Stefanies Cooking Spot

Canned Peach Cobbler

2012-01-25T15:31:00.000-08:00

This is a very easy cobbler recipe and very tasty too. I had this can of peaches for awhile now I bought it last year to make a peach cake with but never got around to baking it, at least that’s what I think I bought the peaches for. Like I sais in my previous post I am trying to come up with or find recipes to use up my food in the pantry before I go shopping for more.

I have a wonderful cobbler recipe that I posted a few years ago. But this time I wanted to do something different. Something like the cobblers I grew up with. Also that would use canned peaches. I found quite a few out there on the web. But most of them used self-rising flour, which I don’t have. So I added the extra ingredients to make the batter rise.

This turned out great and I well be making this again! But next time I think I might sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar over the top before baking. That me, always changing recipes!

Canned Peach Cobbler
1 (28oz) can sliced peaches; drained; reserving syrup
½ cup butter
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350⁰F.

Melt butter in a 13x9 inch baking dish in oven. Meanwhile combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and sugar in a medium size bowl add milk and blend until smooth.
Remove baking dish from oven; pour batter over melted butter. Spoon sliced peaches over top of batter, and then pour reserved syrup over top of peaches.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. If desired serve with vanilla ice-cream!

Creamy Potato Soup

2012-01-24T19:06:00.000-08:00

Yes I know it has been awhile since I posted anything, but sometimes, time has a way of slipping by and before you even know it has been a few months before you posted anything.

Well now, because I am trying to us up all the food, that I have accumulated in, my pantry and freezer, my creative juices have started to flow again.

Well today I decided to make potato soup, because my onions were starting to sprout and my potatoes were growing eyes and I had a can of evaporated milk that was about to expire. So I threw them all in to a pot and this is what I came up with.
And to make clean up easier I mashed the potatoes while they were still in the pot, it was easier and I didn’t have to clean the blender. And Richard also like to have a few lumps of potatoes in his soup.

Creamy Potato Soup

4 cups potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, mince
2 tablespoon butter
5 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot sauté the onions and garlic in the butter for 1 minute. Add the potatoes and water and bouillon cubes, bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
With a potato masher or large spoon; mash the potato in the pot. Add the can of evaporated milk and salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 more minutes.

Barbecued Sloppy Joes

2011-08-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

I have written in the past about how much I love Sloppy Joes. I posted a recipe a few years ago for Sloppy Joes that I would make for my girls when they were young. Will the other day I decided to try something new. I found a recipe in a cookbook by Land O Lakes. I adapted their recipe into a Sloppy Joe. And if I do say so myself, it turned out very tasty. But you don’t have to take my word for it, Ariel’s boyfriend Derrick said that it was the best tasting Sloppy Joe that he has ever had!

Barbecued Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground beef

2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups ketchup
1 package of onion soup mix
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
½ cup water

In a large skillet brown ground beef with garlic; drain. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on medium for 15 minutes. Serve on buns with cheddar cheese.

Macaroni and Cheese Ham Pie

2011-08-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

I wasn’t planning on making supper last night but when I got an email from Bisquick I just knew that I needed to make to make the pie that was featured. It looked so delicious on the screen that I wanted to lick it clean! It was so simple to make and I always have the ingredients in my house. Richard wasn’t home to enjoy it last night so I packed him a couple of slices for him to take in his lunch today. He gave me a call to tell me that the macaroni pie tasted so good. So I guess he will be requesting for me to make this dish again! And I will!

Macaroni and Cheese Ham Pie

3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup cubed cooked ham

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

2 ¼ cups milk

2 eggs

½ cup Original Bisquick mix

¼ teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 10-inch or 9 1/2-inch glass deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray.

In large bowl, mix 2 cups of the cheese, the ham and uncooked macaroni. Spread in pie plate.

In blender, place milk and eggs. Cover; blend on medium speed until smooth. Add Bisquick mix and salt; blend until smooth. Pour over mixture in pie plate.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2011-08-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

What a great combination peanut butter and chocolate! This is another cake that doesn’t last long in my house and that is saying a lot when there are only three people living here.

It is so moist and the frosting is so creamy, you will defiantly need a tall glass of milk with this one! I loved it so much that I had it for my supper last night. That the beauty of not having any one home to cook for once and awhile. I get to eat anything I want and that is just what I did! Here’s to Cake for Supper!

Peanut Butter Cake

with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 Box yellow cake mix

1 1/3 cups water

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Lightly grease 2 9- inch round cake pans, then dust with flour. Set aside. Place the cake mix, water, peanut butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down sides of bowl when needed. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake for 23 to 28 minutes. Or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cool. When cooled frost with Chocolate Buttercream frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup cocoa powder
4 cups powder sugar
¼ cup milk

In large mixing bowl cream butter; gradually add cocoa powder and powder sugar alternately with milk. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

2011-08-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

This is a very popular recipe and I have seen many different versions. This is my twist on the recipe.

If you don’t know what Ro-Tel it is a spicy canned tomato and you can usually find it on the same shelf as your regular tomatoes. If you still can’t find them you can use tomatoes with diced green chilies. . I used the mild Ro-Tel tomatoes because Ariel doesn’t like it when I make things to spicy.

Now how does it taste, will I asked both Richard and Ariel and they both said the same thing. CHEESY! And that it was a keeper!

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

1 pound cooked chicken, shredded

1 small onion diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can Ro-Tel (or 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies)
1 pound Velveeta cheese, cubed

12 oz package spaghetti; Cooked according to directions on package. Drain.

In a large skillet sauté onion and garlic until tender; add soups, Ro-Tel and Velveeta cheese cooking until cheese is melted. Combine pasta, chicken and cheese sauce together; pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350⁰F oven.

M&M Cookies

2011-08-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

I made this cookie for my husband Richard last week. M&M’s just happen to be one of his favorite candies. I like to make him something special every once in awhile to take in his lunch for work. When he came home from work and saw them cooling on the racks, fresh out of the oven he walk right over to the cookies without even saying hello and asked are these for me, with a big smile on his face. You can’t say I don’t know how the way to my husband’s heart; Right through his stomach!

M&M Cookies

2 cups flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (12oz.) package M&M candies

Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Cream butter and sugars; beat in egg and vanilla. Blend in flour mixture; Stir in 1 ½ cups of the candies. Drop by heaping teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet; decorate the tops with the remaining ½ cup of candies. Bake 8-11 minutes.

Fresh Peach Cake

2011-08-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

It’s peach time! When I was letting the dogs out into the back yard yesterday I notice that there were a few peaches on the ground under the tree. And I said to myself the peaches must be getting rip. So this morning I went out to check and sure enough some were.

Ok so what goodies am I going to make with these peaches? Why not a cake I thought I have never made a peach cake before, so I took my apple cake recipe and changed it up a bit and this is what I came up with.

When Ariel got home from work she asked me it the cake that I just got finished taking a picture of was her piece. I told her she could have it. She said this is so good I am going to have another piece. I might just eat the whole thing before dad get home. That way he can’t have any. If you remember in my last post how they fought over the Pineapple pie. I guess the feud is still going on!
And just so you know as I am writing this post out for you I have already thought of a way to improve this cake. So stay tuned for my next version!

Fresh Peach Cake

4 cups peaches, peeled and diced

2 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup oil

In a large bowl mix together by hand, diced peaches, eggs and sugars. Add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, vanilla and oil. Mix well by hand. Batter will be thick. Spoon batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan or angel food cake pan. Bake at 350⁰ for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Pineapple Pie

2011-08-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Who would have guessed that when I made this pie that it would have started a family feud! This pie can about when Richard and I walked past a Hostess display at the store the other day. I stopped and looked to see if they had one of my favorites the Suzy Q and of course they didn’t. Which led us into a discussion about Hostess treats that we love. Richard mentioned that one of his favorite from his childhood was the pineapple pie which is very hard to find now. I started thinking why couldn’t I make a pineapple pie myself. So I went looking for a recipe and found this one on the Dole web-site. Now let me tell you about our little family feud.

I made this pie last Tuesday and we all loved it. And then I was thinking as I drove to work on Wednesday that I hope that pie doesn’t go to waste. You see because I bake so much it’s not a special thing in my house to have such threats around. Sometimes I have to give them away to friends. Well later that night Richard pulls out the pie for dessert and more than half the pie is gone. Ariel yells what happened to the pie I only got one piece. Richard says I had some for breakfast and Ariel says it must have been a big piece then. Richard tells her it’s been here all day you could have had some. All I know is that they went back in forth this way for a while and then they decided in the end to just split the rest of the pie.
So I guess I don’t really need to tell you how this pie tasted, I just hope it doesn’t start a feud in your house like it did in mine!

Pineapple Pie

1 (20 oz.) can DOLECrushed Pineapple
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pastry for 9-inch double-crust pie

Combine crushed pineapple, sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Cook, stirring, until thickened and clear. Stir in butter and lemon juice. Cool slightly.
Pour filling into unbaked 9-inch pastry shell. Top with second crust and flute edges, cut slits in several places.
Bake at 400^⁰F., 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta

2011-07-31T13:42:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the size of this pasta! It's like a giant cork-screw!

I found this a few months ago at Target. I was thinking about what recipe that I could use this in, maybe a pasta bake or a mac-cheese dish. Or maybe some kind of an unusual pasta sauce to go with such unusual pasta. Well I finally decided to go with the sauce that was written on the back of the package.

The only thing that I changed in the recipe is the amount of tomatoes and tomato sauce that I used because I used what I had on hand. I have written by the change in parenthesis.

I am sure you are wondering about the taste of this sauce. It is wonderful or sure I say it was wonderful because there is none left!

Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta

1 package of Archer Farms Girandole pasta

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes (I used 2 (15 oz.) cans)
1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce (I used 1 (16 oz.) can)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; Add ground sausage, onion and garlic. Cook and stir until sausage is cooked through, breaking up large pieces.
Add tomatoes, sauce, paste and seasoning. Break up tomatoes with spoon. Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes until thickened. Stir in cream and basil. Serve with pasta.

Pineapple Zucchini Bread

2011-07-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

How can on plant produce so much zucchini! The other day I checked on the zucchini and they were still a little small so I decided to wait a few days more. Well I think you can guess what happened. I came home from work and there was this giant zucchini sitting on the kitchen counter, I asked Richard where did that come from he said our garden. Wow! Those things grow fast! So I guess it time to start baking again.

This time I decide to make pineapple zucchini bread. It was my first time adding the pineapple to my recipe and let me tell you it won’t be my last. It turned out so most and delicious. Now what am I doing with all this bread.

I cut the bread into slices then wrap each piece in plastic wrap and place then into storage containers and then into the freezer it goes.

I now have containers of apple, zucchini and pineapple zucchini bread in my freezer. Now we get to enjoy all these yummy breads for months to come if they don’t get eating before then!

Pineapple Zucchini Bread

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups zucchini, shredded
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups zucchini, shredded
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Prepare 2 loaf pans with cooking spray; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, blend together, oil, sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir in zucchini and pineapple. In another bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and nuts. Stir dry ingredients into zucchini mixture just until blended. Pour batter into loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; turn out on a cooling rack to cool.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

2011-07-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats a fresh veggie salad especially when those veggies come from your own garden. When I went out to check and see what was ready to pick I found a few cucumbers and some ripe tomatoes. And this salad came to mind.

I have never really had a recipe for this I usually just toss everything in a bowl. I usually use a purple onion because it is Richard favorite, but all I had was a white one. He didn’t seem to miss it. I know this because when he ate the salad he didn’t say anything about the onions.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

2 medium cucumbers
3 large tomatoes
1 small onion
½ cup fat free Italian salad dressing
1 tablespoon McCormick Salad Supreme

Peel, quarter and then slice the cucumber in to chunks; cut tomatoes into bite size pieces; diced the onion. Combine the veggies with the salad dressing and Salad Supreme. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend together.

Chili Relleno Bake

2011-07-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

When I made this dish last weekend I had a good size serving, and then I couldn’t stop thinking about how good and cheesy it tasted. I finally gave in and had another big serving! Richard also loved it so much he asked me to make it again last night.

This recipe is a combination of two different recipes from a cookbook that I bought over 20 years ago, and I also added my own little twist to it. They sold the cookbook to help buy new playground equipment for my daughter Brandy’s school, John C. Fremont. I know that I made a few dishes from it when I first bought it all those years ago, but I haven’t looked at in years. I came across it the other day when I was looking for another cookbook, and decided take a look through it, and I found the two recipes. Both recipes called for can chilies, but it is easy to just roast your own.
Now I have made chili rellenos before, the authentic way. But this is so much easier!

Chili Relleno Bake

6 poblano peppers

3 cups grated Monterey jack cheese
4 eggs
1/3 cup milk
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder

Turn the oven broiler on high. Place the chilies on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Roast chilies 2 to 3 inches from the heat until they blistered and charred about 5 to 8 minutes turn and repeat on other side.

Place roasted chilies in large bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Let stand 20 minutes before peeling. Peel each chili removing all skin; split open and remove seeds; set aside

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, flour, salt and baking powder. Pour 1/3 of the batter into a 13x9 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Layer 3 of the chilies on top of the batter; top with 2 cups of the grated cheese; then add the remaining 3 chilies.

