Food from Friends

Hot Artichoke Feta dip

2011-10-25T10:56:00.001-04:00

1 can 14 oz. artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 4oz. pkgs. crumbled Athenos feta cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic minced

Mix all ingredients and spoon into 9 inch pie plate or 3 cup shallow baking dish
(I use a pie plate)

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Garnish with chopped tomato and green onion if desired.

Braised Lentils with Spinach

2010-09-06T21:40:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite lentil recipe, but I'm new to the scene. I thought it was worth sharing, though.

I am posting the original recipe, but I made a few changes. First, I didn't want my veggies to be mushy, so I didn't add them in to boil with the lentils until the last 5 minutes. I also added 1/2 cup of chicken broth twice by accident, but decided it was a positive mistake.

BRAISED LENTILS WITH SPINACH

Ingredients
• 2 cups brown lentils
• 2 small onions, diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ C chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 bag of washed spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Cover lentils so that there is approximately 2 inches of water above the lentils.
2. Add onions, carrots, celery, and bay leaves. Add salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cook at medium/high heat for 20 minutes.
3. Drain beans and discard bay leaves. Move to a skillet and add oil, chicken broth, salt and pepper.
4. Boil and reduce the liquid so that the lentils are moist with no extra liquid.
5. Add the spinach and toss until slightly wilted. Season with salt and pepper one more time if necessary

Pizza Stuffed Shells

2010-03-24T19:20:00.001-04:00

I just finished eating, and I have to say...I'm quite impressed with this. I had no recipe, I just tried to remember a friend's mom's recipe and went with it.

1 lb ground beef - browned
1 box jumbo pasta shells - boiled to almost done
sliced pepperoni
spaghetti sauce (I used an onion & garlic version)
1 bag shredded mozzarella
garlic salt
crushed pepper flakes (the stuff you sprinkle on pizza)
oregano
grated parmesan cheese

As I was browning the meet and boiling the pasta, I mixed together the cheese, pepper, garlic salt and oregano.
Once everything was cooked, I placed two slices of pepperoni in each shell, and a spoonfull of ground beef. I kept filling shells until they filled up a 9x13 pan. When done with that, I spooned a little spaghetti sauce over each shell, and topped the whole dish with the cheese mixture.

Then I baked at 350 until the cheese started to brown. (Sorry...forgot to pay attention how long that was. Maybe 30-40 minutes?)

Mmmmm. I was seriously happy with my dinner tonight!

BBQ Chicken Pita Pizza

2010-03-10T13:41:00.000-05:00

Since we are all trying to be healthy and fit, I got this receipe out of my P90x book:

One whole wheat pita, split in half (so you have two circles)
Chicken Breasts
Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese
BBQ sauce (45 calorie per 2 TBSP type)
Red Onion
Red Pepper
Fresh Basil
(any vegetable toppings you want!)

Chop chicken into little pieces and saute in pan with PAM. Add BBQ sauce when chicken is browned. Simmer until chicken is well done.

Add barbecued chicken to pita, add toppings, and sprinkle cheese. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and browning.

These are excellent little pizzas and give you a good pizza fix!

**Variation - I like to spice up BBQ sauce by adding a dash of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, lite soy sauce, and garlic. Tastes great and doesn't add many calories.

Pear Crunch Cake

2010-02-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

(okay, I kinda stole this from Bakerella, but I did change it from peaches to pears, since I don't like peaches!)

2 15oz cans sliced pears in syrup (or peaches, I guess)
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick butter
1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Dump the fruit into the bottom of a 9x13 pan, syrup too. I cut the slices into chunks, 'cause bakerella said to, and I honestly thought it would be easier to eat. Spread the dry cake mix directly over the top of the pears (nope, don't follow any of the directions on the cake mix box). Cut the stick of butter into pats and place evenly on top of the cake mix. Spead the brown sugar over everything. And then sprinkle the nuts on top.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

(after 40 minutes, mine still seemed runny, so I took a fork and kinda mixed everything up a bit. Then I stuck it back in the oven for maybe 10 more minutes).

Recipes by Mrs. Claus

2009-11-21T10:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, this post is kind of cheating, but I thought it would be nice to share this website. It's full of Holiday recipes, from none other than Mrs. Claus!

Mrs. Claus' Cookbook

Taffy Apple Pizza

2009-11-04T16:51:00.002-05:00

* 1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
* 1 cup creamy peanut butter
* 1 block cream cheese, softened
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 Granny Smith apples, diced
* 1 cup pecans, crushed
* 1 cup caramel

Allow cookie dough to softened so that it is kneadable. Roll it onto a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Bake as directed on packaging. Mix peanut butter, cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla. Spread mixture on top of baked cookie. Top with diced apples; sprinkle with pecans; drizzle with caramel. Refrigerate.

Squash and Zucchini Cakes

2009-09-30T16:50:00.004-04:00

My sister made these for us one day and she baked them instead of frying them in butter. Very good!!! See Paula Deen's recipe here on Food Network.

Ingredients

3 medium zucchini
3 medium yellow squash
1 cup toasted bread crumbs
1 cup shredded Parmesan
1/3 cup minced Vidalia onion
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 jar store-bought marinara sauce

Directions

Grate zucchini and squash with a fine grater. Press between paper towels to remove excess moisture.

In a medium bowl, combine grated zucchini and squash and next 7 ingredients. Shape mixture into 2-inch patties, pressing together firmly.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook squash and zucchini cakes 3 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly browned.

Place onto serving platter and serve with marinara sauce.

Tomato Basil Soup.

2009-09-28T20:25:00.003-04:00

Ok, I got this off of another website but it was too darn good not to share with people I like. It's seriously like restaurant-quality soup. Fabulous!

Ingredients: (serves 4)
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
14 oz. chicken broth (I used low sodium and low fat)
8 pieces of fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream
3 Tbsp. butter

To make:
In large saucepan, bring tomatoes and broth to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add basil and sugar. Reduce heat to low; stir in cream and butter. Cook until butter is melted.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

2009-09-25T15:23:00.003-04:00

1 cup butter, melted

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 cups confectioners/powdered sugar

1 cup and 4 tbsp. peanut butter, divided

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners sugar and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13 inch pan.

Microwave the chocolate chips with the 4 tbsp peanut butter on high for 1 minute. Stir. Continue microwaving and stirring every 30 seconds til smooth (NOTE: It only took 1 minute 15 seconds for mine to be smooth). Spread over prepared crust.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.

Store bars in airtight container in refrigerator.

Yields: 20 bars

Zucchini Bread

2009-08-11T13:28:00.003-04:00

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup chopped pecans

1 8 oz can crushed pineapple

Heat oven to 350.
Mix all ingredients.

Pour into TWO greased loaf pans.

Bake @ 350 for 1 hour.

Banana Bread

2009-08-11T13:25:00.002-04:00

1 1/3 cup mashed ripe bananas

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 eggs

2 2/3 cup Bisquick

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Heat oven to 350.
Grease bottom of loaf pan.

Mix all ingredients together & pour into pan.

Bake 50-60 minutes until center is done (test w/ a toothpick)

Cool 2 hours before slicing.

Pizza-On-A-Stick

2009-08-05T16:31:00.004-04:00

(kinda)

Grape Tomatoes
Cubes of Mozzarella Cheese
Cubes of Pepperoni
Other pizza toppings (I used black and green olives)

Long toothpicks.

Italian Salad Dressing (the spray kind works very nicely)

Skewer all ingredients on a toothpick (I used that order, but it really doesn't matter) like a shish-kabab.

