Blackened Tilapia

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

4 six-ounce tilapia fillets

2 tablespoons canola or olive oil

Directions:

In a shallow dish, mix the salt, paprika, garlic and onion powders, cayenne, black pepper, oregano, and thyme. Generously coat fish fillets with spice mixture. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-heat, and add canola or olive oil. Add fish and cook 3 minutes on each side, or until flesh is white opaque (cooked through) and spices are toasted. Transfer to plates, and serve over rice.

COOKS NOTE: When blackening, make sure to use a heavy skillet (like cast iron) that can take the necessary high heat.

(Recipe from a friend in our church, Danielle)

This recipe is spicy but delicious!

Homemade Apple Sauce

8-10 small/medium apples

1/4 cup of water

sugar

cinnamon

Peel and slice your apples (you can do as many as you want) and put into a sauce pan. Add approx. 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil on high heat and immediately reduce to medium. Cover and let cook, stirring occasionally. It will cook for about a half hour (maybe more depending on how many apples you use). I like to leave mine a little chunky, but it can be pureed in a food processor for smoother results. Stir in cinnamon and sugar to taste. Chill in the refrigerator and serve with your favorite pork dinner (just a suggestion!)

(Recipe from friend in my church, Krista)

This was the best applesauce I have ever tasted and it was so easy to make.

Coconut Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks or strips

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons curry powder (or use 2 tablespoons spicy curry powder with half of the crushed red pepper and paprika (1/2 t. crushed red pepper and 1/4 t. paprika))

1 t. crushed red pepper and 1/2 t. paprika

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 red potatoes or 2 while potatoes, cut into chunks

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk

1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

3 tablespoons sugar

Brown or white rice

Directions:

-Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.

-Heat oil, curry powder, and paprika in a large skillet over medium-low heat for two minutes, until fragrant (but don't let it burn).

-Turn the heat up to medium and stir in onions and garlic and cook ten minutes more or until onions are very clear.

-Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and is cooked through.

-Add potatoes, then add coconut milk, can of tomatoes (I cut up tomatoes first), tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine.

-Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30-40 minutes or until sauce thickens and potatoes are soft.

(adapted to my liking from http://whatsonmymenu.blogspot.com/2009/01/coconut-chicken-curry.html)

It was delicious! I found another great recipe that will become a regular for us. We served our curry with mixed vegetables covered in shredded cheese. Yummy!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and black pepper. Store in an airtight container.

(adapted to my liking from www.allrecipes.com, Taco Seasoning I)

I have been wanting to learn a great recipes to replace store bought seasoning packets. My husband and I have come to not care for pre-made seasoning packets. We feel they taste too salty and far from being healthy.

I found this tasty recipe for taco seasoning on allrecipes.com with a 5 star review of over 1,300 people. I knew I was in for a wonderful recipe. I used 1 1/2 teaspoons in our dinner last night and it was amazingly good! My husband and I did not want to stop eating. The tastes were so good. I plan to always double or triple the recipe, so I will always have it on hand for later meals.

Double-Cheese, Spinach and Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza dough

Corn meal

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

2 cups washed fresh baby spinach leaves (from 10-oz bag)

1 cup of cooked chicken (about 8-oz)

1/4 cup chopped drained roasted red bell peppers (from 7-oz jar)

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Place pizza dough on a greased cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal.

2. Top pizza dough with Mozzarella cheese, spinach, chicken, red bell peppers, garlic salt and Cheddar cheese.

3. Bake around 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

(adapted to my liking from the cook book, Betty Crocker Chicken Tonight 100 Recipes for the Way You Really Cook)

Our family loves homemade pizza and it was great to find another type of pizza we can enjoy. I used my 'The Best Pizza Dough on Earth' recipe with this pizza. Oh and yes, my husband and I really like sprinkling red pepper flakes on our pizza before we eat it.