Pour remaining batter over chilies. Top with the remaining cheese.

I had Richard helping me!

Bake for 30 minutes at 350⁰F.

Zucchini Parmesan

2011-07-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

As I had mentioned before in my post Zucchini Bread, I have a zucchini plant and I am trying to think up recipes that I could make with my abundance of zucchini.

One dish that I have always wanted to try was Eggplant Parmesan, but my husband Richard has always told me that he hates eggplant so I never tried to make it. Well I was thinking why not use the zucchini in place of the eggplant. And that is just what I did.
To make this dish I used my Chicken Parmesan recipe. I just substituted the zucchini for the chicken and I added an extra cup of mozzarella cheese and changed the cooking times.
When I served it to Richard he told me that he loved it. I told him it is usually made with eggplant. He said when he was growing up his mother never made eggplant like this. That she just breaded and fried it. OK then, I guess I might just get to try Eggplant Parmesan after all!

Zucchini Parmesan

2 medium size zucchini, cut into rounds
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon dried Italian seasonings
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Lightly grease a medium baking sheet.

Cut zucchini into rounds

Pour egg into a shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings and garlic powder in a separate shallow bowl. Dip zucchini rounds into egg, then into bread crumb mixture.

Place coated zucchini onto the prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, turn over and bake for another 10 minutes.

Pour ½ of the spaghetti sauce in to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place zucchini rounds on top of sauce, and cover with 1 cup mozzarella cheese

then top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese on top and return to oven for 20 minutes.

Apple Bread

2011-07-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

What am I suppose to do with this bag of apple? Ariel asked me a few weeks ago if I would buy her some granny smith apples. You see I always keep Fuji apples in the house because they are mine and Richards’s favorites. But Ariel likes Granny Smith; it used to be my favorite also. That was before I tasted my first Fuji apple. But when it comes to baking I like to use the Granny Smith.

So what recipes could I prepare from my collection that would help me with this little problem of a bag of apples. Will I decided to start with one of my favorites Apple bread. And I know that this will be a favorite of yours to. And soon your house will smell just as delicious as mine!

Apple Bread

2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups chopped, peeled apples
1 cup chopped walnuts

Grease 2 loaf pans. In a large mixing bowl beat together the sugar, oil, and eggs. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture. Add the vanilla, apples and nuts. Pour the batter into prepared pans. Bake in 325⁰F for 1 hour.

Funfetti Cookies

2011-07-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

Richard and I went to the Mercy Me concert last night at the Stanislaus County Fair with some friends from our church. The night started out with pizza at Tary’s here in Atwater. Then we met up at the fairgrounds in Turlock. Mercy Me was wonderful and a great time was had by all.

It was great to share such a night with my friends and family memories to last a life time.

And now let me share, a fun and easy cookie recipe with you.
These cookies are easy to make. And they would be fun cookie to bake with your kids. Everything is done in a bowl with a wooden spoon there is no mixer evolved that makes them kid friendly.
Just like I had fun last night with my friends and family I know you will have fun time making these cookies with yours!

This recipe can be found on the Pillsbury web-site.

Funfetti Cookies

1 box Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Mix

1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1 (15.6-oz.) can Pillsbury Funfetti Vanilla Frosting

Preheat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, combine cake mix, oil and eggs; stir with spoon until thoroughly moistened. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With bottom of glass dipped in flour, flatten to 1/4-inch thickness.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown at 375⁰F. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

Spread frosting over warm cookies. Immediately sprinkle each with candy bits from frosting can. Let frosting set before storing. Store in tightly covered container.

Zucchini Bread

2011-07-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

My beautiful little garden that I talked about on my other blog has started to produce zucchini.

And if you have every planted a zucchini plant before than you know what is about to happen. I will be having zucchinis coming out my ears. That can be a blessing as well as a curse. On one hand my family gets to eat zucchini bread and all the other dishes that I can come up with. But one the other hand they might start yelling No more zucchini, Please no more zucchini! But as for now I will start them off with some zucchini bread.

I love the sweet smell of zucchini bread baking in the oven. And that first cut the end piece, oh how I love that crunchy end piece! But I also love the soft texture of the center pieces and that always leads us to another end piece! Oh no! Now I am out of zucchini bread I guess I will have to make some more. Good thing I have a zucchini plant in my garden!

Zucchini Bread

1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups flour
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl beat oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and flour. Stir in zucchini and walnuts. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans; bake at 350⁰F for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Easy Apple Dumpling

2011-07-16T06:06:00.000-07:00

As I mention in my previous posting that I bought a package of egg roll wrappers for a recipe that I had in mind, will this is it. I thought why not use egg roll wrappers in place of the pie crust that I normally use when I make apple dumplings.

It was a lot less work. And it did cut bake on the calories. If you want you could cut back a lot more if you use Splenda blend in place of the sugar that would make a very low calorie dessert.
I did fine that the dumpling were browning to fast. If you have the same problem just do what I did I placed a sheet of aluminum foil on top to help prevent over browning.
And what about the taste they were delicious. I gave one of my friends at work who told me that she really liked it. And I know that you will to. And I know that you will to.

Easy Apple Dumpling

8 small granny smith apples, peeled and corded
1 package large eggroll wrappers
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 425⁰F.

In a small dish combine the ½ cup sugar with the ½ teaspoon cinnamon; set aside. On a work surface place an eggroll wrapper. Place one prepared apple then spoon 1 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar mixture into core of apple.

With a pastry brush dipped in water brush the edges of wrapper; carefully fold wrapper over apple sealing edges.

Place into a small baking dish. Repeat with remaining apples; set aside.

In a small saucepan heat to boil water, brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and butter. Pour over apple in baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Cannelloni Florentine

2011-07-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

The other day I bought a package of eggroll wrappers because I had another dish in mind; which I will be sharing in a few days. But let me tell you about how I came up with this dish.

In the package of eggroll wrappers there was a recipe for Cannelloni which is also called manicotti. The recipe sounded good but of course I wanted to do something different. I decided to use my own pasta sauce recipe and to use the ricotta filling that I use in my lasagna roll ups. I just realized that I have never shared that recipe with you. I guess that will have to wait for another day. But this filling is just like it the filing that I use in my roll ups.
Now if you think about it eggroll wrappers are made out of the same ingredients that they make pasta with. So why not use them just like pasta. And it was a lot easier to roll up my filling then to stuff the filling into the manicotti tubes.
They tasted so good that I will be making them again. Next time I think I will try a different filling and maybe a white cheese sauce.

CannellonI Florentinei

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 /2 cup diced onions
1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 (10oz.) box chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups ricotta cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
12 large egg roll wrappers sheets

In a medium sauce pan sauté onions and garlic in oil. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning and brown sugar. Simmer for 20 minutes.

In a medium size bowl combine spinach, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, ½ cup mozzarella cheese and egg.

Place ¼ cup of spinach mixture onto one egg roll wrapper roll up from end to end.

Place into a greased 13x9 inch baking dish; repeat with remaining wrappers.

Pour tomato sauce over rolled pasta. Cover and bake at 350⁰F for 40 minutes. Uncover and, sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Return to oven; bake until cheese melts 5-7 minutes.

Strawberry Pie

2011-07-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

Hey what is that up in the sky is that my Strawberry Pie! No it's our new air conditioner!

If you have been following my blog then you know that I have been with out an a/c for a week. Will they showed up this morning to take our old one away and to bring us a bright and shinny new one.

This is our old one. It is the only A/C that this house has ever known, it has been working hard for 28 years to keep this little old house warm in the winter and cool in the hot California summers.

And yes that is a crane. How else would they get a 3000 pound a/c onto a roof. You see out here in California they do some crazy things, like installing an a/c on the roof of house.

So out with the old and....

and in with the new!

And now after a week of the noise of 3 osculating fans, 1 ceiling fan, and 1 portable a/c; that were trying to keep us cool, with temperatures being over 100 degrees outside. We now get to enjoy the quite of our bright and shinny new air conditioner!

Strawberry Pie

1 cup fresh chopped strawberries

1 small box strawberry jello

1 cup boiling water

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1 graham cracker pie crust

In a large bowl dissolve jello in boiling water. Add vanilla ice cream and stir until melted. Add the strawberries; pour mixture into pie crust. Chill until firm.

No-Bake Cookies

2011-07-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

HELP! I am having baking withdrawals!

I am not kidding I haven’t had an air conditioner for a week. And the temperature has been over a hundred degrees this week.
When a person like me who loves to cook and bake and can’t, it can make you go a little stir crazy.
We will be getting a new A/C on Monday but in the meantime we are trying to keep the house cool by not turning on the oven.
And that’s why I decide to make this cookie. Oh and also because when I mention it to my daughter Ariel that I wanted to bake something she reminded me of these cookies that her and Brandy would make when they were younger, back when they weren’t allowed to turn on the oven when I wasn’t home. That’s the “COOL” thing about these cookie there is no baking involved they are done on the stove top. That takes care of both my problem then the house stays cool and I get to make something! Oh and there is a better reason I get to share something with you!

N0-Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar

½ cup butter
½ cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ cup peanut butter
3 cups quick cook oatsmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan bring sugar, butter, milk and cocoa powder to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat add peanut butter oatmeal and vanilla. Drop teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let cool!

Blog Award

2011-07-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

The other day I received my first Blog Award from a fellow blogger Countryside Dish! It is such an honer to be recognized by a fellow blogger!

As per the rules,

Accept the award, post it in your blog with the link of the person who has shared it with you
Pass it on to more bloggers
Let the nominated bloggers know about their award (just post a comment in their blog)

I would like to pass on these awards to:

Brandy's Creations
Cravings of a Lunatic
Tried and True Cooking with Heidi
Moogie & Pap
Baker Girl
Baking Serendipity
Cooking with Kay

Easy Burrito Enchilada

2011-07-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about this simple dish the other day when I notice a package of frozen burrito in my freezer. I used to make this for my girls when they were younger. Back then I would use can enchilada sauce. But now I make my own enchilada sauce, we like it much better. But you can use what every kind of sauce you like. In this recipe I use the bean and cheese burrito, but you choose the flavor you want. I know that this dish will become a family favorite in your house just like it is in mine!

Easy Burrito Enchilada

1 package of frozen burrito (8 count, your choice of flavor), thawed
1 batch of red enchilada sauce (recipe follows)or 1 large can
2 cups cheese blend (cheddar and Monterey jack)

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Coat the bottom of baking dish with 1 cup of sauce. Place frozen burrito in dish. Add remaining sauce to cover the burrito in dish; top with cheese.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes
Red Enchilada Sauce
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoon flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon chili powder

In a saucepan, combine tomato sauce, water, flour, and garlic, onion and chili powders. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat.

Skillet Spaghetti

2011-07-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

There were so many times when my girls were growing up that I always need to get dinner on the table in a hurry. And being a child who grew up eating Hamburger Helper a lot for dinner I just didn’t want to have my children growing up on it to. It’s all right sometimes I guess but I have notice that over the years the amount of pasta that you get in the box of mix has changed and you almost have to use 2 boxes for the pound of ground beef that the mix calls for.

So over the years I have come up with my own version of a hamburger helper. I believe that this recipe taste so much better than theirs. And it’s such an easy dish to prepare because you make it all in the same skillet.

Skillet Spaghetti

1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1(16 OZ.) jar pasta sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 (4oz.) can mushrooms
2 cups water
8 oz. spaghetti, broken in half
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

In a large Dutch over medium-high heat cook ground beef, onions and minced garlic until meat is brown and onions are tender; drain. Add pasta sauce, bouillon cube, Italian seasoning, mushrooms and water; bring to a boil. Add pasta; cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprikle cheese over top; serve.

Ooey Gooey S’more Bars

2011-07-03T06:56:00.000-07:00

Happy 4^TH of July everyone! Yes I know that today is the 3^rd of July but I wanted to give you something special to enjoy for your 4th! S’mores! Yes you heard me right S’mores and what a cool and different way to serve them then in an ooey gooey bar!

This recipe was sent to me in an email from Betty Crocker called S’mores ,s’mores, s’mores and I just had to make and share one of the recipes with you. They called the bars Warm Toasted Marshmallow S’mores Bars, but I think they should be called Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars. So that’s what I calling them.
I say bring on the milk! Because you will need it when you serve these at your celebration and have a Happy and safe 4^th of July!

Ooey Gooey S’more Bars

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup butter, melted
3 cups milk chocolate chips (18oz package)
4 ½ cups miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 375⁰F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix and crumbs. Stir in melted butter until soft dough forms. Press into ungreased 13x9 inch pan.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until set. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Spread chocolate evenly over crust.
Set control to broil. Sprinkle marshmallow over melted chocolate. Broil with top 5 to 6 inches from heat 20 to 30 seconds or until marshmallow are toasted. Cool 10 minutes.

Italian Sausage, Peppers & Onions

2011-07-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

I made these sandwiches a few weeks ago but I never posted them. I take the photos and write down the recipe as I am cooking, we enjoy eating the dish but I just don’t get around to blogging about them. It’s amazing how many photos that I deleted today because I have missed place the papers that I wrote the recipes on. Yes I guess I could just make up a recipe to go with the photos but to me that just wouldn’t be right. So that just means I will have to try making the dish again. I know that this will make my husband Richard happy because he always enjoys eating what I make.

