Summer Icies

We are full swing into Texas summer.  I have a hard time keeping everyone hydrated and cool.  Recently, I found this recipe that I had to share with everyone and keep in my files.  They are quick, easy, and so refreshing on these hot summer days.  They are also easy to tweak to your personal liking.  AND the kids LOVE them!  At the moment, I can't remember the website I found them on.  I'll get back to you on that, because there is another similar recipe I wanted to try.  I call them "Icies" because I forgot the original name for them.  The kids associated them with snow-cones right away.  The original recipe is called Grape Granita and calls for grape juice, however, it is so easy to adjust with whatever juice you want!  Have fun and enjoy!  (Oh, my kids actually preferred the addition of the purple puree from sneaky chef in theirs!  Not sure it added any flavor, but did had some bits of blueberry which were oh so yummy!) 

Ingredients

• 2 cups Grape Juice
• ½ cups Sugar
• 2-½ cups Cold Water

Preparation Instructions

1. Combine grape juice with sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8 to 9 minutes, or until mixture is slightly syrupy.
2. Turn off heat and pour in cold water, then pour into a freezer-safe container with a lid.
3. Wait two hours, then remove container from freezer and stir gently, being careful to loosen any of the mixture that has stuck to the sides. Put lid back on, then return container to the freezer. Repeat an hour later, then another hour later. When you’re finished, the mixture should be totally frozen and broken up. Keep sealed tightly in the freezer until ready to serve.

Note: The slushy consistency will keep for days as long as you remember to keep breaking it up.  I have made this 3 different times now, and 2 out of the 3 times, my mommy brain has struck and I've forgotten to break up the ice after 2 hours.  No harm... just use a heavy duty spoon and scrape/break it (you may need to let it thaw a bit first).  Then go back to it in another hour.   It will still keep, it just turns out to be more work.

Savory Shrimp over Wild Rice

Here's a recipe that's a bit of a blast from the past.  I think I started making it almost 6 years ago, or was it more?  Back before children, I found this recipe during lent.  It is a trusted standby and one that is sometimes requested by our oldest (who happens to LOVE shrimp).  I just have to remember to cut the spices down so the kids will eat it.  Although they are getting older and a bit more forgiving of me for that!  I found this one on Allrecipes.com and it is originally a South Beach Diet recipe.  I just tried finding the link, and either it's been removed, or my search wasn't so great.  I'll try again when I have time...so we can all be privy to the comments and suggestions from others who've made this dish. 

Ingredients
1 (6 oz) package of wild rice
1 lb shrimp, peeled  and de-veined
2 t paprika
1/2 t white pepper (if cooking for kids, you'll want to at least half this)
1/2 t salt (I think I cut this in half or so)
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 C cherry tomatoes, halved
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare the wild rice according to the package directions.  
2. In a large bowl, combine shrimp, paprika, pepper, salt and garlic.  Mix well and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet until hot.  Add the shrimp and cook on medium heat for 30 seconds.  Stir the shrimp, add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 45 seconds or until opaque, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and serve over 1/4 C rice.

Note: I ran out of wild rice, and wanted more color in the dish, so I added about a cup of frozen chopped spinach.  Thaw and drain and add with the tomatoes.

Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto

YUM!  Did you know that Risotto is actually another type of pasta?  This is what my pasta-loving dear husband tells me anyway.  This recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman, and it is delicious!  I think the baby ate as much as I did!  There looks to be a lot of ingredients, but don't be scared, it really is easy.  (Oh, and for a little extra oomph I added a white puree from the sneaky chef... no one ever noticed.)  For all who are ready to give me oodles of praise for this photo... it is indeed the Pioneer Woman's photo... She also has a ton of step by step photos if you are interested... I just didn't want to reinvent the wheel with this one.

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• ½ whole Large Yellow Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cups Arborio Rice, Uncooked
• 8 whole Sundried Tomatoes Packed In Oil, Drained And Minced
• 1 cup Dry White Wine (optional)
• 7 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• Salt As Needed
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 cup Parmesan, Freshly Grated
• ¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• Fresh Basil, Chiffonade (optional)

Preparation Instructions

1. Heat broth (note: it’s important the broth be low sodium) in a saucepan or in a microwave safe pitcher. Set aside.
2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add dry rice. Stir to coat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring gently.
4. Pour in wine. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add in minced sundried tomatoes and stir.
5. Then begin adding broth, one cup at a time, stirring gently while the rice absorbs the liquid each time. Repeat this until the rice is done—it usually takes between 6 and 8 cups of broth. The rice should have a slight bite to it, but not be crunchy at all.
6. Remove from heat, then stir in Parmesan and heavy cream. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve as a main dish with a salad, or as a side dish with steak, chicken, or fish. Delicious!

Portuguese Sweet Bread

I'd like to start a new or return to an old tradition in our family.  I suppose it could be the hormones causing me to have a craving, but nothing says Easter or Christmas better than Portuguese Sweet Bread!  Growing up, someone in my family would supply these yummy loaves of bread (we HAD to have more than one loaf!!).  Sometimes it was my dad's responsibility to sell some for the Lion's Club and so we would buy some that way.  Other times, they'd come from my aunt who lives closer to Providence and swears by this one place that you should always get it.  (Forgive me for not remembering the name!)  Sometimes it would come from my brother's wife (girlfriend at the time).  And I think there have been a few occasions in which one of my aunts has made it herself.  It is certainly sold at every bakesale you can find around these holidays, and they are usually the first to go.  We do venture home, but lately it hasn't been around these two holidays.  That's not to say you can't get it at other times, but it's just tradition!  We've lived away from home for so long that I've wanted to start making it myself.  I had acquired my aunt's recipe, but was a bit confused by her directions.  (Likely an old family recipe that she tried writing down from memory one day.)  Recently, I was looking to find a recipe similar to hers on the internet and found not only a similar recipe, but a video that shows how to do it!  YAY!!  I wanted to keep it here for future use...  Note:  I might just play it over and over just for the sound of the RI/MA accent we miss every once in a while.... HMMM we traded a RI accent for a TX one... that's a whole other story!   With the help of these lovely ladies, I might just be able to pull it off!   I'll let you know!  First, it looks like I'll need a large stockpot!

 

Update- 4/13/10

I wanted to let you all know that I did it!  I finally made this wonderful sweet bread!  Though it wasn't hard, there were a few tips I learned along the way.  1. There is a definite reason why traditionally this bread is only made for Christmas and Easter.  It is a labor of love... not because it's hard, but because the dough does take a bit of finessing when it's time to put it into pans.  (It is NOT a typical dough, as it is very sticky and very difficult to work with.) 2. Because of tip number 1, there is a reason why it was typically done when kids were asleep or not around.  A mommy with messy hands makes it difficult to be a referee while making this bread.  3. If you watch the video, you'll see that the dough is made in a rather large stockpot.  This is necessary as the dough rises to GREAT heights.  I purchased a 22 quart stockpot, specifically for this endeavor.  Though I saw it as an investment for the very near future filled with teenage boys!

The above video was a definite help, since this was my first experience making the dough.  However, there was some confusion in the directions.  I ended up using a combination of the video, my aunt's recipe, and a recipe found on the food network.  The majority of the 3 recipes were similar, with a few minor differences.  So I was able to fill in the blanks from my aunts recipe and the one confusion on the video.  I ended up with 8 "loaves" (half of which were made in a pie plate-- the loaves are typically round anyway, and I ran out of loaf pans!)  Since the round loaves were bigger, I'm guessing the recipe would have yielded closer to 10-12 loaves if they were all done in a loaf pan.

