Chicken Italiano

Appetizers are a favorite of mine to make so you'll see mostly that from me... anyway, here's a really easy one and so delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

• 18 Wonton wrappers • 1/2 cup Red pepper, finely chopped • 1/2 cup Green onion, finely chopped • 2 tsp. Olive oil • 2 cups Cooked chicken, finely chopped • 1/3 cup Mayonnaise • 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese • 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder • 1/2 tsp. Onion powder • 1/2 tsp. Basil • 1/2 tsp. Oregano • Salt & pepper to taste • Non-stick cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray muffin pan cavities with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Press wonton wrappers into cavities.

3. In small skillet, cook red pepper and green onion in olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, combine chicken, mayonnaise, cheese and seasonings

5. Stir in cooked vegetables.

6. Spoon 3 tbsp. filling into each wonton cup.

7. Bake 7-8 minutes.

8. Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes enough for 18 servings.

Tis the season for Pie

This is the time of year I have no guilt eating pie. This is our favorite and so easy!

Pumpkin pie (1 pie)
1 Can pumpkin
1 (4oz) condensed milk ( I used the whole can they come in 6oz or 8oz)
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp GINGER
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt

Add all ingreditent and mix well, pour in pie crust.
Bake 425 for 15 mins reduce heat to 350 degrees back for 35-40 mins.

I like to make my own crust, this is a not fail crust. It makes 2 or cut in half if you only need one.
Pie Crust (2)
2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 c shortening
½ c water

Put flour, salt and shortening in bowl, use a fork for pastry cutter and cut up the first ingredints. Once it looks like a crumbled mess add slowly the water and mix until you form your dough. The less you work with it the lighter your crust. Roll in a ball and cover with saran wrap and put in fridge for at least 30 mins to chill then roll for pie.

AN EMPTY JAR DOES NOT FILL EMPTY TUMMIES!

WE NEED OUR COMFORT FOODS IN TIMES OF STRESS!

My mother in law passed this on to me and I thought I would post it.

If you have some empty jars around your house, try this.

It does not require any investment in a canner.

Dry Canning in your OVEN

From Wanda Lewis of Mt. Airy, NC, by Michelle Lewis, Kernersville, NC
“I have used it and have eaten 8 year old Oreos, Lucky Charms [Cereal] etc and was I was amazed at the freshness!”[LDS Bishop’s Storehouse handout, Greensboro, NC]

These items have a ten year shelf life if stored in a cool, dry, dark place.

Foods Suitable for 225 degree Dry Canning:

Saltine Crackers Macaroni & cheese dinners Raisins
Ritz Crackers Hamburger Helper Pasta, egg noodles
Cheeze-it crackers Graham crackers Oreos
Grits All dried beans (except Pintos) dry bananas slices
Cereals Plain Cornmeal Plain white flour
Rice Cookies Goldfish crackers
Nilla Wafers Snacks, Rice-a-Roni Instant Potatoes
Oatmeal Nuts, salted or unsalted (anything you can think of!)

For kits like Mac ‘n Cheese, dry instant dinners, Top Ramen, cut the name and directions off the box and place inside the jar. Pour pasta in first. Set seasoning packet or dry cheese on top inside the jar. Seal according to directions below.

Time Table
Pints: 20 minutes
Quarts: 30 Minutes
Half Gallons: 45 minutes

Directions

• Clean jars in a dishwasher. They must be completely dry – NO moisture!
• Fill clean, dry jars to ½ inch from the top with product above.
• Place lids and bands on the jars but DO NOT tighten.
• Use center rack to avoid scorching contents. Do NOT place on bottom rack.
• Place the jars in a COLD OVEN. BE SURE THE JARS DO NOT TOUCH!
• Set oven to 225 degrees. Begin timing when the oven reaches set temperature.
• Prepare a cooling area by placing a large bath towel folded in half on a counter top away from air conditioning vents; use light dish towels to cover jars from drafts that can cause cracking. Process using above time table.
• Use canning lifter tool to remove 1 by 1 from the oven & set on towel to cool.
• Use a hand towel to tighten each ring & prevent burning your hands.
• When you hear a “Pop,” it means a jar has sealed.
• When cool, an old test is to tap the top of each jar lid lightly with your fingernail to test seal. If a lid is not depressed or sound is “thud,” it did not seal. Re-process this jar. Inspect each jar visually for sealing. If raised in the middle, that jar did not seal. When completely cool, return to box for storage.

Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

This is a yummy appetizer that the recipe is always asked for... it's a long one but well worth it!! Sorry the picture is so huge, and sorry I'm not gonna edit, it was a copy from an email... enjoy!

SWEET CORN TAMALE CAKES LIKE CHEESECAKE FACTORY

SALSA VERDE:2 tomatillos, chopped (remove papery thin layer) 1 4-ounce can mild green chilies 1 green onion 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro 1 1/4 teaspoons granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

SOUTHWESTERN SAUCE:1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon white vinegar 1 teaspoon water3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar1/2 teaspoon chili powder1/4 teaspoon paprika1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper1/8 teaspoon onion powderdash saltdash garlic powder

TOMATO SALSA:1 medium tomato 1 tablespoon minced Spanish onion 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced1/4 teaspoon lime juice1/2 small fresh jalapeno, minced dash salt dash ground black pepper

CAKES:1 1/2 cups frozen sweet corn1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened3 tablespoons granulated sugar1/8 teaspoon salt1/2 cup corn masa (corn flour)2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

GARNISH:1/4 cup sour cream1/2 avocado, chopped2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
Prepare salsa verde by combining all ingredients (tomatillos, green chilies, green onion, cilantro, sugar, cumin, salt, and pepper) in a food processor on high speed. Cover and chill.
Prepare tomato salsa by combining all ingredients (diced tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, salt, and pepper) in a small bowl. Cover and chill.
Prepare southwestern sauce by combining all ingredients (mayonnaise, vinegar, water, sugar, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, onion powder, salt, and garlic powder) in a small bowl. Cover and chill.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare the tamale cakes by chopping 1 cup of the frozen corn in a food processor until it's coarsely pureed. Combine pureed corn with softened butter, sugar, and salt. Blend well with electric mixer until smooth. Add masa and flour and blend well. Mix in the remaining 1/2 cup of frozen corn kernels by hand.
Measure 1/2 cup portions of the mixture and form it into 3-inch wide patties with your hands. arrange the patties on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cakes are browned on the bottom. Carefully flip all cakes with a spatula and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until other side is browned.
While the cakes are baking, spoon a portion of the salsa verde onto a plate or platter (you may want to heat up your plate in the oven for a bit to help warm the sauce). You'll need to use enough salsa verde to coat the entire plate -- it should be about 1/4-inch deep. Arrange the tamale cakes side-by-side on the salsa verde. Spoon a dollop of sour cream onto each tamale cake. Drizzle the southwestern sauce over the cakes in a criss-cross patter (use a squirt bottle if you've got one). Spoon some tomato salsa over the cakes, followed by the chopped avocado. Finish off the plate by sprinkling the coarsely chopped cilantro leaves over the top.
Servings: 4

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 medium yellow onion chopped
2 teaspoons fresh garlic minced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped green pepper (optional)
15 oz can tomato puree
1 teaspoon finely minced jalapeno pepper (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
4 teaspoons flour
1/2 cup water
1 lb cooked chicken, cubed or pulled
1 cup cream
1/4 cup non fat sour cream
8 oz processed cheese, 1 inch cubes
tortilla chips
fresh cilantro roughly chopped (optional)

Directions: Saute oil, garlic and onions in large pan or Dutch oven until soft.
Add ingredients 4 - 13. Bring to low boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
Thoroughly mix flour and water , then wisk into soup. Bring to low boil, then simmer 5 minutes.
Add chicken and simmer 5 minutes.
Stir in sour cream and cheese (more or less of each, depending on taste) Ensure 165 degree serving temp. After serving soup, pile tortilla strips into a "haystack" shape on top of the soup. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.
This is my absolute favorite soup.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 bunch broccoli chopped or 16 oz bag frozen broccoli
1 onion chopped
4 TBSP flour
4 TBSP butter
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup Velveeta type cheese
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Cook broccoli in a small amount of water till tender (do not overcook). Saute onion in 4T butter, add 4 T flour. Then add chicken broth, milk, Worcestershire sauce and cheese. Cook and stir till cheese is melted, then add broccoli.

Bread Soup Bowls

2 1/2 cups warm water
3 TBSP Sugar
2 T yeast
Combine to dissolve yeast.
Then add:
1 T salt
5 T shortening
6 cups flour
Beat Well
Let raise till double in bulk

Divide into twelve equal parts. Put each part onto greased pan.
Let raise 30 min. Bake for 25 min at 350 to 400 depending on your oven. When cool, slice off top, scoop out middle and fill with soup. The pieces you removed from the middle work well for dipping in the soup.

What's cookin', Baby?

