Chaotic with a side of delicious

Corn Salad

2011-12-30T12:57:00.002-05:00

This is one of those recipes that is underated but everytime I make it people rave about it. Make sure you make it the day/night before to give it time to marinate.

Corn Salad

32 oz. bag of froze corn

3/4 C Helman's Mayo

1 diced red pepper

3 green onions

1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

small bag of chili cheese fritos

Marinate 1st 4 ingredients overnight in fridge. Just before serving add cheddar cheese and crushed fritos.

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

2011-12-30T12:20:00.003-05:00

This was really good. Great flavor and so easy to fix and forget. Don't let the root beer steer you away. I actually use diet root beer. Make this the night before, shred and you can pop back in the crock to warm up. The flavors have time to marry this way as well.

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

2 lb. pork tenderloin

12 oz. can or bottle of root beer

18 oz. bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce ( I used Sweet Baby Ray's)

Place pork tenderloin in crock pot; pour root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Shred pork, drain and add barbecue sauce.

Easy Baked Beans

2011-12-30T07:52:00.004-05:00

This was a quick tasty crock pot dish that's perfect to take to a potluck or picnic.

Easy Baked Beans

2 cans (28 oz. ea.) Vegetarian baked beans, drained

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

2/3 C barbecue sauce

1/2 C packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp. ground mustard

Mix all ingredients in 3.5 to 6 qt. crock pot. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours.

Cranberry Cheese Spread

2011-12-30T07:40:00.003-05:00

This is a tasty recipe that is perfect to take somewhere when you need a quick appetizer. This recipe makes enough for two appetizers. Serve this with crackers.

Cranberry Cheese Spread

2 pkg. (8oz. ea.) cream cheese, softened

1 can (14oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce

1 can (4oz.) chopped green chilies, drained

1 green onion, sliced

1 Tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

assorted crackers

Place cream cheese on a serving plate. Combine the cranberry sauce, green chilies, onion, lime juice and spices in a small bowl. Spoon over cream cheese. Serve with crackers.

Eggnog French Toast

2011-12-27T08:05:00.004-05:00

Simple...but DELICIOUS!!!! Made this Christmas morning and received RAVE reviews! You must have the texas toast bread, it truly makes this dish.

Eggnog French Toast

3-4 eggs

A big splash of eggnog

A splash of vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Mix it up.

6 thick slices of your favourite bread.

Heat pan, add some butter..

Dip the bread in the mixture, let it soak a few seconds then fry them up until golden on both sides flipping half way.

photo courtesy of justataste dot com

Amish Breakfast Casserole

2011-12-27T07:51:00.003-05:00

I made this for Christmas morning and it was fantastic! I like my breakfast casseroles to have potatoes in them and this was by far the best one I've had yet. I substituted cooked Jimmy Dean Maple sausage links in place of the bacon which my gallbladder hates and omitted onion. Do not skip the cottage cheese. Even if your family doesn't like it, you'll never taste it BUT it does add to the creaminess and set up of the dish!!

Amish Breakfast Casserole

1 pound sliced bacon, diced

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

6 eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese

1 1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese

In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion until bacon is crisp; drain. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir in bacon mixture. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until set and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

picture courtesy of Taste of Home

Baked Potato Soup

2011-11-13T07:35:00.005-05:00

I have this fear of cooking with sour cream. Every time I've done so, it comes out curdled and it just grosses me out. I found this recipe for Baked Potato Soup that used cream cheese in it's base so right away I was interested. Although I'm not a HUGE soup eater, I found this to be very good although I do believe the recipe needs some more salt. I'll let you be the judge so I won't alter the base recipe to include more. Overall this is a keeper!

Baked Potato Soup

5lbs Russet Potatoes, washed but NOT peeled. Diced into 1/2 inch(ish) cubes
1 large yellow onion, diced
10 cloves of garlic, whole
8 cups chicken stock
16 oz cream cheese softened (I used 8oz regular and 8oz low fat)
1 TBS seasoned salt or all-purpose seasoning

Garnishes:

Crumbled bacon
Shredded cheddar cheese
Green onions

Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning and chicken stock to slow cooker.
Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
Remove and puree the garlic cloves and cream cheese along with 1/2 to 1/3rd of the soup, and then reintroduce to the remainder in the crock pot.
Stir until soup is well blended.
Top with your choice of garnishes & serve!

photo courtesy of rachelraydotcom

Little Italy Pasta Salad

2011-11-13T07:19:00.004-05:00

I got this recipe from a local supermarket's sale flyer. It sounded good and was perfect for summer pot luck's and picnic's because there was no mayonnaise to go bad. What happened was a delightful salad that I've made countless times since because it's so darn good and easy.

Little Italy Pasta Salad

12 oz (1 box) of Fusilli pasta

15 grape tomatoes cut in 1/2

2 slices (1/4 in thick) Genoa Salami cut into 1/4 in. pieces

2 slices (1/4 in thick) provolone cheese cut into 1/4 in pieces

1 slice (1/4 in thick) hickory smoked ham cut into 1/4 in pieces

1 medium cucumber cut lengthwise in half and thinly sliced

2 C loosely packed fresh baby spinach leaves sliced

1 C mild banana pepper rings drained

1 C Italian salad dressing

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp salt

1/2 fresh ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to box. Rinse pasta under cold water and drain well!

In a large bowl, toss pasta with remaining ingredients until well blended. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

picture courtesy of savemartdotcom

Christmas Crack

2011-11-06T09:57:00.004-05:00

The title pretty much explains how this tastes and how hard it is not to eat the WHOLE.DARN.PAN.

Good luck.

Christmas Crack

1 C butter

1 C light brown sugar

40 saltine crackers, whole (one sleeve)

12oz chocolate chips

chopped nuts or toffee bits

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F.

Line a jelly roll pan (15x10) with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Lay out the crackers side by side until they cover the pan.

Boil butter and brown sugar about 3 to 5 min. stirring constantly until it's pulling away from the sides of the pan. Pour hot mixture over crackers and spread it out until it covers all the crackers. Bake in preheated oven until the whole thing is bubbly, about 5-7min. Don't let the edges burn!

Remove from oven and immediately pour chocolate chips over the top. I put this back into the oven for a few minutes to encourage the chips to melt. Take out and spread chocolate over caramel mixture. Sprinkle crushed nuts or toffee over it all. Let cool at room temperature then pop into refrigerator for an hour. Pull out and break into smaller pieces. Store in airtight container and ENJOY!

photo courtesy of blago dot net

Crock Pot Pork Chops with Jalapeno Pecan Cornbread Stuffing

2011-11-06T07:59:00.005-05:00

This was really good. The kids even loved it (unheard of especially since I slipped and called it "pork" instead of "chicken" which I call ALL white meat so they eat it). I didn't have the cornbread stuffing so I used chicken and I omitted pecans since I didn't have any on hand. Delicious anyway.

Crock Pot Pork Chops with Jalapeno Pecan Cornbread Stuffing

6 boneless loin pork chops,

1" thick 3/4 cup onion, chopped

3/4 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1/2 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups cornbread stuffing mix

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (increase to 11/4 C for moister stuffing)

1 egg, lightly beaten

Spray large skillet with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add pork; cook 10 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside. Add onion, celery, pecans, jalapeno pepper, sage, rosemary and black pepper to skillet. Cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender; set aside. Combine cornbread stuffing mix, vegetable mixture and broth in medium bowl. Stir in egg. Spoon stuffing into slow cooker. Arrange pork on top. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours or until pork is tender.

photo courtesy of Food Nework

To Die for Blueberry Muffins

2011-11-06T07:45:00.003-05:00

Absolutely delicious. 'Nuff said.

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup canola oil (or vegetable oil)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
enough milk to fill one cup
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cold and cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400. Grease the muffin cups or use muffin liners.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk to mix. Place the vegetable oil into a 1-cup measuring cup and add the egg and vanilla. Pour in enough milk to fill it to the 1-cup line. Pour this into the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Don’t over mix! Gently fold in the blueberries. The batter will be thick.

Fill the muffin cups to the top. I used an ice cream scoop and one scoop filled them perfectly.