Arrange on a plate and spray (or drizzle) with Italian dressing.

Makes a super cute, and quite tasty appetizer!

Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

2009-07-03T16:07:00.002-04:00

Ok, so K. and I made this meatloaf this week and I have to say it is simply amazing! The turkey was never dry; in fact it was very moist. (Sorry, had to use the word) Infact it says cook to 165 degrees and I had kept it in longer (to make sure it was done) and it reach 188 degrees. I really thought I ruined it, but NO it was perfect. I changed it up a very tiny bit so this is how I made it. However, go here to see Giada’s original recipe. (She uses actual Sun-Dried tomatoes whereas I used pesto.) May I also suggest mini meatloaf pans so the outside gets extra crispy – YUM! We served with mashed potatoes and broccoli.

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs*
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup Classico ® Sundried tomato pesto.*
2 cloves garlic, minced, optional
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons milk*
6 oz crumbled feta cheese*
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ pounds ground turkey*

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, if using, eggs, milk, feta, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.

Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Put on a serving platter and serve.

*These are the things I changed from the original recipe.

Candy Apple Salad

2009-06-04T07:30:00.003-04:00

* 5 large apples
* 8-10 Snickers Snack-Size Candy Bars
* 1 tub of Cool Whip
* 1 package of Instant Butterscotch Pudding Mix

Chop apples into bite-sized pieces. Add crushed Snickers. (Freeze, then pound while still in wrapper to easily crush.) Mix Cool Whip and pudding mix together. Add to apple/Snicker mix. Chill. Enjoy!

Cherry Chip Bars

2009-04-22T11:39:00.002-04:00

1 package Cherry Chip cake mix
1/2 cup butter (one stick)
2 blocks of cream cheese
1 canister Cherry frosting
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix dry cake mix and softened butter until crumbly. Reserve one cup. Press mixture into 13x9 inch pan. Mix frosting and cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, mix thoroughly. Pour over mixture in 13x9 inch pan. Top with remaining mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Let cool. Store covered in refrigerator.

Macaroni and Cheese Taco Bake

2009-04-22T11:31:00.002-04:00

1 package KRAFT Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1 lb ground beef
1 package taco seasoning mix
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup salsa

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare macaroni dinner as directed on package. While macaroni is cooking, brown meat; drain. Add taco seasoning mix and water to meat; simmer 5 minutes. Stir sour cream into macaroni dinner. Spoon half of the macaroni mixture into 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking dish; top with the meat mixture, 1 cup of the cheese and remaining macaroni mixture. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes. Top with salsa and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Sunday Chicken

2009-03-10T07:05:00.004-04:00

I found a recipe in an old church cookbook. I modified it for what I had in my house and I thought it was wonderful. (I also 1/2-ed the recipe for my husband and I).

5-6 chicken breasts
1 brick of cream cheese
1/2 Cup soy sauce
1 Cup beef broth
1/2 a large onion, cut into thick strips

(the original recipe used 1 Cup of sour cream instead of cream cheese and 1 10 oz can of french onion soup instead of beef broth)

Cook the cream cheese, soy sauce and beef broth in sauce pan until blended/mixed. Lay chicken breasts in a 9x13 pan, scatter the onions on top. Pour sauce over chicken and bake for 40 minutes.

(I don't think the sauce is that great to turn into a gravy or anything, but the chicken tastes fantastic and stay incredibly moist. The onions cook up well, still firm. Yum)

Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents

2009-02-01T14:16:00.003-05:00

1 8 oz tub Chive and Onion Cream Cheese
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 8 oz cans crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 375

Mix cream cheese and crumbled bacon until blended.

Separate each can of dough into 8 triangles (16 total). Cut each triangle in half, lengthwise.
Spread 1 tsp cream cheese mix on each triangle. Roll up triangle, starting @ shortest side. Place point side down on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown

Serve warm.

President Barack Obama's Chili

2009-01-21T13:21:00.001-05:00

Found this online today!!
http://www.northcoastjournal.com/issues/2008/05/29/baracks-chili/

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

Several cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground turkey or beef

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground basil

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Several tomatoes, depending on size, chopped

1 can red kidney beans

Method:

Sauté onions, green pepper and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add ground meat and brown. Combine spices together into a mixture, then add to ground meat. Add red wine vinegar. Add tomatoes and let simmer, until tomatoes cook down. Add kidney beans and cook for a few more minutes.

Serve over white or brown rice. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, onions and sour cream.

(In an interview)What’s your favorite dish to bring to a potluck?

Barack Obama: I’ve been using this chili recipe since college and would bring it to any potluck. I can’t reveal all the secrets, but if you make it right, it’s just got the right amount of bite, the right amount of oomph in it and it will clear your sinuses.

Garlic Butter

2009-01-18T16:46:00.002-05:00

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
black pepper

mix everything together in a bowl. I usually spread it on french bread and stick it under the broiler for fantastic garlic bread. It's also good on pasta, potatoes or even spread on grilled steak!

Easy Beef Stroganoff

2009-01-17T16:21:00.004-05:00

For your slow cooker...

1 lb beef stew meat
1 package fresh, sliced mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup sour cream
1 package egg noodles

Season beef stew meat. Place in crock pot. Cook on low for about 8 hours. Add mushrooms either (1) with meat and cook for 8 hours, or (2) add when there is about an hour or so left in cook time. (*See cook's notes below).

About 30 minutes or so before serving, add 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 3/4 cup sour cream to beef/mushrooms in crock pot. Stir.

Boil noodles and DRAIN.
Add noodles to crock pot.
Simmer on low for about 15 mins.

Serve. Eat. Enjoy!

Cook's Note:
I added the mushroom after the meat had been cooking for about 6 hours. They cooked up rather quickly. When my mom made this, she added the mushrooms @ the beginning w/ the meat and let them cook for 8 hours. So I guess it works either way! - tlc

Peanut Butter Temptations

2008-12-27T09:59:00.003-05:00

Prep time: approx 15 mins; Bake time: apporx 10 mins. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.
You will need a mini muffin pan for this recipe.

about 40 mini Reeses peanut butter cups, unwrapped

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 375. Remove wrappers from candies. Line small muffin cups with paper bake cups if desired.

Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, egg and vanilla until fluffy in large bowl.
Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Add gradually to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls; place one in each paper lined or ungreased muffin cups. DO NOT FLATTEN.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes until puffed and lightly brown. Remove from oven. IMMEDIATELY press peanut butter cups into center of each cookie. Cool completely in muffin pan.

Monkey Bread

2008-12-27T09:56:00.003-05:00

4 containers refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits (cut into quarters)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

- shake the ingredients above in a large ziploc bag and drop into a greased angel food cake pan or Bundt cake pan

mix together the following and pour over biscuits prior to baking:

3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 stick BUTTER melted
chopped pecans or raisins (optional)

Bake @ 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Pull apart to eat. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Fluff

2008-11-26T15:31:00.003-05:00

(1) Box Sugar-Free Instant Vanilla Pudding
(16 oz. ) Canned Pure Pumpkin (not pie filling)
Pumpkin Pie spices to taste - about one teaspoon (Hint: Pumpkin Pie Spices are really just cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves)
2 Cups Fat Free Cool Whip

In a large bowl, mix together instant vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Fold in the thawed frozen whipped topping. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Makes 6 servings. If you are a WW, 1 point per serving. This is delicious!

Cranberry Cider

2008-11-26T15:24:00.002-05:00

A wonderfully delightful hot drink. Perfect this time of year.