This recipe came about because I had a lot of Italian sausage in my freezer. You know what that is like if you shop at Costco. And I have used Italian sausage in a few of my dishes like Italian Sausage Soup and Baked Spaghetti with Italian Sausage. And I have often used Italian sausage instead of ground beef in my pasta sauce. But today I wanted to make something different.
So I thought why, don’t I make a very popular Italian dish that uses sausage I looked up how a few other cooks prepared the dish and read a few recipes that I found in my cookbooks and that is how I came up with this recipe that more suites my taste and is very simple to prepare. It turned out great and I will definitely be making this dish again, not just because I still have a lot of Italian sausage in my freezer. But because these sandwich tasted so good!

Italian Sausage, Peppers & Onions

1 pound Italian sausage, sliced

2 bell peppers, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano

In a large skillet brown Italian sausage slices over medium high heat; remove from skillet and set aside. Using same skillet sauté bell peppers and onion with the salt, black pepper and garlic until the vegetable are tender. Return the sausage to the skillet and add the diced tomatoes and oregano. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve on toasted sourdough rolls.

Enticing Blueberry Coffee Cake

2011-06-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

This is another great recipe giving to me by my friend Mary, who also gave me the Scandinavian Almond Bars recipe. She served this coffee cake at a brunch at her house last year. It looked so beautiful and yummy that I just had to have the recipe. The original recipe didn’t call for a glaze so I added that and I change the name. I added the word enticing, because that's what it does.

I am so grateful for people like Mary who love to share their recipes. So many people try to keep them a secret. I will never understand why some people take their recipes with them to their graves. I believe so many great family recipes are lost that way. Remember that is why I started this blog in the first place because my daughters Brandy and Ariel wanted to know how to prepare all the great dishes that I have been making for them all these years.
And now because of this blog and all the work that I have put into it this blog and my recipes will live on way after I am gone. And for those of you that are stilling holding on to your recipes so tight, I say let them go so that your recipes will also live on forever!

Enticing Blueberry Coffee Cake

1½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, soften
½ cup sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 cups blueberries (frozen or fresh)

Crumb Topping
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Glaze

½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons milk

Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Grease a 9-inch baking pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar with a spoon or spatula until light and fluffy. Mix in egg, milk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients blend until smooth. Spread batter into the prepared baking pan. Top with blueberries; set aside
To prepare crumb topping mix together 1/3 cup sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter in a small bowl with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over the blueberries in baking pan.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 5 to 10 minutes on a wire rack before serving.
For glaze: In a small bowl combine confectioners’ sugar and milk, blend with a spoon until smooth drizzle over cake and serve.

Flakey Cinnamon Pinwheels

2011-06-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

I have been on a few Carnival cruises in my life and one of the things I look forward to the most; besides sitting on the deck in a lounge chair with a book in one hand and a drink in the other are these flaky little pastries. They serve them every morning at breakfast and I always eat one or two; ok! To tell you the truth it more like; four!

So the other day at the store I threw a box of puff pastry dough in my cart with the intention of using the dough for another recipe (which will come later). But this morning when I woke up I started thinking how I would just love to have some of those pastries from the cruise ship. After all it has been about six months since I last had them. Maybe I should bake them myself I thought after all it is cheaper than going on another cruise. But not as fun!

After they were done I woke Ariel up and told her that I had something special for her. I showed her my flakey little treats and asked her do you remember having these on your last cruise. To my surprise she said no! How can she not remember these! But she proceeded to eat the whole plate full; she said she just couldn’t stop at just one!

I will need to make these again; in the near future, because Richard didn’t get any that’s because he wasn’t home. But when he finds out that we ate them and didn’t save him any I will be in trouble.

Flakey Cinnamon Pinwheels

1 sheet of puff pastry dough; thawed
2 tablespoons butter; melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pre heat oven 300⁰F. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and spray with cooking spray; set aside.

In a small; bowl combine sugar and cinnamon. On a floured cutting board unfold puff pastry. Brush dough with melted butter; then sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over top of melted butter. Starting from longest side carefully roll up dough; pinch seams together to close. Cut into 15 slices and place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Crock-Pot Chili Verde

2011-06-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

Chili Verde happens to be my favorite Mexican dish. There are a few local restaurants that this is the only dish that Richard and I order. I have made this dish a few times but I had never written down a recipe for it.

I know that to make this dish the traditional way I would roast tomatillo and then blend them with peppers and onions and a few other ingredients to make Verde salsa. But it’s easier and less time consuming to just buy the can Verde salsa.
This is the first time that I used the slow-cooker to make this recipe I usually prepare it on the stove and let it simmer for a few hours until the pork is tender and the sauce thickens. But this time because I used the slow-cooker and they usually produce a lot of moisture I had to add a little corn starch to help thicken the sauce. I serve it with Easy Spanish Rice and warm tortilla.
Crock-Pot Chili Verde
2 pounds pork shoulder, cubed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (7oz.) cans Verde salsa
1(14.5oz.) can chicken broth
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 to 2 tablespoons corn starch (optional)

Sprinkle salt and pepper over cubed pork. In a large skillet, brown pork in oil in small batches. After browning each batch; place in slow-cooker. In same skill sauté onion and garlic until onion are tender; add to slow cooker. Add Verde salsa, chicken broth and bouillon cubes to slow-cooker. Cook on low for 5 hours. If needed add the corn starch blended with a little water to thicken the Verde sauce, cook on high without the lid for an additional 45 to 60 minutes.

Italian Love Cake

2011-06-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

My friend Tammy posted on Facebook that she was going to be making dinner for some special friends tonight and that she was going to also be making an Italian Love cake for dessert. I thought that is nice of her, she is always doing nice things for people. But what is an Italian Love cake. I just had to find out.

So I looked it up on the net, and there were a lot of hits. The recipe was the same on every web-site, but I figure that the recipe first came fromDuncan Hines, because it calls for a marble cake mix.

What we are looking at here is two cakes in one. Bottom half is a cheese cake in the middle is a chocolate marble cake and they are both topped off with a chocolate mousse frosting. And that’s a whole lot of cake to love!
And thanks Tammy for bring this great cake recipe to my attention.

Italian Love Cake

1 box fudge marble cake mix
2 pounds ricotta cheese
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 small box (3 1/2 to 4 0z.) instant chocolate pudding mix.
1 cup milk
1 8 ounces carton whipped topping, defrosted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13x2 inch baking pan
Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Pour batter into prepared pan and set aside.
In another bowl combine ricotta, eggs, sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Spoon the ricotta mixture over unbaked cake batter in pan.
Bake 350⁰F for 45 to 50 minutes.
Cool in pan on rack.
Mix pudding with milk; fold in whipped topping. Spread over cooled cake and refrigerate.

Easy Creamy Chicken

2011-06-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

Its funny how my mind works sometimes, it goes into what I call recipe mode and I can’t turn it off until I make something new. You see I rarely cook the same recipe twice except when it comes to baking. Yes I have a lot of tried and true recipes that I love to bake. But when it comes to cooking I always want to eat something new and try something different.

I was talking to Richard about that this morning. And he said that’s one of the things that he loves about me is my ability to throw things together and come up with something new each time. Now this recipe has really good flavor, (Richard says it reminds him of pot pie) but I am already thinking about changing it up a bit.

Easy Creamy Chicken

1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (10 ¾) can cream of mushroom soup
1 package dry vegetable soup mix
1 (14.5) can chicken broth

In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil over medium-high heat. Add mushroom soup, dry vegetable soup mix and chicken broth. Bring sauce to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncover for 15 minutes. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Slow-Cooker Barbecue Chicken

2011-06-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

My daughter Brandy is a little obsessed with this show called Extreme Couponing, to the point when she came home for a visit the other day she turned it on and had me and Ariel watch it. When they saved a lot of money she got just as excited as the people on the show. She says that’s why we need to clip coupon too. So when we went to the store, so that she could buy Richard a father’s day gift. She said she had to buy this magazine All You to, because it always has a lot of coupons in it and also good recipes. So I took a look at the magazine and saw this recipe. So I changed it just a little the way I always do. And because I didn’t take out the chicken to thaw I just threw it in the slow-cooker frozen and cooked it on high for 5 hours, it turn out great. I will be making this again.

Slow-Cooker Barbecue Chicken

4 boneless, chicken breast
1 cup barbecue sauce
¼ cup Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce or to taste

Put chicken in slow cooker. In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients, pour sauce over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred with 2 forks. Return to slow cooker and cook for another 30 minutes.

Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake

2011-06-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

When I woke up the morning I was thinking today would be a good day the bake a chocolate cake. Will to tell you the truth any day is a good day for chocolate cake! I have always wanted to try the cake recipe off the back of the canister of Hershey’s cocoa powder. I am glad that I did. This cake is super moist and the frosting is so creamy and chocolaty. I will defiantly be making this cake again!

Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup Hershey’s Cocoa
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350⁰F. Grease and flour two 9-inch baking pans. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into pans.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost with “Perfectly Chocolate Frosting”.

“Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting
1 stick ( ½ cup) butter
2/3 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
3 cups powder sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powder sugar and milk, beating on medium speed to spreading consistency. Add more milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

Whoopie Pies

2011-05-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

While I was waiting at the doctors the other day I was looking through a few magazines when I came across this recipe in Family Circle. Will instead of writing down the recipe, because I didn’t think I had enough time and because the receptionist was busy I took a picture of the recipe with my new cell phone. I told Richard who was sitting nearby that I felt like a spy sneaking around taking photos of private documents. Will the document is not so private any more.

I did rewrite the instructions for the recipe just a little because I thought they were a little long and I almost forgot the water in the recipe because it was written in the instructions and not listed in the ingredients. So I listed it there. I also double the filling ingredients, because I didn’t think there would be enough, because I love butter cream frosting. And make sure you leave enough space between the dough on the cookie sheets because it will spread out while baking.
The whoopie pies turn out like Ariel said “YUMMY I like eating the crunchy outsides first!”

Whoopie Pies

1 box devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
½ teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons water

Filling
1 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.

Cakes: In a large bowl combine cake mix, eggs, oil, 3 tablespoons water and baking powder. Beat on low for 30 seconds then on medium speed for 2 minutes batter will be thick. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets spacing about 2 inches apart for a total of 36 mounds.

Bake at 350⁰for 12 minutes let cookies stand on sheets for 2 minutes than use a thin metal spatula to quickly transfer cakes to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

While cakes are cooling prepare filling.

In medium bowl size bowl beat butter until smooth. Add confectioner sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons water. Beat on low speed until blended then increase speed to med high and beat until smooth. Spread a heaping tablespoon filling onto cake. Sandwich with a second cake. Repeat.

Oven Baked Beef Stew

2011-05-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

This recipe can be prepared in the oven or in a crock-pot. It will be delicious either way.

Oven Baked Beef Stew
1 pound beef stew meat
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
4 medium potatoes (cut into cubes)
2 cups baby carrots
1 cup pearl onions
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14 oz.) can beef broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Season beef stew meat with salt, pepper and garlic powder. In a large skillet over medium-high heat oil; then brown meat in skillet. Place meat in a large baking dish; add potatoes, carrots and onions. In a medium size bowl combine tomato paste, beef broth, cream of mushroom soup, onion soup mix and Italian seasoning; combine soup mixture to the beef and vegetables in baking dish. Cover dish and bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours.

Banana Pudding

2011-05-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

I love banana pudding I don’t make it that often because I could eat the whole dish. This dessert can take a little time to prepare but it is so worth it, what could be a better combination that cookies, pudding and bananas.

This pudding is very popular in the south. I remember my Grandma Whitley making it sometimes for dessert for Sunday dinner. One time she even replaced the bananas with crushed pineapple and the vanilla wafers with butter cookies. Now that was a great pudding.

Banana Pudding
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
3 egg, yolks (save the whites for later)
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box vanilla wafers
4 to 5 bananas, sliced
3 egg whites
½ teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons sugar

In a medium saucepan; mix together ½ sugar, flour, salt, egg yolks, and milk. Stirring constantly, heat over medium heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Line the bottom and the sides of a small baking dish with vanilla wafers; add a layer of sliced bananas and then a layer of custard; repeat layers.
In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites and vanilla on high speed until soft peaks form; gradually add remaining sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until stiff peaks form. Spread over custard, sealing edges of pan.
Bake in a 425⁰F oven for 5 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Can be served warm or chilled.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-04-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

I was telling Richard this morning that I was thinking about baking some cookies today. He said goodie goodie I would love some cookies. Ok I asked what kind would you like, peanut butter, chocolate chip or oatmeal. He said Oh! That sounds good. I said which one; I was only going to bake just one kind. He said why couldn’t you bake a peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. Ok why not, I don’t think I have baked that kind of cookie before so why not give it a try.