Amazing White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (reduce to 1/4 tsp. to make not as spicy)

2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth (or 4 bouillon cubes with 4 cups of hot water)

3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (I used one 12.5 ounce can of chicken breast in water)

2 (15 ounce) cans white beans

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used Shredded Mexican Blend cheese sprinkled on top of our individual bowls of chili and did not mixed the cheese into the chili, you can do it which ever why you want)

Directions:

1. Heat frying pan with cooking spray over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Remove the mixture from heat. If desire, slowly stir in the cheese until melted or sprinkle on top of individual bowls of chili. Serve warm.

(adapted to my liking from www.allrecipes.com, Cha Cha's White Chicken Chili)

I found this amazing recipe that was rated as a 4 1/2 star by 850 people. I knew it had to be a very good recipe to try. And it was!!! My husband and I love it. We have not given any to our daughter because of the spicy favorite. If you did not want it to be spicy then don't add the cayenne pepper.

Harvest Apple Crisp

Filling:

5 apples cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

Topping:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup flour

1/3 cup oats

Combine filling ingredients and put in greased, 9 x 13 inch baking dish (I used a glass baking dish). Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter. Mix brown sugar and butter, then add flour, salt and last the oats. Crumble topping over filling. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until top is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Eat lots of it and enjoy!!!

(recipe from a good friend, Liz Dibble)

I tried this apple crisp recipe and I have never used another. It is delicious!

Apple Strudel Muffins

Apple Strudel Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups chopped apples

Topping:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease two 12 cup muffin pans.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pans.
4. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.
5. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

(recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)

Pictures of the apple muffin batter.

Delicious muffins! My daughter and I loved them. We went apple picking a week ago and have many apples to experiment with.

Pumpkin and Chocolate

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Cream together:

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/3 cups sugar

Mix together:

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup water

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

Stir together:

1 2/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Mix together:

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Add:

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

1/4 cup chopped raisins, optional

Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes. Makes a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.

Or, bake at 350 degrees F for minutes or muffins.

Mrs. Fields Pumpkin Spice Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup salted butter, softened

1 large egg

1 cup pumpkin (canned or freshly cooked)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup raisins (optional)

1/2 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Yield: 3 dozen

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a medium bowl combine flour, soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl blend sugars with an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add the butter and beat to form a grainy paste. Scrape sides of bowl, then add egg, pumpkin and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture, raisins, nuts, and chocolate chips. Blend at low speed just until combined. Do not over mix.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased or parchment lined cookie sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 22-24 minutes until cookies are slightly brown along edges. Immediately transfer cookies to a cool surface.

(recipe from my great mother-in-law)

My Cheesy Pasta Bake

My Cheesy Pasta Bake

1 lb. box of pasta (any shape you like)

1 -29 oz can of tomato sauce or two 15 oz cans with added Italian seasonings (oregano, basil, and thyme)

1 -15 oz can of diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic

1-6 oz can of tomato paste

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 medium yellow onion

1 1/2 cups of cottage cheese

1-2 cups mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese for the top

Cook the pasta until it is almost tender, ready to eat. Saute onion and garlic with a little bit of butter, canola oil or cooking spray in frying pan. Mix in tomato sauce with Italian seasonings, diced tomatoes and tomato paste into frying pan with onions and garlic. Bring the tomato sauce mixture to a boiling, then turn heat down to let sauce simmer for a few minutes. Place half of the pasta noodles in a sprayed 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Spread all the cottage cheese over the pasta. Pour half the tomato sauce mixture over the cottage cheese. Place all the mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Place the rest of the pasta over the mozzarella cheese. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce mixture over the pasta and then sprinkle desired amount of Parmesan cheese on top. Place baking pan in oven set at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until it is heated through and cheese is melted on top.

I was very impressed with how it turned out. I had made it up on my own after referring to another pasta bake on www.allrecipes.com. My husband, daughter and I loved it. I think it will become a new pasta favorite. I am trying to come up with more pasta dishes we can have for our dinners. It is easy and does not cost to much to make.