Ingredients:
1 lb. cranberries
3 1/2 quarts (14 cups) water
4 cinnamon sticks
12-15 whole cloves
2 cups sugar
2 lemons (just the juice)
2 oranges (just the juice)
___________________________
Bring cranberries, water, cinnamon sticks and cloves to a boil. Simmer for 12 minutes. Add sugar and juice of lemons and oranges. Stir well. Strain through wire strainer (it's easier to dip a measuring cup into the pot and pour instead of trying to dump the whole pot) so that all the remnants are removed, you just want the liquid, into another container. Serve hot.

De-lish!

Greek Dip

2008-11-26T14:22:00.003-05:00

I am not sure of any of the measurements, but since we are all stellar cooks, we can figure it out. I had this dip over the weekend and it was too good NOT to share!

Bottom layer - Cream cheese (probably a brick), one packet Italian seasoning, and a squirt of lemon juice
Middle layer - Hummos (any kind)
Top layer - pitted, diced Greek olives, feta cheese, tomatoes, green pepper, onion (you can use or omit what ever you want)

Serve with pita chips and/or or multi-grain Tostitos.

Mexican Corn Dip

2008-11-25T10:17:00.003-05:00

1 cup mayo
1 Cup sour cream
1 Can Corn with Peppers (a.k.a. Fiesta Corn), drained
1 small can diced green chilis, drained
1 bag shredded cheese
1 bunch green onion, chopped
taco/southwest/mexican seasoning (as much or as little as you like) ...optional

Mix everything together - ahead of time, best if sits in the fridge for awhile and the flavors get to blend. Eat cold with tortilla chips!

(I did warm it up and eat it...it was yummy that way too!)

Lemon Roasted Chicken

2008-11-23T18:21:00.003-05:00

Not quite as easy as the last entry, but still simple ... and delicious.

One chicken
Butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
Juice of one lemon
1 T. fresh parsley
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. paprika

Rinse chicken; pat dry. Place onion in cavity of the chicken; rub chicken with butter. Place chicken in a Crock-Pot. Squeeze the lemon over the chicken and sprinkle with seasonings. Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours.

Ridiculously Easy/Ridiculously Delicious Chicken

2008-11-23T18:18:00.001-05:00

One chicken
Butter
Lawry's Seasoning Salt

Rinse chicken; pat dry. Rub chicken with butter. Place chicken in Crock-Pot. Cover thoroughly with Lawry's. Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours.

Easy Beans

2008-11-09T14:22:00.002-05:00

So simple. So good. Eat as a dip or as the base for bean burritos or anything else Mexican.

1 can refried beans (I always get the vegetarian version)
1 brick cream cheese
1 can of diced green chilies, including liquid

Throw everything in a crock pot and heat through - stirring occasionally. This amount nicely fills one of those smaller, dip-type crockpots. Double or triple to fill a big one!

Cold Artichoke Dip

2008-10-13T19:46:00.003-04:00

I heart artichoke hearts. I can eat them straight out of the can. I wanted an artichoke dip, but not a hot one, so I made this up tonight. I'm pretty darn happy.

one can of artichoke hearts, chopped
one brick of cream cheese, softened
(roughly) one cup of sour cream
a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese
garlic salt
italian seasoning

Just mix it all together and refrigerate for awhile. I'm eating it right now with Frito's. Mmmmm...

Pumpkin Dip

2008-10-07T12:05:00.002-04:00

15 oz. can of pumpkin
2 cups powdered sugar
2 8 oz. blocks cream cheese (softened)
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1 t. vanilla

Mix ingredients. Refrigerate.

Great dip for apples, pretzels, Nilla wafers, graham crackers, etc.

Easy Ham & Swiss Quiche

2008-09-26T18:07:00.002-04:00

This is great for a brunch - serve with fresh fruit and mini muffins.
Also good for dinner - I ususally serve w/ a salad and french bread.

1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked ham (I buy the already cubed/diced ham at the store)
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion (less if you like less onion)
1/2 cup Bisquick
1 cup milk (use whole or 2%, not skim)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 eggs

Heat oven to 400. Grease 9 inch pie plate.

Sprinkle ham, cheese and onion in bottom of pie plate.
Mix Bisquick, milk, salt, pepper and eggs until blended. Pour over ham and cheese in pie plate.

Bake 35 - 40 minutes or until knife insterted in middle comes out clean.

Cool 5 minutes before cutting. Serves 6-8, depending on size of slice.

Ziti with Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes and Gorgonzola Sauce

2008-09-20T18:18:00.002-04:00

(This is a meal for 2. If you want, the recipe can be doubled. I did that and it worked out great.)

4 oz uncooked ziti
1/2 tsp EVOO
1 cup cherry tomoatoes, halved (I used grape tomatoes instead)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (optional in my version)
1 garlic clove, minced
6 tbsp half-and-half
3 tbsp Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 cup fresh baby spinach

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

Heat EVOO in large non-stick skillet over med heat. Add tomatoes, salt, crushed red pepper, and minced garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in half-and-half and Gorgonzola cheese; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in spinach and pasta, cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts, tossing occasionaly.

Yields: 2 servings (1 1/4 cup per serving)

Sweet Almond Toast

2008-09-13T18:33:00.002-04:00

I made this for myself for breakfast on a whim this week. And really, it's now one of my favorite breakfasts ever. So tasty! (they kind of remind me of Cafe Marie's sticky buns...almost)

Bread
Butter
Almost slices (I used Almond Accents)
Sugar
Cinnamon

Butter a piece of bread. Cover the bread with almonds. Generously sprinkle sugar over almonds, then a little cinnamon. Toast in a toaster oven until bread is toasty and sugar has started to caramelize.

*Careful...it's super hot. I burned the roof of my mouth the first time!

Garbage

2008-09-12T15:36:00.002-04:00

1 lb. hamburger
1 block Velvetta cheese
1 jar salsa
1 can Hormel chili
1 small can chopped jalapenos (optional)

Brown hamburger. Drain. Scoop into crockpot. Add cheese, salsa, chili and peppers. Stir. Heat on low. Great with tortilla chips, although it's OK to sneak spoonfuls if no one is looking.

Easy Monster Cookies

2008-08-23T19:13:00.002-04:00

1 pouch Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix
1 pouch Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie mix
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup butter (softened)
3 eggs
2 cups M&M's chocolate candy

Heat over to 375

In large bowl: mix all ingredients except candy until soft dough forms. Stir in candy.
NOTE: It worked best to combine butter and eggs first. Then add the cookie mix pouches and oatmeal.

On ungreased cookie sheets, place 1/4 cupfuls of dough 3 inches apart (yes, these are BIG cookies).

Bake 12 to 13 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes, remove from sheet and cool on wire racks. Store in airtight container at room temp.

Makes 18 big cookies.

* to make 36 smaller cookies, place 2 tablespoonfuls dough about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Back 10 to 12 minutes.

Cook's note: I made these tonight and they are so yummy!

Sausage cheese puffs.

2008-07-29T10:10:00.009-04:00

You will need:

1 pound of sausage
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I like sharp cheddar)
3 cups biscuit/baking mix
3/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown the sausage. In a large bowl, mix together the cheese and biscuit mix. Drain the sausage and add to the cheese/mix mixture. Add the water and mix with a fork until it is all moist. Drop a forkful onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Makes quite a bit.

These are so good and are small enough so that you don't have to feel guilty. Keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days afterward too.

If you want to make these as an appetizer, you could also try using spicy sausage.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

2008-07-18T09:15:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, B. brought me a chocolate chip cheesecake bar from a potluck he attended. It was good, but not as good as these. Normally, I don't pretend to be an awesome cook, but this recipe is a keeper (and super easy).