To make crumb topping:

Mix together the brown sugar, flour, cubed butter and cinnamon. Using a pasty blender or a fork combine until the butter is pea sized. Sprinkle over the muffins before baking. I used a heaping tablespoon for each one. Trust me, heaping mounds of topping are a good thing.

Bake 20 - 25 minutes in a preheated oven or until they test done. Let cool 5 minutes in pan, and then remove from pan to cool on a rack.

photo courtesy of friendseat dot com

Chipotle Marinated Grilled Chicken

2011-11-06T07:27:00.005-05:00

LOVED this!! The flavor was great and not too spicy. I marinated this overnight and used boneless skinless chicken breasts. Please note that if you DO use olive oil, it will solidify in the refrigerator and look like a complete gloppy mess. It will still taste fantastic though. The next time around I will use canola oil and see how things go. I suspect it'll turn out just fine.

Chipotle Marinated Grilled Chicken

3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

2 garlic cloves

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp ground cumin

2 Tblsp lime juice

2 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tblsp honey

1/4 C balsamic vinegar

1/4 C olive or canola oil

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

Place all ingredients minus chicken breasts and kosher salt into blender and blend until smooth and no garlic pieces remain. Pour 1/4 of the marinade into a small dish and set aside. Put chicken breasts into a large ziplock bag and add marinade. Allow to marinade in refrigerator for a minimum of two hours and maximum 24 hours.

Grill chicken breasts until no longer pink inside and baste with remaining marinade for the last couple minutes of grilling.

*Don't ever baste raw meat as you will contaminate your basting marinade and thus possibly contaminate your cooked meat with raw juices.

photo courtesy of best healthy diet recipes dot com

Pumpkin Nutella Swirl Bread

2011-09-25T07:12:00.005-04:00

Wow. This pumpkin bread is FANTASTIC. It's UNBELIEVABLY moist and the nutella give it that chocolate punch. What too this just over the top was the raw cane sugar I sprinkled on the top. A bit of crunch goodness that makes every bite sing in your mouth. Put on a sweatshirt, turn on the football game and make this. You won't be sorry.

Pumpkin Nutella Swirl Bread or Muffins

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1/3 cup water

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 eggs

8 tablespoons Nutella (2 tablespoons per mini loaf) ***see note below

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 4 mini loaf pans with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, water, pumpkin, eggs, and extracts. Whisk until smooth and combined.

4. Slowly stir in the flour mixture. Mix until ingredients are combined.

5. Pour the batter into the mini loaf pans, making sure batter is evenly divided. Drop 2 heaping tablespoons of Nutella onto each loaf pan. Swirl the Nutella into the pumpkin batter with a knife. Place the loaf pans onto a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

6. Place the loaf pans on a wire rack. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then carefully remove the loaves. Cool completely before slicing.

*Note-You can make regular size loaves. This recipe should make 2 8×4 loaves. Adjust baking time to about 60 minutes. You can also make muffins, but I am not sure how many you will get from a full recipe since I did some mini loaves and some muffins. For muffins cook between 15-20 minutes. I also recommend doing additional nutella in the middle of you muffins or loaves. Just fill the pan half way and swirl in some nutella just like the recipe calls for on top.

Picture courtesy of realmomkitchendotcom

Blue Ribbon Chili

2011-09-20T14:25:00.003-04:00

This chili is da-bomb. So much flavor and it tasted even better the next day. I have to say I like this better than my "go to" chili recipe. You could eaisly make this in the crock pot too. Just leave it on low for a couple hours, stirring every so often so the bottom doesn't burn.

Debdoozie's Blue Ribbon Chili

2 pounds ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 (8 ounce) jar salsa (I used medium heat, perfect!)
4 tablespoons chili seasoning mix (I used one whole package)
1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.
Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour.

Caramel Apple Salad

2011-09-11T07:54:00.005-04:00

OK this recipe should really be named "candy apple salad" BUT since I already have a recipe listed here by that name, I went with Caramel Apple Salad because this DOES taste like a caramel apple you'd get from a fair but without the calories or caramel to be exact LOL. This is as low fat as you can get, it's delicious and easy to throw together and take on the go. My Aunt makes it for many a family gathering and we all love it.

Caramel Apple Salad

4 Cups Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and chopped

(I used honey crisp and it was delicious)
½ C. Sugar (I used Splenda - 12 packets)
1 8 oz. Crushed Pineapple with Juice
1 T. Flour
1 Beaten Egg (I used egg whites)
1 T. Vinegar
1 8 oz Cool Whip (I used “light“)
1 C. Coarsely chopped dry roasted peanuts

In saucepan over medium

heat, stir egg, flour, sugar, vinegar and pineapple. Cook until thick, about six minutes. Cool. In large bowl, fold pineapple mixture and cool whip. Carefully mix in apples and ½ cup peanuts. Sprinkle the rest of the peanuts on top. 　

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

2011-09-09T16:12:00.002-04:00

OMG!! LOVE THESE!!! I thought that they'd be "OK" but they turned out SOOO GOOD!! Totally something that you could make a head of time and bake just when you needed them or they'd even be good reheated in a toaster oven. I made them as written only with a smaller amount of blue cheese only because I'm not a huge fan of the cheese.

Buffalo Chicken Rolls

makes 12

12 egg roll wrappers (roughly 4 square inches)

1 cup cooked and shredded chicken (6 ounces)

1/2- 2/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce

1 cup crumbled blue cheese (4 ounces)

1 cup broccoli slaw or cole slaw (dry)

Small bowl of water

Nonstick cooking spray

Blue cheese dressing, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lay egg roll wrappers on a clean work surface. In a small bowl, stir chicken* (see note below) and hot sauce until well coated, using more or less sauce depending on your spice preference. The meat should be moist with sauce.

Begin by placing one tablespoon of the broccoli slaw on the diagonal of the bottom right corner of one of the wrappers. Next, place 2 tablespoons of shredded spicy chicken evenly on top of the slaw. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the blue cheese crumbles over the chicken. Do not overfill.

To fold: Fold the bottom right corner over the stuffing mixture so that it covers it completely, with the tip of the corner now pointing to the center of the egg roll wrapper. Fold in the bottom left corner, followed by the right, so that you now have formed an envelope. Roll the wrap upward one time, leaving the top left corner open. Wet your index finger in the small bowl of water and press to moisten the top left corner. Now fold that down on top of the filled roll, sealing it like you would an envelope.

Repeat with remaining rolls.

Place the rolls on a wire rack set on top of a cookie sheet (or just on a greased cookie sheet) coated with nonstick cooking spray. Spritz each roll evenly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the rolls crisp and turn a light golden brown.

*Note: To make the chicken, place 1/2 lb of uncooked chicken breast in a small pot and fill with enough water just to cover it. Bring to a boil on your stovetop, reduce the heat slightly, then simmer for about 12 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain and let cool before shredding with two forks, pulling against the grain of the meat.

Nutrition Information for 1 roll: Calories: 103, Fat: 3.2g, Cholesterol 19.5mg, Sodium 237.7mg, Carb: 9.9g, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugars: 0.3g, Protein: 8.1g

Apple Toffee Dip

2011-08-28T21:24:00.003-04:00

How to take a perfectly healthy fruit and turn it into something that makes the angels weep. This is just delicious. I could eat it with my fingers because pausing to get a spoon would just take up too much time. Served with freshly sliced Granny Smith apples to marry a tart and amazingly sweet dip together. Heaven.

Apple Toffee Dip

2 8oz cream cheese

3/4 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 pkg heath toffee bits

Mix everything together and serve with apple slices!

Taco Stuffed Shells

2011-08-24T07:22:00.002-04:00

These were a nice change from our typical taco night. They reheated up very well for work the next day and I'd definitely make them again!

Taco Stuffed Shells

1lb ground turkey
1 package taco seasoning
1 4 once package cream cheese
12 large pasta shells
1 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 cup Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
1 ½ cups tortilla chips (crushed)
3 green onions (chopped)
1 cup sour cream

In a fry pan cook ground turkey and add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and allow to fully cool. While meat mixture is cooking, cook the pasta shells, drain and toss well with butter.
Pour salsa in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place the stuffed shells in the baking dish and cover the tops of the shells with taco sauce.
Cover and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, uncover, and sprinkle crushed chips and shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses on top. Cook for about 15 more minutes. Serve with sour cream, additional salsa, black olives or whatever you think goes good with tacos!