I took my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe, changed half the shorting for butter, added a cup of peanut butter, and a bag of chocolate chips. As I was scooping the dough on to the baking sheets I tasted a little of the dough. I told Richard that this was going to be a good cookie, because if the dough tasted this good before baking then it would taste even better when baked.
I am giving the credit were the credit is due, to Richard for asking me to bake him a peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. Let me add one more thing, I hope you have some milk on hand because you are going to need it. Richard says or a good cup of Joe. He says some people wouldn’t know what that is accept some old people. So for all us young ones out there that would be a cup of coffee.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ cup vegetable shorting
½ cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups quick cooking oatmeal
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350⁰F.Beat shorting, butter, peanut butter and sugars together until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; mixing well. Combine flour, baking soda; add to mixture, mixing well; stir in oat, and chocolate chips; mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 1 minute before removing to racks to cool.

Cheese Burger Soup

2011-03-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

I know that I haven’t been posting any recipes lately. I really haven’t been cooking that much. When I do I just take a picture and eat the dish, I just never seem to be in the mood to post them. I now have a folder full of pictures of food and I have most of the recipes written down and unfortunately I have also lost a few of them. I guess I will have to try and prepare them again, but that will come in due time. Who knows; when I never seem to make the same dish the same way twice? I am always changing things and adding new things. That is just the way I cook.

The first time that I heard of this soup was from my friend Lupe at work. She asked me if I knew how to make it, because it was her husband Brian’s favorite soup that a local restaurant serves. I told her no but I will look into it. I went to lunch at this restaurant one day and they happen to be serving the soup so I had to give it a try. It was a little bland to me. I looked at a few sites on the net but that was as far as it went. And then last night I was looking through my email when I came across the one from Taste of Home. I went to their site to check out the feature recipe that they sent me, and did a little looking around. That’s when I found this recipe, and by the ingredients listed it sounded that it would be good, so of course I had to give it a try. And of course I changed it up a little to suit my need s and to give it a little more flavor. It turned out great and Richard had two bowls. I will be making this soup again.

Cheese Burger Soup
½ pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced carrots
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
4 tablespoons butter, divided
4 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
4 cups diced peeled potatoes
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups (8oz.) process cheese (Velveeta)
1½ cups milk
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup sour cream
In a large stock pot, brown ground beef; drain and set aside. In the same pot sauté onion, carrots, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add water bouillon cubes potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile in a small sauce pan, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from the heat; blend in sour cream.

Baked Corned Beef

2011-03-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Because no one was going to be home on Saint Patrick’s Day until around 7:00pm, and we had to have our Corned Beef, I made it a few days earlier. I decided to bake it this year instead of boiling it the way I usually do. Oh! Am I glad that I did! Everyone loved it! I served it with sauté cabbage and onions, and I cooked string beans and new potatoes the way my mother used to make them. We had such an Irish feast! I will be preparing my corned beef this way again!

Baked Corned Beef

1 (3 pound) corned beef
¼ cup spicy brown mustard
¼ cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Wash corned beef to remove brine, (discard spice packet) place corned beef fat side up on heavy duty aluminum foil. Brush with spicy brown mustard, and sprinkle with brown sugar. Fold up foil on all sides making sure to seal so that the juices don’t run out while cooking. Place foiled wrapped corned beef into a roasting pan. Bake 3 to 3 ½ hours or until the corned beef is tender. After cooking carefully open foil and place cook corned beef under the broiler for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the top is a golden brown. Allow the meat to sit for 5 minutes before carving.

Chicken and Dumplings

2011-03-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

What could be more comforting on a cold winter s day than a bowl of chicken and dumplings?
When I was a work the other day I told Bertha my co-worker you know what I am in a good mood. I am going to go home and make chicken and dumplings for dinner tonight and brownies for dessert. That will be a feel good dinner for my feel good mood!

Chicken and Dumplings

2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces

1 (14oz) can chicken broth

1 cup milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 ½ cups frozen mixed vegetables
½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 cup baking mix
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ cup milk

In a large soup pot combine, chicken, chicken broth, milk, frozen vegetables, poultry seasoning and pepper; bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
In bowl combine, baking mix, dried parsley, and milk blend until moistened. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls into simmering soup. Cover pot with lid and simmer for 12 minutes (do not stir pot or lift the lid during this time).

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

2011-02-27T18:14:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to make something different something that I had never made before. I have made stuffed peppers before but I have never made stuffed cabbage, and cabbage is cheaper than bell peppers. I found quite a few recipes in my cookbook collection and on the web. I combined a few recipes and added my little touches here and there. The dish turned out pretty good I will be making this again.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

1 pound ground beef
½ cup onion, chopped
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, divided
1 cup water
1/3 cup uncooked log grain rice
½ teaspoon dried oregano
8 large cabbage leaves
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano

In a large skillet cook ground beef and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir in garlic powder, salt, pepper, 1 cup of can diced tomatoes, water, rice and ½ teaspoon dried oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer covered, for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
Mean while bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Immerse cabbage leaves, 4 at a time into boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes or until limp. Set aside.
In a small pan combine remaining diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon dried oregano. Bring mixture to a simmer and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Pour ½ of the mixture into a 13x9 inch baking dish
Place about 1/3 cup of meat mixture on each cabbage leaf. Fold in sides. Starting at an unfolded edge, carefully roll up each leaf. Place cabbage rolls on sauce in baking dish. Cover with remaining sauce. Cover dish and bake in a 350⁰F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through.

Chicken Noodle Skillet

2011-01-17T19:11:00.000-08:00

Who doesn’t have a couple of packages of Top Ramen noodles in their pantry and a bag of frozen vegetables in their freezer. If you don’t then you need to go out and buy some! I don’t know a kid out there who doesn’t love these noodles. And can you think of a simpler way to make them, not to mention getting in a serving of veggies. I know you will love this dish!

Chicken Noodle Skillet

2 teaspoons oil
1 pound chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups water
2 packages chicken flavor Ramen noodle soup mix
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 (12oz.) bag frozen California Blend mixed vegetables (or any kind you like)

Over medium-high, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add chicken and garlic; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Stir in 2 cups water, seasoning packets from soup mixes, Italian seasoning and mixed vegetables; bring to a boil.

Gently break each block of noodles in half; add noodles to skillet. Bring to a boil, boil uncovered 5 to 6 minutes or until noodles are cooked, separating noodles gently as they soften.

Pork Chop and Pasta Dinner

2011-01-11T18:18:00.000-08:00

When you are looking for something good and easy and a different way to serve pork chops, then look no further this is the dish that you have to try.

Sometimes you have a recipe that you have been preparing for years and you just don’t know where it came from, all you know is that you just love it. That is how I feel about this dish. I think it’s a great way to serve pork chops.

Pork Chop and Pasta Dinner
1½ cups macaroni
4 pork chops
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons oil
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
½ cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup parmesan cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and place in a medium size baking dish.
Season pork chops with salt and pepper. In a large skillet brown pork chops in oil over medium-high heat. Place browned pork chops over pasta in baking dish.
In a medium bowl combine, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, sugar, a garlic powder. Pour over pork chops and pasta, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Cover and bake at 350⁰F for 45 minutes.

Hoppin’ John Soup

2011-01-01T12:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Having black eyed peas on New Year’s Day is suppose to bring you luck for the coming year. I remember eating black eyed peas when I was young, counting each pea because my parents told me for each one that I would eat I would make that much money that year. It is funny how little traditions like that keep getting passed down from one generation to another.

I don’t make black eyed peas that often, that because Richard doesn’t like them that’s because he says that they taste like dirt. So this year I wanted to make something different that I know he will love. I was thinking about making Hoppin’ John but I wanted to make a soup. So why not turn it in to my version of a Hoppin’ John soup. And if I do say so myself; it turn out very tasty. Maybe this dish will now become a new family tradition.

Hoppin’ John Soup

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons oil
1( 16oz.) bag frozen black eyed peas
15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 cups ham, cubed
6 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
½ teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste
½ cup long grain rice

In large stock pot heat oil over medium heat; add diced onion and minced garlic and cook until onions are tender. Add black eyed peas, can tomatoes, carrots, ham, water, bouillon cubes, Cajun seasoning, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Add rice and simmer 30 more minutes.

Sweet Potato Soufflé

2010-12-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

This is the only way that my daughter Brandy will eat sweet potatoes. She has been asking me to post this recipe for some time. She says that if I don’t hurry up and post it on my blog that she is going to post it on her blog first.

Sometimes a great recipe can come at a sad time in your life. That is how I acquired this recipe many years ago. I went back east to my dad’s funeral. He died suddenly from a heart attack over ten years ago. The day of the funeral the ladies of the church provided lunch for the family, and this was one of the dishes. I loved it so much I knew that I just had to have the recipe. My stepmom Gen gave me a cookbook that many of the church ladies had provided the recipes for and this recipe was in there.
Even though it was a sad day that I first tasted this dish, I have since then served it at many happy days in my life.

Sweet Potato Soufflé
3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted

In large bowl mix together sweet potatoes, butter, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla and salt. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Set aside.
In a medium bowl mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, pecans and butter until well combined. Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture. Bake at 375⁰ for 30 to 35 minutes.

Sweet Potato Bread

2010-12-04T13:59:00.000-08:00

What do you do when your friend gives you 40 pounds of sweet potatoes? I gave away some to my co-workers and I asked Richard to bake some for supper, he bake 10 and there is only the 3 of us. So I turned my favorite pumpkin bread recipe into sweet potato bread. We ate one loaf and I gave the other one to my friend Susan, that’s because she was the one who gave me the 40 pounds of sweet potatoes. She loved the bread; the little piece she got to eat before her family got a hold of it and ate it all.

So give this recipe a try and make sure you get to eat a piece before your family eats it all to.

Sweet Potato Bread
2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups sugar
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

2010-11-30T19:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven’t posted anything in a while; it’s not that I haven’t been cooking or too busy to post anything it’s just that I have been a little lazy this month. Will to make up for not posting let me give you the recipe for the cookie I can’t have in my house. Now the reason I can’t have this cookie in my house is because I will eat the whole batch in one sitting. I found this recipe many years ago on my favorite recipe site All Recipes. Bring on the milk is all I can say.

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

¼ cup molasses

2 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, and then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut size ball, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Banana Bread

2010-11-09T16:16:00.000-08:00

What to do? Oh! What to do? When you bought way too many bananas and no one is eating them. Now that could be a problem for some people, but not for me. When I see them ripening on the counter I start dreaming of banana bread, banana muffins or even banana cake. Well a few weeks ago my friend Susan asked me if I would post my recipe for banana bread. Just banana bread no fancy twist on the recipe, just banana bread. Well here it is my banana bread recipe.

Banana Bread
½ cup oil
1 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 bananas, mashed
1½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons baking soda
½ cup chopped nuts, your choice

Grease a loaf pans. Cream the oil with the sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add the mashed bananas, stirring to blend. Ina separated bowl sift together the dry ingredients. Fold the dry ingredients into the batter, mixing well. Add the nuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in 350⁰F oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Macaroon Cake

2010-11-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

My husband Richard signed up last week to bring dessert for this week’s bible study. I asked him what he wanted to bring, he said someone brought a cobbler like thing this past week and something like that would be good. Ok so you want me to make a cobbler? I said. Either that or maybe a cake. He replied. So I went looking through my recipes for something that I haven’t made in awhile for something that wasn’t already on my blog. I decided on this great recipe, I don’t remember where this recipe came from, but I do know that I have been making it for over 10 years.

If you love the taste of coconut and chocolate together then you will love this cake.

Macaroon Cake
2 egg whites (save the yolks for later)
Pinch salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cups flaked coconut
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 small box chocolate instance pudding mix
2 eggs
1¼ cups water
1/3 cups oil

Beat egg whites with salt until foamy. Gradually add sugar and continue beating until mixture forms stiff peaks. Blend in flour and coconut.

Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, plus saved yolks, water and oil in a large bowl. Blend together then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour 1/3 of the batter into greased and floured Bundt pan. Spoon coconut mixture around center of batter in pan being careful not to touch sides of pan. Top with remaining cake batter.

Bake at 350⁰ for 50 to 55 minutes. Remove to wire rack and cool completely. Frost cake with your favorite frosting or glaze.

Satiny Chocolate Glaze
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon vanilla

In a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water, combine chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, and then add vanilla. Spread warm glaze over top of cake letting it drizzle down the sides.

Chili Cheese Enchiladas

2010-11-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

This was one of my mom’s recipes, I don’t where she came up with this recipe, but it is a keeper. I have been making this for my girls for years but without the onions that’s because they don’t like onions. Now that they are all grown up I now put lots of onions in the enchiladas that because I love onions.

My daughter Brandy loves this recipe so much that she has also featured this recipe on her blog, but I can guarantee that she didn’t add the onions.

Chili Cheese Enchiladas
8 corn tortillas
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups grated cheese blend, (cheddar and Monterey jack)
1 small onion, chopped
1 (15 oz.) can chili (without beans)

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a medium skillet warn tortillas in oil until flexible. Place about ¼ cup of cheese and 1 tablespoon chopped onion in center of each tortilla; roll up tortilla and place seam side down in baking dish; repeat with remaining tortillas. Spoon chill over rolled tortillas; top with reaming cheese and onions.
Bake in preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes.