This is what I did:

 (The above photo shows half of my yield)

Ingredients

3 C heated milk

1 t salt

3 packages of dry yeast 

15 eggs

5 lbs all purpose flour 

1/2 lb butter 

4 C sugar 

3 T lemon juice (next year, I'll try 1 1/2 T vanilla to see if there is a difference)

Directions:

1. Scald milk and cool to lukewarm 

2. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 C warm water.

3. Melt butter. 

4. Mix flour and salt in a very large pot (stockpot). 

5. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, sugar, and flavoring (lemon or vanilla).  Add melted and cooled butter. 

6. Make a well in the flour and add the egg mixture to it.  Then add the yeast and cooled, scalded milk. 

7. Mix well for about 10-15 minutes, or until dough is "airy in consistency" 

8. Cover with towels/blanket/jacket to insulate and let dough rise for about 6 hours (until about double in size

9. Punch down the dough, cover, and let rise again until double (about 4 hours)

10. On a floured surface, divide the dough into loaves.  Knead and get the air bubbles out and continue to knead until it feels light and airy.  Place dough into pans and let rise (it doesn't say anywhere, but I believe they should be uncovered for this rising?) again 3-4 hours. 

11. Brush loaves with one beaten egg mixed with 1 T water.  (This was all I needed for all loaves) 

12. Bake small loaves for 45 minutes at 300 degrees.  The bigger loaves should be baked at 300 degrees for an hour. 

13. Take out of oven and brush with butter to give it a nice glaze.

Tomato and Red Lentil Soup

Tonight, the group I'm involved with, called Joyful Hearts, was in charge of providing the soup supper at the local church.  (St. Mary's Catholic Center in College Station, TX.)  Most of the soups I make are off the cuff.  And, usually, I get specific requests for chicken noodle, or something with chicken.  Since it is Lent, this would obviously not be acceptable.  So, I turned to my most trusty cookbook (Betty Crocker's New Choices Cookbook) to find a yummy vegetarian soup recipe for the event.  I decided to try this Tomato and Red Lentil Soup because I had almost all of the ingredients already in the house.  I know what you might be thinking... I never tried it before, and I offered it up to perfect strangers!  Yup... Sorry folks, unfortunately, this is way too typical for me!  Does it make you feel better if I tell you we had some as a family tonight, too? 

Typically, anything with the word "lentil" in it is not something I would go for.  Our family is really turned off by them most of the time.  Well, I'm so glad I tried this recipe.  Not only did the older two boys (4 and 6) devour it, I got a "thumbs up," a "Mommy, you gotta make this again," and even a "Mommy you need to give this to the restaurant!"  WOW!  Quite the compliment from boys who are usually my worst critics!  I think I've mentioned before that my kids are not typical, as their favorite restaurant is Souper Salad!  Soup is something the oldest, in particular, really enjoys.  And, while they usually like my soups (though not all of them), this soup received REALLY high praises!  So, instead of keeping it in my cookbook, I'm posting it here so I remember how much it was loved and maybe, just maybe, I'll make it again and again and again!

1 T butter or coconut oil
1/2 C chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1 C sliced carrots (about 2 medium)
1 C sliced celery (about 2 medium stalks)
1/3 C chopped red bell pepper (about 1 small)
1 C dried red lentils, rinsed
4 C vegetable stock (I used Better Than Bouillon)
1 T chopped fresh or 1 t dried thyme leaves
1 T chopped fresh or 1 t dried dill weed
1/2 t pepper
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes with puree

1. Heat margarine in Dutch oven until melted.  Saute onion, carrots, celery and bell pepper about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
2. Stir in remaining ingredients.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender. 
3. Garnish with fresh dill weed if desired.  Serves 6.

Note:  Rinse red lentils just before adding to soup or they will stick together.

Classic Buttercream Frosting Recipe

We had Liam's birthday party with his classmates this weekend.  He really wanted the chocolate ganache recipe to adorn his cupcakes, but since the kids were going to be decorating the mini cakes themselves, I convinced him that perhaps something that set up a bit softer might be easier for them to work with.  I offered this recipe, since it sounded mild and creamy in flavor and texture so they could add to their masterpieces as many flavors as they wanted.  It was a hit!  I had also read about a little hint (now I can't remember where, so forgive me to whomever made the comment on another site) regarding coloring frosting.  Rather than simply coloring your frosting the typical way, try adding color AND flavor by adding Kool-Aid.  I don't typically buy Kool-Aid, but for this purpose the $0.16 was totally worth the cost of the sugar!  I first used this recipe to frost the cupcakes, then decided that they were just too plain looking and wanted to dress them up.  I started piping more of the white stuff (thinking that some kids may not like the blueberry flavor), and then took the rest of the frosting left and added the Kool-Aid to it.  Perhaps it was a bit much flavor for what was left, as it was a bit sweet, but I think it gave a really good flavor to the blue color.   And, it gave the very plain white cupcakes some color as well.  Don't you agree?  Which one calls to you more?

The recipe comes from the Sweet Savory Life blog.  The author is a cake decorator, so has used this recipe on wedding cakes.  Her piping skills put my meek attempts to shame!  (Did you notice the "twist" effect on the blue piping?  I only had one decorator's bag to work with, and was too lazy to wash out the white or mix it in better or find out exactly what you are supposed to do.  It's supposed to be all blue of course, but I like my mama oops!  It gives it some flare!)  Alice inspires the baker in me!  I can only hope that my renditions of these recipes will do the same for you!

1 C butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened
3-4 C confectioners sugar, sifted (yes, you must sift so the little clumps of sugar don't give you a clumpy frosting!)
1/2 t salt
1 T vanilla extract
up to 4 T milk or heavy cream

Directions:
Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer's paddle attachment on medium speed.  Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the sugar doesn't blow everywhere) until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter.  Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 T of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes.  If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar.  If it needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 T at a time.

Quick Yellow Cake

I know what you're thinking.  Didn't I just post another yellow from scratch cake recipe? Well, I just can't help it!  Now I don't exactly remember why I looked for another one, but I did.  It was just as good as the first, maybe a little better.  (I did not use vanilla pudding in this recipe, and instead of all purpose flour, I used 1 1/4 C white whole wheat flour, and 1 C +2 T cake flour.  I was afraid the whole wheat flour would make the cake too dense, so opted for cake flour to lighten it up a bit.  My name might suggest otherwise, but I'm not a baker.  So I'm not sure if it made any difference at all, but I felt better about it, anyway!)   I also used this to make cupcakes rather than a cake for Liam's birthday party.  They came out beautifully!  It comes from Full Bellies, Happy Kids.  She paired this with a chocolate frosting recipe, but we used a vanilla buttercream frosting recipe instead so that the kids could decorate their own and not have sensory overload on their tastebuds. 

2 1/4 C all purpose flour
1 1/3 C sugar
3 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 C shortening (butter!  You know how much I dislike shortening!)
1 C low fat milk
1 t vanilla
2 eggs

1. Combine dry ingredients in bowl of electric stand mixer.  Add butter, milk and vanilla.  Turn to low and mix about 1 minute.
2. Stop and scrape bowl.  Add eggs.  Continue on low, mix about 30 seconds.  Stop and scrape bowl.  Increase speed to medium and beat about 1 minute.
3. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8- or 9- inch round baking pans.  Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes.  Remove from pans.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Frost if desired.