FANTASTIC Do-It-All Marinade

2011-08-13T07:39:00.003-04:00

This marinade was AWESOME! I used it on boneless, skinless chicken breasts and not only was the chicken soooo tasty and juicy, it gave the breasts a great color. Love this!! I can guarantee it would be just as good on pork or beef.

Do It All Marinade

Ingredients
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Whisk all ingredients together. Pour marinade over chicken, steak or pork; cover and chill meat for at least 5 hours. Remove meat from marinade, discarding marinade. Cook as desired.

Slow Cooker Hoisin Pork Wraps

2011-07-29T09:54:00.003-04:00

What a different twist on say BBQ pulled pork or chicken. Tangy, easy and quite good. I'd make this again and I'd also consider it for a pot luck or group get together. Made as written with no substitutions.

Slow Cooker Hoisin Pork Wraps

1 - 2 lb boneless pork roast, trimmed of fat
5 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp grated gingerroot
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 - 10" flour tortillas
3 cups shredded lettuce
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 - 15 oz can mandarin orange segments, drained

Place pork roast in 3 to 4 quart slow cooker. In small bowl, combine 4
tablespoons of the hoisin sauce, gingerroot, 5 spice powder and garlic
and mix well. Spread mixture over pork.

Cover; cook on Low setting for 7 to 8 hours.

About 15 minutes before serving, heat oven to 300 degrees F. Wrap
tortillas in foil. Heat packet at 300 degrees F. for 10 to 15 minutes or
until warm.

Meanwhile, remove pork from slow cooker; place on cutting board. Stir
remaining tablespoon hoisin sauce into juices in slow cooker. Shred pork
with 2 forks then return to slow cooker and mix well.

To serve, spoon about 1/2 cup pork mixture onto each warm tortilla. Top
each with lettuce, onions and orange segments. Roll up.

Makes: 10 wraps

Doreen's Ham on the grill

2011-07-28T19:09:00.003-04:00

Let me start by saying I don't know who Doreen is but her Ham on the grill is delicious!!! Made exactly as written, basted during grilling and used the ham steaks from Costco. YUMMY!!!

Doreen's Ham on the grill

1 C brown sugar

1/4 C lemon juice

1/3 C prepared horseradish

2-4 large ham slices or steaks

Turn on grill low, lay aluminum foil over grill grate and spray with nonstick spray before putting ham on. Meanwhile, combine all above ingredients and heat in microwave for approx. 1 min until warm. Baste ham slices with marinade while on grill. Turing at least once during cooking. Cook for about 6-8 min per side or until desired doneness.

Candy Apple Salad

2011-07-18T12:41:00.006-04:00

This salad is a GREAT picnic or potlock addition! It's so yummy, make sure to soak your apples in Sprite to keep them from browning (better than lemon juice!). Also, if you freeze your Snickers Bars, you can put them in a ziplock bag and smash them into bite size pieces vs. chopping them at room temperature (I've been known to sample a bit too much when they're bite size room temp. candy bars vs. the frozen broken pieces). Love this salad!

Candy Apple Salad

1 1/2 C cold milk, use skim or 2%

(1) small pkg. sugar free vanilla pudding
(3-4) Granny Smith apples, diced into bite size pieces

(3) 2.07 oz Snicker Bars cut into bite size pieces

8oz. Cool Whip; thawed

Combine milk and pudding and let stand 2 minutes. Gently fold pudding and whipped topping together with apples and candy bars. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nan's Chocolate Trifle

2011-07-17T07:56:00.004-04:00

What's that old adage? Anything in a trifle dish is good. Really, anything. I'm including this recipe on my all stars blog because my dear Nan thought this was the best dessert she's ever eaten. I have to laugh because although I do love it, I never considered it the BEST dessert but my grandmother didn't give out high praise to food very often so because of that, here it is.

Nan's Chocolate Trifle

1 box chocolate fudge cake mix

1 60z instant chocolate pudding

1/2 C STRONG coffee

12oz Cool Whip

6 Heath Bars crushed

Bake cake according to package directs for a 13x9 pan. Cool completely.

Prepare pudding according to package directions.

Crumble 1/2 C of chocolate cake and set aside in a bowl. Take 1/2 of the remaining cake and crumble it in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Next add 1/4 C of the strong coffee over the cake layer, then 1/2 of pudding and 1/2 of cool whip and 1/2 Heath Bars. Repeat these layers one more time. Mix remaining Heath Bars and reserved chocolate cake crumbs together. Sprinkle that on top of trifle. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in refrigerator for 4-5 hours.

**NOTE: THIS IS BEST IF LEFT OVERNIGHT so make it the night before you need it**

Better than Sex/Hugs/Anything cake

2011-07-17T07:41:00.004-04:00

Because it IS better than all of the above. Hands down. Making this the night before you need it takes it over the top. Everything becomes one. Buddha would be so proud.

Better than _____ cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package German Chocolate cake mix
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar butterscotch or caramel ice cream topping
3 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered toffee, chopped
1 (8 ounce) container of Cool Whip topping, thawed

Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan; cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Make holes across the top of the cake with the end of a wooded spoon, making sure not to go through to the bottom.

Pour sweetened condensed milk over cake and let sink into holes. Then pour ice cream topping over cake and let that sink into holes. Refrigerate until completely cool. Spread cake with Cool Whip and sprinkle the toffee bar over frosted cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Raspberry Cake

2011-07-17T07:20:00.003-04:00

This cake made me famous 'round these parts. It's delicious. Perfect for a hot summer evening (or breakfast...don't judge me). It's been a challenge at times finding the frozen raspberries IN JUICE but Bird's Eye makes them so start looking now at your favorite store. Maybe they can order them for you. It's worth the effort, I swear. Oh and make this as written before you change it up. It's so good, I'd hate to have you miss out on the original cake.

Raspberry Cake

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix
1 package (3 ounces) raspberry gelatin
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup hot water
1 package (10 ounces) frozen sweetened raspberries, thawed, undrained
FROSTING:
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 package (10 ounces) frozen sweetened raspberries, thawed, undrained

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, gelatin, eggs, oil and water; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Stir in raspberries.
Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool.
For frosting, in a large bowl, fold whipped topping into raspberries. Spread over cake. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 12-16 servings.

York SENSATIONAL Brownies

2011-07-17T07:08:00.003-04:00

These are pure indulgence. I cannot have them in my home. CANNOT. Maybe like 4, one for each member of the family but that's it. I love York Peppermint Patties and I love these brownies. That makes for a really bad relationship with my butt/hips/stomach/etc. They're a bit tricky to cut so I line my pan with foil, spray it with nonstick spray then as the brownies have cooled, I lift out the foil and cut the brownies that way. Sometimes they crumble a bit but they taste just as good. Try using a plastic knife if it's sticking/crumbling to cut them. Usually letting them cool COMPLETELY is the magic to cutting them without issues.

York SENSATIONAL Brownies

24 small (1-1/2 inch) YORK Peppermint Patties
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter or margarine, melted
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350°F.(325°F. for glass baking dish). Remove wrappers from peppermint patties. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs; beat until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well. Reserve 2 cups batter. Spread remaining batter in prepared pan. Arrange peppermint patties about 1/2 inch apart in single layer over batter. Spread reserved 2 cups batter over patties.
Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into squares.
About 36 brownies.

Pretzel Jello

2011-07-16T07:50:00.003-04:00

The bane of my existence. The breaker of all diet/healthy eating plans. The thing that sits in my fridge and calls my name in the middle of the night..."come eat me...." This is one component of my "last meals" from the "if you were going to die on death row, what would your last meal be if you could have ANYTHING you wanted to eat." game. I love you pretzel jello, I really, really do.

Pretzel Jello

2 cups finely crushed pretzels
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter, melted

1 Tbls sugar
1 pkg. (8 oz) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 (8oz.) thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
2 cups boiling water
2 pkg. (3 oz.) or 1 (6oz) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
2 (10 oz.) package of frozen strawberries, partially thawed

HEAT oven to 400°F.

Mix pretzel crumbs, 1Tbls sugar and butter. Press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Bake 8 min. Cool.