One tube refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, softened
One 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

Cut cookie dough in half. Spread one half onto bottom of 8x8 pan. Mix cream cheese, sugar and egg. Spread over cookie bottom. Crumble second half of cookie dough evenly over mixture. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Cool and cut. If desired, drizzle melted chocolate over top before cutting.

Beer Dip.

2008-07-03T13:59:00.003-04:00

My sister-in-law makes this all the time and I'm usually the one who ends up eating the majority of it. Once I start, I can't stop.

Ingredients:
2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 packet of Ranch dressing, NOT the Dip.
2 cups cheddar cheese
The neck of a beer. Preferably not a lite beer, but it works if you have nothing else. A nice Budweiser gives it a tangier flavor though.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Leave in refrigerator for a couple of hours. My sister-in-law serves it with Wheat Thins. She also tries to make it a healthy snack by also serving it with carrots, which are actually pretty decent, and pea pods.

Cream Chicken Sandwiches

2008-05-23T20:07:00.003-04:00

We call it cream chicken back home, but some of you may know it as shredded chicken. This is the easiest thing ever, and yet when I make it people just go crazy for it. I thought it would be a good addition for this weekend (or your summer cook-outs) along with my mom's pasta salad I posted below!

Step 1) Add one 50ounce can, fully cooked chicken to the crock pot (Tip: I use Sweet Sue Chicken from Sam's Club. It comes in a 50oz can and it is only about $7!!! If you have tried to buy canned chicken in regular grocery stores you know this is a deal for the amount of chicken you are getting! And the chicken itself is good!)

Step 2) Add 1 regular can cream of chicken

Step 3) Add 1 regular can cream of mushroom (Tip: you can replace this with cream of celery if you don't like cream of mushroom. It will make the chicken a bit runnier...but still yummy!)

Step 4) Season with salt and pepper to taste

Step 5) Stir together and turn crock pot on low until heated through

Couldn't be simpler! Serve with buns, cheddar cheese slices and ketchup - YUM! People will love it!

My Mom's Pasta Salad

2008-05-23T19:52:00.003-04:00

I am sure everyone has his or her own favorite pasta salad recipe but this is MY personal favorite, maybe because it is my mom’s recipe or maybe b/c it is so damn good! (Probably both) Enjoy for this weekend!!

This feeds alot of people. You can always increase/decrease it for what you want as well as add or take out anything you like!

First:
1 lb Spiral pasta. Cook and let cool for about 20 minutes or until room temperature.

The secret that gives this such a great taste:
1 Large Bottle Wishbone Regular Italian dressing (add more or less to taste) I always have a back up bottle just incase I want a little more
1/2 McCormick Salad Supreme (Located in the spice aisle)

Now any of the things below are optional based on your likes. I personally omit the onions and pile in the veggies, but it is all about what you like!
1 pint cherry tomatoes; halved
1 Green Pepper diced
1 Red Pepper diced
1 Yellow Pepper diced
½ Red Onion chopped*
1/2 English Cucumber diced
1 can Olives; Halved
4 oz. Turkey pepperoni; halved

Then:
Shredded mozzarella cheese (as much as you like)

Mix:
All the ingredients in a big bowl, cover, and put in refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes – 1 hour.

Roasted Ranch Potatoes

2008-05-21T15:31:00.002-04:00

The other night, we needed something to go along with steaks on the grill. I had some red-skinned potatoes, and this is what I came up with:

One bag red-skinned potatoes - washed and quartered
A few tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 packet of dried ranch dressing

I took a gallon sized ziplock bag and filled it with the potatoes, then drizzled some olive oil over top and dumped the ranch in as well. Sealed it and shook it - until the potatoes looked well coated. Then I dumped them on a baking sheet and baked for an hour at 350 degrees.

Pretty yummy. I was happy.

3 Layer Chocolate Cake

2008-05-03T10:22:00.002-04:00

This recipe was my great-grandma's. I've made it once -- it's somewhat time consuming and the frosting is challenging to say the least. If you want to skip the homemade frosting, you can use regular white frosting.

Also - this is not a dark chocolate cake. It's more like a red velvet recipe without the red food coloring. The cake color is light brown.

Cake:
3/4 cup Crisco (regular crisco, NOT butter flavor)
3 squares Baker's Chocolate (melted)
3 c. flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. buttermilk

Cream together Crisco and sugar
Add melted chocolate
Add eggs
Mix flour and salt, add to mixture
Add buttermilk and vanilla
Mix baking soda and vinegar in small bowl; add to mix.

Beat well.

Place batter in 3 floured, round cake pans.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Frosting:
1 c Crisco
1/2 lb Margarine (ex: Parkay)
2 c sugar
1 1/3 c warm milk
2 tsp vanilla
- Beat all ingredients until creamy

- Yes, it does seem ODD to make frosting w/ Crisco...but this recipe is, um, an antique. I was very scared of the frosting when I made it....but it worked out OK. But again, you can use other frosting if you want.

Chili

2008-05-03T10:19:00.002-04:00

1 lb ground beef, browned
2 cans tomato sauce
2 cans dark red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 jar Tony Packo's Chili Recipe (available at The Anderson's and Kroger's)

Mix all together in crock pot. Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours.

Notes:
- This recipe can be doubled
- The Tony Packo's Chili Recipe is SPICY.

[Great chili condiments for this recipe: sour cream, shredded cheese, Fritos]

Ramen Noodle Salad

2008-05-03T10:14:00.002-04:00

2 pkgs Ramen Noodle Beef soup
1 16 oz pkg prepared cole slaw
2 bunches green onions, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup toasted, slivered almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds

In large bowl place:
cole slaw, noodles from soup (broken into pieces - place in lg ziploc bag and smash w/ rolling pin); green onions, almonds and sunflower seeds.

For dressing:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
2 pkgs beef broth (from the Ramen Noodle soup)
1/4 tsp salt
- shake together until well blended. Pour over salad and mix well.

Notes:
- don't add dressing until just before serving
- this is awesome the next day!

Nutter Butter Frozen Pie

2008-05-03T10:10:00.003-04:00

Crust:
24 Nutter Butter cookies, crushed
5 tbsp butter, melted
- mix crushed cookies w/ butter. Press into bottom of 9-inch pie plate

Filling:
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed and divided

Mix: All but Cool Whip w/ hand mixer. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip. Spoon into crust.

Freeze 4 hours or overnight. Let thaw before serving (about 1/2 hour).
Garnish with remaining Cool Whip and, if desired, chocolate sauce.

Yum-O!

Lemon Poppyseed Bread

2008-05-03T10:08:00.001-04:00

1 box lemon cake mix
2 small pkgs instant lemon pudding
1/2 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/4 c. poppy seeds
1 c. water

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into 2 well greased and floured loaf pans.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Makes 2 loaves
Loaves can be frozen for up to 1 month

Broccoli Casserole

2008-05-03T10:04:00.002-04:00

2 pkgs frozen broccoli
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup Miracle Whip or Mayo (works with either)
1 egg
1 pkg grated cheddar cheese
1 onion, minced (optional)
breadcrumbs

Microwave broccoli for 5 mins; mix all ingredients (except bread crumbs) in lg bowl. Place in greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with bread crumbs and dot with butter.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutues.

Note: I always whisk the egg in a separate bowl before adding to other mixture ingredient -- it ensures that you don't end up with a big egg lump in your mixture.