Note:  I'm not sure what made the difference, but this cake was definitely lighter in texture than the other from scratch recipe I tried.  I think I liked this one better, though I'd have to try the other recipe again using cake flour to see if it makes a difference.

Refreshing Summer Salad

I would be remiss if I didn't include this salad in my collection of favorite recipes.  It is by far the recipe I am most requested.  I'm not sure where it originated, but my mom gave it to me from someone at her work.  Since then, it may have either her name or my name connected to it (depending on who's preparing it).  It's the perfect blend of sweet, tart, tang, and crunch!  I'm sure you could substitute other fruit for the strawberries, but why?

Romaine lettuce and/or Baby Spinach
1/3 C Red Onions, diced (I've also used sliced, which are a bit easier to see and pick up)
1 qt fresh strawberries (if you have kids, be sure to have extra!)

Dressing:
1 C Mayo or Miracle Whip (I've also used as little as 1/2 C without any other alterations, just as good, not as thick)
1/2 C Milk
2 T Cider Vinegar (I've also used white wine vinegar-- just as good)
1/3 C Sugar
1 to 2 T Poppy Seeds

I think originally the recipe called for mixing everything, including the dressing, but I like to hold the dressing on the side.  It allows guests to pour what they want without making the salad to wilty if it sits out a bit longer.

Enjoy!

Irish Soda Bread

Ahhhh yum!  We did end up having a St. Patrick's Day feast, even if it was a day late!  To go along with the corned beef and cabbage, I made this soda bread.  The kids liked it and gobbled it up, but I think there are better recipes out there.  Until next time, I'll record this recipe here, but it may be updated with a better one next year!  Once again, Mom sent this recipe to me because someone had made it for work (she sends me all of her favorites other people make)!  The recipe was in an article (I'm not sure which magazine.)  In the description, however, there is a link for www.spatulatta.com

5 C all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
5 t baking powder
1 stick butter-- softened
1 1/4 C raisins
2 eggs
3/4 C sugar
1 1/2 to 2 C buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Mix the flour, soda, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
3. Unwrap the butter and set the wrapper aside to use when greasing the cookie sheet.  Mix the butter in with a spoon.
4. Add the raisins, eggs and sugar.  Mix ingredients in well.  At a certain point, you'll have to start using your hand.  Scoop the dry ingredients up from the bottom of the bowl and gently push into the dough using your closed fist.
5. Next add the buttermilk in a little at a time.  This is a good two-person job (although not required).  One person mixes the dough while the other slowly pours the buttermilk.  Stop when the dough becomes sticky.  Take the dough out of the bowl and put it on the board sprinkled with flour.
6. Knead the dough 10 times.
7. Cut the dough in half and shape it into 2 round loaves.
8. Use the butter wrapper to put a thin layer of butter on the cookie sheet.  Place the dough on the greased cookie sheet.
9. Score the top of the bread across the middle one way, then across the other way.
10. Put the bread into the oven and bake 45 to 60 minutes or until the bread is a nice nutty brown.
11. Bread is done when a skewer or knife comes out clean.
12. Cool slightly before serving.  Serves 12.

Note:  Although the directions look long and complicated (I typically ignore recipes with more than 4-5 instructions), this recipe was quite easy to do.  So, don't be afraid of it!  Also, I think the way it was made was backwards from the way I'm used to making bread, but it worked, and really wasn't near as messy.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Sometimes, I'll get a question as to why our kids names are so Irish in origin, while our last name, is so clearly not!  Well, the answer is that I myself am a very proud American mutt (as my dad would call us).  Our ancestors hail from many places, but our name (my maiden name) just happens to be Irish.  Our kids names help to preserve some of this aspect of my own history, which is now also theirs.  While we don't have too many authentic Irish customs, my family will get together in some way for St. Patrick's Day for some good ol' corned beef and cabbage.  This is my Aunt Jan's recipe, as she is normally the preparer of the meal.  Once again, when I asked for this recipe from her, it was totally off the cuff.  It sounds a bit like my husband's family's boiled dinner (coming soon!).  No measuring involved and only approximate instructions.  If memory serves me, the last time I made it, it made enough to feed our neighborhood!  But oh so yummy!  I'm hoping to start this tradition in our own home, since our extended family is so far away.  So, along with this recipe, I'll be trying a few others.  If they work out, I'll be sure to post them!

• Corned Beef Round (this year, mine is 2 lbs--I'm guessing hers was at least 5?)
• whole cloves
• 3 bottles of beer (I will cut this back to 1 bottle, since that is all I have.  No specifics here.  Whatever you drink will do, though I'm fairly certain that she uses either Sam Adams or Guinness.)
• 2 cabbage heads (again, this makes a lot, I'm only using one this year)
• carrots
• small white potatoes

1. Push cloves into meat.
2. Fill deep pan with water and boil.  Add meat and 2 bottles of beer and simmer for about an hour (or 20-30 minutes/ lb).
3. Take half of liquid into another pan for vegetables (cabbage, carrots, potatoes).  If needed, add more water to cover vegetables.  (If your pot is big enough, I'm guessing you could cook it all in one pot.)
4. Add 1 bottle of beer and simmer for about an hour.  Keep it on simmer until you are ready to eat!

Mom's Meatloaf

Have you ever wondered why it is that when you cook meatloaf (or anything else for that matter) it never comes out like Mom's?  Well, besides all of the tender loving care that only Mom can put into your meals, I'm sure that the other reason is that she cooked some meals so often because everyone liked them that she no longer used a recipe.  This was true of my grandmother's cooking, and it's becoming true of my mother's cooking.  Whenever I ask for a recipe, it's off the top of her head, and everything is an estimate.  I can relate, as meatloaf is one of my favorite dishes to make, since there is very little you can do to mess it up.  But sometimes, I just want Mom's meatloaf.  And this is it!  (At least, it's how she remembered it the day I asked her!)

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/2 C Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 C Bread Crumbs
• 1/2 C Oatmeal
• 1/2 C Ketchup OR 1 small can tomato sauce OR some leftover spaghetti sauce (my addition!)
• Salt and Pepper (I skip the salt, as I think there is enough in the previous ingredient)
• Oregano (dried)
• Parsley (dried)

Mix all ingredients well. Place in an 8x8 or (9x9) square glass baking dish.  Bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour.

Mom's Lasagna

I recently hosted my husband's colleagues. It was a big group, so I needed something that would feed a lot of people while not tying me up in the kitchen. I thought Italian would be the best option and Lasagna would be perfect. While everyone seems to have a favorite lasagna recipe, and I, myself, have made several variations in the past, my mom's lasagna always comes out perfectly. I wanted to share it and also keep it for posterity. I'm not sure where the recipe comes from, but this is what she uses:

1 lb ground beef
1 lb lasagna noodles (no need to cook!)
32 oz tomato sauce
1 lb ricotta (or cottage cheese)
1 egg (my addition for easier spreading ability)
1/2 lb shredded mozzarella
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. In a saucepan, brown meat. Drain fat and add sauce to the meat.
3. Mix 1 egg with ricotta cheese.
4. On the bottom of a 9x13 pan, pour 1 C of meat mixture, then layer:
1/2 noodles, 1/2 ricotta cheese/egg mixture, 1/2 mozzarella cheese, (1/2 parmesan cheese,) sauce, repeat.
5. Cook at 375 for about 30 minutes or until noodles are done, cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

It's perfect as it is, but there are so many ways to vary this recipe. My mom has made a half beef, half Italian sausage mixture which turns out well. I roasted some red and yellow peppers with 1/2 onion that I then mixed with the ricotta cheese mixture. It was yummy! To be a bit healthier, you could use whole wheat noodles, easily cut out the parmesan cheese, use the mozzarella cheese sparingly, and make sure you are using a lowfat ricotta. It's also a great recipe to sneak in vegetables. I've used fresh spinach in the past. If you make your own sauce, there is so much you can add and the kids won't even notice it! Enjoy!