This is what is cooking and I am loving it!
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/homemade-baby-food-recipes-intro.htm

Another great reference is the book, Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. See it here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=superbaby+food

To babies!

Stuffed Pasta

This is a variation on lasagna (mine always turns out too runny, so I love this one). It freezes well.

1 12 oz. pkg. jumbo shells
1 lb. ground beef
28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
4 c. cottage or ricotta cheese (I like it better with cottage)
2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 T chopped fresh parsley
3/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper.

Heat oven to 375. Cook pasta as directed; drain. Brown hamburger and add to 3/4 of the spaghetti sauce. Pour sauce mixture into bottom of a 13x9x2 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, mix cheeses, eggs and seasonings. Fill each cooked shell with about 2 T cheese mixture. Lay on top of hamburger/sauce mixture. Drizzle remaining sauce over shells. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired. Cover with foil. Bake 35 minutes or until bubbly. Makes 8-10 servings.

Freezer tips and tricks

I use freezer meals at our house all the time I found a few tips and tricks from various magazines, and books I thought I’d pass along:

• Assign a full day to do freezer meals with a friend. Make a large batch of a couple recipes and then divvy them up at the end of the day. Then you have a stock of freezer meals you can defrost when you have a busy day, or give them to friend in need, they have really helped me out. Plus you can buy in bulk and save a bunch.

• Line 9x9 pans with heavy-duty foil, fill with the dinner, once frozen pop them out of the dish with the foil and place the dinner/casserole in a labeled gallon freezer bag. This prevents freezer burn and conserves space and dishes. On day you plan on serving put them back into the dish to defrost and then bake.

• Albertsons has “The Ultimate Meat Sale” quite frequently, ads come out on Tuesdays and you can stock up on the meat and find recipes that use those meats.

• With meats you can grill, I throw the marinate in before I freeze them.

• Remember the less air in your meal the better and wrap them tight, no one likes freezer burn.

• Label everything with a sharpie marker; include what it is, when you made it and how to cook it!

• Keep a list of meals you have outside of your freezer so you can keep a variety in stock without having to dig and dig.

• If you completely chill the item before you freeze it, it taste much better. Plus it doesn’t defrost your frozen food already in your freezer.

• Spices tend to get more intense if you freeze it. (Helpful if you are trying to make kid friendly items.)

• If you freeze spaghetti sauce, chilis, soups or anything else not requiring a form use a bag. Freeze them flat and then store upright like books in the freezer. They are much easier to get to. And they are much faster to defrost too. This also works well with meats, the more flat the better.

• In the winter take advantage of the cold and freeze you meals outside overnight and then place in the freezer. This is a great tip if you want to freeze your items flat.

• Always undercook noodles dishes, as they are become very soft when reheated.

• Make your own Rhodes dough, I double my bread recipe every time I make bread and then I throw the extra bread/rolls on a cookie sheet directly into the freezer, as soon as they are shaped and before they rise. When they are frozen I pop them off the cookie sheet and put them in a freezer bag, perfect for Sundays.

Lasagna

This is still my favorite recipe to freeze.

Please note: I've included two amounts the first amount is for one 9x13 recipe, but at the end of each ingredient in the ( ) is the amount for 8 9x9 pans which you can freeze.

1 lb ground Italian sausage (6lbs)
1 clove garlic (6)
1 TBSP crushed dried basil (1 average bottle or 1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP)
1 1/2 tsp salt (3 TBSP)
2 cups stewed tomatoes (1 #10 can)
2 6 oz tomato paste (3/4 of #10 can of tomato sauce and 4 12 oz cans of paste)
1 lb grated mozzarella cheese (6 lbs)
10 oz lasagna noodles (60 oz)
3 cups cottage cheese (18 cups)
1/2 cup grated parmesan (3 cups)
2 TBSP parsley (3/4 cup)
2 eggs beaten (12)
1/2 tsp pepper (1 TBSP)

1. Brown sausage and drain fat.
2. Add garlic, basil, salt, tomatoes and tomato paste.
3. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
4. Boil noodles as directed. (If freezing slightly under cook the noodles)
5. Combine cottage cheese, parmesan, parsley, eggs and pepper.
6. Place a layer of noodles in a 13 x 9 pan (or 9x9's)
7. Spread a layer of cottage cheese on top, then some meat sauce, and then layer of mozzarella.
8. Repeat layers once or twice more.
9. Bake for 30 minutes. (or chill and then freeze, thaw before baking and extending baking time to 45 minutes.)
   

