Melissa

By request, here is the 6 (well, 7) grain cereal recipe I created:

I use whole, un-ground grain berries for this - I have a little hand grinder attached to my kitchen counter and I grind it right when I'm ready to use it!  Of course you can pre-grind whole batches or combine pre-ground grains, but I feel like I lose vitamins and nutrients that way.

2 C. Oats
2 C. Wheat
1 C. Buckwheat
1 C. Barley
1 C. Rye
1/2 C. Flaxseed
1/2 C. Millet

For grinding as you make it:
2 servings =
1/3 C. berries
1 1/2 C. water
dash salt (opt.)
Grind grains just finely enough to crack millet & flaxseed. Bring salt & water to a boil, stir in cereal with a whisk to prevent lumps.  Cook 2 minutes continuing to stir, serve with raisins or craisins for extra sweetness!

For pre-ground cereal:
1 serving =
1/4 C. ground cereal
3/4 C. water
dash salt (opt.)
Cook as instructed above.

Melissa

Chinese Lettuce Wraps

So I actually made these from a store-bought kit, but I do have my own recipe, and thought I'd share it - (it makes a LOT):

3 Tbps. butter

3-4 chicken breasts

2 sm. cans water chestnuts

1/2 pkg. mushrooms, minced

3 Tbsp. chopped green onions

1 tsp. minced garlic

1-2 heads iceburg lettuce

4 Tbsp. soy sauce

4 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. vinegar

Butterfly chicken breasts, fry in butter (cook all the way through), set aside. Mince chestnuts, mushrooms, garlic & onion. Mix soy sauce, brown sugar & vinegar. Mince chicken. Combine all in a frying pan, heat through. Serve wrapped in lettuce leaves - use special dipping sauce.

*Special Dipping Sauce*

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. water

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. vinegar

2 Tbsp. ketchup

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 Tbsp. chili garlic sauce

Homemade Mac & Cheese

This is the one that uses Velveeta, sour cream, cottage cheese, and cheddar - it's SO good! This time I added cubed ham to it. We ate it with broccoli. I'm pretty sure I've posted the recipe before.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

I LOVE this recipe - it's one of the few I have memorized by heart, and I don't even make too often. You know how you make something and it's good the day you eat it, and then you look at the cold leftovers in the fridge and think "ugh - its not appetizing anymore"? Well that never happens to me with this recipe - I actually hide the leftovers so I can eat them all myself for like 3 days in a row!

2 chicken breasts

2 heads broccoli

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 c. sour cream

1c. water + chicken broth

2 c. cheddar cheese (or colby jack)

Pre-heat oven to 350 - wrap chicken in foil (shiny side in) sprinkled with sea or kosher salt. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken to cool, pour all chicken broth into measuring cup & add water until you have 1 C. Mix broth/water with cream of chicken soup & sour cream. Cut broccoli, and steam until 1/2 cooked (do not cook all the way). Cut chicken into bite sized chunks & combine with broccoli in 9x13 baking pan. Pour sauce over, and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake @ 350 for 30-35 minutes while cooking some rice (our favorite is 1/2 white 1/2 brown rice). YUMMMMMMYYYYYY!

Yogurt with berries & homemade Granola

I started eating this about a week ago when I felt like I needed more dairy in my diet, and it just tastes good. I buy vanilla yogurt from the store, frozen raspberries, and make my own granola. I just thaw some raspberries in the microwave for like 30 seconds, stir them into the yogurt, and top it with granola. YUM!

Here's my recipe for granola:

4 C. rolled oats

4 C. wheat flakes

1/4 C. each soy flour, buckwheat flour, cornmeal, & barley flour (or 1 C. combo of any of those)

1 C. sunflower seeds

3 Tbsp. ground flax

3 Tbsp. ground sesame seeds

1 C. dry milk

1/4 tsp. each cinnamon & nutmeg

coconut flakes

Mix all together. In another bowl mix melted butter, peanut butter & honey until you get 3 c. Mi with dry ingredients. Spread on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 for 1/2 - 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes toward the end. Cool, and add any other ingredients (like craisins). BE CAREFUL - this burns easily!