Mad Hatter Meatballs

This is a recipe that comes from Aunt Donna.  She's a fantastic cook, as most of my family is!  I'm not sure where she found this recipe, but it is great comfort food.  It is also a great recipe to use if you have leftover mashed potatoes you want to re-purpose somehow.  I used to make it quite often, but my kids have grown tired of it.  Nevertheless, it needs to be preserved in my recipe bank!  Thanks Aunt Donna!  Because this one uses lots of soup, the sodium level is quite high.  I always used Healthy Request, or a low sodium option to help alleviate some of this.

• 1 T butter/margarine
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 (10 1/2 oz) can chicken with rice soup
• 1 (10 1/2 oz) can tomato soup
• 1 C water
• Mashed Potatoes

(For Meatballs)

• 1 egg
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 slices torn bread (small pieces)
• 1/4 C evaporated milk (or just plain milk)
• 1 t salt

1. Melt butter/margarine in a large saucepan.  Add and saute pepper and onion until tender.
2. Stir in both soups and the water.  Heat to boiling, then simmer, stirring occasionally as the rice will stick.
3. While the sauce is simmering beat the egg slightly in a bowl.  Add beef, torn bread pieces, milk, and salt.  Mix well.
4. Shape into small balls (ping pong size).  Drop into simmering sauce and cook slowly (uncovered) for about 1 hour or until sauce has thickened like gravy.
5. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Energy Boost Bars

It's 3:30, and the kids are ravenous!  What's a mom to do?  Our kids certainly get their fill of packaged foods.  Goldfish is an old standby, that I am quite frankly sick of (think they are too).  The first thing they grab is anything in a cellophane package!  Yes, I do keep some in my pantry.  Most of the time, it happens to be a Nutri-grain bar.  Not terrible, but still, I'd rather they not gravitate toward these.  So, I've been trying to keep other types of snacks on hand for them to try.  This was a hit!  It was easy to make, simple ingredients, and the kids liked them!  I found this on familyfun.com.  I'm fairly certain I also found a way to add some flaxseed in their somewhere too!  (I try to add them in as much as I can, usually ground in a coffee grinder, which is strictly used for the purpose of grinding flaxseed.)

• 1 (8-ounce) bag almonds
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 cups oats, quick-cooking
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1 cup dried blueberries
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Heat the oven to 275 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch baking pan with canola oil. Grind the almonds in a food processor until they resemble a coarse meal.
   
2. Combine the ground almonds and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Using wet fingers, press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake it for 1 hour.
   
3. Allow the bars to cool thoroughly while they are still in the pan, then slice them. Makes 20.

Mom's Chicken Legs Recipe

This is a recipe that I think my mom would make and still makes for every family picnic.  It is so good, but as a kid, I think I stopped eating it because I simply had had my fill of them.  Now with my own kids, we are re-discovering them!  This is a great summer recipe, but it is salty.  I haven't played with it at all to offer any alterations, yet.  I'll have to edit this if I figure that out!  In the meantime, if you have any suggestions for improvement on sodium, please feel free to comment!  Otherwise, enjoy the yumminess!

Robusto Italian Dressing
Celery Salt
Paprika
Chicken legs

1. Coat chicken with dressing and celery salt.  (Mom, really coats well-- no measuring involved here!)
2. Sprinkle with paprika
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

*Note: for our family picnics, I vaguely remember a crockpot being used.  Was this just to keep them hot?  I'll get back to you on that... Mom, feel free to comment!

Pomegranate and Banana Salad

Oooh how I love the fall.  I love the colors.  I love the weather.  I love the food.  We typically see pomegranates come out about this time.  These are not fruits that I would frequently buy.  In fact, I hadn't bought them since, well, since I started shopping for myself!  But, our oldest son came home one day extremely excited about the snack they had had at preschool.  What was it?  Pomegranates!  So, I became excited because my baby found a new healthy food he loved so much and I thought the rest of us would agree.  I was right.  Soon after, I found this recipe, which I have fallen in love with.  It is the perfect combination of tart and sweet and the flavors compliment each other so well.  If I wasn't a mommy, I KNOW I could eat the whole thing in one sitting!  But, I AM a mommy, and I must share,... I must!  I think I originally found this on the CDC website somehow, but I can't find it now.  This is a link to the same recipe from the pomegranate council.  Now that I'm looking again at my printout, I see the reference back to the pomegranate council.  So, there you have it! 

2 pomegranates, chilled
3 bananas
1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
2 limes (or 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice)


Mix together the juice of the limes and the tablespoon of sugar. Adjust sweet and sour to taste. Score and seed both pomegranates freeing the seeds. Mound the pomegranate seeds in the center of the salad plates and slice the bananas around the perimeter of the seeds. Drizzle with the prepared lime dressing and serve.
Serves 4.

Cheeseburger Bread

This recipe I made one day because I felt like making dough (which especially at the time, meant pizza dough), but I didn't feel like eating pizza.  This seemed like something the kids would really like to eat-- and I was right.  I don't make it often, but it is a nice treat once in a while.  I found it on Familyfun.com.  I'm not sure why it was rated so low.  I liked this recipe because it is simple enough to be able to make your own adjustments as you want.  You can add whatever you want to literally make it a burger bread.  (ex. pickles, spinach, tomatoes, onion, etc...)  So, I would have rated it much higher than the website has it rated.

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 (16-ounce) box hot-roll mix (I used my pizza dough recipe)
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 10 slices American cheese (I used shredded cheddar, though the sliced may have been easier

 

1. Heat the oven to 375º F. Brown the beef in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drain off the fat and stir in the salt and pepper. Transfer the beef to a bowl and set it aside.
   
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the skillet and sauté the onion and garlic for about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in the beef.
   
3. In a large bowl, combine the roll mix, water, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stir until the dough is formed. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it for 5 minutes. Line a 10- by 15-inch cookie sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper. Place the dough on the sheet, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
   
4. Press the dough out to the edges of the cookie sheet and slice it lengthwise to create two 5- by 15-inch rectangles. Sprinkle the beef mixture over the two doughs and top it with the slices of American cheese.
   
5. Fold over about 1 inch of the short ends, then roll up each rectangle the long way to create 2 loaves. Pinch the ends closed. Reposition the loaves so they're evenly spaced on the cookie sheet and brush the tops with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let the loaves cool for about 7 minutes before slicing. Makes 24 servings.
   

Cream Cheese Frosting

This used to be my standby recipe.  It is delicious over a chocolate cake.  And, I imagine it would be great on bars, carrot cake, cookies, etc.  I found it on allrecipes.com.  The original recipe follows and is good, but I have also followed one of the comments on the website to tweak it a bit.  We love it!  Original recipe yields 2 cups.

• 6 tablespoons cream cheese
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and spread on cooled bars or cookies.   

