on. Cook ingredients for 2 hours. Seal in bottles and hot bath for 20 minutes.

Day 11 - Chicken Pillows, Broccoli, Fruit Salad and the Best Banana Bread in the World!

Lynette Thomas' Banana Bread
**this recipe has never let me down!

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed (about 3)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk (or add 1 Tbsp. vinegar to 1 cup milk and let stand for 10 minutes - remember to only use 1/2 cup of it!)
3/4 cup chopped nuts (I don't usually add the nuts)

Cream together ingredients in order listed above. Add flour slowly until combined.

Grease and flour or use PAM spray to prepare cooking pans.

Pan size: makes 2 (8" x 3-3/4") loaf pans (fill pans 2/3 of way)

Bake 325 for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. (I baked mine for 1 hour and 10 minutes this time). If making muffins, check after 30 minutes instead.

Day 10 - I Caved!


I broke down and didn't make dinner tonight. I have some excuses though, that sound pretty good to me. I ran 20 miles this morning, helped Ian with an Aztec project for school all afternoon, sat in the hot sun watching Cali's soccer game with the family and then DID NOT FEEL LIKE COOKING!! Aaron had pity on me and took us all out to Tepanyaki for the best meal ever! I didn't even feel guilty. Well, just a little bit.

Day 9 - Homemade Mac & Cheese Kids Love

Mac & Cheese Kids Crave (from The Food Nanny)

1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (I use shell shapes!)
3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 c. milk
2 c. shredded Cheddar or Colby cheese

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a square baking dish.

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Blend in the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the milk; cook and stir until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Decrease the heat to low and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.

Combine the cheese sauce with the macaroni and place in the prepared baking dish. Bake 35-40 minutes or until heated through.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Day 8 - Spaghetti and Fabulous French Bread


Fabulous French Bread (NO KNEADING REQUIRED)
Stolen by: Vanessa Heber


2 ½ c. warm water 1 Tbsp. salt
2 pkg. yeast 2 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. sugar 6 c. flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water and add sugar. Stir in salt, oil and ½ the flour (3 cups). Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon. Stir in remaining flour. Allow dough to rest 10 minutes. Stir down dough. Repeat the resting and stirring until dough has been stirred down 5 times. (Takes 50 minutes – I always do chores around the house during this time and take the timer with me!)

Turn dough onto floured board. Knead 2-3 times, only coating dough with flour so it can be handled. Divide in half. Roll each half into rectangles. Roll up and pinch seam and ends to seal. Place on large baking sheet that has been oiled. With a sharp knife, slash dough at an angle 3 times, about 2 inches apart.

Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours. Check to make sure it doesn’t rise too much. It can take as little as 30 minutes in hot weather. Brush with a beaten egg and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Day 7 - Haystacks


Nyah loves haystacks! She'd eat them 7 days a week if I'd let her!

Haystacks

2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (I left the onion out because I didn't have any! Kids liked it even better!)
1 (26-oz.) can cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
6 cups cooked/diced chicken (I used 3 cans of chicken breast - so easy!!)
8 cups cooked rice

Toppings
1 bag crunchy chow mein noodles
2 cans pineapple tidbits, drained
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup sliced green onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 can black olives; sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
shredded cheese

In a saucepan, saute butter and onions for about 3 minutes. Add chicken soup and warm over medium heat. Stir in chicken and sour cream and cook until hot, but do not boil. Place on the serving table in a crock-pot to keep warm (or just serve from stove). Place rice and toppings in separate bowls. Build own haystacks by placing a bed of rice on a plate, spooning on chicken mixture and toppings as desired.

Day 6 - Leftovers!

For moms, leftover night is the best, but when I told the kids it was leftover night, I heard lots of moans, groans, and comments like, "This stinks!" when I opened the tupperware containers!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Day 5 - Creamy Chicken Soup and Pillow-Soft Dinner Rolls

This was a winner with all the kids!!


Creamy Chicken Soup
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 2 cans of chicken instead)
4 c. chicken broth
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
5 carrots, peeled and cut into thick slices
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups evaporated fat-free milk
1 can corn (drained) I didn't add the corn because I was all out!
salt and ground black pepper

Put the chicken and broth in a soup pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat, cover, and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken to cool. OR . . . open 2 cans of chicken breast chunks -- so easy!