And of course, a cheesecake. I had to make up a new one for a birthday, and it turned out SO GOOD. Here's the link - please check it out! http://www.cheesecakesmadeeasy.com/coconut-cheesecake-with-mango-glaze/

Last few days.  This is nothing fancy, I'm just putting this down in case anyone is seriously out of ideas.
1.  Spaghetti and salad
2.  Frozen burritos and salad
3.  Steaks and winter squash, roasted in the oven, scooped out, mixed with butter and salt.
4.  Ham sandwiches with all the fixings.
5.  Grilled cheese and tomato soup
6.  Cheese fries of course!
7.  Boiled potatoes made into hash browns, fried eggs, sausages.
8.  Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and milk.
9.  Fried chicken and mashed potatoes.  I love me some fried chicken.  Minnie don't burn chicken.  I use lard instead of Crisco though.  I just crush whatever crackers I have available, dip the bony (or boneless) chicken in beaten egg, then in cracker crumbs, then fry it in a 1/4 inch of lard until it is golden.  Sometimes I have to add more lard when I turn it over.  At this point, boneless is usually done, but bony chicken will need to be put in the oven for 20-30 min until the juices are running clear.

Patrea

Here's a few things we've been eating lately!

Baked Potatoes:
I rub them with olive oil and rub coarse salt on them, then stick them in the oven( right on the rack) at *325 for 90 min.

Breakfast Taquitos with Lime-chipotle dip:
2 tsp olive oil
12 eggs
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 c shredded pepper jack cheese
1/4 c chopped roasted red bell peppers
1/4 c chopped green onions
1/4 c chopped cilantro (I don't like the taste so I do a little less)
1-2 tsp hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)
16 6-inch four tortillas
cooking spray or olive oil

dipping sauce
1 1/2 c sour cream
1 T fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Spray with cooking spray.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Crack eggs into large mixing bowl. Whisk in sour cream, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. When skillet is hot, add egg mixture to pan. scramble eggs and remove when slightly undercooked. Add cheese, red peppers, green onions, cilantro, and hot sauce. Gently fold to combine.
3. Warm tortillas in the microwave. Place 1/4 c egg mixture in each tortilla and place on baking sheet so they are not touching.
4. Spray tortillas with cooking spray and bake for 15 min or until edges are golden brown and crisp.
5. While taquitos are baking, make dipping sauce. Whisk together!


Louisiana syle Rice and Beans-

Still my all time favorite dinner, I've posted it before!


Grilled Tuna and cheese sandwiches:
Mix tuna and mayo. Spread and bread and top with cheese. Butter each side of sandwich and grill!

Lemon Zucchini Fettuccine:

2 large chicken breasts
2 lemons, divided
1/4 c plus 3 T olive oil, divided
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T salt
2 medium zucchini
salt and pepper
5-6 cloves garlic
8 oz fettuccine
Fresh basil (about 1/2 c)
Fresh oregano (about 1/4 c) or about 1 T dried oregano
1 c grated Parmesan cheese

1. Place chicken in a zip lock bag with the juice of one lemon, 2 T olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Let marinade for 15- 30 min.
2. Start water boiling for Fettuccine. While waiting, slice zucchinni in half lenthwise. Drizzle with 1 T olive oil and spinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Mince garlic cloves. In small sauce pan on stove, place 1/4 c olive oil and and add garlic. Turn burner on low so it can warm.
4. When water is boiling, add pasta
5. Remove chicken from bag and salt and pepper both sides. Place chicken and zucchinni on grill
6. Chop herbs and prepare the cheese. Zest both lemons and juice the one that hasn't been juiced.
7. When zucchini and chicken are done, chop them
8. Reserve 1/2 c of pasta water. Drain the pasta and immediately place in a big bowl. Add everything together and toss, if it is too dry and the pasta water and some more olive oil.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole:

Ingredients:1/2 Jar Pasta Sauce
2 Cups Parmesan/Mozzarella Cheese Blend
2-3 Chicken Breasts, Poached and Shredded
1/2 box (corkscrew) Pasta (about 3 cups)

1. Cook Pasta according to package directions, and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In large bowl, mix Pasta, shredded chicken, 1 c. of Cheese, and pasta sauce together. Stir until everything is combined.
3. Pour pasta mixture into 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover with the remaining cheese, and bake for 15 minutes or until macaroni salad is heated through and cheese has melted.