Alterations as suggested by one of the comments:

• 1/3C margarine
• 1T cream
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 1/3 C powdered sugar
• 1 t vanilla

Multigrain Pancakes

I tend to get made fun of for my pancakes.  Not by my kids, but by my loving husband.  He eats them, but claims they are too thick to be called pancakes.  Forgive me for not making the flapjacks you'll find in most restaurants.  For those who know me, you know I am going to cram as much nutrition into every bite I can.  Nutrient dense foods are the only way to go.  You never know what the kids will choose to eat sometimes.  So, I intend to make the most of each bite.  Besides, I think they taste better too.  We all benefit from it!  Pancakes are just one example where I have shunned the mixes in order to add my own healthier (okay, fiber rich) ingredients.  We use pancakes for both breakfast and dinner (when we have breakfast for dinner nights).  I usually couple them with heated frozen fruit that I mash up a bit as an alternative to maple syrup.  Once in a while, the kids will go for it.  If I know the fruit "syrup" will be a harder sell, I will also serve fresh fruit as a tray so there are many choices from which to choose.  They will ALWAYS go for that!

Before the pumpkin pancakes (which has finally given me a way to get some vitamin A sources back into the baby diet again) this was my favorite pancake recipe.  It's time to preserve it, as the printout I have is getting harder and harder to read!  I found it, once again, on allrecipes.com.

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons granular no-calorie sucralose sweetener (e.g., Splenda ®)--(I use regular sugar)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 egg whites-- (I use one whole egg)
• 2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
• 2 tablespoons skim milk
• 2 tablespoons water

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, oats, cornmeal, sweetener, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, milk and water. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix just until moistened.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter per pancake onto the skillet. Cook until bubbles begin to form in the center, then flip and cook until browned on the other side.

Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

I made two small loaves out of this recipe tonight, but I've been on my own, the kids are on vacation, and quite frankly, I'm out of my routine.  Trying to re-work the routine actually, but in the process I've made a mess!  So, long story short, I have a lovely meatloaf waiting for us for tomorrow in the frig and a second in the deep freezer.  YUM!  The kids love meatloaf.  I love meatloaf for all of the healthy additions I can stick in without anyone even noticing!  Ever tried pureed carrots or pumpkin or any other puree in the meatloaf for that matter?  This recipe is delicious!  I don't always have ground turkey on hand, so I use beef.  And, really I don't go completely by the recipe anyway, as I use whatever seasonings I like.  And, obviously, I like to make other additions not traditionally in a meatloaf per se.  But, I do follow the process with layering the sauce (or ketchup when short), spinach and cheese...mmm haven't tried pureed veggies in the layer.  I imagine that might work too.  For the life of me, I can't remember where I found this recipe, and since I've now already updated my family blog by deleting all of the links I had listed.  Guess I'll just have to thank the online cooking community in general for all of the yummy recipes I've been finding!  They are certainly keeping us well fed!

1 can mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
fresh baby spinach
spaghetti sauce, divided
shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 C Italian style bread crumbs
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/4 t salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together turkey, beef, egg, bread crumbs, mushrooms, seasoning, and salt.
3. Spoon half of meat mixture onto a greased baking ban.  Flatten and smooth out.
4. Top with a layer of spaghetti sauce, spinach leaves, and shredded cheese.
5. Top with remaining meat, flatten again and then go around the edges and seal, pulling in the loaf away from sides of the pan.
6. Spread some more spaghetti sauce on top and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
7. Bake for about an hour or until meat registers at 170 degrees.
8. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing.  Enjoy!

Cake Mixes from Scratch and Variations

Not sure if this is the BEST recipe ever created, but it does a good job and it is loaded with so many possibilities for creating your own version, that I just have to keep it in my list of must have recipes.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com.  If you check out the link, you'll find a large number of comments made from people who've used the recipe or tweaked it this way or that.  All great comments, I think.  Here it is, with my own variations (taken directly from one or two of the comments on the link).

Original Recipe Yield 1 -9x13 inch cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. For a Yellow Cake: Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in shortening until fine crumbs are formed. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat at low speed for 1 minute, then high for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl frequently.
2. Pour batter into greased and floured 9x13 inch pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Variation for a White Cake: Prepare as for the basic cake except use 3 egg whites for the 2 whole eggs. Whites may be beaten separately and added for a lighter cake.
4. Variation for a Chocolate Cake: Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the basic cake mix prior to adding the milk.
5. Variation for a Spice Cake: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice to the basic cake mix.
6. Variation for a Pineapple Upside Down Cake: Melt 1/2 cup butter in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Add 2/3 cup brown sugar, stirring into the butter. Arrange pineapple slices in the pan. Top with the basic (yellow cake) mix recipe. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, cool 5 minutes, and invert to serve. 

My alterations:

1. Liam wanted a vanilla cake, so for the YELLOW CAKE:

• 1/2 C butter (instead of shortening-- I don't use the stuff)
• 3 eggs (instead of 2)
• +1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
• +1/3 plain yogurt
• mix dry ingredients, then cut the butter into the flour mix.  Beat the wet ingredients, then add dry and beat until mixed.
• you will want to grease and flour your cake pan, as I had trouble with my smartware pans.
• I believe these took a bit longer than mentioned in the recipe.  About 40 minutes for a toothpick to come out clean.

Chocolate Ganache

I've never been the best baker, never mind a cake decorator!  So, this year, for Liam's birthday, I thought I'd try a new "frosting" recipe, since my other recipes haven't worked out as well as I'd hoped over the years.  I wanted something easy, spreadable, and something that wouldn't necessarily require refrigeration.  I still wanted to make my own, though the store bought variety was tempting!  I wasn't meaning to find something so adult and elegant, but I did!  All I can say is YUM!  If you like chocolate, look no further!  THIS IS IT!  I loved this recipe.  It gives you three different ways to prepare it, all three easy-- even for me!  This comes from the savorysweetlife blog.  If you want to be even more tempted, go check out her photos.  It will make you want to eat your computer screen!  (I'm serious!)

Ingredients
8 oz of chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 cup heavy cream
*optional 3 T flavored liqueor

Directions
Place chocolate pieces in a large bowl. Heat heavy cream on medium high until it comes to a boil.  Remove from heat and immediately pour cream over chocolate and stir until completely mixed and glossy.  Allow ganache to cool before pouring over cakes as a glaze.  The longer you allow the ganache to cool, the thicker it will set.  Typically I stick mine in the refrigerator so it is slightly cold before whipping.  For piping or frosting, allow the ganache to completely cool and set up.  When you are able to spoon the ganache and it can hold its texture, it is ready for piping.

Makes about 2 cups of straight ganache, but increases in volume when whipped-- perhaps 3 cups?

*Notes:  
1- You'll want to use semi sweet chocolate (Alice from the linked blog has also used bittersweet chocolate).  If you don't want the extra work of chopping the chocolate, semi sweet chocolate chips can be used instead
2- For whipping, you'll want to make sure that the ganache has cooled completely.  Alice (from the linked blog) recommends placing it in the frig for 15-20 minutes once it's cooled to room temp.  Then treat as you would whipping cream, using cold beaters and bowl.  
3- There is a bit of a debate as to whether or not to refrigerate.  The foodservice manager in me, says it's made with heavy cream, so you should probably refrigerate.  However, I did a bit of both.  I refrigerated it at first, which left the frosting a bit too hard for my taste.  Leaving it out maintained a more creamy texture when eaten.  The cream was pasteurized and you heat it again as well.  I haven't gotten sick yet, so I'm calling it "safe."  (We aren't serving a hospital population here... we're mostly healthy so use your own discretion.)   