Oven-Baked Herb-Crusted Chicken

Oven-Baked Herb-Crusted Chicken

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 (5-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In 1 large zip-top bag, mix the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, oregano, thyme, salt and black pepper. Place the chicken breasts in bag. Seal bag and shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess coating.

Transfer chicken to baking sheet and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through.

Serve chicken breast with rice, pasta or potatoes. Refrigerate remaining chicken until ready to use.

(recipe modified from Robin Miller on Food Network show "Quick Fix Meals")

I took a picture of the chicken breasts before placing them into the oven to bake. This chicken recipe is so EASY! I love how there are no oils used and the chicken turns out so moist and flavorful! Very delicious! This was my second time making it and I plan to make it over and over again. We are able to have three different meals out of the six chicken breast halves.

Groovy Ice Pops

I recently purchased some great ice pop molds from Bed, Bath & Beyond to make my own homemade ice pops. My husband and I have already made yogurt pops with fresh bananas and ice cream bars. They are very easy to make. First, we mixed together store bought yogurt (any flavor you desire) with diced banana (almost any fruit will work) in a small bowl, second, we poured the yogurt fruit mixture into the ice pop molds, third, we secured the ice pop lids back on top and, fourth, we placed them in the freezer. If you want to may ice cream bars, let the ice cream melt to a liquid consistency and then pour into the ice molds to re-freeze. You will want to let the yogurt pops or ice cream bars sit in the freezer for at least 4 hours before eating these tasty treats!

I also want to try making grape and orange juice pops. We love these pop molds so much that we are thinking of getting another set.

My summer has gotten busy with family vacations and other get aways, however, I am excited to get back to discovering new delicious recipes later this month once the summer fun starts to slow down.

Apple Carrot Muffins & Fruit Pizza

Delicious and healthy muffin recipe I found on allrecipes.com and freeze great if have extra.

Apple Carrot Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 & 3/4 cups raisin bran cereal

1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 & 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup canola oil

3/4 cup finely chopped peeled tart apple

3/4 cup grated carrots

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, beat the egg, buttermilk and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apple, carrots and walnuts. Fill paper-lined muffin cups or cups coated with nonstick cooking spray three-fourths full. Bake at 4oo degrees F for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Nutition per muffin: 199 calories, 7 g fat

(I found this wonderful recipe on www.allrecipes.com submitted by Elaine Cooley)

Fruit Pizza

Recipes are from my amazing mother-in-law.

Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Blend in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover, chill at least 1 hour. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll dough 1/8-1/4" thick on a greased cookie sheet into one large circle (to resemble a pizza). Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until just set and barely brown on the edges and bottom.

Fruit Pizza

1 recipe of sugar cookie dough

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon juice

approx. 1 cup Cool Whip

raspberry filling or jam

kiwi, sliced

bananas, sliced (could toss in a small amount of cinnamon sugar)

strawberries, sliced

Press cookie dough into pizza pan. Bake according to directions. Beat the cream cheese to soften; add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth; beat in lemon juice and fold in Cool Whip. Spread evenly over top of cooled sugar cookie crust. On top of cream cheese mixture, spread raspberry filling or jam in a circle in the center of the pizza. Place kiwi, bananas, and strawberries in rows around the raspberry center. May use other fruit if desired.

I used bananas, strawberries, blueberries and kiwi. It was tasty! A great summer dessert.

Taco Salad

Taco Salad

This is the best taco salad I have ever tasted!

Makes: 6 main-dish servings

8 ounces lean ground beef or ground turkey

3 cloves of garlic

1-15 ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1-15 ounce can of tomato sauce

1.25 ounce packet of taco seasoning

3/4 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed (or you could use canned corn) (optional)

6 cups shredded leaf

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 large green sweet pepper, chopped (1 cup)

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion (4)

6 purchased tortilla cups or a bag of tortilla chips

1 medium avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and chopped (1/2 cup)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (3 ounces)

Dairy sour cream (optional)

1. In a medium sauce pan cook ground beef or ground turkey and garlic until beef or turkey is brown. Drain off fat. Stir in kidney beans, tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and, if desired, corn. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a extra-large bowl combine lettuce, tomatoes, sweet pepper, and green onion. To serve, divide lettuce mixture among the tortilla cups or chips. Top each serving with some of the meat mixture and avocado. Sprinkle with cheese. If desired, serve with sour cream.