BEAT cream cheese until fluffy gradually add 1C sugar and beat until smooth. Fold in COOL WHIP; spread over crust. Refrigerate.

ADD boiling water to gelatin mix in large bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in strawberries. Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves definite impression). Pour over cream cheese mixture in pan. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm (don't skip this step, it makes the difference whether or not your dessert stays put when you cut it!)

Cherry Pie

2011-07-16T07:28:00.004-04:00

It's cherry season in my end of the woods. Who doesn't love cherry pie?? I do. This is easy and delicious. Plus, it's got a large helping of a food group (read fruit) so it's totally healthy! :) It's also written so that your little cook can help you make it. Mine LOVES to help in the kitchen so this was perfect!

Cherry Pie

4 C cherries (washed and pitted) which is about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs.

1 C sugar (I haven't tried this with splenda but plan to)

1/4 C cornstarch

1/4 tsp almond extract

2 frozen pie crusts

2 Tbls salted butter, cut into bits

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Measure out the sugar, cornstarch, and almond extract, then ask your child to add these to the cherries and gently stir together.

Let one pie crust thaw for 10 minutes, then have your helper prick the bottom of it all over with a fork. Bake this crust for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the other crust from the freezer and have your child pick off the fluted rim; this will be your top crust. Let it thaw for 10 minutes. Then your helper can cut a few 1-inch vent holes, using a butter knife or cookie cutter.

When the bottom crust has cooled, pour in the filling and dot with butter. Let your sous-chef carefully invert the top crust, still in the pan, onto the filling and lift the pan off. Place the pie on a foil-covered baking sheet and bake until the filling bubbles and the crust is golden brown, about 40 minutes. After 30 minutes, check to see if the crust is getting too brown; if it is, cover pie with an aluminum-foil tent. Let cool about 15 minutes before serving.

Cranberry Chicken

2011-07-14T20:16:00.003-04:00

This goes by other names, I think newlywed chicken or something like that, but it's darn good despite it's aliases.

Cranberry Chicken

1 can whole cranberry sauce

1 pkg dry onion soup mix

1 8oz bottle of russian dressing

4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Preheat oven 350 F

Mix above ingredients together and pour over chicken. Bake uncovered for 45 min to 1 hour.

Sausage Casserole

2011-07-14T08:49:00.003-04:00

This is so good. Creamy, yummy, comfort food goodness. You can totally scale down the calories to make it pretty guilt free. I've also made this in the crock pot for potlucks at work and it's turned out just as good! Leftovers rock too!

Sausage Casserole

1 bag of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed

1 can creamed corn

1 can whole corn

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 pkg of polish sausage sliced into small round bite size pieces (I use turkey sausage)

8 oz. sour cream

cheddar cheese if desired

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine all ingredients in large 13x9 baking dish and bake for 1 hour. Cover if potatoes start to get brown before cooking time is up.

Crock Pot Smoked Sausage Snack

2011-07-14T08:40:00.003-04:00

People love this recipe. It couldn't be easier and makes for a great addition to a party or potluck. I use turkey based sausage but any kind will do. You could even use the little weenies from Hillshire Farms.

Crock Pot Smoked Sausage Snack

3 lbs smoked sausage cut into bite size pieces (1/2 round discs is what I usually do)

2 C brown sugar

1/2 C cider vinegar

mustard for dipping if desired

If your sausage isn't low fat, boil for about 10 min to remove fat. Place sausage in crock pot and combine remaining ingredients and pour over sausages. Cook on high for 3 hours then to low for remainder of cycle.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Dip

2011-07-14T08:23:00.003-04:00

This had me at cream cheese. Fabulous dip for parties or potlucks. Make sure to use a crock pot liner that's sprayed with nonstick spray, you'll thank me at the end of the night.

Chicken Enchilada Dip

4 cooked chicken breasts; shredded

1 red pepper, finely chopped

1C chopped onion

8oz cream cheese softened

4 oz can chopped green chilis

1 C mayo (NOT Miracle Whip)

1 tsp lemon juice

1 pkg taco seasoning

tabasco to taste

Combine all ingredients; heat in crock pot on high until cream cheese is melted. Turn to low or warm and continue to heat through. Serve with pita or tortilla chips.

Crab Rangoon Dip with Wonton Chips

2011-07-14T08:09:00.004-04:00

I've made this a few times and it's been met with RAVE reviews!! People can't get enough of it. It's easy peasy so make it for your next get together.

Crab Rangoon Dip

1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 oz shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 cup sweet and sour sauce
8 oz imitation crab meat
1 green onion with top (about 1/4 cup thinly sliced)
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
Crispy Wonton Chips (recipe follows)

In small Bowl, combine cream cheese and garlic. Add Swiss cheese; mix until well blended. Spread cream cheese mixture over bottom of glass pie plate.

Spoon sweet and sour sauce over cream cheese mixture. Coarsely chop crab meat; sprinkle evenly over sauce. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 4-6 minutes or until outside edges of dip are bubbly and dip is heated through. (I've also baked this at 350F until I had the desired results)

Meanwhile, thinly slice green onion. Sprinkle dip with green onion and almonds. Serve dip warm using Crispy Wonton Chips, if desired.

Yield: 16 servings

Crispy Wonton Chips

32 square wonton wrappers

vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut wonton wrappers in 1/2 diagonally and arrange on baking sheet. Spray or brush lightly with oil or cooking spray.

Bake 8-10 min or until golden brown and crisp. Cool chips completely and use as needed.

Crock Pot Pork Chops and Potatoes in Mustard Sauce

2011-07-14T07:57:00.003-04:00

This was good, hearty comfort food. Anything with a cream based soup to me is comfort food. Throw in some 'taters and I'm a happy camper.

Crock Pot Pork Chops and Potatoes in Mustard Sauce

6 pork loin chops

1 can fat free cream of mushroom soup

1/4C low sodium chicken broth

1/4 C Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic minced or 1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

6 medium potatoes, thinly sliced

1 onion sliced

In nonstick skillet, brown chops in 2 Tbls oil if desired. Drain fat.

In crock pot mix soup, broth, mustard and garlic and pepper. Add potatoes and onion, stirring to coat. Place browned chops on top of potato mixture. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

2011-07-14T07:52:00.005-04:00

I enjoyed this despite the fact that the tiny voice in the back of my head screamed "do you KNOW how many calories are in heavy cream???". It didn't warm up that great for lunch on day 2 but it was pretty darn tasty the 1st day so I dealt with it. This recipe is courtesy of The Pioneer Woman.

Grilled Chicken with lemon basil pasta

4 whole Grilled Chicken Breasts, Sliced
1 pound Penne Pasta, Cooked Until Al Dente
1/2 stick Butter
3 whole Lemons, Juiced
3/4 cups Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Half-and-half
1-1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Romano)
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
20 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped

Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of hot pasta water when you drain. Set pasta aside in a colander.

In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the juice of 3 to 4 lemons. Whisk together. Pour in cream and half-and-heat. Whisk until hot. Dump in cheese and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper. Check consistency, adding some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.

Pour pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining basil all over the top, then add sliced chicken breasts. Serve immediately!

Mexican Rice

2011-07-13T23:31:00.004-04:00

This rice is so easy to make. Perfect every time and rivals the stuff you'd find at your favorite mexican restaurant.

Mexican Rice

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.
Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

2011-07-13T23:19:00.004-04:00

I love these. LOVE THEM. They're low fat too. Did I mention that I love them?

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

1/2 C chopped onion

1 Tblsp minced garlic

1 Tblsp olive oil

1/2 Tblsp chili powder

16oz jar of salsa

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tst ground cinnamon

1 pinch salt

2 1/2 C shredded, cooked chicken

8 tortillas

1 can fat free refried beans

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 F

In large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Take care not to burn the garlic. Stir in chili powder, salsa, cumin, cinnamon and salt. Stir in shredded chicken. Let cool slightly.

Spray rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray. Working with one tortilla at at time, spoon a heaping Tblsp of beans down center of tortilla. Top with 1/3 C of the chicken mixture. Fold up the bottom, top and sides of tortilla. Secure with toothpicks. Place chimichanga on cookie sheet seam side down. Spray all sides with cooking spray. Repeat for rest of tortillas. Bake in 450 F oven for 20-25 min or until golden brown and crisp, turning every 5 min.