Add the onion, carrots, and potatoes to the simmering broth. Cover and return to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, tear the chicken into bite-size pieces. (or just use those chicken chunks from a can!)

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and cook for 1 minute until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Stir in the milk and cook for 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.

Add the white sauce and chicken pieces to the soup pot. Stir and bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat. Immediately decrease the heat to simmer, add the corn, salt and pepper to taste, and cook just until corn is heated through. Serve immediately or keep warm but do not boil!!




Pillow-Soft Dinner Rolls

4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 cups warm milk (110-115 degrees)
6 Tbsp. shortening
2 eggs
1/4 c. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. salt
7-7 1/2 cups flour

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, shortening, eggs, sugar, salt and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes (dough will be sticky). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 24 pieces. Shape each into a roll. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Day 4 - Homemade Cinnamon Rolls



These are my favorite cinnamon rolls. They don't really qualify as "dinner", but since we ate them all day, I thought I'd include the recipe:

Vanessa's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls

Combine the following and let stand for 15 minutes, or until it bubbles up:
2 1/2 c. warm water
1/2 c. oil
3/4 c. sugar
3 1/2 T. yeast

Add 2 beaten eggs

Add 6 1/2 c. flour and 1 T. salt (sifted)

Add 1+ more cups of flour until not too sticky. Let rise for 10 minutes. Roll out into 1 ft. x 3 ft. rectangle. Melt 1/3 c. butter and spread on top. Combine 1 c. sugar + 2 T. cinnamon and sprinkle on top of butter.

Roll up into a jelly roll. Cut into 24 pieces. Line in pan 2 wide and 4 down in smaller glass dishes or 3 wide/4 down in 9x13 pan. Let rise until double. Will fill pan (about 45 minutes)

Cook for 20 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Ice after 10 minutes cooled with cream cheese frosting:

1 stick butter
1 8 oz. cream cheese
2 lbs. pwd. sugar
milk
vanilla

**To make the caramel pecan version of the rolls (my personal favorite)
1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
4 T. light corn syrup

Cook and stir until combined. Spread in bottom of 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup pecans or walnuts. Lay 12 of the uncooked cinnamon rolls on top. Follow baking instructions. Dump out onto foil immediately after you remove them from oven. Don't frost. Just eat!!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Day 3 - Mini Cheeseburgers/Grilled Zucchini


If you ever get tired of regular old cheeseburgers, just make them mini. It makes the meal a whole lot more exciting.



Plus, add some grilled zucchini and corn on the cob and you've got a well-rounded meal!

Grilled Zucchini
zucchini
fresh parmesan or mizithra cheese
ground pepper/salt
olive oil

Cut zucchini into strips. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with cheese. Grill for about 4 minutes on each side on the top of the grill. Enjoy!

If you have a child that doesn't like hamburger buns or veggies, this is what the meal ends up looking like!

Day 2 - Peanut Butter Bars


OK, so we didn't just eat Peanut Bars for dinner, but they were fantastic! We got invited to a church Potluck. All I had to make was dessert. This is my favorite recipe for P.B. Bars. I combined a couple of recipes from my good friends Katie and Kandice and this is the result. They'll disappear . . . I promise!!

Peanut Butter Bars
1 1/4 c. butter
1 1/8 c. sugar
1 1/8 c. brown sugar
1 1/8 c. peanut butter
3 eggs
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/8 tsp. soda
2 1/4 c. flour
2 1/4 c. quick oatmeal
________________________________________
2 c. peanut butter

Blend butter, sugars and peanut butter until smooth. Add eggs, salt and soda. Stir in flour and oatmeal. Place on large cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 22 minutes (don't overcook!). While cooking whip 2 c. peanut butter with a fork. When it comes out of the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes and then spread the whipped peanut butter on top. Let cool completely. Then make the frosting.

Frosting
1 cube butter
6 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar

Combine margarine, milk, and cocoa in a saucepan and cook until it bubbles. Remove from heat, add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix well. Spread on top of the peanut butter layer and let cool completely again.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Day 1 - "Gourmet"/Kid-Friendly Pancakes

OK. I know. Pancakes for dinner? It was cheap. It was easy, and I had all of the ingredients on hand!

The kids actually gave the meal a perfect 10!

All you have to do is throw in some sliced apples, chocolate chips, whipped cream, syrup, and Mickey Mouse shapes and you'll have a hit.