(adapted recipe to my liking from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 14th Edition)

Peanut Butter Cookies

I found this great peanut butter cookie recipe on 'On my Menu', http://whatsonmymenu.blogspot.com/search/label/cookies , which also has many other great recipes.  One of my hobbies is searching out for new recipes to try.  I followed this cookies recipe (Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies) exactly how she has it, except I didn't put Hershey kisses on top of my cookies because I didn't have any on hand.  When you pull up the page the Peanut Butter Kiss Cookie recipe is on, you may have to scroll down the page a recipe or two to find it.

Cheeseburger Bread

My bread split open on top because I had rolled out my dough to thin and most of the cheeseburger mixture had collected up at the end of the rolling up of the loaf.  Make sure to not roll out your dough thinner than a 1/2 inch thick.

We had Cheeseburger Bread for dinner this past Friday night after swimming in the pool.  It tasted so good!  A great easy summer cheesebuger meal.  We dipped our slices in ketcup, mustard with tomatoes and lettuce.  I first saw this Cheeseburger Bread made on Rachel Rays TV show.  So I found the recipe at:

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/cheeseburger-bread/

I made a few modifications such as I used beef broth instead of beef stock and ground turkey instead of ground beef/sirloin, and I didn't use any olive oil for cooking the ground turkey in.  I would have used sesame seeds on top of the bread but I didn't have any at the time.

A Modification On My Honey & Oat Granola Recipe

My husband and I have wanted to have more clusters of oats in my homemade granola recipe so I tried adding an extra 1/4 cup of canola oil, increasing the amount of honey to 1/2 cup and added an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract to the orignial recipe.  It was fabulous!!  So many more clusters and tastier!  I have already added the new modifications to the recipe.  You will have to try the new improved granola.

The Best Pizza Dough On Earth

2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
5-6 cups flour
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 batch of tasty pizza sauce
3-4 cups of grated cheese of your choice (mozzarella, etc.)
desired toppings

Mix water, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 2 cups of flour and mix well. Add another 2 cups of flour and mix well. Add most of the fifth cup and knead on a floured surface, adding a little more flour at a time until dough no longer sticks to the counter and springs back when poked with your finger (or knead in electric mixer until dough no loner sticks to the inside of the bowl and springs back when poked with your finger). Brush the left over flour out of the bowl and spread the oil on the bottom and sides of the bowl. Place dough in oiled bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled. Once dough has doubled in size, divide dough into three equal balls. Roll out each ball of dough into desired size of pizza dough (usually about a half inch thick). Place each pizza dough onto prepared (prepared = sprinkle cornmeal out onto area where pizza dough will be placed or if you don't have cornmeal on hand, spray baking sheet or stoneware with non-stick cooking spray) baking sheet or pizza stoneware. Spread desired pizza sauce, cheese and toppings onto pizza dough and cook each pizza at 425 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes or until pizza is fully cooked and golden brown around the edge.

(adapted recipe to my liking from Recipes to Remember by Elizabeth Jewkes)

Tasty Pizza Sauce

15 oz. tomato sauce
1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt (I have used regular salt)
1/2 tsp. dry onion or 2 tsp. finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp. sugar

Combine all ingredients together and mix well. Pour and spread on pizza crust. This makes enough for 2-3 pizzas.

(I found this recipe on www.cooks.com)

So here are a couple more recipes I have posted on my blog for friends and family who are craving mouth-watering pizza!