Muffins:

Just a mix we had leftover from Christmas on a night when we wanted a quick, light dinner

Lipton Rice and Chicken:

pick up a pouch of the Lipton Rice Sides, cheddar broccoli flavor. Make it according to package directions, add a can of cream of chicken soup. Cook chicken and cube, add to rice. Top with shredded cheese and serve with broccoli.

Angela

I haven't posted forever because I am too ashamed that we eat the same things over and over.  Also that I have not been planning ahead, just rummaging through the pantry and deep freeze and yard and making whatever we had.
So here is what we have been eating.
1.  Cheese fries.  These never grow old.  Definite family favorite.
2.  Baked potatoes.  We got 100 pounds of potatoes in December so we eat this a lot.
3.  BBQ pork ribs and sweet potatoes.  We just killed a pig, so... we eat a lot of pork lately.
4.  Popcorn.  *Hangs head in shame*
5.  Frozen pizza  *shame again*
6.  Roast chicken.  Really scraping the barrel here, all I had was a mean rooster out in the yard and some butternut squash a ward member gave us in exchange for some venison.
7.  Chicken broccoli casserole.  Leftover chicken from the roast chicken, cream of chicken soup (usually made from the chicken broth in my freezer), sour cream, broccoli.  We eat it over brown rice.
8.  Cheese toast and tomato soup (usually made from the tomatoes we salvaged from the greenhouse at the end of the season.  I pureed them as they turned red and froze a bazillion bags for nights like this).
9.  Shredded pork sandwiches.  This is just slow cooked pig bones.  I fish out the usable bits, mix in some BBQ sauce, and spread it over a piece of bread.  The unusable bits go to the chickens, and the broth goes into my freezer for rice, chili, or meat pie.

If I were cool, I would post the future recipes I am planning to make this next week, but I seriously haven't thought about it at all.  Maybe I will go to the grocery store tomorrow and actually make a list for once, then I'll post my list on here!  Or maybe I'll spend the whole day doing whatever I want and wish on Sunday that I had gone to the grocery store.  That is my problem, I don't want to go to the store.  I just want to stay home by my cozy fire and knit while the snow falls outside my window.  Or write on my computer.  Or snuggle with my kids while Brady reads to us.

Melissa

Jerk Chicken Salad - We LOVE jerk chicken.

These jerk spices can be made in bulk and then used again later. It looks like a lot, but most if not all of them should already live in your cupboard!

3 Tbsp. ground ginger

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. onion powder

2 Tbsp. garlic powder

2 Tbsp. kosher salt

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. dried thyme

2 tsp. ground pepper

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. seasoned salt

2 tsp. ground cloves

Mix all spices together, store in an air-tight container.

2 chicken breasts, sliced thinly the hotdog way

mixed lettuce greens

pineapple tidbits

1 string cheese per person, cut into little circles

caesar dressing

Rub the chicken breasts with the jerk spices. (Be a little liberal - not so much that you are coating each breast in seasonings like breading, but you definitely need more than a sprinkle). In a large skillet heat some olive oil. Brown both sides of the chicken breasts, then turn the heat down to medium and cover with a lid. Turn breasts occasionally and keep covered until cooked all the way through. Slice into bite sized strips and serve over lettuce with pineapple tidbits, cheese circles, and caesar dressing.

For Jerk Chicken Sandwiches:

Jerk chicken, prepared as above

Chewy bakery rolls cut in half

pineapple rings

tomato slices

provolone cheese slices

lettuce

(light mayo)

Steamed Vegetables with Cheese Sauce

I'll make just this for dinner sometimes, and we really love it! I have to remember to make more vegetables than usual because we end up eating more than if it was just a side.

Variety of steamed vegetables:

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Carrots

Etc.