Serve hot with shredded lettuce, fresh tomatoes, sour cream and salsa if desired.

Enchilada's Fantasticas

2011-07-13T23:07:00.004-04:00

This recipe is near and dear to my heart. It was given to me many YEARS ago by a sweet woman named Betty Toppa. It was one of the 1st recipes I made my new husband after we got married. Betty was an amazing cook and I learned so many tips and tricks from her in addition to getting some delicious recipes. Betty has passed on but every time I make this, I think of her and smile.

Enchilada's Fantasticas

1lb. ground beef or turkey

2 C picante sauce

(1) 10oz pkg of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

(1) 8 oz pkg of cream cheese (use low fat, save where you can)

10 flour tortillas, warmed

(1) 14 1/2 oz diced tomatoes, un-drained

2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook meat until browned, breaking into small pieces. Add 1 C picante sauce, spinach, 1 1/2 tsp cumin and salt. Cook and stir 5 min or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add cream cheese, stirring just until melted. Remove from heat and let cool sightly. Spoon 1/3 C filling into tortilla. Roll up and place in greased 13x9 baking dish. Combine tomatoes, remaining 1 C picante sauce and 1/2 tsp cumin. Mix well. Spoon over enchiladas. Bake at 350 F for 20 min. Sprinkle cheese over enchiladas and return to oven for 2 min or until cheese melts. Serve with additional picante sauce and sour cream if desired.

Crock Pot Peking Pork Chops

2011-07-13T22:51:00.002-04:00

These are a family favorite. So easy to prepare and I use boneless frozen chops and cook 'em on low pretty much for 7 hours. We usually eat them with some mashed potatoes and a green veggie.

Crock Pot Peking Pork Chops

6 pork chops about 1" thick

1/4 C brown sugar

1 Tblsp ground ginger

1/2 C reduced sodium soy sauce

1/4 C ketchup

1-2 cloves garlic; pressed

salt and pepper to taste

Trim any excess fat from chops. Place chops in crock pot. Combine rest of ingredients and pour over chops. Cook on low 4-6 hours or until meat is tender (if using frozen chops, figure on about 7 hours on low).

Enjoy!

Blueberry Buckle

2011-07-13T08:30:00.003-04:00

This BY FAR is the BEST coffeecake/dessert/brunch item/etc. I've ever had the pleasure of eating! It's best with fresh blueberries, although I've made it with frozen and it was good but the fresh takes it one step further on the yummy scale.

Blueberry Buckle

3/4 C white sugar

1/4 C butter, softened

1 Egg

1/2 C milk

1 1/2 C flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 C fresh blueberries

Topping:

1/4 C white sugar

1/4 C brown sugar

1/3 C flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 C butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 baking dish.

Cream together 3/4 C sugar, 1/4 C softened butter and egg.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/2 C flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into sugar mixture, alternating with milk. Gently stir in blueberries. Pour into greased 8x8 pan.

For topping, combine white and brown sugars, flour, cinnamon and cut 1/4 C butter into mixture to form coarse crumb like texture. Sprinkle over cake batter.

Bake at 375 for 30-40 min. making sure the topping doesn't brown too quickly and toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Use foil on top of cake towards the end of baking if needed to keep topping from browning too quickly.

Easy Pleasing Meatloaf

2011-07-11T16:18:00.006-04:00

I don't know if I've said this before but I don't eat red meat. I use to, before my gallbladder suddenly attempted to make an exit out of my body without my consent, but since that episode (or two), I stopped eating it and I feel better. One of the things I missed about not eating beef was this dish. It was one of my FAVORITE. I don't really like the taste of meat (yes, I'm perfectly aware that I have issues) but this meatloaf is soooo good. It's the stuffing that takes it one step further than any other meatloaf recipe I've tried. I now make this with ground turkey and I'm thrilled to say that it turns out just as good!!

Easy Pleasing Meatloaf

2 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce, divided

PLACE meat, stuffing mix, water, eggs and 1/4 cup barbecue sauce in bowl.
MIX just until blended.
SHAPE into loaf in 13x9-inch baking dish.
TOP with remaining barbecue sauce. Bake 1 hour or until done (160ºF).

Crock Pot Corn on the Cob

2011-07-11T13:39:00.004-04:00

OK so I stumbled on the EASIEST was to cook corn on the cob!!! CROCK POT!! I had to make about 12 ears for a cookout and didn't want to boil them and heat up the house on a 90 deg. day and the last time I tried to grill them, I ended up with burnt popcorn smelling corn. Yuck. So I tried this was and the corn turned out PERFECT!! I will never go back to boiling.

Crock Pot Corn on the Cob

__ ears of corn (insert however many ears you want)

aluminium foil

Shuck and rinse your ears of corn. Wrap each one individually in a piece of aluminium foil. Put them in the crock pot, layered on each other if you have to. Cook on high for 2-3 hours depending on how many ears you have. I fit 9 into my crock pot so I cooked them for 3 hours on high and they turned out PERFECT!! They're super hot so be careful!

Turkey Spinach Lasagna

2011-06-27T07:33:00.002-04:00

I have to say that this was really good. I made it the night before and took some into work the next day. I think the "sit over night" made this dish even better than what it might have been fresh out of the oven. Paired with a salad it made a filling meal. I'll definitely make this again!

Turkey Spinach Lasagna
Cooking spray
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 (26-ounce) jars low-fat marinara sauce
1 (16-ounce) carton fat-free cottage cheese
1/4 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup (1 ounce) preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
8 cooked lasagna noodles
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add turkey, onion, and garlic; cook until meat is browned, stirring to crumble. Add 5 3/4 cups marinara sauce; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Combine cottage cheese, egg substitute, Parmesan, parsley, pepper, and spinach; stir well.
Spread remaining marinara sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over marinara; top with cottage cheese mixture and half of the mozzarella. Spoon half of the turkey mixture over the mozzarella. Arrange the remaining noodles over turkey mixture. Top with remaining turkey mixture and mozzarella.
Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

S'mores Cookie Bars

2011-06-21T07:19:00.003-04:00

Oh My Lawd. These are to die for. Seriously yummy and you don't even want to KNOW the nutritional info so I shan't post it. Just make 'em and treat yourself and family. They'll worship the ground you walk on.

S'mores Cookie Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups marshmallow topping (such as Marshmallow Fluff)
2 cups milk-chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Mist foil with cooking spray.
In a bowl, combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; mix well. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs until well combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Divide dough in half. Press half of dough into pan until dough is uniform and flat. Spread with marshmallow topping and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Scatter remaining dough over in clumps. Don't worry about covering the top; marshmallow and chocolate chips should peek through.
Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Remove from pan, peel off foil and cut into bars.

Morning Glory Muffins

2011-05-19T21:09:00.002-04:00

I made these today because I had carrots to use up. It was either these or a luscious carrot cake complete with cream cheese frosting. You can understand why the Morning Glory Muffins won out. They turned out GREAT! My kids thought I'd lost my mind because I kept asking them if they'd like another muffin for a snack. I didn't bother telling them that they were pretty darn healthy so I was totally OK with them digging in! I omitted the nuts but everything else was as written. Enjoy!

Morning Glory Muffins

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp table salt

2 cups carrots shredded

1 cup apple(s) shredded

3/4 cup raisins

1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

8 oz can of crushed pineapple, drained

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large egg(s)

2 items egg white(s)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour through salt in a large bowl and mix well. Stir in carrots through pineapple. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add oil, applesauce, vanilla, eggs and eggs whites. Stir until just moist. Spoon batter into 24 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Makes 24 muffins.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

2011-05-11T06:44:00.003-04:00

What I loved about this dish was the simplicity of the ingredients. I have to say that my absolute favorite part was the dressing on the salad! So simple but sooo good! I will add that my chicken was not done when cooked in the oven according to the directions on the recipe. So follow everything until you get to the oven part and go ahead and bake them at 350 F for 20 minutes. I pounded my chicken pretty flat but it was raw when I pulled them out after following the directions. I then put them back at 350 for 20 min and they came out juicy and perfect! I also did not use 1 cup of olive oil to fry. I used about 1/3C of canola oil. Don't use extra virgin olive oil to fry! The oil isn't meant to withstand such high temps needed and will burn. Use canola or vegetable oil if you don't have regular OLIVE oil.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

Cutlets

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 3 eggs 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1 inch thickness

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad

2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

5 ounces baby greens

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 lemon, cut into wedges

1. Preheat oven to 300F and adjust rack to middle position.

2. To make the cutlets, put flour in a shallow pie plate or bowl. in a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Season both sides of each chicken breast with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip a chicken breast in flour, then eggs, and immediately place into the hot pan. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Pan-fry each about 6 minutes, turning once halfway through to get each side golden and crisp.