Carrot Cake - Cupcakes!

2008-04-22T08:38:00.002-04:00

This is a very low-fat version of carrot cake I got from hungrygirl.com. If you want to make it a cake, just add 10 minutes to the baking time.

For cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots, roughly chopped if shreds are long
1 cup (1/4th of box) Pillsbury Moist Supreme Reduced Sugar Cake Mix, Classic Yellow
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
2/3 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
2/3 cup canned crushed pineapple in juice (not drained)
2/3 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/4 cup raisins (not packed)
2 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder

For frosting:
4 oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt (or another thick, plain fat-free yogurt)
2/3 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine all dry cupcake ingredients except for the carrots and raisins (in other words -- cake mix, flour, Splenda, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and baking powder). Mix well and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin, egg substitute, and 1/4 c up water until blended. Add the contents of the medium bowl to the large bowl. Using a wire whisk or fork, blend until just mixed. Then, stir in the carrots, pineapple, and raisins. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute cake mixture among the cups, and place in the oven to cook for 20 - 25 minutes (until a toothpick poked into the center of one comes out clean). While the cupcakes cook, combine all the frosting ingredients in a small bowl. Using a whisk or fork, blend until smooth. Place frosting in the fridge to chill. Once cupcakes are fully cooked, remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool completely. Then plate cupcakes, and spread frosting evenly over tops. Refrigerate until frosting has set and you're ready to serve. Enjoy!!! MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 frosted cupcake
Calories: 130
Fat: 1g
Sodium: 205mg
Carbs: 26g
Fiber: 2.5g
Sugars: 10g
Protein: 5g

POINTS® value 2*

Strawberry Volcanoes

2008-04-20T10:54:00.003-04:00

(I should have taken a picture here, but of course didn't. Next time, I surely will)
My friend Julie made these for our bowling banquent last week, then I made them last night for a retirement party. They were a hit both places. I doubled the recipe and didn't bring any home!

1 container of strawberries
1 brick of cream cheese
1/4 Cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Crushed/Chopped nuts

Clean the stawberries and remove the hull making a flat side, so the strawberry can stand on that end (like a mountain). Cut two slices down from the point, like a + sign, not all the way through. You should be able to slighly open the strawberry so you can pipe the filling down inside.

Filling: cream together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. (This is the same recipe you could use for the sauce of a fruit pizza). Fill a plastic bag with the filing and snip a corner off of the bag. If you have a piping bag, good for you...use it!

Fill each strawberry with some of the filling, overflowing them slightly so they look like volcanoes! Top with a few crushed nuts. I used walnuts last night.

Chicken Tuscany with Tomatoes

2008-03-26T12:51:00.005-04:00

Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked rice
2-3 boneless chicken breasts
1 14 ounce can stewed Italian tomatoes
1 small can of mushrooms
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Cook rice as directed; set aside.

2. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and season to taste: try dried basil, pepper, or rosemary. Brown in a medium-sized oiled saute pan.

3. Add rest of ingredients to skillet and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Serve over hot rice.

Notes:

I used fresh mushrooms instead of canned ones. I just sauteed them before mixing them with the chicken.
I used two cans of tomatoes.
My friend used fresh tomatoes and said it was delicious.
My friend used brown rice - I used fried rice (Giant Eagle box kind). I bet white would be good too.

Garlicky Sesame-Cured Broccoli Salad

2008-03-25T15:58:00.001-04:00

I also saw this called "Sexy, Spicy Broccoli" but that turned me off.
Enjoy! -Iris

Time: 10 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating

1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

2 heads broccoli, 1 pound each, cut into bite-size florets

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 fat garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons roasted (Asian) sesame oil

Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes.

1. In a large bowl, stir together the vinegar and salt. Add broccoli and toss to combine.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Add garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in sesame oil and pepper flakes. Pour mixture over broccoli and toss well. Let sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature, and up to 48 (chill it if you want to keep it for more than 2 hours). Adjust seasonings (it may need more salt) and serve.

Yield: 6 to 8 side-dish servings or more as an hors d’oeuvre.

Ricotta Cheese Cookies

2008-03-25T15:05:00.007-04:00

My friend W. (A Couple More Hours) asked me to post this recipe. While I can't vouch for it personally, she does have good tastes.

Ricotta Cheese Cookies
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Mix ingredients well with a spoon. Grease cookie sheets and drop cookies in 1 inch mounds from spoon. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350. Let cookies cool and frost.

Frosting
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla

Stir together. Add food coloring if desired.

Dip newly iced cookies into colored sugar, rainbow dots or jimmies.

YUM!

Pizza Pasta Salad

2008-02-29T13:26:00.004-05:00

* 3 cups penne pasta, cooked, drained and cooled

* 4 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 4 cups)

* 12 slices OSCAR MAYER Hard Salami, chopped

* 1 cup KRAFT Natural Mozzarella Cheese Crumbles

* 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

* 1/2 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

* 1/2 cup KRAFT Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing

Toss all ingredients in large bowl.

Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors.

Option: Prepare as directed, substituting 3 oz. OSCAR MAYER Pepperoni for the salami.

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

2008-02-22T15:36:00.004-05:00

* 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
* 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
* 1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
* 6 Tbsp. KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

* 6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
* 1 egg
* 10 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)
* 1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, heated

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Mix cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 3 Tbsp. of the Parmesan cheese until well blended; spread evenly onto chicken breasts. Starting at one of the short ends of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired. Set aside.

BEAT egg in shallow bowl or pie plate. Mix remaining 3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese and the cracker crumbs in separate shallow bowl or pie plate. Dip chicken bundles in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165ºF). Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with the spaghetti sauce and remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.

Green Grapes, Goat Cheese, Gpecans - The 3 G's.

2008-02-04T12:39:00.000-05:00

This is an easy recipe, although not the quickest thing to make. Unless I'm just slow, these take some time. Don't be fooled by only having 3 ingredients.

1. Wash the grapes. And dry them off.
2. Using your (clean) fingers, grab the goat cheese and mold around the grape, then roll around in your hands to be sure it's smooth and round.
3. Roll cheese-covered grape in a bowl of chopped pecans.

These become so addicting. I kept them in a bowl in the refrigerator and every time I walked by, I grabbed one. But they're not exactly bad for you. You got your fruit, your calcium and your protein - perfect!

Taco Cassarole

2008-01-31T12:01:00.000-05:00

I'm finally posting this just because M hasn't. I made it this week, and I always love it. It's quick, easy, and soooo yummy.

1 lb. ground beef
taco seasoning
1 package refridgerated crescent rolls
shredded cheese
taco chips
sour cream
9x13 Pan

Brown your meat (sometimes I add onions too) and follow directions on taco packet. Preheat oven to instructions on crescent rolls (I think it's typically 350). Unroll crescent rolls into bottom of pan, smooshing them together so all the seems are gone. I like to crush a few chips on top with a little bit of shredded cheese. Then pour your taco meat over top. Spread some cream cheese all over the top of the meat - as much or as little as you like. (I've also added some salsa here at times). Cover with more crushed taco chips, and then cover chips with shredded cheese. Really, there are no set amounts - you can't really mess it up - make it to your taste. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

I like to serve with salsa, taco sauce, sometimes shredded lettuce...whatever you like.

The French Dip - my favorite sandwich

2008-01-17T13:28:00.001-05:00

This is the world's best sandwich. I always get it at restaurants (Easy Street has the best. Friday's was very good too but they took it off the menu like a bunch of jerks.) but now I may just have to make it myself. I'm not kidding you when I tell you I made this last night and it made me cry it was so good. It's a beautiful sandwich.