Snicker bar Cheesecake

This recipe comes from Julie Wheeler

When Mary told me about her neighbor’s Snicker Bar Cheesecake I Went straight to the Internet to find the recipe. This is an awesome recipe! You can even trade out the Snicker Bars for any other kind of candy bar.

1 ½ Cups of Oreo Cookie Crumbs
5 Tablespoons of Melted Butter
3- 8oz Packages of Cream Cheese, Softened
1 Cup of Sugar
4 Eggs
1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract
1 Cup of Heavy Cream
Hot Fudge Ice Cream Topping
3 Cups of Chopped up Snicker Snack Size Candy Bars (about 50)

Preheat your oven to 325*. In a small bowl mix together the cookie crumbs and butter. Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan. In a large bowl mix together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Gradually add 1 egg at a time to the mixture and blend until smooth. Add the vanilla and heavy cream to the mixture and mix well for 4-5 minutes or until mixture has thickened. Fold in 2 cups of the Snicker bars into the batter. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cheesecake is almost set but the center still jiggles. Let the cake cool at room temperature and pour remaining cup of Snicker bars on top. Place the cake in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4-5 hour before serving. Before serving run a knife around the edge of pan and remove cake. Then heat hot fudge in microwave and drizzle over cake before serving.

Chicken and Dressing Casserole

4-5 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
4-5 Slices of Swiss Cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom Soup
1 package of Stuffing Mix
1 stick of Butter Melted

Preheat your oven to 350. Place chicken breasts in a single layer on lightly sprayed baking dish. Top the chicken with the Swiss Cheese. Spread cream of mushroom soup over the cheese. Sprinkle the stuffing mix over the soup. Then Drizzle the butter over the stuffing mix. Bake the chicken for 50 minutes or until the juices of the chicken run clear.

Recipe from Julie Wheeler

Best Brown Sugar Apple Pie you will Ever eat!

1 double crust refrigerated
8 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples
1/2 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 Tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into little pieces
Glaze: Milk and granulated sugar

1. If you have not already, prepare the crust and refrigerate for at least one hour, or until firm enough to roll.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger portion of pastry into a 13 1/2 inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Place in pie shell, trim edges and refrigerate. Now is a good time to preheat oven to 400F.

3. Pie shell is chilling in the refrigerator, make the filling. Combine the apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Mix well. I like to use my hands and really get into it. Set aside while you roll the top pastry. Lightly surface round.

4. Once the top is rolled out, pull the pie shell out of the fridge and fill it with the apple mixture. Smooth the apples with your hands. Dot the top of the pie with butter, dropping the pieces here and there over the apples. (I forget this step sometimes and the pie is still amazing)

5. Lightly moisten the rim of the pie shell with a wet finger or pastry brush. (I used my fingers) Invert the top pastry over the filling, center it, fold over the edges and seal the pie. Trim if needed before. Then pinch the edge and make it pretty. Make several 2 inch long slits in the top pastry at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock. Lightly brush the top pastry with milk and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

6. Place the pie directly on the center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a covered with aluminum foil cookie sheet. Reduce the oven temp to 375F. Put back in the oven and cook for another 30 mins. When the pie is done, you should be able to see the juices bubbling up onto the crust.

7. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and let cool for at least an hour if you can wait before slicing. IF you wait until it is room temp the pie will slice and look like a piece you would see in a magazine. Beautiful and it tastes really good as well.

Best Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 cup finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/4 cup olive oil
1 egg
***optional 1/2 cup of walnuts or pecans

Prep bread loaf pan with whatever you prefer. Pam, butter etc.
In a medium bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg: give it a mix with a fork and set aside.
In another bowl mix sugar, shredded zucchini, oil and egg.
Add the dry mix to the wet just until moistened.
Bake at 350 degrees for 66 minuets on center rack.
Cool completely and enjoy! Use foil to store or Ziploc to freeze
.

I doubled the recipe this last time and made two mini loaves and one large loaf. I also substituted green zucchini for yellow squash. Wonderful.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Have you been wondering what to do with the green tomatoes from your garden. Well I have and so I tried this, to my surprise it was easy and tasty

5 large green tomatoes
1/2 Cup bread crumb
2 eggs
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup cornmeal
vegetable oil for frying

directions:
Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends.

Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium size bowl. Scoop flour on to a plate. Mex cornmeal, bread crumbs and salt and pepper on another plate. Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat.

In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) and heat over a medium heat. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5 depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels.

Soups?

Does anyone have any good fall-ish soup recipes to share? I am throwing a baby shower for my sister next month, and I want to do a 3-soup buffet.