3. Place a cooling rack on top of a large cookie sheet, lay chicken pieces on rack, and place in oven; bake 7 minutes. the chicken is cooked through when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 160F.

4. To make the dressing, combine lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly pour in oil, whisking constantly to thoroughly combine ingredients. Put lettuce and tomatoes in a large salad bowl and toss with dressing.

5. To serve, place a chicken breast on each of 4 plates. Squeeze a lemon quarter over each breast and top with a healthy serving of salad.

Crock Pot Sweet 'n Sour Chicken

2011-05-01T07:37:00.003-04:00

This was a "throw together because I thawed Chicken Breasts 2 days ago and I need to cook them". Plus, it was a WW recipe so I knew that it would be diet friendly. It was really good and QUICK, EASY and the kids liked it. Trifecta if you ask me. Careful not to overcook the chicken in the crock pot. I cooked it for like 5 hours on low and it was PERFECT. You could also add some pineapple and peppers to this and it would be super! Add toward the end of the cooking cycle to avoid mushy veggies though.

Crock pot Sweet 'n Sour Chicken

3 pounds of boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts (I used 3 breasts and I cut them

into bite size pieces.)

3/4 C Apricot spreadable fruit (I used Simply Fruit brand)

1 8oz bottle of Kraft Fat Free Catalina Dressing

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

Spray crock pot with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients together and place into crock pot. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. Serve over rice for additional points.

NI: 1/2 C Serving without rice: Cal 183 Fat 3g Carb 11g, Fiber trace, Cholesterol 69 mg, Sodium 374 mg.

Spinach and Cheese Manicotti

2011-05-01T07:25:00.005-04:00

OK so I know I've reviewed and posted a recipe for this type of dish before. I however rescind my former review to add that THESE were the BEST manicotti I've eaten!! LOVE the fact that they're vegetarian (but you could easily add meat to this recipe), that they have cream cheese in them (one of my loves in life next to Tim Horton's coffee) and that the sauce is homemade and DELICIOUS!! Try these, aside from the pain they are to fill the shells (made a SMIDGE easier by putting the filling in a ziplock gallon bag, snipping off the corner and piping it into the shells) these were worth all the effort.

Spinach and Cheese Manicotti

1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cans (8 ounces each) no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dry red wine or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons dried oregano

FILLING:
1 package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese
1-1/4 cups (10 ounces) 2% cottage cheese
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (8 ounces) manicotti shells
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions
In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, wine, Italian seasoning, sugar and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, for filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the cottage cheese, spinach, Parmesan cheese, eggs and salt.
Stuff cream cheese mixture into uncooked manicotti shells. Spread 1 cup sauce into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spay. Arrange manicotti over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top.
Cover and bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until pasta is tender. Uncover; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 7 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 2 stuffed manicotti equals 389 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 80 mg cholesterol, 722 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 25 g protein.

Soda Pop Chops with smashed potatoes

2011-04-25T18:25:00.004-04:00

These were soooo good!! I'm very hesitant to post the N.I. for them but keep in mind that it INCLUDES the smashed potatoes. I used pork chops from tenderloin so they were much lower in fat and decreased the sodium when I could (read lesser amount in the breading). Also, the N.I. takes into account the use of the olive oil for browning purposes. That being said, this was excellent and I'll make it again for sure! Even the kids LOVED it which is virtually unheard of.

Soda Pop Chops with Smashed Potatoes
TOH Simple and Delicious Magazine

1-1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved
1 cup root beer (I used diet root beer)
1 cup ketchup (I used low sugar ketchup)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
4 bone-in pork loin chops (7 ounces each) ( I used boneless pork loin)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the root beer, ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder; set aside. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add pork chops, one at a time, and shake to coat.
In a large skillet, brown chops in oil. Add root beer mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until meat is tender, turning once. Remove pork and keep warm.
Bring sauce to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Meanwhile, drain potatoes; mash with butter, garlic powder and remaining salt and pepper. Serve with pork chops and sauce.
Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 pork chop with 1/2 cup potatoes and 1/3 cup sauce equals 637 calories, 29 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 112 mg cholesterol, 1,222 mg sodium, 59 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 36 g protein.

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

2011-04-06T20:19:00.005-04:00

This was super easy and quite tasty. Taken from the cookbook "Eat what you love" by Marlene Koch. I loved the BBQ sauce because it was homemade and low in calories/sugar/fat/etc. I'd definitely make this again. Next time I think I'll BBQ the breasts on the grill and baste with the sauce during the last few minutes of cook time. Either way this is a delicious, low calorie/sugar/fat dinner that everyone liked.

Slow cooker BBQ chicken

Makes 6 servings

Sauce
1 cup sugar-free root beer*
1 cup reduced-sugar ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika

2 1/2 to 3 pounds skinless chicken breasts and thighs

*Sweetened with sucralose

To make the sauce, whisk together all the sauce ingredients (through the paprika) in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Place the chicken in a slow cooker and pour 3/4 cup of the barbecue sauce on top. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high, or 7 to 8 hours on low. Heat the remaining barbecue sauce for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Serve with cooked chicken.

Or try this: For Oven Root Beer Barbequed Chicken, brown the chicken piece in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and coat with 3/4 cup of the barbecue sauce. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes at 350˚F, or until the chicken is completely cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, simmer the remaining sauce for 10 to 15 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Baste chicken with sauce before serving.

Marlene Says: Most barbecue sauces average 12 to 16 grams of carbohydrate (with 9 to 12 of them coming from sugar) per typical 2-tablespoon serving. To reduce the amount of sugar, make your own, or look for a reduced-sugar brand like KC Masterpiece Classic Blend.

Nutrition information per serving (1/6 recipe): Calories: 210; Carbohydrate: 6 g (Sugars: 3 g); Total Fat: 7 g (Sat Fat: 2 g); Protein: 29 g; Fiber: 1 g; Cholesterol: 90 mg; Sodium: 420 mg

Food Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat
Carbohydrate Choice: 1/2
Weight Watcher Point Comparison: 4

Asian Chicken Burgers

2011-03-27T21:43:00.003-04:00

These are awesome!! My husband actually thought it was beef. So if you have a beef lover out there, give this recipe a try with the ground turkey and I guarantee they won't be able to tell the difference! Love this recipe!

Asian Chicken Burgers

Cooking spray
1 small carrot
1 small red onion, halved
1 pound ground chicken (I used ground turkey)
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 teaspoons hot Asian chili sauce, such as sambal oelek (omitted this, had no idea what it was or where to get it)
8 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced (omitted)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (omitted)
Juice of 1 lime
4 whole-wheat sesame hamburger buns
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mist a baking sheet with cooking spray. Grate the carrot and 1/2 onion into a large bowl. Add the chicken, panko, 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, the ginger, 3 teaspoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sambal oelek and mix until combined. Shape the chicken mixture into 4 patties and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
**I grilled these babies on the gas grill. This is how I would suggest doing it**
Meanwhile, thinly slice the remaining 1/2 onion. Toss with the mushrooms, sesame oil, lime juice and the remaining 1 teaspoon soy sauce in a bowl. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce and 2 teaspoons sambal oelek with 1 tablespoon water in another bowl.
(I omitted the entire sauce portion. I used what was called for in the meat mixture but that's it)
Warm the hamburger buns in the oven. Serve the burgers on the buns with a drizzle of the hoisin-sambal sauce and some of the mushroom mixture.
Per serving: Calories 360; Fat 14 g (Saturated 3 g); Cholesterol 75 mg; Sodium 1,143 mg; Carbohydrate 40 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 24 g

Chicken Fajita Pasta

2011-03-27T21:29:00.003-04:00

This was delicious! Taken from the "Eat what you Love" cookbook by Marlene Koch, this recipe tastes like a full fat restaurant dish with a fraction of the calories. It also warmed up the next day very well. As always, my changes are indicated in parenthesis.