You'll need:

1 crock pot
1.5 - 2.5 pounds of beef sirloin roast
1 package of au jus mix (the dry stuff)
1 sm. can of beef broth (this makes a HUGE difference over using just water)
provolone cheese
hoagie buns

Stir the au jus mix in the beef broth. Then pour the mixture over the beef in the crock pot. Put the cover on and turn the pot on low for 6-8 hours. After this time, the beef just falls apart, but I like to shred it a bit for smaller pieces. Set oven to broil and put the cheese in the bun and broil for a couple minutes, just until the cheese melts and the bun gets slightly toasty. Spoon the beef into the bun. I like to put the juice from the pot into a bowl so I can dip the sandwich in it, hence French Dip. Oh, it's so good.

Crescent Roll Casserole

2008-01-16T09:47:00.001-05:00

* 1 lb hamburger
* 1/2 onion, chopped
* Sliced mushrooms
* Velveeta cheese, about 1/3 block
* Worchershire sauce
* Two cans of crescent rolls

Brown hamburger, drain. Add Worchershire sauce, onions and mushrooms, cook until tender. Melt Velveeta in microwave. Mix together. Line bottom of 9x13 dish with one can of crescent rolls, pour in mixture, top with remaining crescent rolls. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Alternative Fillings (Be creative!):
* Hamburger, taco seasoning, cheese, salsa
* Hamburger, bacon, cheese, onion
* Hamburger, onions, mushrooms, spaghetti sauce
* Ham cut into cubes, shredded potatoes, cheese

Hamburger Pie

2008-01-16T09:40:00.000-05:00

* 3/4-1 lb hamburger
* 1 can green beans or mixed vegetables
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/2 onion, chopped
* sliced mushrooms
* 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes
* 3 oz tomato paste
* Worchershire sauce
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Mashed potatoes, approximately 6 servings
* Shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Make mashed potatoes. Set aside. Brown hamburger, drain grease. Add onions, mushrooms, green beans or mixed vegetables and water. Cover and cook 5-10 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, Worchershire sauce, salt and pepper, bring to boil. Pour into casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. If you'd like, take out of oven around 20 minutes, top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.

Does anyone do this?

2008-01-03T12:12:00.001-05:00

I don't really have a recipe but my sister-in-law taught me something new over the holidays. When making green beans, she puts them on the stove and instead of using water to heat them up, she uses a can of chicken stock. I couldn't believe how flavorful they were! It's something to try if you like green beans and you like chicken.

Please note: last night I tried making this using water with chicken bouillon and didn't quite get the same flavor. Maybe I needed 2 cubes instead of one? The flavor wasn't as intense.

Crystal's Pretzels

2008-01-01T11:31:00.000-05:00

I WISH I could take credit for this awesome snack, but I can't. Last night, at our New Year's Eve bowling night :) my friend Crystal made these for us to snack on. There were none left, and I think my husband at 75% of them. I'm making them today...they are fantastic, and soooo easy!

One big bag of pretzels (small, bite sized)
3/4 C. of vegetable oil
1 (1 oz.) dry ranch packet
1 tsp. cayanne pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Mix it all together in a large bowl or shake it all in a bag. It's the cayanne pepper...mmmm.

Chocolate Cookie Bark

2007-12-19T08:42:00.001-05:00

* 1 pkg. (8 squares) Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
* 1 pkg. (6 squares) Baker's Premium White Baking Chocolate
* 1 Tsp. peanut butter
* 10 Oreo cookies

Place semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate in separate medium microwaveable bowls. Microwave until completely melted, following directions on packages. Add peanut butter to white chocolate; stir until well blended. Crumble half the cookie over chocolate in each bowl; mix well.

Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate mixtures onto wax paper-covered baking sheets, alternating colors of the chocolates. Cut through chocolate mixtures several times with knife for marble effect.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. Break into 14 pieces. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Alternative A: Omit peanut butter; use mint Oreos.
Alternative B: Omit peanut butter; use holiday Oreos (with red filling).

Norma's Hot Sauce (Salsa)

2007-12-16T22:19:00.000-05:00

I posted this once on Turtle Parade, but thought it should be added here.

1 or 2 jalapeno peppers
1 small onion
6-7 sprigs of cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
28oz can of whole tomato

Chop pepper, onion, cilantro and garlic in a food processor until chunky. Place into a serving dish or bowl. Process tomatoes to your liking as far as consistency (puree or chunky). Mix together with peppers, onions, garlic and cilantro. Salt to taste.

Popcorn Cake

2007-12-07T11:43:00.001-05:00

1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
3/4 t. vanilla
food coloring
2/3 cup uncooked popcorn

Pop corn. Set aside. Cook other ingredients to soft ball stage. (Use a candy thermometer.) Pour over popcorn. Stir well. Color with food coloring if desired. Pour into well-sprayed bundt pan. Let firm. Slice and eat.

Cheezy Onion Dip

2007-12-01T09:55:00.000-05:00

This is a great dip...doesn't taste anything like it's three ingredients. At least, you really wouldn't know what all was in it by tasting it. As with most of the things I like to make, the amount of the ingredients is not that important...roughly, whatever size bag you have will work well, I'm sure.

1 bag of frozen onions (12 oz)
1 cup of real mayonaise (not miracle whip)
1 bag of shreaded swiss cheese (8 oz)

Mix everything and spread out in a 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 until the cheese is browning and bubbly. Serve hot. Tastes best with Wheat Thins.

Easy, Easy, Easy Peanut Butter-Chocolate Fudge

2007-11-19T08:36:00.000-05:00

12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips*
12 oz. peanut butter
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in microwave (about 3 minutes). Add milk. Stir. Pour into 8x8 glass dish. Refrigerate until firm. Enjoy.

* I used the swirled chocolate/caramel chips this time and it was pretty good.

Here it is kids: Pierogi Casserole

2007-11-16T17:08:00.000-05:00

Pieroggi Casserole aka "Artery-clogging, cheese-filled, butter-laden goodness"

Ingredients:
1 onion, minced (or whatever you call it) (half or whole, depending how much you like)
1 stick of butter (no margarine. Blech. If you're going to do it - go balls to the wall)
Mashed potatoes or potato buds (prepare them – enough for about 4-6 servings)
Lasagna noodles
Shredded cheese (I use the taco cheese: cheddar/jack, at home I used Kroger's "casserole blend.")
Salt & pepper (to taste)

You can use a 9 x 13 baking dish, or since all I had was a pie plate, I used that.

Just boil the noodles and put them to the side.
Make the mashed potatoes (Don't make them too solidy and starch-like, b/c the liquid will bake out and dry out)
Sautee the onions with the butter – as much or as little as you’d like.

In the pan, put a layer of lasagna noodles, a layer of mashed potatoes and then drizzle some of the butter/onion mix on top of the potatoes. Then a layer of cheese. Then keep going: layer of lasagna noodles, mashed potatoes, butter/onion mix and cheese... End up with a layer of lasagna noodles on top. I sprinkle with a bit of cheese and butter. (I usually do about 3 layers, 4 if C. is lucky.)

Then, I just put it in the oven (or toaster oven, blech) for about 20 minutes on 350 or so degrees. Just until it looks “right," or until I'm so hungry I can't stand it.

*NOTE: When I used to use real potatoes, this was an all-day affair. Now with those potato buds I'm golden.