Cheese Sauce:

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

dash pepper

1 1/2 C. milk

1 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, salt & pepper, stir for 1-2 minutes to incorporate into butter, and to let flour cook a little. Add milk VERY slowly, stirring continuously until completely added. Add the cheese, stir until melted. Serve over vegetables!

French Dip Sandwiches

Here's a quick and easy meal for nights when you are busy!

1 pound deli roast beef, cut thin for sandwiches
(get the good kind at the deli counter, not the prepackaged stuff)
1 can campbells French Onion Soup
1 loaf of bread from the bakery - like french bread, a baguette, etc.

Cut roast beef into smaller pieces. Put in soup pan with soup. Let simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes. Cut bread into sandwich slices and top with roast beef and another slice of bread. You can dip the sandwich into the reserved juices from the pan. You can add a can of beef broth to the roast beef and french onion soup, if you like more broth.

Serve these sandwiches with a vege, some fruit and french fries for a satisfying meal.

Melissa

Tonight I am making cheesy manicotti. Yes, it is another of Angela's recipes. I really like it.

Cheesy Manicotti

1 pkg. Jumbo shells pasta

3 1/2 C. mozzarella cheese

3/4 C. Parmesan cheese

3 Tbsp. minced parsley

1/4 tsp. each pepper & salt

1/8 tsp. nutmeg beaten into 1 egg

3/4 C. sour cream

1/3 C. Italian dressing

1/2 C. shredded zucchini

1 26 oz. can Hunt's pasta sauce

Cook noodles. Rinse in cold water & drain. In a large bowl combine 3 C. mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt & pepper. Stir in the egg, sour cream, dressing, & zucchini. Spoon the mixture carefully into the shells (or pipe into manicotti tubes by placing mixture in a plastic bag and cutting a hole in the corner). Place in a greased 9x13 pan, and pour spaghetti sauce over all. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese & bake covered at 350 for 30 min. Remove foil and allow to bake 5-10 min. longer to allow cheese to brown.

Pineapple Upside-down Cake - (from scratch)

Let me just preface this by saying: It turned out SO good. The tangy pineapple on top, the caramel glaze that oozes down into the top layer of the cake, and the cake itself that is not too sweet - and perfectly moist and soft.

1/4 C. melted butter

2/3 C. brown sugar

6-9 pineapple rings

(marichino cherries)

3/4 C. milk

3/4 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice

1/3 C. softened butter

1 C. sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/3 C. flour

Grease the sides of an 8" or 9" square pan. Pour the melted butter in, then sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over it. Layer the pineapple rings - really pack them in up the sides and overlapping since they spread out quite a bit. Preheat oven to 350. Mix the milk with the vinegar or lemon juice, let sit 5 min. Cream butter & sugar. Add the egg, baking powder, salt, & vanilla. Add the sour milk. Stir in the flour. Pour into pan over the pineapple rings, bake @ 350 for 45-55 min. Immediately invert onto serving platter, scraping caramel onto top of cake. Let cool at least 15 min.

Melissa

I've been crazy about trying new recipes lately, and I'm having a great time! Here are some of the things I've been doing:

Fried Egg on toast with avocado, bacon and chipotle mayo - (for breakfast)!

(This isn't my picture, or my recipe - http://www.closetcooking.com/2011/07/poached-egg-on-toast-with-chipotle.html).

I modified it a little bit since I like fried eggs rather than poached eggs, and I cook my yolks all the way through. I also used guacamole instead of avocado slices (because I had some guacamole on hand and not any fresh avocados) but it still turned out DELICIOUS.

Here's how the sandwich goes from top to bottom:

1 egg

2 slices cooked bacon

Guacamole/avocado slices

1 Tbsp. Chipotle-lime mayo (don't skimp, this tastes amazing)

1 piece toast

Chipotle-Lime Mayo:

This was easy for me to make because I always keep ground chipotle peppers in adobo sauce on hand in the fridge. They last for years because they are peppers, and I just use a teaspoon here or there in recipes that need a little smoky tasting spicy kick. I just have 1 or 2 of these cans in my pantry:

(your store might have different brands)

Then I grind the entire contents of the can (sauce and all) in my food processor. I keep it in a small tupperware container in the fridge, and it never goes bad. The one I have now I've had for 3 years I think, and it is still as nice as the day I opened the can.