Mexican Lasagna

Oh my was this so good.  This hails from The Pioneer Woman's blog, and I think I've referred to it on at least two different occasions, as the author of the recipe makes his own taco season concoction that I've found to be so tasty!  The amounts used in this recipe could possibly feed a small town.  I halved it and still ended up freezing half!  The kids weren't terribly gaga over this one, I'm not sure if it was the sauces I used.  They may have had a bit too much kick.  However, the rice mixture that is used on one of the layers smells so good it will make you just want to stop the rest of the recipe and eat that.  It made a ton, so we had it on the side and this is more of what the kids ended up eating.  Rice and beans...yum!  Incidentally, Pastor Ryan gives wonderful step by step instructions in the above link.  Each step has it's own picture, as well.  So, if you like pictures (I know I do), it might be worth checking out.  Without further ado, here is the recipe:

• 4 cups Unprepared Rice
• 6 cups (to 8 Cups) Low Sodium Chicken Broth/stock
• 4 whole (to 8) Tomatoes (up To You)
• 2 whole (to 3) Onions (up To You)
• 8 cloves (to 14 Cloves) Of Garlic (up To You)
• Taco Seasoning (or Chili Powder, Paprika, And Cumin) To Taste
• 1 can (to 2 Cans) Black Or Pinto Beans (up To You)
• 3 pounds Lean Ground Beef
• 2 jars (16 Ounce) Salsa Verde
• Flour Tortillas
• 3 packages (16 Ounces) Mexican Cheese Blend
• 1 jar (16 Ounce) Enchilada Sauce
• 3 cans Corn, Drained
• Sour Cream, to taste
• Cilantro, to taste
• Butter

1. Begin by preparing rice with chicken broth/stock. Once prepared, salt to taste. 
2. Chop up tomatoes, onions, and garlic as small as you prefer. Saute in pan with a tablespoon or so of butter. Add approximately 3 tablespoons chili powder, and 1 ½ tablespoon of both paprika and cumin. Stir until nicely combined. Feel free to add beans if you like them… no need to drain. Mix cooked rice together with tomato/onion/garlic mixture.
3. Brown the ground beef using about 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 ½ tablespoon, paprika and 1 ½ tablespoon of cumin and salt to taste with about 4-6 ounces of water to create the taco beef.
4. Spread one container of salsa verde in the bottom of a large casserole or baking dish. Layer on tortillas covering salsa verde. Some overlapping is expected. Divide your rice mixture in half and spread it over the layer of tortillas. Divide cheese in half and layer it on top of the rice layer. Approximately 24 ounces of cheese per layer. Add another layer of tortillas on top of your cheese layer. Pour enchilada sauce over the tortillas and spread it out evenly. Add layer of browned ground beef. Add 3 cans of corn (drained) on top of beef layer. Then the remaining amount of rice mixture on top of corn layer followed by the remaining jar of salsa verde, on top of which you will add the remaining cheese (approximately 24ounces) to the top…this is our final layer of ingredients. Sprinkle top with some taco seasoning or cayenne pepper.
5. Bake at 375º for 25-35 minutes until cheese has melted and begins to brown a bit.

Steak Fajita Chili

This is another great one from Aggieland Mommy Cooks.  I have adapted it a bit just to make it even more simpler for me, but otherwise, a great recipe that is company worthy, especially during football season!

1 lb flank steak (I use cubed stew meat and cook all of this in the crockpot)
2 T vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 c water
3 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can ranch-style beans
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 (14.5 oz) can petit diced tomatoes
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
3 t Ancho chili powder
2 t ground cumin
2 t fresh lime juice
1 t garlic salt
1 t ground black pepper
garnish: shredded sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream

Cut steak across grain into thin strips. Cut strips into 1" pieces.
2. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add peppers and onions; cook 5 minutes. Stir in water through pepper.
4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.
5. Garnish with cheese and sour cream, if desired.

Hugs and Kisses Valentine's Cookies

Rather than making cards or another craft for the kids this year, I opted to allure them with sweets.  These are the cookies I tried, and while I personally wasn't too fond of the icing, the kids certainly were!  They made a really good and simple tasting sugar cookie, which was perfect for icing.  From FamilyFun.com

• COOKIE DOUGH
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar

• BUTTERCREAM ICING
• 1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tbsp. milk

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and beat well, then mix in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, one third at a time, until thoroughly combined.
   
2. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and flatten each into a disk. Cover each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, or until the dough is firm enough to work with. If it becomes too firm, soften at room temperature for about 5 minutes.
   
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Then, use a butter knife to cut out the cookies into X's and O's. Remind your child that giant letters need to be wider than smaller ones to keep them from breaking easily.
   
4. Using a metal spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to a baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes (longer for really big cookies) or until lightly browned around the edges.
   
5. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven, place on wire racks and cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to the rack and cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies, depending on their size.
   
6. While the cookies are cooling, make the buttercream icing: Beat together the sugar, butter and vanilla extract. Add the milk a few drops at a time until the mixture is spreadable. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
   
7. Frost the cookies with the icing and sprinkle on tinted red or pink sugar, if desired.
   

Stuffed Crust Pizza Snacks

So, is it just me, or does the afterschool routine become so monotonous that you really need something to spice it up?  A new snack-- spare me the Goldfish please!  I was really bored with what I had to offer for snacks one day and decided to look for something new.  One of our favorite meals (which hasn't made it here yet) is homemade pizza.  I usually end up with more dough than I need for the crust, so with the leftover crust, I tried a recipe (I greatly modified) which was originally from the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest 39 in 2000 (submitted by Ellen Hyde of Culpeper, VA). 

• 2 cans refrigerated pizza crust (of course they are advertising Pillsbury, but any crust will do.)
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 48 cubes (I just used shredded, it was a bit messier, maybe, but did the job and was what I had on hand)
• 48 slices of pepperoni (I used lunchmeat like ham or turkey I had on hand.)
• 1/4 C vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 t dried Italian seasoning (I didn't have any, so I used garlic powder, oregano, parsley, and some basil-- really you could use any mixture you wanted with this.  Oh, and I don't think I measured anything either. It's all a matter of what you like!)
• 2 T grated Parmesan Cheese
• heated pizza sauce (if you want)

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray two 9 inch pie plates or one 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray.  Unroll dough from both cans; starting at center, press out each dough rectangle to form a 12x8 inch rectangle.  Cut each rectangle into 24 squares.  
2. Top each square with cheese cube and pepperoni slice.  Wrap dough around filling to completely cover; firmly press edges to seal.  Place seam side down with sides touching in pie pans. 
3. In small bowl, mix oil and Italian seasoning.  Drizzle over filed dough in pans.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake 16-22 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm pizza bites with warm pizza sauce

Note:  With the baby on the way, I don't see myself making these too often in the near future.  However, I may try to bake them off and freeze them for a quick reheatable snack!  (To reheat, I'd either pop them back in the oven, or cover with a wet towel in the microwave so they don't get so hard and chewy.)

Taco Casserole

Here is an easy recipe you can whip together and let it simmer all day in a crockpot!  Don't ya love it when dinner's already cooked?  This, once again, comes from Stephanie's blog and it is definitely a keeper.  I will give you the original recipe from her blog, and then add in my own modifications for it (because I just can't leave well enough alone!)