Pumpkin Roll

2007-11-16T14:57:00.001-05:00

Cake Batter:
2/3 C. Pure Pumpkin (canned)
1 C. Sugar
3/4 C. Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs

Pumpkin Roll made by Iris Took on 11-16-07. Picture taken by Iris Took on 11-17-07.

Frosting:
8oz. Cream Cheese
1 C. Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons butter

Cake: Beat all ingredients with hand mixer and spread onto greased
jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool pan on rack
until completely cooled.

Frosting: Beat all ingredients with hand mixer until smooth.

Take the cake and lift very gently out of pan. Place onto cellophane
(same side up) . Frost evenly with cream cheese mixture. Roll lengthwise
towards you. Slice roll so you have little rolls and serve!
Wrap tightly with cellophane (if you are not serving immediately).
Keeps well for several days.

Pizza Soup

2007-11-15T10:32:00.000-05:00

4 (26 oz.) cans tomato soup
4 (26 oz.) cans water
3 C. dices tomatoes
6 oz. dices onions
1-2 green peppers, sliced thin
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 lbs. hot seasoned sausage
8oz. pepperoni, sliced
3 rounded T. basil
4 rounded T. dried oregano
2 rounded T. onion powder
2 rounded T. garlic powder
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated

Combine tomato soup, water and tomatoes in pot. Saute onions, peppers and mushrooms and add to pot. Cook and drain sausage and add to pot. Add pepperoni and spices. Cook for at least 1 hour. Sprinkle each serving with mozzarella cheese. Makes 2 gallons. Great to throw in crock pot for potlucks!

Grilled Chicken French Bread Pizza Thing

2007-11-14T10:44:00.000-05:00

Grilled chicken (I use Tyson's pre-cooked grilled chicken strips that you just have to heat up.)
Mixed veggies (I use red, green and yellow peppers, mushrooms and onions.)
French bread (I slice a baked roll in half so it opens like a sandwich.)
Provolone cheese
Italian dressing

Saute the veggies in a little EVOO. Heat the chicken. Toss veggies and chicken in Italian dressing. Spoon mixture onto sliced French bread, top with provolone cheese. Heat in 350-degree oven until cheese is melted. Yum.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip

2007-11-08T18:23:00.000-05:00

This dip is soooo yummy! I usually just make it and leave it in a bowl, but you can form it into a ball and roll it in chopped pecans or another nut if you like.

16 oz. Cream Cheese
1 C. Butter, softened (not melted)
1.5 C. Powdered Sugar
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
1 t. Vanilla
1.5 C. Mini Chocolate Chips
Graham Cracker Sticks (or Teddy Grahams or 'Nilla Wafers)

Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth, then stir in powdered sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Mix in chocolate chips. Refrigerate for a couple hours before eating. Serve with graham cracker sticks.

Potato Bar

2007-10-31T08:31:00.000-04:00

OK, so this isn't really a recipe, but it is a fun, easy dinner idea. It went over better than expected last night at the Hippie Commune so I thought I would share.

Baked potatoes (assume 2 per person)
Chili
Melted cheese
Broccoli
Bacon
Shredded cheese
Butter
Margarine
Sour Cream
Salsa
Any other toppings you can think of

We had most of this stuff in our house, so we just threw it on the bar and made our own dinners. Delish!

Easy Sneasy Pasta Bake

2007-10-24T08:38:00.000-04:00

One jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I like Prego's Romano & Parmesan)
One box of your favorite pasta (I usually go with penne)
Shredded mozzarella

Dump the uncooked pasta in a 9x13-inch pan. Dump the pasta sauce on top. Add a jar of water. Stir. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove foil, top with cheese (as much or as little as you like); bake uncovered until cheese is melted. Eat.

Key Lime Pie

2007-10-21T23:49:00.000-04:00

I just made this tonight to take to work with me tomorrow. I completely forgot how easy it was...and GOOD!

1 graham cracker ready made pie crust (or if you're good, you can make your own)
1 - 15oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
3/4 C. key lime juice (or just regular lime juice if you can't find it)
1 - 8oz. tub of cool whip
1 lime, sliced for garnish

In a bowl, mix together sweetened condensed milk and lime juice until well blended. Fold in cool whip until smooth. Poor into pie crust. Garnish with lime slices or wedges...however you like to pretty it up. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (YUM...can't wait until after lunch tomorrow!)

Cheap, Quick Stroganoff

2007-10-03T12:09:00.000-04:00

2-ish pounds of hamburger
16 oz. bag of noodles (I like medium egg noodles.)
3 cans cream of mushroom soup
3 cans cream of celery soup

Brown hamburger, drain. Cook noodles. Open soup. Mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper.

I like to eat this over mashed potatoes with bread and butter. (And then call it carbs over carbs, served with carbs.)

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2007-09-30T10:04:00.000-04:00

I made this last night for football watching...it was gone in an instant, like it normally is. And really, it couldn't be easier to make.

chicken - canned, grilled or cooked and shreaded...it doesn't matter
cream cheese
Frank's Hot Sauce

The amount of each of these ingredients really doesn't matter. I really think it's all to your taste. Last night I used two 10 oz. cans of shreaded chicken breast (near the tuna in the grocery...but I prefer to grill it and shread it myself), two 8 oz. bricks of cream cheese, and one 5 fl. oz. jar of Frank's.

Put it all in a crock pot and melt it together. Serve with celery stalks and tortilla chips.

The Easiest Chili Dip EVER!!!!!

2007-09-27T11:08:00.000-04:00

This is super easy and super delicious!!! A great, quick snack for parties!!!

1 can Hormel Chili with beans
1 softened 8 oz. package of cream cheese

Put ingredients in a microwave safe dish. Microwave in 1 minute intervals; stirring in-between until heated through. Enjoy with the scoops tortilla chips!

Maybe feeds 4-6 people. I am not sure, when we have people over we make a double batch b/c it goes so fast!

Chicken Parmesan

2007-09-26T10:31:00.000-04:00

2 cups Miracle Whip
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 teaspoons oregano
chicken boobs

Mix ingredients together. Coat chicken, place in 9x13-inch pan. Cook on 375 for 40 minutes.

Corn Souffle

2007-09-13T08:23:00.000-04:00

2 Tbsp. butter
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1 can (15-1/4 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (14.75 oz.) cream-style corn
1 pkg. (8.5 oz.) corn muffin mix
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Microwave butter in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 30 sec. or until melted. Add cream cheese; continue microwaving 15 sec. or until cream cheese is softened; stir until well blended. Add both corns, muffin mix and eggs; mix well.

POUR into greased 13x9-inch baking pan; sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.

BAKE 40 min. or until golden brown. Cool slightly.

The Perfect Mini Cheesecakes

2007-09-01T01:36:00.000-04:00

I made a bunch of these mini cheesecakes this weekend and I have to say they were a big hit! These mini cheesecakes are great for a party or for a special dessert!

What you need:

- Sticks of butter for melting
- Box of either chocolate wafers or chocolate graham crackers
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temp.
- 2 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone cheese, room temp. (Italian cream cheese)
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temp.
- Aluminum mini pie pans. (typically come around 4" and you can usually get 8 in a package for around $1)**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
This recipe should yield approx 12, 4" mini cheesecakes.

CRUST:

Finely crush chocolate graham crackers (or chocolate wafers) and add to a bowl. Mix in 5-6 tablespoons melted butter. You just want the mixture to be coated and able to stick together. Pour a couple spoons fulls into the bottom of each mini baking pan and press down firmly.

FILLING:

Using a mixer; beat the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, & sugar until smooth. (occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula) Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended.

Pour about 4 tablespoons (or enough to put a 1/2" layer over the crusts) into each mini pan.