Veggie Pasta

Ever have those days when it's 5:30 and you still don't know what to cook? Recently, I discovered something super easy and very healthy that fits the bill! It's literally a last minute throw together meal!

Any veggies in your fridge
pasta
olive oil
parmesan cheese

1. Look in your fridge and pull out all the veggies that need to be eaten before they go bad. Cut them up and sautee them with a little bit of olive oil just until they are soft. (I like my carrots soft, so my squash is usually super soft, but that's okay)
2. While sauteeing the veggies, boil pasta. Drain and mix with about 1-2 tsp. oil so they don't stick together.
3. Mix veggies and noodles. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over the top. In about 15 minutes, you have a super healthy meal for the family, and you've used up your vegetables!

Note: I love to add tomatoes to my veggie pasta, but don't sautee them. I just mix them in at the end.

Fruit dip

1 pkg cream cheese
1 bottle marshmallow creme
1-2 Tbls orange juice concentrate

Mix and enjoy! Yum!

An Apple a Day.

We've all heard the old adage "An Apple a day keeps the doctor away". Since fall is apple season I thought it would be fun to see your favorite ways to use apples. If you have an apple recipe submit it and we can all enjoy the fruit of the season a little more this year. This a favorite recipe of I ran across a few years back.

Pinwheel Apple Dumplings
Sauce:
2 c sugar
2c water
1/4 c butter or margarine
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

combine in saucepan and boil for 5 min

Dough:
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
cut in 3/4 c Shortening
add 2/3 c milk

Filling:
3 cups shredded peeled apples
1/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Make sauce and bring to boil. Make dough by mixing flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in 3/4 cup shortening. Add 2/3 cup milk and mix till combined. Knead dough slightly then roll in a rectangle 1/2 in thick. Combine filling ingredients then spread over dough. Roll up like cinnamon rolls and cut into 1 inch slices*. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Pour sauce over top of rolls then back at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

*an easy way to cut is to get a long piece of string or dental floss. Grab one end in each hand the slide under the dough. Cross your hands pulling the strings through the dough.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

12+ oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
16 oz. frozen chopped spinach
1-2 cans artichoke hearts, drained & chopped

3, 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 T. butter
1 T. garlic, chopped
1/2+ c. milk
salt & pepper to taste

Thaw & drain spinach. Mix top three ingredients. Blend remaining ingredients until milkshake consistency. Mix together all ingredients, bake at 300 for 20+ minutes or place in crock pot. Serve with tortilla chips.

Cinnabon Rolls

Dough:
1 pkg yeast
1 C warm milk
1/2 C Sugar
1/3 C melted margarine (I use butter)
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
4 C flour

Mix and knead. Place in oiled bowl to rise till double in size. Roll out 1/4 in. thick.
Spread with 1/3 C margarine melted. Sprinkle filling on top and roll up. Cut with floss.

Filling:
1 C brown sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

Put in lightly greased pan to rise again. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 min. or until lightly golden. Let cool.

Icing:
1 Stick of soft butter
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1/4 C cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Mix with electric mixer till fluffy.

Enjoy!!! We make these for conference weekend and they are AWESOME!!! Hope you guys enjoy the weekend.

Welcome (Again)

If you are just getting the invite to this blog here is a short description of what I envisioned. Any of us can contribute recipes or ask if anyone has a recipe ideas for an item, special occasion, dish from ward pot-luck or whatever. If you received an invite you will be able to post your own recipes. Please include labels for each recipe as you post so the recipes can be categorized under the "menu Ideas" section. Include if it's a main dish, dessert, breakfast and basic ingredients like chicken beef, pork etc. You get bonus points for posting a picture of your dish. If you know of any good resources for recipes/cooking let me know and we'll create a list on the side so we can make this our one stop shopping for recipe ideas. I'm not the most blog savvy person so if you have ideas to make it better don't hesitate to let me know. I don't get offended easily. I just used the cooking group e-mail list so if you know of others who might enjoy this tell them about it. On a side note, anyone viewing this blog will be able to access your profile if you're listed as a contributor. If your family blog is listed under that anyone will have access to it. Just something to consider. Enjoy this and I hope this is helpful for all of us.

Crockpot cooking

I found this great blog on a new crockpot reciepe daily. The site is http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/. I haven't tryed any of these yet but I hope to soon. I'll let you know.

Recipe Exchange Loot

A year or so ago I participated in an e-mail recipe exchange and just today I found this file in my junk box...However, these two recipes don't sound like junk to me. So, try them when the mood strikes.