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef, browned
• 14 1/2 oz can rotel
• 10 3/4 oz can cream of onion soup
• 1 pkg dry taco seasoning
• 1/4 c water
• 6 corn tortillas cut into 1/2" strips
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 green onions, sliced

1. Combine beef, tomatoes (rotel), soup, seasoning, and water in slow cooker.
2. Stir in tortilla strips.
3. Cover. Cook on low 7-8 hours.
4. Spread sour cream over casserole. Sprinkle with cheese.
5. Cover. Let stand 5 minutes until cheese melts.

**My modifications:

• I added one diced onion to the beef while it was browning.
• I had to add vegetables to the mix, or I have no chance for the kids to eat any!  Add about 2C chopped fresh baby spinach (although frozen would likely work too), 1 1/2C frozen corn, 1 can Ranch style beans with liquid (or you could use any canned bean drained is preferable, this was just the only beans I had on hand, and what's ranch style beans without the liquid?)  
• I added an additional 2 corn tortillas-- maybe to soak up the additional liquid I had just put in?
• I can never find cream of onion soup, so I substituted cream of mushroom. (Also the reason for the added onion with the beef.)
• I didn't the last time I made this, but you could also substitute the taco seasoning for about for 1 lb of beef, you can try 1.5 Tbs chili powder and 2 tsp each of the paprika and cumin. (a little tip I learned from Pioneer Woman's blog)  It will significantly help at reducing the amount of sodium in this dish.

A Better Brownie

Now, I know there are yummy and easy box recipes out there, but this is an easy from scratch recipe that is so good.  I've made it twice in the last two weeks!  (Yes, I'm pregnant, and craving sweets!)  The recipe was revamped to be made lower in  fat, cholesterol and sugar than typical brownies, but you can't tell!  Thank you, Sarah Phillips for your baking genius!

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder (Sarah prefers Dutch or alkalized cocoa powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 squares (2 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, chopped

• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites (I'm really not afraid of eggs here as the yolks provide so many valuable nutrients and no one here has any cholesterol issues to worry about, so I just used 2 large eggs total)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee powder (optional) (If you like coffee flavor, try it with the coffee, otherwise, you get an equally good brownie without it.)

   

1. Heat the oven to 350º degrees. Lightly coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set the mixture aside.
   
2. Heat the butter in a small saucepan until just melted, being careful not to burn it. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chopped chocolate, stirring until it is melted. Let the chocolate mixture cool until it's tepid.
   
3. In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the egg and egg whites just until combined. Whisk in the cooled chocolate mixture, sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and espresso powder (if you're using it) until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture but do not overmix the batter.
   
4. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the brownies on the center oven rack until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 25 minutes. The brownies will look under-baked (a cake tester will come out with a few moist crumbs), but they will set up more as they cool. Place the pan on a wire cake rack to let the brownies cool, then slice the batch into 24 pieces.

Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Marsala Sauce

If you are looking for a meat-eating crowd pleaser, this is your dish!  YUM-YUM- Extra YUM!  I don't think I'm the first to comment that you will want to drink this sauce!  The pork turns out super tender, and the sauce is just a must have!  It's also good over vegetables.  Another great one from allrecipes.com

• 2 pork tenderloins
• 4 T Dijon mustard
• 1 T oil
• 2 T butter
• 2 shallots,  minced
• 1 C Marsala wine
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1 C heavy cream (I've used half and half or whole milk)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat pork tenderloins generously with mustard. Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange tenderloins in pan, and brown the meat. Turn to brown evenly. Transfer meat to prepared baking dish.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn, and continue cooking for 20 minutes, or until desired doneness.
4. Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in the same pan used to cook the pork. Cook shallots in butter until soft. Stir in Marsala, mustard, and cream, and cook until volume of liquid is reduced by half.
5. Slice pork, and place on a serving dish. Spoon sauce over meat, and serve. 

There are of course plenty of comments on the recipe in the link, but since I don't have shallots on hand most of the time, here is an alternative:

• Sautee (fresh) mushrooms, scallions (or regular onion) and garlic.  Once tender, remove from pan and continue making sauce.  Add mushroom mix back to sauce once finished.

Peanut Butter Power Balls

I'm pretty sure that a friend of mine introduced this to me, but then I found it on FamilyEducation.com as well.  Let me tell you that if you like peanut butter, these are just incredible.  It's a bit like taking a spoon to a jar of peanut butter, but with some other stuff mixed in as well (so you don't feel as bad doing it).  The kids love it, of course!  It's a good protein and calcium source for a "hit the spot" afternoon treat.  Oh, and did I mention how easy they are?

• 1 C peanut butter
• 1/2 C non-fat dry milk powder or soy protein powder
• 1/2 C raisins or chocolate chips
• 1/4 C honey
• Graham cracker crumbs (you don't need much, maybe 1/2 C?

Mix all ingredients except the graham cracker crumbs in a large bowl.  Shape mixture into 1-inc balls.  Roll in crumbs and refrigerate (or freeze-- balls will thaw by lunchtime).  Note: To make it easier, since the dough is pretty sticky, I spooned the mixture into a bowl of graham cracker crumbs.  The crumbs made the "balls" lots easier to manipulate. 

Enjoy!

Super Simple Salmon

This is another yummy fish dish.  "If you wish to wish a wish, you may swish for fish with my Ish wish dish."  Haha!  How much do we love Dr. Seuss?  I digress... back to the recipe.  Again, very few leftovers (unfortunately) with my crew.  AND any leftovers there were, they were claimed by a very excited 20 month old!  Ah, to self sacrifice in the name of love!  Good thing he's so cute!  Seriously, though, this is an incredibly easy and delicious recipe from allrecipes.com.  I was surprised at how quickly the fish cooked up on the stove, as salmon is very thick, and I turned it only in the last 2 minutes of cooking (it took me a while to try to figure out how exactly to flip such a long fish).  I think the kids actually drooled at the table for this stuff.  Amazing!  Please try!  You won't regret it!

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 (6 ounce) salmon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 lemon wedges (I didn't have any on hand, so I sprinkled mine with some lemon juice instead-- no one else wanted any, so I don't think it's all that necessary.)

1. Stir together the garlic powder, basil, and salt in a small bowl; rub in equal amounts onto the salmon fillets.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook the salmon in the butter until browned and flaky, about 5 minutes per side. Serve each piece of salmon with a lemon wedge.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

If there's one thing I can say about my kids' eating is that they really are not picky when it comes to protein sources.  (Beans may be a bit harder to sell unless carefully wrapped in a tortilla, maybe.)  They especially love fish, and they like it simple, or extravagant... however it comes, as long as it comes!  I found this recipe during Lent one year on allrecipes.com.  And, like many of the recipes that sound good while I'm looking for something new to try, they get printed and stuck in a pile, forever forgotten.  (Which is another reason for this blog!)  I recently found it again, as I was cleaning out my cabinet full of recipes and cookbooks and decided to try it.  Of the 2 lbs of fish purchased (for 2 adults and 3 kids 5 and under), I think there may have been enough for one lunch the next day?  If there was any left for lunch, it certainly wasn't much.  This fish is deliciously seasoned, moist, and pretty easy to prepare.  True, there are a few ingredients, but trust me-- oh so worth it!  It's mostly dried seasonings you likely have in your pantry anyway!    