Chicken Fajita Pasta

6 oz (@ 2 1/4 cups dry) Penne or Fettuccine pasta

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 medium white onion, sliced into little strips (I used sweet onion)

2 medium green peppers sliced into little strips (I used red peppers)

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2 in. strips (I used the raw chicken tenderloin pieces)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 C low sodium chicken broth

juice of 1 large lime

2 tsp cornstarch

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

3 Tbls chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 C reduced fat Mexican blend cheese (I omitted this)

Cook pasta according to the package directions while preparing the sauce and set aside. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and peppers and saute for 3-4 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and chicken strips and saute for 3-4 more minutes, or until chicken is mostly cooked through Sprinkle the cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes over the chicken. In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, lime juice and cornstarch. Pour over chicken and vegetables and cook for 2 more minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened and the chicken is no longer pink inside. Add the cooked pasta, cooked tomato and cilantro to the pan. Turn off heat and toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese if using.

NI:

Cal 330 Carbs 40G (sugars 7g) Total Fat 5g (sat fat 1) Protein 30 Fiber 6g Cholesterol 45mg

Sodium 510mg

WW point value: 7

Tuscan Tortellini soup

2010-12-23T16:57:00.004-05:00

I made this soup "as written" and it was quite delicious. In the future, I'll omit the bacon (and grease) for olive oil to lighten the calories/fat content and include some italian spices to make up for the flavor loss of the bacon. This would be fabulous with some warm crusty bread with a slathering of butter. Mmmmmmmm.

Tuscan Tortellini Soup

1/4 lb bacon cut in small pieces

2 cloves of garlic

4 cups of fresh spinach, chopped

16 oz. of crushed tomatoes

1 red pepper, diced

1 can of white beans

4 cups chicken broth

8 oz. cheese tortellini

Saute bacon and garlic until bacon is brown. Remove from pan. Cook spinach in pan drippings until wilted. Stir in broth, beans, tomatoes, and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta and simmer until pasta is al dente.

Sixteen Minute Beef and Bean Burritos with Mexican Rice

2010-11-09T17:44:00.003-05:00

Picture courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

I made The Pioneer Woman's beef and bean burritos tonight. It took way longer than 16 minutes but I'm sure that was due to my chaos in the kitchen. The end result was a very yummy burrito. I used ground turkey and couldn't find the Mexican tomato sauce so I used good 'ole enchilada sauce. Other than those two changes, everything else was according to the recipe. I have to say that the Mexican rice I made to go along with the burritos was absolutely delicious. Just like an authentic Mexican restaurant if you ask me.

16 Minute Beef Burritos

2 pounds Ground Beef
½ whole Medium Onion
1 can (7 Ounce) Mexican Tomato Sauce Or Enchilada Sauce
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Cumin, Oregano, Chili Powder, Garlic To Taste
1 can (28 Ounce) Refried Beans
¾ cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
12 whole Burrito-sized Flour Tortillas
Extra Grated Cheese, For Sprinkling
Extra Sauce, For Drizzling
Cilantro Leaves, Optional
Optional Filling Ingredients: Mexican Rice, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Green Chilies, Pico De Gallo

Brown ground beef with onion and season to taste. Pour in sauce and simmer over low heat. Add water if mixture gets too dry.
Heat refried beans in a saucepan. Add cheese and stir in till melted. Keep warm.
Heat tortillas in microwave for one minute.
Spread a small amount of beans on each tortilla. Add meat. Fold over ends, then roll up. Place two burritos on a microwave-safe plate. Drizzle red sauce over the top and sprinkle with more grated cheddar. Microwave for one minute, or until cheese is melted and burritos are very hot. Serve immediately.

Mexican Rice

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth

Creamy Baked Ziti

2010-11-03T20:13:00.004-04:00

OK so I made quite a lot of changes to this recipe but only because I didn't have half the stuff to make BUT this turned out GREAT! I'm not a big fan of baked ziti (who knows why) but I'll make this again to be sure! I added my changes and omissions for your viewing pleasure.

Creamy Baked Ziti

4 cups ziti pasta, uncooked (I used whole wheat, low carb penne)
1 jar (26 oz.) marinara sauce (used another 1/2 jar to make up for lack of diced tomatoes)
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained (omitted only because I didn't have any)
6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed ( I used 8 0z Laughing Cow Cheese in place and it was GREAT!)
3/4 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream (omitted because I don't care for cooked sour cream)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (I'd go lighter on this myself. Maybe 1/2 C max)
1/3 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese (omitted only because I didn't have any)

HEAT oven to 375ºF.
COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt. Remove from pan; drain. Meanwhile, add marinara sauce, tomatoes and cream cheese to same pan; cook on medium heat 5 min. or until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Return pasta to pan; mix well.
LAYER half the pasta mixture in 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella and remaining pasta mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
BAKE 20 min. or until heated through.

Popovers

2010-10-31T09:40:00.003-04:00

These couldn't be easier to make or more delicious to eat! The whole family loved 'em. Best when warm from the oven but husband says that they microwaved well the next day with his lunch.

Popovers

1 1/2 C all purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 1/2 C milk

4 Tblsp unsalted butter (I used salted and it turned out fine)

In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt; make a well in center. In another bowl, beat together eggs and milk, then pour into well. Gradually stir egg mixture into flour until batter is consistency of heavy cream yet slightly lumpy; do not over beat. Allow batter to rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place 1 teaspoon butter in each cup of a 12-cup muffin tin or two 6-cup popover tins. Heat in oven until butter melts, about 1 minute. Divide batter among cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until popovers are puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Turn out popovers and serve warm.

I'm baaaack!

2010-10-31T09:39:00.001-04:00

I'm back. After a long hiatus while getting the kichen done, I'm finally back. I've got a lot of awesome recipes to share with you too! Let's get this party started!

Plum Chicken Wraps

2010-07-12T18:50:00.004-04:00

This was delicious! I loved how low carb it was and light enough for a hot summer night. The flavors were lovely together and I used the raspberry plouts that I found at my local grocery store instead of regular plums. I will certainly make this again!

Plum Chicken Wraps

1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
1/3 cup plum sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup salted cashews
2 medium fresh plums, sliced
12 Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves

In a large saucepan, combine the pineapple, plum sauce, vinegar and oil. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken, green onions and cashews; heat through. Remove from the heat; stir in plums. Place 1/3 cup chicken mixture on each lettuce leaf. Fold lettuce over filling.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 3 filled wraps equals 298 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 54 mg cholesterol, 237 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 23 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1-1/2 fruit, 1 fat, 1/2 starch.

Sausage & Penne Marinara

2010-06-22T20:17:00.005-04:00

OK this was delicious! I've tried some variations on this basic recipe but THIS had everything right where the other's lacked. I used a chicken sausage with spices and cheese in it. I don't know who makes it, but I bought it at Walmart. This warmed up amazing the next day for lunch. I also substituted sweet red peppers for the green peppers. Make this soon!

Sausage & Penne Marinara
2-1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 pound Italian sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, halved and sliced
1 medium green pepper, sliced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion and green pepper in oil over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings; heat through. Drain pasta; toss with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

Nutrition Facts: 1-1/3 cups (calculated without cheese) equals 299 calories, 13 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 30 mg cholesterol, 853 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 14 g protein.

MIA

2010-06-12T07:55:00.002-04:00

I've been MIA due to the hellish kitchen re-model we undertook a month ago. I haven't been cooking a fraction of what I should be and it's costing us a fortune to eat out all the time. However, the end of the re-model is in sight and I have an AMAZING new stove to cook my heart out on when we get up and running again.

I also splurged and purchased a Vitamix blender/juicer from Costco this weekend. All it took was watching my 6 y/o drink every single thing the Vitamix rep made with more vegetables than this kid has seen in his ENTIRE life. He drank it up faster than she could throw spinach, cabbage, zucchini, mushrooms and fruit in. Holy smokes. That was all it took. Sold. So I'm going to post some smoothie/juice recipes along with the usual ones for your viewing/eating/consuming pleasure. I'm hoping that not only will it get veggies in my little one's diet but it'll help me shed some unwanted pounds in the process.