Spiced Chocolate Roll -Out Cookies

2010-10-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! I hope everyone is having a spooky good time today! This is an easy fun cookie to make! I love the roll out cookie recipe that in featured in the Wilton yearbooks I have been using it for years, but today I wanted to make a chocolate version; I found this one on their web-site a spice chocolate cookie. After baking the cookies I use Wilton’s Royal Icing recipe to decorate each cookie by piping a spider web design on each cookie. You can buy the meringue powder for the royal icing recipe at Michaels or a cake decorating supply store. I like using the royal icing to decorate my cookie with because the icing gets hard and then cookies can be stacked together after the icing is dry.

Spiced Chocolate Roll -Out Cookies
¾ cup (1 -1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 squares (3 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375⁰F.

In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Blend in chocolate. Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture, beating until smooth. Form dough into disc, cover and chill until firm, about one hour.
Roll dough approximately 1/8-in. thick. Dip cutters in flour, cut and transfer cookies to cookie sheet.
Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool cookies completely on pan.

Royal Icing
3 tablespoons Meringue Powder
4 cups sifted powder sugar
6 tablespoons water

Beat all ingredients at low speed for 7-10 minutes (10-12 minutes at high speed for portable mixer) until icing forms peaks. Makes 3 cups

Candy Corn Cookies

2010-10-30T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hey! Guess what? It’s another food holiday, and this one is a good one! It’s national candy corn day! I love candy corn! Because I love it so much I want to buy it the moment the store starts selling it for Halloween!

Now the stores start putting their Halloween stuff out in August, but my waist line can’t take that much candy corn. So I made a pack with my friend Shelly, who also happens to love candy corn that we would have to wait until the month of October before we could buy candy corn.
Some years we can hold out, but sometimes…I mean most of the time we can’t, we just need to have our candy corn fix for the year!
One of my favorite web-sites that I love to find recipe on happens to be Pillsbury, they also send me emails every week, and because this week happens to be Halloween they sent out their email featuring Halloween recipes and this adorable candy corn cookie recipe happen to be one of them. And of course with my love for candy corn and cookies I just had to make them. They took a little time but they were so worth it. You need to whip up a batch for you and your family for this Halloween!

Candy Corn Cookies
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
Orange paste food color
2 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted, cooled

Line 8x4-inch loaf pan with waxed paper, extending paper over sides of pan. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms.

On work surface, place ¾ cup dough. Knead desired amount of food color into dough until color is uniform. Press dough evenly in bottom of pan.

Divide remaining dough in half. Gently press on half of remaining dough into pan on top of orange dough. On work surface, knead chocolate into remaining dough until color is uniform. Press over plain dough in pan, pressing gently to edge of pan. Refrigerate 1 ½ to 2 hours or until firm.

Heat oven to 375⁰F. Remove dough from pan. Cut crosswise into ¼ -inch-thick slices. Cut each slice into 5 wedges. On ungreased cookie sheet, place 1 inch apart.

Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are set and edges are very light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely.

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Cookies

2010-10-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

Happy belated Pumpkin Day! October 26TH happened to have been national pumpkin day and national pretzel day; if you look up food holidays on the web, you will find that every day is a food holiday. For a person like me, who happens to love to eat and bake that gives me a reason to celebrate every day.

When I made that amazing butterscotch pumpkin cake the other day I was left with extra pumpkin. Now what can I do with a half a can of pumpkin? My brain starts turning over all these ideas, should I make muffins, biscuits, cookies or maybe another cake. I decided on this pumpkin cookie recipe that I found on the Very Best Baking web-site.
If you like a soft, cake like cookie then this is the one you want to bake. I had a little trouble with the amount of milk that the glaze recipe calls for; I just added more milk and spread it on like frosting.

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Cookies
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup butter (1stick), softened
1 cup Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Grease baking sheets.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixing bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle glaze over cookies.

For Glaze:
Combine to cups sifted powder sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl.

Soft Pretzels

2010-10-26T06:37:00.000-07:00

What to do? Oh what to do? On a rainy Sunday afternoon, I know I told Ariel let’s bake those pretzel that I have been promising you. This was the first time that I made homemade pretzels, I have been thinking about making them for years, but just never did. We had such a fun time making them together. I couldn’t get the hang of doing the pretzel twist so I left that part up to Ariel. She was flipping and twisting the dough just like they do in the mall; she says she can now work at the pretzel place in Modesto. When they were finally finished baking; we quickly ate two apiece. We will have to make them again soon. You can find this recipe and many more great recipes on the Pillsbury web-site.

I’m posting this recipe today because my daughter Brandy (who happens to also have a blog)says that today is National Pretzel Day and that I needed to save this recipe to post for the holiday so that is what I did. It is also happens to be National Pumpkin Day, and I don’t do more than one post a day so you will need to come back tomorrow to find out what I will be posting for that holiday!

Soft Pretzels
3 to 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 (1/4 oz.) pkg. active dry yeast
1 cup water
1 tablespoon shortening
6 cups water
¼ cup baking soda
12 tablespoons butter, melted
Pretzel salt, sesame or poppy seeds

COMBINE 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast in medium bowl. Blend well. Heat 1 cup water and shortening in small saucepan to 100° to 110°F. Add liquid to flour mixture. Blend at low speed of an electric mixer until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Stir in by hand an additional 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups flour or until dough pulls cleanly away from sides of bowl. Knead in 1/2 to 3/4 cup flour on floured surface, until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in greased bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in a warm place (80° to 85°F) until light and doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

SPRAY 2 cookie sheets with no-stick cooking spray. Punch down dough. Divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 16-inch rope. Form into pretzel shape. Place on prepared cookie sheets. Cover. Let rise in warm place about 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust oven rack to top position. Heat oven to 400°F. Combine 6 cups water and baking soda in a shallow sided saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil. Slowly drop pretzels into water, one at a time, cooking 15 seconds on each side. Remove from water with slotted spoon. Return to cookie sheet. Sprinkle with pretzel salt, sesame or poppy seeds

BAKE 8 minutes. Brush with melted butter. Bake 2 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Brush generously with remaining butter. Serve warm.

Pinto Beans & Rice

2010-10-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

I grew up eating bowls of pinto beans as a child; pinto beans are and I believe will always be a cheap meal to feed your family. I never knew that it was so inexpensive to make as a child all I knew was I loved eating them. But the way my dad would prepare them never tasted as good as this recipe.

I found this recipe a few years ago on the internet; but I don’t remember when or where; I changed it just a little by adding chicken bouillon and crushed red pepper; I also sautéed the onions and garlic in a little oil to bring out their flavors before adding the water and beans. I believe that this adds more flavor to the dish.
This recipe can also be prepared in a crock-pot; just combined all the ingredients in a crock-pot and cook on low for 8 hours.

Pinto Beans & Rice
1 pound dried pinto beans, soaked overnight & drained
1 teaspoon oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cup water
1 ham hock
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 (16oz.) can tomatoes
1 (4oz.) can diced green chilies
1 teaspoon granulated chicken bouillon
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

White rice, cooked

In a large soup pot sauté onions and garlic in oil over medium heat; add beans, water and ham hock; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook 45 minutes, add remaining ingredients; cover and reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hock and shred ham from bone with a fork. Return ham to pot. Serve over rice.

Herb Roasted Chicken with Pan Gravy

2010-10-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

I once had a co-worker ask me how to roast a chicken, will this is one way that I do it. You can serve it with or without the gravy. I hope I explained well enough how to make the gravy, I like to use the same pan to make my gravy in that I used to cook my chickens or turkeys in, that’s because I like to use all the brown bits that stick to the bottom of the roasting pan; this make the best gravy.

If you have never roasted a whole chicken before you need to give it a try, it’s easier than you think, not to mention how impressive it look to serve a whole chicken to you family and friends.

Herb Roasted Chicken with Pan Gravy

3 to 3 ½ pound whole chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper
Gravy

Pan drippings

2 cups chicken broth
¼ cup flour

Preheat oven to 350⁰F.

Rinse chicken inside and out; pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken breast side up in a shallow roasting pan. Tuck wings under chicken back; brush chicken with oil. In a small dish combine poultry seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper; rub seasoning mixture over chicken.
Roast in oven uncovered for 1 ½ to 1 ¾ minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in thigh reaches 180⁰F. Remove from oven cover with foil and allow chicken to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Pour pan drippings from chicken into a gravy separator or into a glass measuring cup; skim off fat. Pour dripping into a medium sauce pan or back into the roasting pan, ( use the roasting pan if it is also stove top safe). In a medium bowl mix together 2 cups chicken broth with ¼ cup flour whisking until smooth; add to drippings in sauce pan. Cook stirring constantly over medium heat until thick and creamy about 5 minutes; salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chicken.

Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake

2010-10-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that butterscotch and pumpkin would make a good combination? Not me for sure, but to my surprise it does! I bought a bag of Nestle Toll House butterscotch chip to make oatmeal cookies with and saw this recipe on the back of the bag; I just had to give it a try. I change the recipe just a little; I added the second cup of chips to the batter instead of making the butterscotch sauce that the recipe calls for.

You need to give this cake a try and if you want to serve it with the butterscotch sauce you can also find this recipe on the back of the bag of morsels or on the Very Best Baking web-site.

Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake
1 (11 oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House butterscotch flavored morsels, divided
2 cups flour
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin
½ cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons powder sugar

Preheat oven 350⁰F. Grease 12-cup Bundt pan.
Microwave 1 cups morsels in small, uncovered, microwave bowl on medium-high power for 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15- second intervals, stirring just until melted. Cool to room temperature.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in medium bowl. Stir together melted morsels, pumpkin, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla in large bowl with wire whisk. Stir in flour mixture and remaining morsels. Spoon batter into prepared Bundt pan.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with powder sugar.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

2010-10-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

It’s a cold and raining day in California. On a day like today I want soup, but I have wanted chicken pot pie for a week. I was wondering if I could have both. So after a quick run to the store this is what I came up with. It came out pretty good if I do say so myself. I asked Ariel what she thought of the soup, her one word was YUMMMY!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups potatoes, diced
1 (16oz.) bag frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups cooked chopped chicken
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

1 pie crust cooked according to package directions. Cooled and broken into pieces.

In a large pot combine chicken broth, potatoes, and frozen mixed vegetables; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender; add cooked chicken return to a simmer.
In a medium sauce pan over med-high heat melt butter; add flour; whisk until smooth cooking 1 minute. Slowly add milk and cook until mixture thickens. Add milk mixture to soup and simmer 15 minutes.
Serve in bowls with pie crust pieces.

Ground Beef Stroganoff

2010-10-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

What a fast- easy recipe! And I always have these ingredients on hand. This recipe was adapted from the Pillsbury Kitchens Cookbook; the copyright says that this cookbook was first published in 1979. The cookbook belonged to my mom and when she past-away I added to my collection. When you are pressed for time and you are looking for something fast to prepare for supper, you should give this recipe a try!

Ground Beef Stroganoff

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1(10 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1( 4oz.) can mushrooms

1 cup sour cream

In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onion; drain fat. Stir in garlic powder, salt, pepper, soup and mushrooms. Simmer covered, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in sour cream; heat through, but do not boil. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Chicken Marsala

2010-10-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

I love this chicken! The first time I had chicken Marsala was at an Italian restaurant and of course I had to learn to make it myself and I was so glad to find out the recipe was so simple.

Chicken Marsala
4 chicken breast
¼ cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
¾ cup Marsala Wine
¼ cup chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon dried parsley

Pound chicken breast until thin, season with salt and pepper; dredge lightly with flour on both sides. In a large skillet melt butter over medium-high heat; add chicken cook on each side until golden brown. Add mushrooms, Marsala Wine, chicken broth or water and dried parsley. Cook until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through.

Pumpkin Pie Squares

2010-10-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I promised the ladies at church that I would bring something the following week for the fellowship, I thought about it during the week and then it slipped my mind until Saturday morning. At work I started looking through magazines to see if anything caught my eye. I told my boss I need to make something for church fellowship tomorrow, she said go to the store and by a box of Halloween cookies. I told her I couldn’t do that people know that I always make my goodies homemade. She told me not to live up to other peoples standards of me. I told her that making my stuff from scratch is the standards I set for myself not because of others and that I still needed to post something for the followers of my cooking blog, (which I love doing). Yes I guess I could have just gone to the store and bought something, but when you love baking and trying new recipes why would I do that.

I think this recipe came from a label off the back of a box of oatmeal; it was in my binder of recipes that I want to try, the brand name is missing. It was a hit at church on Sunday!

Pumpkin Pie Squares
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick oat meal
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
¾ cup butter, softened
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1(12 oz.) can evaporated milk
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar and pecans. Cut in butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 cup for topping. Press remaining oat mixture (about 2 1/3 cups) onto bottom of ungreased 13x9 inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes. Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves; beat well. Pour pumpkin mixture over crust; bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle reserved oat mixture over top; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until filling is set. Cool. Cut into squares.

Crock-Pot Chili Colorado

2010-10-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

You can find recipes any place or anywhere; I am always looking for new recipes to try out. I adapted this recipe from Save Marts weekly ad; I served it with Spanish Rice and tortillas.