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 2 pounds tilapia fillets

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Spaghetti Squash Pancakes

I know what you must be thinking... Seriously?  Vegetables in a pancake?  Absolutely!  I haven't made them in a really long time, but everyone (and I mean everyone) gobbled these up!  I served them with a soup, if I remember correctly.  I honestly don't remember much about the preparation or anything, but I do remember their taste.  Delicious, especially with plain yogurt or sour cream topping!  I have no idea how I stumbled upon this recipe, or the website from where it came.  But, here it is from Mollie Katzen Online:

2 cups cooked spaghetti squash
1 cup onion, minced
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour or rice flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (scant measure)
4 large eggs
Black pepper to taste
Nonstick spray and/or butter for the pan
Sour cream or yogurt for the top
Salsa for the top, too (but not too spicy--these are delicate)

1. Place the squash in a medium-sized bowl and separate the strands a little with a fork. Use the fork to mix in the onion, flour, and salt, and then to beat in the eggs.
2. Place a skillet or griddle over medium heat. When the pan is hot, spray it with nonstick spray, and, if you like, melt in a little butter. Add the batter in 1/4-cup amounts to make 2 1/2-inch pancakes.
3. Cook the pancakes cook until golden on both sides. Unlike cakier pancakes which toughen when turned from side to side, these can be turned more than once. Get them really well-done on the outside. They will still be tender and light, kind of chewy-crisp. So cook them for a good 20 minutes, minimum!
4. Serve hot, with or without toppings.

Classic Russian Borscht

I was introduced to Borscht the first time by some family friends from Ukraine.  Anytime they have us over for dinner this was the first course of the meal.  I was instantly in love with the soup.  It's delicate in taste and mostly broth (though I suppose it would depend on the cook preparing it.)  When we moved to the Midwest, we became close friends with our neighbors who were originally from Russia.  They also made Borscht, and even brought us some whenever they made it, whether or not we joined them for dinner.  YUM!  I've learned that there are several ways with which it can be prepared.  I'm not sure on the specifics, but I imagine it depends on where you are from.  This recipe, from cooks.com is very good and reminds me of all of these friends, their hospitality, and their yummy smelling homes.  I didn't label it as meatless because the original recipe calls for beef stock, but I think you could substitute vegetable stock in it's place?  I haven't tried it, though. 

2 quarts beef stock
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup cabbage, finely chopped
1 cup potatoes, diced
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes
1/2 cup juice (from can of beets)
1 cup cooked or canned beets, diced
1 teaspoon vinegar
chopped dill or parsley (for garnishing)
sour cream

1. In a large heavy pan, melt butter and lightly sauté cabbage, potatoes, carrots, celery and onion for approximately 5 minutes. Add beef stock.
2. Blend canned tomatoes or press through a sieve until fine. Add pureed tomatoes and beet juice to stock. Cover and simmer over low heat until vegetables are firmly tender but not soft.
3. At this point, add the chopped beets and vinegar. Season well with salt and pepper and remove from heat before the beets begin to lose their color.
4. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of dill or parsley over each bowl.

Scallops Marscapone

The kids really like this recipe.  So do we!  We substituted broccoli for the asparagus and it came out fantastic!  Another good one from allrecipes.com

• 1 (16 ounce) package medium seashell pasta
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package sliced fresh button mushrooms
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 pound scallops, rinsed and patted dry
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 (8 ounce) container mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, until al dente.
2. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix in the parsley and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and asparagus and season with salt, pepper and onion powder; cook, stirring occasionally until asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes depending on the thickness. Place the scallops in the pan, and cook briefly on each side until lightly browned and the center is cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the heat when scallops are just finished.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the milk, mascarpone cheese and remaining butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sauce is warm and butter is completely melted and blended in. Stir this sauce into the scallops and vegetables along with the pasta and serve immediately.

Moroccan Lentil Salad

This was another recipe I tested for vegetarian company.  Now I don't remember if we used it for that purpose or not, but I remember it being very good.  Even my husband would eat it.  I can't remember about the kids.  My guess is they didn't, as we only had it one time.  Regardless, it's a must stay on this blog, since my husband and I liked it.  Hopefully the kids' taste buds will grow to like it too!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dry lentils
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 2 minced hot green chile peppers
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• salt to taste

1. Place lentils and water in a pot. Bring water to boil, reduce to simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until tender.
2. In a medium size mixing bowl combine lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, green onions, green chilies, bell peppers, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, and salt to taste. Toss well. Chill for 20 minutes. Serve chilled.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Everyone has a great lasagna recipe.  Some have many.  We often entertain vegetarian guests, and I do struggle with what to serve them.  We recently had a crowd over for dinner, half of whom were vegetarian.  I made a regular lasagna (my mom's trusted recipe) and this one.  Both were a hit.  This one did particularly well with both meat and non-meat eaters alike.  I love the flavor of roasted vegetables, and they are so easy to do.  Thanks allrecipes!

• 1 pound eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1/2 pound medium fresh mushrooms, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 3 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
• 2 sweet red pepper, cut lenthwise into 6 pieces each
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) container reduced-fat ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 1 (26 ounce) jar meatless spaghetti sauce
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil

1. Coat two 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans with nonstick cooking spray. Place eggplant and mushrooms on a prepared pan. Place the zucchini and red pepper on the second pan. Combine the oil and garlic; brush over both sides of vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Turn vegetables over. Bake 15 minutes longer. Remove eggplant and mushrooms. Bake zucchini and red pepper 5-10 minutes longer or until edges are browned.
2. In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg substitute. Spread about 1/4 cup pasta sauce in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Layer with four lasagna noodles (noodles will overlap slightly), half of ricotta cheese mixture, half of vegetables, a third of pasta sauce and 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with half of basil. Repeat layers. Top with the remaining noodles and pasta sauce.
3. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until edges are bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Strawberry Muffins

These were taken off the lid of a StonyField Farms yogurt container.  They also have a website, which I haven't perused in a while full of great recipes.  You may be seeing more of their recipes soon!  We love yogurt, and really can't keep enough of it in the house.  I love that these muffins use whole wheat flour as well-- it speaks to my fiber lovin' heart!  These were moist, delicious, and gone in a flash!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup Stoynfield lowfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped strawberries

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 12 muffin tin or line it with paper baking cups. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar and baking soda. In another bowl, stir together eggs, yogurt, melted butter and vanilla until blended. Toss the strawberries with the flour mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until the flour is just moistened. The batter will be lumpy. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups. Bake for 20 ? 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Yields 12 muffins. 

Cheesy Chicken Quiche

This is one of my crockpot favorites.  (So much so, I think I've burnt my family out of eating it!  It is currently and very sadly out of my meal rotation.)  This recipe is so incredibly easy and so good!  I literally throw the chicken from the freezer into the crockpot and let it cook all day long.  The rest of the ingredients go in for just about an hour (though I give it longer, since it sometimes isn't quite ready when I want it to be!)  One word of caution, I've tried with varied success adding vegetables to this dish.  To me, it begs for them.  However, if you are throwing in frozen veggies, you'll need more time for the meal to cook on the end.  The veggies may also add some unwanted water causing you to question whether or not the egg has set.  You may have better luck thawing the veggies first and draining them.  Enjoy!  Oh, and thanks for another great one, Stephanie!

2 T corn oil
2 lbs chicken breasts
3/4 c flour
3/4 t bk powder
1/2 t salt
1 c evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 c sh cheddar cheese
2 T chopped onion
2 t dried parsley flakes

1. Coat crock with corn oil. Cook chicken on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours or until fork tender. 2. Stir together flour, bk powder, salt, milk, eggs.
3. Fold in cheese, onion, & parsley. Pour over chicken & cook 1 hour on high. Serves 6.