1/2 C. mayonnaise

1 tsp. chipotle sauce

1 tsp. lime juice

Mix it all up!

Guacamole

2 avocados

sprinkle of onion powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbps. lime juice

1-2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

Blend the avocados, onion powder, salt & lime juice. Stir in the tomatoes. (I had leftover guacamole from dinner last night otherwise I wouldn't have taken the time to make these sandwiches for breakfast). I use guacamole on homemade hamburgers, in tortilla wraps with turkey and provolone, just for dipping tortilla chips, and whatever else you can think of.

Bacon Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Yes, this was what I had for dinner last night, and the reason for the leftover guacamole. For the record, both Levi and I thought they weren't as good as regular ol' BLT's, but they were still good.

Butter 1 side of 2 pieces of bread.

On the unbuttered side sprinkle some cheese.

Layer some guacamole on top of that.

Put several slices of cooked bacon on the guacamole.

Top that with more cheese, then the other piece of bread - buttered side up.

Grill over medium heat in a frying pan with the lid on, about 3 min. on each side, or until bread is browned and cheese is melted.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

So I did end up trying the sugar cookies. (You'll have to look down at the previous post). I followed that recipe, but ended up having to add an extra cup of flour. If I tried it again, I would probably not change Angela's original recipe (I had added an extra egg) and simply substitute 1 C. of flour for 1 C. cocoa powder, then added 1/2 C. sugar. That would make the ingredients:

1 1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. butter

2 1/2 C. flour

1 C. cocoa

1/2 C. sour cream

2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

They still turned out nice, and I decorated them for a friend's birthday.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I have to confess - I haven't tried this one yet; I'm doing it tonight. But everything I've tried from Melskitchencafe.com has always turned out, and it just sounds delicious. Here is the recipe directly from the source; I'll let you know if I had to modify it or anything:

Topping:
4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into quarters (I used a long forgotten bread bowl tucked in the back of the freezer – thawed it in the microwave before using)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
3 pounds russet potatoes (about 4-5 medium), peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream or milk
6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded, about 2 cups
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and sliced thinly
9 ounces deli ham, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:
For the topping, process the bread and butter in a food processor until coarsely ground. Set aside.

For the filling, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, making sure the oven rack is in the middle. Place the potatoes, 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are partially cooked, about 2 minutes (don’t overcook because they will continue to cook in the oven!). Carefully drain potatoes, or remove them with a slotted spoon, and transfer them to a bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions are softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute (this helps cook out the flour taste in the roux). Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and the cream or milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking often, until slightly thickened (if using milk instead of cream, you may have to cook longer for it to thicken up a bit). Off the heat, whisk in the Swiss cheese, Dijon, and cayenne pepper until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

Toss the potatoes with half of the sauce and spread into the bottom of a lightly greased 9X13-inch baking pan. Layer alternating pieces of the chicken and ham over the potatoes, overlapping as needed. This is not a scientific procedure, just make sure that the chicken is in a single layer (not on top of each other) so that it cooks thoroughly. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the chicken and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the casserole is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes (add about 5-7 additional minutes onto the baking time if baking it after it has chilled in the refrigerator for more than a couple of hours). Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Melissa

Lets keep posting! I really need dinner ideas, I hate coming up with plans by myself!

Here's what I did over the last week and a half (I was pretty sick with a horrible cold, so I didn't do dinners every night):

Tacos

I now have a new favorite for tacos. I do soft shell, using the uncooked tortillas from Costco (fry them up right before you use them, YUM!) I bake some chicken breasts wrapped in tinfoil and sprinkled with a little salt (350 for 30 min., or 45 depending on if you have more than 1 layer of chicken). Then I cut it up into bite sized strips, and shake them up in a bag with some olive oil, worcestershire sauce, a sprinkle of garlic salt, a pinch of onion powder, and a splash of lime juice. I heat up a frying pan really hot, and blacken the chicken quickly (so it doesn't get overcooked). Then I serve it in the fresh warm tortillas with some combination of lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, or whatever other toppings you have!