Crock-Pot Chili Colorado
2 pounds beef stew or chuck roast cut into bite size pieces
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (4oz.) can diced green chilies
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 tablespoon beef bouillon
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

In large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat; brown meat on all sides. Meanwhile combine diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chilies, taco seasoning, bouillon, sugar, dried oregano and garlic powder in crock-pot. Add browned beef; mixing well. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8.

Strawberry Syrup

2010-09-30T05:36:00.001-07:00

Good thing this syrup taste so good, I could have made a lot of jam with that much fruit! This is my third recipe that I have done from my new cookbook on canning You Can Can. This syrup taste so good on pancakes and waffles, I have had it on both, now I need to buy some vanilla ice-cream so I can give it a try that way to.

Strawberry Syrup
12 cups strawberries
2 cups water
3 cups sugar

Wash berries; remove green caps. Place about half the berries in a large kettle. Use slotted spoon or potato masher to crush berries in the kettle; add remaining berries and crush again. Add water. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Line a strainer or colander with a double layer of cheese sloth; set over a bowl. Pour mixture into strainer. Press to drain all juice. Discard berry pulp. Measure 6 cups juice.
In a 3- or 4-quart saucepan or kettle heat the juice to a rolling boil; stir in the sugar. Continue boiling about 30 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Pour syrup into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving a ¼-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids. Process filled jars in boiling-water canner for 5 minutes (start timing when water returns to boil). Remove jars from canner; cool on wire racks. Makes 4 half-pints.

Hamburger Dill Pickles

2010-09-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

Canning your own food is making a comeback! It not as hard as you think it is, most cookbooks come with a canning section, or you buy yourself a book on canning there are many on the market. I have also found many web-sites on the subject of canning. This recipe came from my newest canning cookbook You Can Can.

These pickles are not just for hamburgers, as you can see I like to eat dill pickles with my grilled cheese sandwiches.

Hamburger Dill Pickles
3 pounds 4-inch pickling cucumbers (about 36)
3 cups water
3 cups white vinegar
¼ cup pickling salt
¼ cup sugar
6 to 9 heads fresh dill or 6 tablespoons dill seeds

Thoroughly rinse cucumbers. Remove stems and slice into 1/4-inch slices; set aside. In a large stainless steel, enameled, or nonstick saucepan combine water, vinegar, pickling salt, and sugar. Bring to boiling.
Pack sliced cucumbers loosely into hot, sterilized pint canning jars, leaving a ½-inch headspace. Add 2 to 3 heads of dill or 1 tablespoon dill seeds to each jar. Pour hot vinegar mixture over cucumbers, leaving a ½-ich headspace. Discard any remaining hot vinegar mixture. Whip jar rims; adjust lids. Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes (begin timing when water returns to boiling). Remove jars; cool on racks. Let stand for one week to develop flavors before serving. Makes 6 pints

Sweet Pickle Relish

2010-09-23T06:02:00.000-07:00

This is the first time that I have made relish. I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Garden You Can Can cookbook. I used my food processor instead of chopping the vegetables by hand this made for a finer copped relish.
A better name for this relish should be; The Disappearing Hotdog Relish or better yet “What happen to my hotdog”. Everyone knows that I’m not a big fan of hotdogs, I usually have to eat them with chili and cheese and I will only eat one, but not with this relish. The first time I put this relish on my hotdog I ate it so fast I didn’t realize what happen to it so I had to eat another one; and had to stop myself from eating a third!

Sweet Pickle Relish
6 medium un-waxed cucumbers
3 green and / or red sweet peppers
6 medium onions
¼ cup pickling salt
3 cups sugar
2 cups cider vinegar
2 ½ teaspoons celery seeds
2 ½ teaspoons mustard seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric
Wash cucumbers and peppers. Chop; discard pepper stems, membranes, and seeds. If desired, seed cucumbers. Measure 6 cups cucumber and 3 cups sweet peppers. Peel and chop onions; measure 3 cups chopped onions. Combine vegetable in a large bowl. Sprinkle with pickling salt; add cold water to cover. Let stand, covered, at room temperature for 2 hours.

Pour vegetable mixture into colander set in sink. Rinse with fresh water and drain well.

In a 4-quart kettle or pot combine sugar, vinegar, celery seeds, mustard seeds, and turmeric. Heat to boiling. Add drained vegetable mixture; return to boiling. Cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat about 10 minutes or until most of the excess liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.

Ladle relish into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving a ½-inch headspace. Whipe the jar rim; adjust lids. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner 10 minutes (start timing when water returns to boil). Remove the jars from canner; cool on wire racks.

Crispy Sweet Pickles

2010-09-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

It’s been a long time since I last made these pickles, about 10 years. My family has asked me over the years if I would make them again I just never got around to making them. Ariel says she can remember coming home from school and eating them out of the refrigerator. My memories for these pickles are also from when I was a little girl. I use the same recipe today that my stepmom Gen would also use to make hers all those years ago. I remember the pots of sliced cucumber soaking in lime sitting on the washing machine in the garage and the smell of the cucumbers cooking in the brine days later. I first learned how to can from my stepmom; she would also can string beans and tomatoes. The canner that I use today is the same one that I bought 26 years ago when Richard and I were married; I believe I just might be using the same jars too.

Crispy Sweet Pickles
25 to 30 small cucumbers
2 cups lime (calcium hydroxide)
2 gallons water
2 quarts white vinegar
8 cups sugar
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 teaspoon salt

Slice cucumbers about 1/8-inch thick. Dissolve lime in water and cover cucumber slices. Let stand 24 hours.
Rinse well. Let stand 3 hours in clear water. Drain. Mix the vinegar, sugar, cloves and salt and pour over cucumbers. Let stand overnight. In the morning bring to a boil and boil 35 to 40 minutes. Fill sterilized Kerr jars to within ½ inch of top with cucumbers and syrup. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process jars in a boiling water bath canner; 10 minutes for pints, or 15 minutes for quarts. Yield: 10 pints or 5 quarts

Sweet & Salty Party Mix

2010-08-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

I adapted this recipe from the new fall/winter 2010 Pampered Chef catalog. My only confusion was the size of the package of popcorn, I was a little confused about the size of popcorn bag, I used the mini bag of popcorn that was all I had, I threw away the box so I didn’t know the ounces of the package so after popping I measured out the popcorn and it did come out to 5 cups like the recipe called for. I made this party mix for a party I am having tomorrow night I might need to make another batch, because when Richard gets a hold of this one there won’t be any left for my guest!

Sweet & Salty Party Mix

1 package mini-size (3-3.5 oz) microwave popcorn (about 5 cups)
3 cups miniature pretzel twists
2 cups dry-roasted salted peanuts
2 cups oven-toasted rice cereal squares
1 cup butter (2sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 300⁰F. Prepare popcorn according to package directions. In large mixing bowl, combine popcorn, pretzels, peanuts and cereal; set aside. Combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a medium size saucepan. Cook and stir with spoon over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Remove from heat; carefully stir in baking soda.
Pour caramel sauce over popcorn mixture; stir until evenly coated. Spoon onto large baking pan; bake 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven.
Transfer popcorn mixture to a large piece of parchment paper. Cool completely, breaking mixture into clusters as it cools. Store mix in an airtight container for up to three days.
Yield: 12 cups
Pecans, walnuts or macadamia nuts can be substituted for the peanuts, if desired.

My Favorite Oatmeal Cookies

2010-08-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

I believe that this has got to be the best oatmeal cookie recipe that I have ever tried. I found this recipe on the back of a store brand box of oatmeal many years ago, I don’t remember what store I bought it from, and so I can’t give credit where credit is due. I have made many different variation of the cookie recipe over the years such as I have used ½ shorting and ½ butter instead of 1 cup of the shorting and I have use dried cranberries or chocolate chips instead of the raisins, I have also add nuts to the dough when I felt in the mood that usually was when Ariel wasn’t around because she doesn’t like nuts in her food. Or any combination that you would like, the cookie base remains the same. Today I used golden raisins because I had some left over from when I made the Curry Chicken. I can’t decide which way I like this cookie best, all I know is that I just love this oatmeal cookie recipe.

My Favorite Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup vegetable shorting

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups quick cooking oatmeal

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Lightly grease cookie sheet.

Beat shorting and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, baking soda. Add to shorting mixture; mix well; stir in oat, and raisins; mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with fork. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 1 minute before removing to racks to cool.

Variations: Instead of raisins stir in 1 cup of the following with the oats; semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or dried cranberries.

2 Point Pumpkin Spice Muffins

2010-08-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

20 pounds ago when I was a Weight Watcher leader this muffin recipe was one of the recipe that I would repeat over and over again for my members, It also happens to have been one of my daughter Ariel’s favorites. Will a few weeks ago I went back to Weight Watchers to drop the 20 pounds before it turned into the 40 I original lost over 5 years ago. It’s funny how the weight can sneak back on when life gets in the way. You cake use any cake mix to make these delicious muffins the points come from the cake mix not the pumpkin!

2 Point Weight Watchers Muffins

1 box spice cake mix
1 (15 oz.) can 100% Pure Pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350⁰F, Spray 24 muffin cups with cooking spray or line with cupcake liners; set aside.
In a large bowl combine cake mix with canned pumpkin mixing until well combined. Divide batter between prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

1 muffin =2 points or 1 point each if you use a mini muffin tin.

Peach Jam

2010-08-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

I have made many different jams and jellies over the past 25 years but I believe that peach has got to be my favorite! If you have never made homemade jam before you need to give it a try. The taste of homemade jam is so much better than the store bought. Don’t be intimidated with the canning process it is easier than you might think. Just buy yourself a book on canning and give it a try!

Peach Jam
2 quarts crushed peeled, pitted peaches
½ cup water
6 cups sugar

Combine peaches and water in a large saucepot. Cook gently 10 minutes. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Bring slowly to a boil. Cook rapidly to gelling point, about 15 minutes. As mixture thickens, stir to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle jam into hot jars, leaving ¼ -inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: about 4 pints.

Peach Crisp

2010-08-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

I love peaches, there is nothing better than a fresh peach picked right of the tree on a warm summer day, the sun warmed flesh busting in your mouth, while the juices run down your hand and arms! That is one of my fondest childhood memories, of eating peaches right off my grandparent’s trees. Now I have a peach tree of my own and every year I can’t wait until those peaches are ripe, and yes I still love to eat peaches right of the tree that have been warmed by the sun.

Yesterday afternoon Ariel and I picked a bowl full of peaches and nectarines, I wanted to make a peach crisp but it was too late in the afternoon. I didn’t want to turn the oven on, because I didn’t want to heat up the house and have to turn on the air-conditioned, so I waited until this morning to make the peach crisp. That was even better because I got to have peach crisp for breakfast!

Peach Crisp
8 cups peeled and sliced peaches
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup oat meal
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cook spray; set as side. Toss peaches, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and vanilla in a large bowl; pour into baking dish.

Combine in a medium size bowl the oat meal, flour, brown sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. With a pastry blender cut butter into flour mixture, until well combined. (If you don't have a pastry blender use you hands to mix the butter in, I love to do it that way somtimes).Sprinkle mixture over peaches in baking dish.

Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Snickersdoodles

2010-08-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading, Snow Melts in Spring by Deborah Vodts. I really enjoyed this book. I downloaded it a few months ago on my Kindle from Amazon. In the book Mattie, a veterinarian made these Snickerdoole cookies that everybody couldn’t get enough of. As I was reading I stared craving Snickerdoodle cookies, they happen to be one of my favorite kinds of cookies. And guess what; after I finished to book and was flipping through the last few page, there it was, to my surprise a recipe for Mattie’s Snickerdoodles, I just had to make them! And they are very good!

Snickersdoodles
1 cup shortening
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar & 2 teaspoons cinnamon mixed together in small bowl

In a large bowl cream together shortening, sugar, and eggs. In a separate bowl sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Chill dough for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400⁰F. Roll into walnut-size balls. Roll balls into the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place two inches apart on greased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned but still soft. These cookies puff up first then flatten out with crinkled tops. Enjoy!

Chicken Curry

2010-07-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

I adapted this recipe from my 29 minutes to dinner cookbook by The Pampered Chef.
I love curry, my family not so much. When every I have come across a new recipe for curry I just have to give it a try.
This recipe is not spicy like some of the other version that I have prepared in the past; it’s very mild with a nice curry flavor. If you have always wanted to try curry, but was always a little leery may I suggest you give this version a try?
And if you would like to know how to get your own 29 minutes to dinner cookbook by The Pampered Chef just send me an email at gogetzm@comcast.net and I will let you know!

Chicken Curry
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons curry powder
½ cup golden raisins
1 can (13-5 oz) coconut milk

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and place into a medium size bowl. Combine salt and pepper in a small bowl; sprinkle ½ of the salt and pepper mixture over chicken in bowl toss to coat.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add seasoned chicken and cook until a golden brown about 2-3 minutes per side or until center is no longer pink. Remove from skillet: set aside.
Add carrots and onion to skillet and sauté for 5 minutes or until crisp tender, stirring occasionally. Stir curry powder, raisins, coconut milk and remaining salt and pepper mixture into skillet. Add chicken; simmer 3-5 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.
Serve chicken curry over a bed of rice.