Barbeque Meatballs

2 lb. ground beef ¼ tsp. garlic powder
¾ cup milk 1 tsp. salt
1 cup quick oats ¼ tsp. pepper
1 egg 1 tsp. chili powder
½ cup chopped onion

Mix all ingredients together. Shape into balls. Place in 9x13 baking pan.

Make sauce by combining:

1 cup ketchup ¼ cup chopped onion
¾ brown sugar ¼ tsp. garlic powder

Stir well until sugar is dissolved; pour over meatballs and bake for 1 hour in a 350 degree oven.





French Onion Bread

1 pkg. dry yeast 1 tsp. salt
¼ c water 2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese, grated
1 envelope onion soup mix 2 Tbsp. shortening or veg. oil
2 c water 6 c all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar corn meal

Soften dry yeast in ¼ cup warm water. Combine soup mix and 2 cups water; simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Add sugar, salt, cheese, and shortening; stir. Cool to lukewarm.

Stir in 2 cups flour; beat well. Stir in yeast. Add enough of remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Turn out on floured surface. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Knead until smooth. Place in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Shape in 2 long loaves, tapering ends. Place on greased baking sheet sprinkled with corn meal. Make diagonal cuts onto top of loaves, 1/8 to ¼ inch deep.

Cover; let double (about 1 hour). Bake at 375 degrees. For 20 minutes, or until done. Makes 2 loaves.

Zucchini Bread

It's that time of year again. You planted it and it grew and grew and grew some some. Now you have more zucchini than you know what to do with. Aliesha Nuttall sent a couple of zucchini bread recipes to try out. If you have any more zucchini recipes to share lets put them out there so we can all try them.

Zucchini Bread

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Show: Paula's Home Cooking

Episode: Weekend House Guest

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup water

2 cups grated zucchini

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

Zucchini Bread

Recipe courtesy St. John’s University

Show: The Best Of

Episode: Bakers

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cups brown sugar

3/4 cups vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 cups finely chopped zucchini

3/4 cups walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine sugars, oil, and eggs and mix. In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add to sugar/oil/egg mixture to moisten. Carefully fold in zucchini and nuts. Divide mixture into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for 55 minutes or until done.

Celebrity Blog Cake

Here's a recipe from CJane's blog that was posted last week. Despite some of the the strange aspects of blog culture, especially "hopping", I have a feeling that this recipe is gold. I am becoming more and more convinced that the crock pot was God's gift to women.

Crock Pot Chocolate Cake

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 container of sour cream (8 oz)
1 cup chocolate morsels
1 cup water
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 package instant chocolate pudding mix

Spray crock pot with nonstick cooking spray. Mix cake mix, sour cream, chocolate morsels, water, egss, oil and pudding mix in a bowl by hand. Pour into crock pot. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Makes about 12 servings.

Poppy Seed Muffins

This is a favorite at our house. Chalise would be in heaven if we had these every morning.

1 1/4 cup sugar
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Mix together in large bowl

1/3 cup oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 tsp Butter flavor
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Table spoons poppy seeds

Mix wet ingredients in small bowl then pour over dry ingredients. Mix ONLY enough to moisten. Batter may still be lumpy. Put in muffin cups and bake for 12-15 minutes at 350. This recipe makes between 1 1/2 to 2 dozen muffins. Since I only have a pan that makes 12 muffins I will often put whats left in the fridge and cook it in a day or two for breakfast again.

If you want to make these healthier here are a few things you can do. Use applesauce for all or part of the oil. Use a cup or two of whole wheat flour, use 4 egg whites instead of whole eggs. Use less salt and sugar than the recipe calls for. Try one, some or all of these tips if you like.

A funny story about these muffins. I got this recipe in a junior high Home Ec class. We got extra credit for making them at home. I made them and stirred them way too long. They turned out so rubbery, chewy and bouncy that I could practice Volleyball with them. They are now also known as volleyball muffins.

Welcome!

Welcome to the What's for Dinner Recipe Exchange! I started this Blog as a way for all us to share our yummy recipes and get meal ideas, tips and advice. I figure I can use all the help I can get when it comes to figuring out meals every day and I'm sure I'm not alone. The plan is you submit recipes whenever you like. Favorites, quick n easy, fun ones, speacial holiday stuff, whatever you want to share. We'd love to see and try new things. E-mail me at rachester1@gmail.com if you'd like to join. I'll add whoever wants to join as an author so you can post your own stuff.