Place 6 of the mini-cheesecakes on a deep lipped baking sheet. Pour hot water on to the baking sheet around the cheesecakes. (Known as a water bath. This helps for even cooking and allows the crust to stay moist) Just pour enough hot water around the cheesecakes so that there is a layer of water all around the bottom of the baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until the center moves only slightly when shaken but the rest is firm. Note: If you have never made cheesecake, the cheesecake will kind of look like it is not done. But it is and will firm up more when it is out of the oven and has a chance to set up.

When finished, remove from oven and let them cool on the counter for 30-45 minutes. Then refrigerate for a few hours. Cheesecake tastes better if you actually let it refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Before eating, take the chill off the cheesecakes by letting them sit out for about 15 minutes.

Add whatever toppings you like onto the cheesecakes!!

Enjoy!

**You can also make these in muffin pans. Follow the directions above but reduce baking time by around 5-10 minutes depending on your oven. You can also make a 9" cheesecake in a spring form pan with this recipe. Just cook for about 1hr 5 minutes and use a roaster pan to cook the cheesecake in with a water bath that comes half way up the side of the spring form pan.

Chicken Piccata

2007-08-23T21:59:00.000-04:00

Made this one last night for the second time. Both times it turned out great, but it takes about 45 minutes (at least for me).

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
dash salt
dash pepper
1/4 cup flour
4 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced (I throw in a whole package)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions
Pound chicken to 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; coat with flour.
In a large skillet, brown chicken in 3 Tablespoons butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet, keep warm.
Add remaining butter to skillet, and cook the mushrooms and garlic until tender.
Return chicken to pan.
Add wine or chicken broth, and lemon juice. Simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens.
Top with parsley.

I usually steam broccoli to go along with this dish.

Hanky Pankys

2007-08-21T13:26:00.000-04:00

This is one of my absolute Fall must-haves. So great when watching a football game! Here you go:

2 pounds sausage. (I like Bob Evans sausage. Two tubes. I usually get one spicy and one regular.)
1 pound Velveeta cheese
1 Tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 package party Rye breads - the little ones

Brown/cook sausage in a pan on the stove. In the microwave, in a large bowl, melt the Velveeta completely. Then mix in the other ingredients. When sausage is browned, drain and stir into cheese mixture. Lay breads on an ungreased cookie sheet. Spoon the mixture onto bread. Usually a heaping tablespoon is a good amount. When all the breads have been covered, place into 350 degree oven for about 10-13 minutes, or until the edges start to brown a little bit. Keep your eye on them, you don't want the breads to get too toasty. Voila! Enjoy with a nice beer, it really helps counter the spicyness.

These are also great for freezing. When I freeze them, I put the sausage/cheese mixture on the bread but DON'T bake them. When you want to eat them, take out of freezer and put on cookie sheet for 10-13 minutes.

YUM!

Oreo Bon Bons

2007-08-08T13:10:00.001-04:00

I won't make these again until I have a food processor, but it's a recipe worth sharing.

You'll need:

1 16 oz. pkg. of Oreos
1 block of cream cheese
semisweet chocolate chips

Really, really crush the Oreos into fine crumbs. Add softened cream cheese and blend thoroughly. Roll into bite-size balls. Refrigerate until firm. Melt chocolate chips using double broiler or microwave. Dip balls into chocolate, set on wax-lined pan. Put in refrigerator or freezer to harden chocolate. Ta-da!

Corn Flake Treats

2007-08-08T13:07:00.000-04:00

I'm in the snacking mood today - craving something that won't make me feel too guilty. Here's what I settled on:

1/3 cup margarine
10 oz. marshmallows
6 cups corn flakes

Melt the margarine in a large pan. Add marshmallows; melt. Remove from heat. Add corn flakes, mixing as you go.

Press mixture into 13x9-inch pan sprayed with Pam. Let cool. Enjoy!

Crockpot Pizza Dip

2007-08-08T12:58:00.000-04:00

OK. I'm stealing this from my friend S. who stole it from our old coworker K. All's fair in cookin'.

1 brick softened cream cheese
1 jar pizza sauce
mozzarella cheese
pizza toppings of your choice - pepperoni, onions, mushrooms and green peppers work well
French bread pieces, tortilla chips for dipping

Combine ingredients in crock pot; heat on low until mozzarella melts. Dip away!

Stuffed Baked Potatoes

2007-08-06T22:43:00.000-04:00

Ok, this is very easy but I believe essential recipe for everyone to have in their recipe box. Stuffed baked potatoes. This is such a versatile idea (you can add whatever you want) and it is great when you are entertaining guests. It is such a simple idea but I have made these often for friends and they always rave about them!

(Remember this is just a basic outline. Use whatever ingredients you like and change it up! And always make extras…they are GREAT as leftovers)

1. Bake large baking potatoes until tender. My oven I tend to bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour & 15 minutes. (Tip: Don’t forget to poke your potatoes with a fork before cooking & for additional flavor rub olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder on the outside of the baked potato before cooking. If you do that and place them directly on the oven racks the outside will be crispy and taste great!)

2. Get them out of the oven and let them cool slightly. Prepare other ingredients and place in large bowl.

3. My ingredients for 4 potatoes. (I don't measure, so this is just a guess)
- 1 Large onion, diced
- 1 Large green pepper, diced
- 1 ½ cups cubed prepackaged ham
- 1 ½ cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
- Garlic (optional, to taste)

4. Once all of these items have been added to a large bowl and your potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut the very top of the skin off the top of each potato.

5. Scoop out all the potato from each baked potato skin.

6. Place the insides of the potato into the large bowl with all your other ingredients.

7. Place the empty potato “shell” on a cookie sheet.

8. Once all the potatoes are scooped out, place a little dab of butter (or margarine) inside each shell.

9. Mix the potato ingredients in the bowl together until incorporated.

10. Add salt & pepper to the mixture to taste.

11. Add a couple tablespoons of sour cream to the mixture to make slightly creamy.

12. Put the potato mixture back into each shell. Make sure to fill them up good!!!

13. Sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on top.

14. Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted.

A nice salad and maybe a little more sour cream on top of each potato and it is a great dinner!

Enjoy!

Cucumber - Frito Dip

2007-07-25T07:22:00.000-04:00

My Aunt Marian made this for my bachelorette party - LOVED it! And I've made it a few times since...it's always a hit!

2 bricks cream cheese
2 cucumbers
1-2 T dried onion flakes
1 T milk
salt, pepper, dill to taste

Let cream cheese sit out for awhile to soften. Peel cukes, cut in half lengthways and scoop the seeds out with a tablespoon. Use a cheese grater to shred the cucumbers. Mix together cream cheese, cukes, onion and milk, add salt and pepper to taste. (I add a lot of dill because I love it, but this was not in Aunt Mar's original recipe). Refrigerate...it's best after it sits for awhile.

Most Important: Eat with Fritos! Really, tastes best with Fritos!

Mmm...Meatballs

2007-07-23T19:32:00.000-04:00

I'm using this as the inaugural post because they are M's favorite, and really, mine too. They are easy and delish.

Ingredients:
(there really aren't any specific amounts here)
Frozen Meatballs
Grape Jelly
Chili Sauce

Fill your crockpot with frozen meatballs. Pour a jar of grape jelly and a jar of chili sauce over top. Turn your crockpot on high and let 'em simmer. Stir occasionally until meatballs are heated thoroughly and sauce is mixed well.

(I'll try to add a picture the next time I make them...)

Mmm...I can taste them as I type!