Easy Pasta Salad

2010-07-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

This is an easy pasta salad that I have been making for years. I have never had a recipe before, I have always just threw everything together. This time however I decided to measure out the ingredients as I added them and to write them down as I went. This is what I came up with.

My family doesn’t like celery in their salads so I add celery seeds instead so that way I can still have the flavor of the celery. I also like to use the juice from the pickle jar, I think it gives the salad more flavor.
The best thing about pasta salad is that I think it taste even better the next day!

Easy Pasta Salad

16 oz. dried salad pasta or macaroni
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup diced dill pickles
1 small red onion, diced
1 to 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
¼ cup vinegar or pickle juice
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon celery seeds
Salt to taste

Cook pasta according to the package direction, drain and cool pasta.
In a large bowl combine cooled pasta, chopped eggs, diced pickles, diced onions, mayonnaise, pickle juice, sugar, pepper, celery seeds and salt to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Margarita Grilled Chicken

2010-07-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

When I made the guacamole a few weeks ago I asked Richard if he could run to the store and pick me up a lime; he came home with 12 limes. When I asked him why did he buy so many he replied that they were on sale 12 for a dollar, now what am I going to do with all these limes. So when I was a Costco the other day I saw the Margarita mix and I remember that I still had some at home and Richard did take chicken out for dinner and I still had all those limes, so my brain went into recipe mode and I came up with this marinade. The chicken turned out so tender and tasted just like a margarita. I served it with Spanish rice, beans and tortillas.

Margarita Grilled Chicken
4 to 6 boneless chicken breast
1 cup Margarita mix
¼ cup Tequila
Juice of 2 limes
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a gallon size zip lock bag. Marinade in refrigerator for 2 hours. Grill chicken on a hot grill until done.

Easy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

2010-07-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

I have been making this dish for years. It is so easy and fast to throw together when you don’t have a lot of time to make dinner. It has always been a favorite of Richard and the girls. It doesn’t cost a lot to make because I usually buy the least expensive Alfredo sauce or whatever brand that is on sale. I believe that sometime the simplest dishes taste the best.

Easy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
1 pound chicken breast, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar store bought Alfredo sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 8 oz. box Fettuccine pasta
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to the direction on the box in a large pot. Meanwhile in large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat, add cut-up chicken pieces and minced garlic; cook until chicken is a golden brown. Add Alfredo sauce and Italian seasoning; simmer for 5 minutes.
Drain cooked pasta return to pot add chicken- Alfredo mixture; toss with parmesan cheese; serve.

S’mores Bars

2010-07-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

What a great and easy dessert to serve on the 4th of July! I have very fond memories of making S’mores on family camping trips. My two girls Brandy and Ariel loved s’mores so much that they would make them in the microwave at home, I have even caught them browning their marshmallows over the burners on the stove, and they would also start the grill when I wasn’t home. I guess you could say that my girls had a SMALL obsession with s’mores growing up!

I love finding new recipes on the back of boxes and packages. That is where I found this one, on the back of a box of Target brand graham crackers and I knew that I just had to make them, so I bought two boxes of graham crackers that day, one for the chocolate éclair dessert and the other for these bars.
The only thing different that I did was to add some chocolate chips, because I didn’t think that there was enough chocolate, because as far as I’m concerned you can never have enough chocolate.
They must have been a very big hit at my church’s barbeque because when I went to the dessert table the tray was empty!

S’mores Bars
12 (5x2 1/2 –inch) graham crackers
¾ cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar
3 cups miniature marshmallows
4 milk chocolate candy bars, broken into pieces
(1 cup chocolate chips)
Heat oven to 350⁰F. Line 15x10x1 inch jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil leaving a 1-inch overhang on ends; spray foil with cooking spray. Place graham crackers onto foil so that sides touch.

Melt butter and brown sugar in medium sauce pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and mixture just comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Pour evenly over crackers.

Bake 5 to 6 minutes or until bubbly.

Remove pan from oven; sprinkle with marshmallow and candy bar pieces. Continue baking until marshmallows begin to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Cool completely. Lift from pan using foil. Cut into bars.

Chocolate Chip Cake

2010-06-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

This cake recipe is a twist on my famous Death by Chocolate. I wanted to make a new cake that would become another favorite for my family, and I succeed. Ariel says that this is now her favorite cake, and I believe what she say’s because after she ate one piece she had to have another and she plans on having another later. So maybe this cake should come with a warning sign that says, Warning this cake may causes spontaneous consumption!

Chocolate Chip Cake
4eggs
1 cup sour cream
½ cup water
½ cup oil
1 box yellow cake mix
1 package vanilla instant pudding mix
12 oz. bag semisweet mini chocolate chips, divided

Divide a 12 oz. bag of mini chocolate chips three ways, ¾ cup for the glaze recipe, ¼ cup for sprinkling over glaze and the remainder of the bag is to be mixed into the cake batter about 1 ½ cups. Set aside.

Beat eggs, sour cream, water, and oil together in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Add cake mix and pudding mix. Beat until smooth. Stir, in the remaining chocolate chips, about 1 ½ cups. Pour into Bundt or tube pan bake at 350⁰ for 1 hour. When cool top with glaze; recipe follows, and then sprinkle the ¼ cup of mini chocolate chips over the top of glaze.

Satiny Chocolate Glaze
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon vanilla

In a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water, combine chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, and then add vanilla. Spread warm glaze over top of cake letting it drizzle down the sides.

Peel-n-Eat Shrimp Scampi

2010-06-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

I wanted to serve something special for Father’s day, besides the Cola marinated tri-tip. What came to mind was shrimp, but how was I going to serve it. I knew that I wanted to grill it. So I thought what would happen if I marinated the shrimp in a sauce like scampi and then grilled it. It was a big hit with the family, I loved it so much that I didn’t what to share, but I was nice and let Richard have some after all it was Father’s Day.

Peel-n-Eat Shrimp Scampi
1 pound of shrimp, deveined and washed
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place shrimp into a large glass bowl. Combine remaining ingredients into a small bowl, mixing well; pour over shrimp in glass bowl tossing well to coat; cover and marinade in refrigerator for 2 hours or more.

Thread shrimp on to skewers or place on a grilling tray. Grill over med heat, for 3 to 5 minutes per side or until the shrimp, is opaque.

Cola Marinated Tri Tip

2010-06-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

We liked the pork chops marinated in the cola so much that we decided to try it with tri-tip, and we loved it! I changed the marinade up just a little to make it more suitable for beef; I added black pepper and a grated onion. I once watch Rachel Rae grate an onion on her show, she said it gives the dish more flavor and she was right. Brandy loved the beef so much that she didn’t use A1 on her slices of meat and she always uses A1, she calls it her gravy. I will be making this again soon!

Cola Marinated Tri Tip
1 tri-tip roast, trimmed
1 cup coke
½ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, grated

Place tri-tip in a gallon size storage bag. In a small bowl combine reaming ingredients, place in the refrigerator for 6 hours are over night, turning ever few hours. Cook on preheated grill for 40-50 minutes or until meat thermometer resisters 150⁰F or until desired doneness, basting with marinated. When done place on cutting board cover meat with foil and allow the meat to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Guacamole

2010-06-21T17:09:00.000-07:00

For Father’s day this year I gave Richard a plane ride for his gift.

The plane hangar is in Turlock, so on the drive there we past a road side stand that was selling avocados 20 for $5, I told him on the way back we needed to stop and get some. I just love avocados, and Richard just loved his plane ride.

So while I was at work today the avocados were on my mind and all I wanted to do was go home and make me some guacamole and that is just what I did! This recipe is so good I found it on all recipes.

Guacamole
3 avocados, peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup diced onion
3 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime and salt. Mix in onion cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Chocolate Éclair Dessert

2010-06-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

I have been preparing this dessert for more than 15 years; I found this recipe in a Jell-O cookbook. Whenever I take this dessert anywhere someone usually will ask me for the recipe. I have made it with low fat graham crackers, sugar free pudding, fat free milk and fat free Cool whip for a low calorie dessert. And it does taste just like a Chocolate Éclair!

Chocolate Éclair Dessert
1 box graham crackers
2 (3 oz.) boxes vanilla pudding
2 cups milk
1 (12oz.) container Cool Whip
1 container chocolate frosting

In a large mixing combine vanilla pudding, milk, Cool Whip; set aside. In the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking place a layer of graham crackers; spread ½ of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers, top with another layer of graham crackers then the rest of the pudding mixture, top with another layer of graham crackers. To melt frosting, place in microwave for 15 to 20 seconds; pour over top of last layer of graham crackers in dish. Refrigerate 12 hours or overnight before serving.

Baked Ziti

2010-06-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

The first time I had this was at Sbarro’s Italian restaurant in our local mall many years ago. The restaurant has closed but I have learned how to create my favorite dish at home. Sometimes I add ground beef or Italian sausage to the sauce and I love to add extra sauce on top of the pasta. I know your family will love this dish as much as mine does. Just like I heard Ariel saying last night as she was serving herself a portion “I love this stuff”! I know yours will be saying the same.

Baked Ziti
1 (16oz.) box ziti pasta
1 (16oz.) carton ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese; divided
1 jar pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook pasta according to direction on the box; drain and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, parmesan cheese and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and half of the jar of pasta sauce; add drained pasta. Mix until well combined. Spoon pasta mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with remaining pasta sauce and the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with additional pasta sauce if desired.

Crispy Ranch Chicken

2010-06-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

The other day I received in the mail some sample recipe cards from Great American Recipes and this is one of the recipes. I change it up a bit, I used 1 whole egg instead of 2 egg whites and I used chicken breast instead of the chicken thighs the recipe called for. I liked this recipe a lot, Ariel says that it is really, really good and Richard told me that chicken you made was very good. Because Richard works nights he is not home when I cook so I always make his dinners to go. So this tells me that this chicken is even good the next day. I definitely will be making this recipe again

Crispy Ranch Chicken
2 cups crispy rice cereal
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope (1oz.) ranch salad dressing mix
1 egg, beaten
4 chicken breast

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the rice cereal, Parmesan cheese and ranch salad dressing mix in a large bowl.
Place beaten egg in a medium bowl. Dip each chicken breast in beaten egg and then in cereal mixture to coat evenly.
Arrange the coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden and juices run clear when chicken is pieced with a knife, 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.

Banana Bars

2010-06-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my co-worker Lupe and I just love it. Now let me tell you about Lupe. Lupe is not a baker, when she talks about baking her family starts to laugh and beg her please don’t. Whenever I bake something and then take it to work she always asks me if there is flour in it and if I baked it in the oven. She is the only person I know who doesn’t know the deference from bake and broil on her oven. She once cleaned her oven knobs and then she put them back on wrong, then decided to bake some cookies then proceeded to broil her cookies instead of baking them. She once caught her oven on fire when she was making can cinnamon rolls. Her latest disaster was when she got her nails done (acrylic) then she caught them on fire when she used her nails instead of tongs to flip her tortilla. Now you are probably wondering if this recipe is any good if I got it from Lupe, you are just going to have to trust me they are just so moist and yummy. She told me she got this recipe from a family member.

Banana Bars
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 medium bananas, mashed
1 egg
1 (12 oz.) bag semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
Confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven 350⁰F. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix together butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until creamy. Beat in bananas and egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread mixture into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake 350⁰ for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Cut in 2x1 inch bars.

Cola Marinated Pork Chops

2010-06-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

I was at a friend’s house the other day for a barbeque, we were talking about different marinades and ways of cooking meat, such as beer butt chicken and about a recipe that someone saw on the Food Network in which you marinade your chicken in lemon aid. Someone mention that they have also used cola before. Will today I decided to give it a try, I also added a few more ingredients to give the meat a little more flavor. My family loved it, next time I am going to try it with chicken.

Cola Marinated Pork Chops

4 to 6 pork chops
1 cup of cola
½ cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon onion powder

Combine all ingredients in a large zipper size storage bag. Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours. Cook as desired.

Pineapple Cake

2010-05-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

I was at work the other day and I started thinking about cake recipes it’s not surprising I’m always thinking of either baking or cooking something. Will any ways the reason I was thinking about a pineapple cake recipes is because my co-worker were talking about pineapples that they bought at the flea market and I started thinking about my grandma’s pineapple cake with seven minute frosting, it was one of my favorites next to her chocolate marble cake. Oh wait a minute there is few more favorites her coconut cake and her red velvet cake. Now you know why I love to bake I love cake. And I think my grandma Annie Mae Whitley made the best cakes. This is not her pineapple cake recipe that recipe left this world when she passed away; she never wrote any of her recipes down she kept them all in her head. I wonder if my grandma was alive in this computer world of ours would she also have a cooking blog.

Pineapple Cake
1 yellow cake mix
1 small box vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/3 cup oil
20 oz. can crush pineapple, divided

Glaze
¼ cup butter
¾ cup crushed pineapple
2 cups powder sugar

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Grease and flour Bundt pan or angel food cake pan. Set aside ¾ cup of crushed pineapple for glaze.
In a large mix bowl combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, and remaining pineapple. Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
For glaze; in small sauce pan melt butter add the ¾ cup crushed pineapple and powder sugar, stir until sugar is dissolved. Spoon glaze over cooled cake.