Famous Cream Cheese Chicken

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (or 1/2 of a small bottle)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 oz. cream cheese
small amount of milk (I use the soup can 3/4 full of milk)

In skillet, brown chicken breasts in Italian salad dressing. Place chicken breasts into crock pot, including the drippings. In blender, combine cream of mushroom soup, cream cheese, and enough milk to make smooth consistency. Beat until smooth. Pour over chicken in crock pot. Cook all day on low. Serve over rice or noodles. (5-6 servings)

(recipe adapted to our family's liking from my fabulous mother-in-law)

I have posted this yummy recipe for any friends and family that would like to try it out. The preparation is fast and easy and you will not be disappointed with the results!

Fabulous Oven Baked Chicken Nuggets

Fabulous Oven Baked Chicken Nuggets

Makes around 25 nuggets.

Ingredients:

3 cups Corn Chex cereal

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (orginial recipe called for 1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (I didn't have this on hand so I googled what was in it)

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon milk

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 x 1-inch pieces

Preparation Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line cookie sheet with foil.  Crush cereal.  (To easily crush cereal, place in plastic bag or between sheets of waxed paper, and crush with rolling pin.)

2.  In medium bowl, stir together crushed cereal, cheese, salt, seasoned salt, paprika and garlic powder.  In a small bowl, stir together melted butter and milk.  Dip chicken into butter mixture, then roll in cereal mixture to coat evenly.  Place on cookie sheet.

3.  Bake 9 minutes; turn nuggets over.  Bake about 8 minutes longer or until coating is light golden brown and chicken is no longer pink in center.

Recipe Tips:

Coating the chunks is a snap when you work quickly with one fork in each hand.  Drop the chunks in the butter; turn to coat, then lift into crumbs with one fork.  Use the other hand (and fork) to turn and coat in the crumbs - voila, neatly coated chicken chunks!

Serve With:

 

We dipped our chicken nuggets in honey-mustard barbecue sauce and it was delicious!  Other sauces you can serve the nuggets with are: original barbecue sauce, sweet-and-sour sauce, or even ketcup.

We were surprised out tasty these chicken nuggets were being made with chex cereal.  My husband pleaded that we make them again soon.

(adapted to my liking from www.chex.com)

Bread Bowls

Mixing the dough.

Bread Bowls

2 T. yeast

4 c. warm water

1/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 t. salt

1/4 c. vegetable oil (I used canola oil)

7-9 c. bread flour

Dissolve yeast in water.  Add sugar, salt, vegetable oil, and 4 c. flour.  Beat well with electric mixer.  Add additional flour to make a soft dough.  Knead well.  Cover and let rise about 1 hour.  Form into balls approximately the size of baseballs.  Place on greased baking sheet.  Let rise until double, about 45 minutes.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on rack.  To serve, cut small slice off the top of each bread bowl.  Scoop out the soft bread from the inside, leaving and 1/2 inch thick shell.  Fill with thick soup and serve with the bread that was removed from the inside of the bowl.  

Yield: 10-14 bowls

(altered by me but from my BYU Cooking Class Cook Book)

Second time rising and ready to go into the oven.

Yummy!

Best Homemade Cream Soup Base

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter (original recipe called for 1/2 cup butter)

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

2 cups milk (I used 1% milk)

2 cubes chicken bouillon

ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Melt butter in a saucepan.  Add flour and make a paste.  Add milk and bouillon cubes.  Cook over low heat until thickened.  Add pepper to taste.  Add more milk when adding the other soup ingrdients, depending on the thickness you desire (I ended up adding an additional cup of milk and also a cup of water to the soup base).

2.  I added boiled chunks of potatoes and carrots with chopped onions and a can of chicken.  Here are some suggestions from the original recipe: to this base you may add steamed broccoli and cheddar cheese; or chunks of baked potato (peel and all) with cheddar cheese, bacon pieces, and chives; or pureed, stewed tomatoes for a bisque; or leeks that have been cleaned well, steamed, and chopped; or cooked asparagus cut in pieces (if canned asparagus is used, add some of the liquid as well), topped with grated cheese and bacon pieces.

(from www.allrecipes.com adapted to my liking)

Happy Horton Day!