Stay tuned!

Crockpot Pork Chop Delight

2010-04-28T14:09:00.004-04:00

This was really, really good. I'll warn you though, it's a sodium bomb. Since I used the crockpot, I skipped browning the chops in a pan and just seasoned them with seasoned salt and pepper. It was too much salt when you added the onion soup mix and the cream of mushroom soup. Next time, and there WILL be a next time, I'll season the chops with a no salt blend and use the rest of the recipe as is. I served this with mashed potatoes and green beans. Wonderful comfort food.

Pork Chops Delite

recipe courtesy of:

Rachel--burns_toast

4 pork chops; boneless

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

1/2 cup beer

salt/pepper to taste

Season pork chops with a no-salt seasoning and some freshly ground pepper. Spray a 5 qt crock pot with nonstick spray. Put seasoned chops into crock pot. Mix remaining ingredients, pour over chops. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, depending on thickness of chops.

Strawberry Bread

2010-04-20T22:24:00.011-04:00

I used this batter to make muffins and they were DELICIOUS!!

Strawberry Bread
3 cups fresh strawberries; 1 cup mashed and 2 cups diced
3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Slice strawberries, and place in medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, and set aside while preparing bread mixture. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in large bowl: mix well. Blend oil and eggs into strawberries. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in pecans. Divide batter into pans

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tester inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn loaves out, and cool completely.

The Perfect Boiled Egg

2010-03-31T15:36:00.005-04:00

In honor of the Easter holiday and the fact that I simply cannot escape the joys (inserted very sarcastically) of coloring Easter eggs, I give you the recipe for a PERFECT boiled egg. Every time. Perfect. Not all boiled egg directions result in a perfect egg. I know this, trust me and the dozen eggs I ruined because they weren't done and I didn't use my perfect egg recipe. Shame on me. Don't be that guy.

The Perfect Boiled Egg

Place a single layer of eggs in large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil. Place cover over pan and turn off burner. Set time for 15 minutes. After time is up, carefully drain pan of hot water and cover eggs with cold water. Let sit in pan in the cold water for 2 minutes. Drain and either eat (semi-warm) or put in refrigerator to eat later once they've thoroughly cooled off.

Enjoy your perfect boiled egg!

Black Bean Veggie Burger

2010-03-30T20:00:00.004-04:00

This was soooo good!! The only change I made from the original recipe was to add 1 1/2 carrots instead of the green pepper simply because I didn't have any peppers. I pan fried them with a smidge of olive oil and mmmmmmm....

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

1 (16 ounce) can black beans,
drained and rinsed
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into
2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 egg
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or
hot sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs

If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

Pampered Chef Microwave Chicken Fajitas

2010-03-26T19:18:00.006-04:00

OK, I realize that this may be limited to those with a Deep Covered Baker from Pampered Chef BUT it was sooo good, sooo fast and sooo easy, I felt I needed to include it here. This recipe is from Pampered Chef so it includes their products in the instructions.

Fast and Easy Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1-2 Bell Peppers (red and green)

1 large Onion

1 small lime or ½ lime

2 Tblsp Taco seasoning

6-inch Flour Tortillas

Toppings:

Guacamole

Salsa

Sour Cream

Shredded Cheese

Directions:

Fill the Mini Baker with the 6-inch tortillas, cover with foil, and put in a 250 degree oven to warm. Or put the Mini Baker in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel for @ 30-45 seconds to warm.

Slice the bell peppers with the Ultimate Mandoline or the Forged Cutlery Knives. Slice the onion with Apple Wedger. Put onions and bell peppers in the bottom of the Deep Covered Baker, sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of taco seasoning. Add the raw chicken on top of the peppers and onions (leave a little space between the chicken breasts), squeeze lime over the chicken using the Citrus Press and then sprinkle with another Tablespoon. Cover with the lid and microwave for 15 minutes.

When the chicken is done (cut into a piece or check with the Pocket Thermometer to make sure it is done), cut it up in the baker using the Salad Choppers. Put on tortillas and enjoy!

Easy Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

2010-03-22T17:34:00.003-04:00

This chicken was DELICIOUS! I marinated it for 24 hours and grilled it out on the grill one beautiful spring evening. It turned out soooo juicy, tender and had so much flavor! I will make this again and again.

Easy Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 cup teriyaki sauce

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Place chicken, teriyaki sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and sesame oil in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal bag, and shake to coat. Place in refrigerator for 24 hours, turning every so often. Preheat grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Remove chicken from bag, discarding any remaining marinade. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes each side, or until juices run clear.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-03-04T05:46:00.005-05:00

Now I'm not a HUGE soup fan and I tend to steer away from soup recipes BUT this looked sooooo good that I felt I just had to try it. I'm so glad I did. This was YUMMY!! Loved how low fat it is and how you can just add whatever you want to this recipe and it'll turn out delicious (think black beans). I think this will be even BETTER the next day.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

BEST Turkey Burgers EVER!

2010-02-16T08:02:00.003-05:00

You MUST try these. EVERYONE who's eaten them LOVED them. Even turkey burger haters. You'd never miss the red meat in these babies.

Best Turkey Burgers

1 lb. ground turkey

1/2 C crumbled feta cheese (I use a whole small container, say 6 oz)

1/4 C chopped mild banana pepper rings (find these with the pickles in your grocery store)

2 Tblsp greek seasoning (I use Pampered Chef Greek Rub but if you don't have something similar, substitute oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and salt)

Combine all ingredients. Let mixture marinate in refrigerator for a couple hours. Form mixture into patties. Grill or pan fry as desired. The recommended internal temperature for turkey is 170 deg. F.

ENJOY!

Carol's Chicken Salad

2010-01-30T21:33:00.003-05:00

Carol, I love you. This is the BEST chicken salad I've ever had. The water chestnuts (which I wasn't too sure of) totally added a wonderful crunch. I prefer to use red grapes and the only thing I skip is the cheese. I prefer my chicken salad without it but that's just me. Cheese or no cheese, this is da bomb.

Carol’s Chicken Salad

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 cups diced, cooked chicken breast meat

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1 1/2 cups diced Swiss cheese

1 1/2 cups halved green grapes

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, salt, poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and lemon juice.

In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, celery, green onions, water chestnuts, Swiss cheese, and grapes. Add the mayonnaise mixture, and stir to coat. Chill until serving

Crockpot Sloppy Joes

2010-01-25T12:44:00.003-05:00

These ain't yer typical sloppy joes folks. These here joes are sooo much better. Perfect for potlucks too. My co-workers can attest to that!

Crockpot Sloppy Joes

3lbs. ground beef or turkey

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 med. green pepper, chopped

1 bottle of chili sauce

3 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce

3 Tblsp brown sugar

1 small can tomato paste

Brown meat with onion and pepper. Drain. Mix with other ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on low at least 4 hours for best results. Stir occasionally.

Apple Cinnamon Streusel Cheesecake

2010-01-23T10:40:00.003-05:00

This was good but not great. It cannot compare to the Bailey's White Chocolate Cheesecake I made around Christmas but this was much less work too. I personally think the sweetened condensed milk actually made this too sweet. I'm not sure I'd make it again.

Apple Cinnamon Streusel Cheesecake

1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine,melted
3 packages(8 oz. each) cream cheese,softened
1 can(14 oz.)sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 can(21 oz,)apple pie filling

Heat oven to 325 degrees.In small bowl,mix oats,flour,brown sugar and butter until crumbly,reserve 1/2 cup for topping.Press remaining oat mixture in bottom of ungreased 9-inch springform pan.

In large bowl,beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.Beat in milk,eggs,cinnamon and vanilla,scraping bowl once,until well blended.Pour onto crust in pan.

Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until set.Cool on cooling rack about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile,in 8-inch nonstick skillet,heat reserved 1/2 cup oat mixture over medium-low heat 2 to 3 minutes,stirring occasionally,until lightly toasted.Spread apple pie filling over partially cooled cheesecake.Sprinkle toasted oat mixture on top.Cool 1 1/2 hours.Refrigerate 4 hours or over night.Run spatula along side of cheesecake to loosen,remove side of pan.Store in refrigerator.