Easy Fruit Cobbler

2010-05-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

I have made this cobbler many times over the years. My family just loves the topping and I love that it is so simple to make, I always have the ingredients on hand. Today I made the cobbler with Bing cherries that I bought a road side stand, 1 dollar a pound you can’t beat that price especially when the store sells them for 4 times that much. I want to think my friend and neighbor Val Templeton for giving me this recipe many years ago.

Easy Fruit Cobbler
4 cups fruit (your choice)
Cinnamon
Topping:
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
½ cup butter

Place 4 cups fruit in a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Mix sugar, flour, and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit and cinnamon mixture. Bake at 400⁰F for 40 to 45 minutes.

Sweet French Morning Muffins

2010-05-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

When Richard and I first got married he had a collection of recipes that one of his teachers gave him, they were a collection of home economic recipes. I have made these recipes many times over the years; I have even featured a few here on my blog. This particular recipe I have misplaced over the years, but thanks to the internet my family and I can now enjoy them again. I found this recipe on many different sites on the web. And now thanks to the many people who post on the web not only my family but also yours can enjoy these muffins in the morning with a nice hot cup of coffee.

Sweet French Morning Muffins
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ cup milk
1/3 cup butter; melted

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Lightly greased; a 12 cup muffin pan.
In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Make a well in center of the dry ingredients. Set aside.
In another small bowl slightly beat egg; stir in milk and melted butter; add liquid mixture to dry ingredients; stir slightly batter should be lumpy do not over mix. Fill prepared muffin cups half way full with batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. While muffins are baking prepare topping.

Topping
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Place melted butter in a small bowl; set aside. In another bowl mix together sugar and cinnamon.
After baking immediately dip tops of muffins into butter and then into sugar cinnamon mixture. Serve warm.

Baked Spaghetti with Italian Sausage

2010-05-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the same old recipe can become a little boring. Now don’t get me wrong I love spaghetti, it happens to be my favorite dish I could eat it every day. But why not give it a little twist and try something new with it.
Richard helped me prepare this dish tonight after I top the first layer of pasta with cheese he decided that the Italian cheese blend that contains 6 different cheese wasn’t enough that we needed more cheese so he added the blend of cheddar and Monterey jack that I always keep in the fridge. Yes that is his hand adding more cheese and as he is doing this he is saying “You can never have enough cheese.” So when it comes to the amount of cheese that you want to use when you make this dish the choice is yours or in my case, my husbands who just wanted to help me out today.

Baked Spaghetti with Italian Sausage
1 pound Italian Sausage
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 (15oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (8oz.) can mushrooms
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
3 tablespoon brown sugar
1(16oz) package spaghetti
2 cups Italian cheese blend

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown Italian sausage with chopped onion and garlic. Add tomato sauce, can tomatoes, mushrooms, Italian seasoning and brown sugar; allow to simmer for 45 to 60 minutes.
Cook the package of spaghetti according to the instructions on the package.
Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/3 of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish

then layer ½ the cooked spaghetti

and ½ the cheese; then add the remaining spaghetti. Spread the remaining sauce over the pasta in the baking dish then top with the remaining cheese.

Bake in a 350F. preheated oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Chili Mac

2010-05-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

I have been making this dish for 25 years; it is so simple and quick and it’s all done in the same pan; which means fewer dishes to wash. We love to top it with cheddar cheese and for a kick you can add hot sauce that is the way Richard likes to eat his. So give this dish a try I know that it will become a family favorite just like it has been in mine.

Chili Mac
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups elbow macaroni; uncooked
1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce or 1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups water
1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and onions in a large skillet drain. Add macaroni and tomato sauce, water and seasonings. Cover and let simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and add more water when necessary. Cook until macaroni is softened (about 20 minutes).

Rosemary Nuts

2010-05-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I was invited to a Garden Party /Fund Raiser by my friend Susan, we had a lot of fun. At every table there was a small bowl of mixed nuts; my first nibble I thought Oh? These nuts have a little kick, and then I had to have some more and some more, they are so addicting. I was so glad to find out that they gave us all the recipes for the dishes that they served that day.
This morning before I went to work I was telling Richard about the nuts again, I told him I was going to make them when I got home today. But I was not going to use mix nuts because I didn’t have any that I was going to use the bag of almonds that I had in the freezer. I bought the bag from Costco a few months ago and there was almost 2 pound left, I just doubled all the ingredients and they turned out great. Be careful when you try these nuts you might not be able to stop yourself once you get started.

Rosemary Nuts
1 pound mixed nuts (walnuts pecans, cashews, or almonds) or any combination that you would like
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon butter, melted

Spread nuts out onto baking sheet and roast at 350⁰F for 10 minutes; stirring after first 5 minutes. Mix together in a small bowl cayenne pepper, salt, and brown sugar; set aside. After roasting, pour nuts into a large mixing bowl. Toss with melted butter coating all the nuts; then toss with cayenne pepper mixture stirring to coat all the nuts. Spread back onto the baking sheet to cool. Store in air tight container.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

2010-05-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

What a great combination! I have heard of rhubarb throughout my life but I have never tried it until a few years ago. I never wanted to give a try because I didn’t like the name rhubarb, it just didn’t sound good. And when I finally got to see what it looked like I really didn’t want to try it. Do you ever wonder what possessed the person who first saw this red celery like plant and said “Yum that looks good, let’s eat!” Will a few years ago I gave in and made a pie and you know what I liked it. So today when I came home I decided to make another. After all it is the first of two strawberry seasons here in California, one in the spring and one at the end of summer. And like I have mention in the past we do have the best strawberries in the world.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

1 box refrigerated pie crust
2 cups sliced rhubarb
3 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup sugar
½ cup flour
2 tablespoons butter, cut up
2 teaspoon milk
1 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 400⁰F.

In large mixing bowl combine rhubarb, strawberries, 1 cup sugar and ½ cup flour; set aside.

Place one of the crusts into ungreased 9-inch pie plate pressing crust into and up the sides of the pie plate; Pour strawberry-rhubarb mixture on top of crust in pie plate. Scatter cut-up butter on top of filling. Place second pie crust over top of filling. Tucking edges under. Press edges together to seal. Cut slits in top of crust. Brush top of pie with milk; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar.

Bake on cookie sheet for 50 minutes. Cover edges with tinfoil to prevent over browning.

Allow to cool before serving.

Create Your Own Bundt Cake

2010-05-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

This recipe I found many years ago on the Nortic Ware web-site, when I was looking for a recipe for one of their baking pans. What I like most about this recipe is that it is a very versatile you can mix and match the cake mix with the pudding mix and any combination that you like. Today I mixed a vanilla cake mix with vanilla pudding mix, I was look for a nice simple pound cake to serve with the strawberries that I bought today at the road side stand on the way home. I happen to think we grow the beat strawberries here in California; Watsonville has nothing on the strawberry growers here in Merced County. Watsonville holds a strawberry festival every year, but I think we should hold one here instead.

Create Your Own Bundt Cake
1 (18-1/2 oz.) package cake mix
1 (3-3/4 oz.) package instant pudding mix
4 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup water

To create your own cake, choose cake mix and pudding flavor of your choice. Combine all ingredients together; beat 3-4 minutes. Pour batter into greased and floured pan (see below) and bake at 350⁰. Cool cake in pan 5 -10 minutes. Turn out on wire rack to complete cooling. Experiment with different glazes and toppings or sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over the top for a festive look.

Peanut Butter & Marshmallow Treats

2010-05-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

This was a special treat that my stepmom Gen would make for me when I was young. When my girls were growing up they loved it when I made them. They now make them for themselves and for their friends. You will love the sweet and salty combo.

Peanut Butter & Marshmallow Treats

Ritz Crackers
Peanut butter
Mini marshmallows

Spread peanut butter onto Ritz crackers; top with marshmallows. Place on to cookie sheet and place under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes or until the marshmallows are a golden brown. Cool for a few minutes, before eating.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2010-04-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it’s hard to come up with different way to use ground beef. When I take the meat out of the freezer in the morning, I will then spend the rest of the day wondering what I will be making with it. I grew up eating hamburger helper most nights of the week; I believe that has a lot to do with way I am always looking for new recipe. I just love trying new dishes. If you are looking for a different way to cook ground beef I suggest you give this recipe a try.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 egg
1 tablespoon oil

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients except oil; mix well. Shape into small balls. In a large skillet; brown meatballs in oil.

Sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup water
Pineapple chunks (20oz), drained (reserve ½ cup syrup)
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 green peppers cut into strips

In a medium bowl blend together, sugar, cornstarch, water, reserved pineapple syrup, vinegar and soy sauce; add to browned meatballs in skillet. Heat mixture until it boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Add pineapple and green peppers. Reduce heat and simmer covered, 15 to 20 minutes.

Blueberry Pancake Muffins

2010-04-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

Wow I have now posted 100 recipes on my blog! It has been an adventure in cooking, baking and blogging. What better way to celebrate than with a new recipe that my family will be enjoying for years to come. Thanks for all the great comments that I have received from family and friends and from my new blogging friends.

I buy my pancake mix by the bulk from Costco; and I sometimes wonder what else I can use it for besides pancakes and waffles. I went to Krusteaz web site and found a muffin blueberry muffin recipe; they used a pancake mix with the blueberries already in the mix, which I don’t have. So I change the mix to their regular pancake mix and added more water and frozen blueberries. My family says that they taste just like a blueberry pancake, I ate one with syrup and one with out I like the one with the syrup just a little bit more, Richard ate his without the syrup; Ariel ate 2 and that is saying a lot because she doesn’t care for blueberry pancakes, she is a pancake purest she loves to eat her pancake with nothing but maple syrup. I will defiantly be making these muffins again.

Blueberry Pancake Muffins
2 ½ cups pancake mix
¾ cup water
½ cup sugar
¼ cup oil
1 egg
1 ½ cups frozen or fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Spray 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl combine pancake mix, water, sugar, oil and egg; fold in blueberries until well combined. Fill muffin cups evenly with batter.
Bake for 20 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cheddar Cornmeal Biscuits

2010-04-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for something different to serve alongside a bowl of navy bean soup or a good bowl of chili than look no farther; this twist on a biscuit will do nicely. When I made navy bean soup the other night for supper I wanted something different to serve than what I usually make “cornbread” I thought why I couldn’t add cornmeal to ordinary baking mix. Following the recipe on the back of the box all I did was substitute some of the baking mix with cornmeal and added cheddar cheese. Instead of rolling out the dough I dropped large tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets. Ariel says that they are so addicting you can’t eat just one. I will be baking these again, I think next time I will try them without the cheese so that I can eat them with honey and butter.

Cheddar Cornmeal Biscuits

1 ½ cups baking mix
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450⁰F.
Combine all the ingredients in a medium size bowl until well blended. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until a golden brown.

Cranberry White Chip Blondies

2010-04-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

I love to get a new baking pan; especially when it comes with a free recipe on the packaging. I bought this pan a few months ago and have been saving the cardboard covering; so that I could make the recipe on the back. I kept seeing it in my pantry and kept telling myself that I needed to make that recipe. Will today was the day. I promised the ladies at my church that I would bring something for the fellowship after the morning service and this would fit the bill; and I needed to have a post for my blog; which I have been neglecting; I know that this recipe will more than make up for it. Oh and by the way the pan and recipe are from Wilton.

Cranberry White Chip Blondies

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
¾ cups (1½ sticks) butter
1½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Spray 9x13” pan with vegetable spray.

In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In small saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar; stir until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool about 5 minutes. Stir in eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture; mix until blended. Fold in ¾ cups of the cranberries. Quickly stir in ¾ cup of the white chocolate chips. Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining cranberries and chips.

Bake 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting.

Chicken Chili with Cheddar Cornbread Dumplings

2010-04-21T18:14:00.000-07:00

The weather here and California has been so strange this year, it has been so cold and raining for the past two days, it seems like we are having a second winter this year. Because it has been so cold it has put me in the mood for chili. At work today I was looking through an old Better Homes and Garden magazine when I came across a recipe for chili with corn bread dumplings, I thought that it sounded so good and simple. So when I came home today I made up this chili recipe and I used their dumpling recipe I just changed it a little. This recipe is a keeper, it so hits the spot on this cold “second” winter day.

Chicken Chili with Cheddar Cornbread Dumplings
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, diced
1 (14oz.) can diced tomatoes
1(15oz.) can tomato sauce
1(4oz.) can diced green chilies
1 cup water
3 tablespoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
1(15 oz.) can red kidney beans
1 small box cornbread mix
1 egg
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/3 cup water

In a Dutch oven sauté diced onion in oil over medium high heat until tender; add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, diced green chilies, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, kidney beans and cooked chicken breast. Bring to a boil.

In a small mixing bowl combine corn bread mix, egg, cheese and 1/3 cup water, drop by tablespoons into boiling chili, lower to a simmer; cover and cook without opening the lid for 15 minutes. Serve with extra grated cheddar cheese.