Horton Clover Cupcakes

Prepare cupcakes from a cake mix of your choice. I used a yellow cake mix for these cupcakes.

Butter Frosting

1/3 cup butter, softened
3 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a bowl beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well.
2. Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla extract. Slowly beat in remaining powdered sugar. Beat in additional milk, if needed, to make of spreading consistency. Tint with food coloring, if desired.

(adapted from www.allrecipes.com)

I sprinkled pink coconut on top of the cupcakes which I colored using a few drops of red food coloring and a little bit of water.

We are big fans of 'Horton Hears A Who' and Dr. Seuss's books! On Friday, May 15th it was a famous day for Dr. Seuss's book 'Horton Hears A Who'.
"On the fifteenth of May, in the Jungle of Nool, In the heat of the day, in the cool of the pool,...".

Out of Town.

I am out having fun visiting family right now and will get back cooking soon.   Keep checking back!

Cafe Rio Pork Burritos

Cafe Rio Pork Burritos

Pork Loin or Pork Roast

cook in crock pot on low for 7-9 hours in sauce until it pulls apart.

Sauce

18 oz Coca-Cola Classic (do not use diet or generic)

1 C. sugar

1 7 oz. can chipotle chilies in ADOBO sauce (since you use the sauce and not the chilies, it is important that you get exactly that.)

1 tsp. dry ground mustard - heaping

1 tsp. minced garlic

Remove chilies from the can of adobo sauce. Rinse chilies with the coke to get all the sauce. Discard. Also rinse can with coke to get all remaining sauce. Put all ingredients in blender. Blend, pour over pork in crock pot. After cooking, pull apart with forks into bite size piececs. Leave in sauce while you serve it.

** I also added a few tablespoons of brown sugar, a tablespoon at a time, near the end of the pork being finished. Taste test for sweetness. :) **

** I bought the green salsa that had tomatillos and serano peppers in the ingredients instead and it tasted just like the Cafe Rio mild sauce.**

Cilantro-Lime Rice

1 C. uncooked rice

1 tsp. butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (15 oz.) chicken broth (two chicken bouillon cubes with 2 cups of hot water)

1 1/4 C. water

2 Tbs. lime juice

2 tsp. granulated sugar

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, lime zest, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a biol. Cover, lower heat, and cook 15-20 min, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar, & cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice.

Black Beans

1 can black beans with jalapenos and lime juice, rinsed and drained

1 1/3 C. tomato juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 Tbl. olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

In a non-stick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice & salt. Continually stir until heated through.

Don't forget the mozzarella cheese. Put it all together in a tortilla and broil it in the oven until the cheese melts!

(I modified this recipe from Kaitlyn Lind, a good friend of mine.)

These burritos are so tasty! I haven't gotten tired of eating leftovers for 3 days and could continue to eat more.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Cheddar Cheese
8 Flour Tortillas (burrito size)
3 Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded
1 large can (29 oz.) of Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (mild)

Place desired amount of cheddar cheese, chicken and a spoon full of enchilada sauce in each tortilla and roll the tortilla up. Place all 8 tortillas in a 13 x 9 inch sprayed baking dish. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas and spread desired amount of cheddar cheese over the top and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, until cheese is melted and tortillas are slightly crispy on top.

(I found and modified this recipe from the back of the 'El Paso Green Chile Enchilada Sauce' can).

Delightful!

Sweet Spicy Orange Chicken

Sweet Spicy Orange Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2" cubes
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/3 cup seasoned "Red Pepper" rice vinegar (can also use regular rice vinegar to not make it spicy)
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons yellow onion or green onion
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a shallow bowl combine the cornstarch, garlic powder and black pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in cornstarch mixture and coat evenly.

Melt butter and pour in a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine water, fresh orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, orange zest and whisk over medium heat for a few minutes. Then stir in brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and onion or green onion and let it come to a boil. Combine cornstarch with water and let it dissolve and add it to the sauce until thickened.

After chicken has baked the 30 minutes, turn each piece over and pour 1/2 sauce mixture evenly over chicken. Bake another 3o to 40 minutes basting (glazing the sauce over the chicken) frequently.

Serve chicken over rice with extra sauce on the side.

(I adapted recipe from mykitchencafe.blogspot.com)

Cooked chicken and orange sauce mixture from the oven. We loved it and enjoyed the very orange taste.

Crispy Spicy Beef

We love tasting food with contrasting flavors and this recipe is heavenly! It was very hard for us to stop eating.

CRISPY SPICY BEEF

1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 ounces flank steak, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of canola oil

4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup sliced onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

In a resealable plastic bag, combine cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Add steak slices to cornstarch mixture and shake bag to lightly coat.

Pour two tablespoons of canola oil in frying pan and drop steak slices from plastic bag into the frying pan. Cook covered until browned and crispy.

In a medium saucepan, combine soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sugar, chili powder, water, and ginger. Mix well and cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved.

In a small frying pan, add one tablespoon of canola oil and quickly saute the onion, garlic, and red pepper for 30 seconds.

Add sauce mixture and cook another 30 seconds.

Add the sauce mixture to the cooked steak and toss to heat through and coat with sauce.

Serve with rice and fresh cooked green beans.

(I found this recipe on the internet but have modified it to my liking).

Spicy Lasagna

Spicy Lasagna 

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or whole-wheat flour

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup sweet potato puree (optional)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 (26-ounce) or 2 (15-ounce) cans whole or diced, peeled tomatoes, with their juice

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup lowfat (1%) cottage cheese

1 large egg white

1 (8-ounce) box of lasagna noodles (boiled and ready to use)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Red pepper flakes, sprinkled on top of finished lasagna

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat an 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. For the meat filling, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat.  When the pan is hot, add the oil.  Add the turkey, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes.  Sprinkle in the flour and half of the garlic, stir, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer.  Off the heat, stir in the sour cream, sweet potato puree, and half (1/4 cup) of the Parmesan; set aside.

3. For the sauce, combine the tomatoes and juice, the onion, and the remaining garlic and Parmesan (1/4 cup) in the food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Transfer the sauce to a bowl or large measuring cup.

4. In the same blender or food processor, blend the cottage cheese and egg white until smooth; set aside.

5. To assemble the lasagna, spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom of the baking dish.  Layer about one-third of the noodles on top, covering the sauce completely.  Spread the meat filling over them.  (If you desire to go meatless, just add a first layer of cottage cheese.)  Cover with another one-third of the noodles and then spread all of the cottage cheese mixture over them.  Make another layer with the rest of the noodles and spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the top.  Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.

6. Cover the lasgna with aluminum foil and bake until the cheese has melted and the noodles are cooked through, about 40 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the top is bubbly and browned.  Sprinkle on top of lasagna your desired amount of red pepper flakes.

(Recipe originally from the cookbook Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld but I made a few modifications.)

We took the pictures before added our red pepper flakes on top.  The red pepper flakes gave the lasagna a great burst of flavor.  The sweet potato puree is not needed for the recipe to turn out good, it is there to sneak in a vegetable that your kids will not taste or notice it being there.  Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook is designed with recipes to get your kids eating good food.  

Honey & Oat Granola

We love to eat the granola with milk, yogurt, or all by itself.

Honey & Oat Granola

6 cups oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup coconut
1 cup nuts (I use pecans)

Mix all & stir in:

1/2 cup canola oil (for more oat clusters use 3/4 cup canola oil) 
1/3 cup honey (for more oat clusters use 1/2 cup honey) :) yum yum
2-3 tsp. vanilla

Divide granola mixture in half and place on sprayed cookie sheets. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for around 25 minutes.

I found this granola recipe on www.providentliving.org but I have cut some of the ingredients out that I don't like in my granola).

Spray two cookie sheets with cooking spray and spread half of the granola out onto each cookie sheet.

Store finished granola in an airtight container.