Mushroom Baked Rice with Broccoli & Sauce

I made the mushroom baked rice out of the best bites cookbook, but it took longer to cook than I anticipated. We ate the main dish, and were too full for rice, so I put it away in the fridge. The next night I didn't really want to cook, but wanted to use the rice. I knew Levi would want something more than just rice, and he also really likes saucy things. So I took out some broccoli and steamed it, then made a quick sauce out of cream of mushroom soup, milk, sour cream and parmesan cheese. I microwaved individual bowls of rice, put in the steamed broccoli, then poured the sauce over it and stirred it all up, sprinkling a little more parmesan over the top. It was so good!

Chicken/Artichoke/Bacon Pasta with Alfredo Sauce

I basically followed the recipe for this from the Best Bites cookbook. Levi really liked it! I used whole grain rotini, and didn't have any green onions, but that was probably for the best. (I used a sprinkle of dried chives, and it was good.) I wish I would have taken the foil off for the last 10 min. though to let the cheese brown a little.

Baked Tilapia with Garlic Rosemary Potatoes and Asparagus

I love tilapia! I can hardly stand any seafood, but white fish and shrimp are okay in my book. I also had some killer lobster at Red Lobster one time. But this is super easy. I just bake a couple white fish filets (tilapia or cod) in a baking dish with a citrus grill seasoning sprinkled on top, and a few pats of butter. I cover it tightly with tinfoil and bake @ 350 for 30-40 min. (again, longer if you have more than 1 layer of fish). Then I made the garlic rosemary potatoes from the Best Bites book, and some asparagus. The other favorite to go with fish is the butter & herb or chicken flavored Rice Sides. Broccoli is good instead of asparagus too, but broccoli is our vegetable of choice.

To Try this Week:

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

I was going to make these for Valentine's Day to bring to my playgroup, but we happened to get sick the day before. So I am going to make them and bring them next time. I would normally try it out first and make sure they are good before posting the recipe, but I am so excited and it sounds so yummy that I just have to share! I've adapted this from Angela's "Nicest softest, sugar cookie recipe ever" recipe. I think it will be awesome! (Not that I know yet, but I think these will be a little darker chocolate tasting. If you need it sweeter, do 3/4 c. cocoa powder, and 1 3/4 C. sugar).

1 1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. butter

2 eggs

1/2 C. sour cream (secret ingredient)

2 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 C. flour

1 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Cream sugar & butter. Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Beat. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Mix well, and refrigerate at LEAST 2 hours. (That's important!) Roll it out thick, (between 1/4 - 1/2") and cut out. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet @ 425 for 9 min., or 350 for 10-12 min. (Again, not sure.) Cool. Frost with cream cheese frosting!

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.

1/2 C. softened butter

2 C. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter with cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla, then gradually beat in sugar. Color, and frost. For chocolate frosting, add 2 squares melted baking chocolate (unsweetened).

Patrea

Here's what is cooking at the Hansen's this week!

Quasadillas

Tortilla wedges filled with cooked chicken, cheese and black beans. Heat on a skillet. Top with your favorite toppings.


Chicken Pillows ( One of my all time favorites!)

2 to 3 c cooked chicken, cubed
2 cans crescent rools
2 (3 oz )pkg. cream cheese with chives
2/3 c Pepperidge Farm Herb dressing (find in in a big bag by the stuffing)
2/3 c sliced mushrooms (canned)


Mix cream cheese with 4 T butter and 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir in chicken and mushrooms. Roll out rolls. Add filling (3 or 4 T ) and seal. Wrap both small corners and then wrap big one around everything sealing all the ends. Dip pillows in melted butter (4 to 6 T) and roll in stuffing. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and let sit at room temperature for awhile. Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 min. Best served with gravy made from chicken broth.



Chicken Fried Rice


1 T vegatable oil
1 lb boneless, skinless checken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 (14 1/2 oz) can chicken broth
4 tsp soy sauce
1 (16 oz ) bag frozen peas and carrots
2 cups white 5 min rice uncooked

Heat oil in skillet on medium heat. Add the chicken; cook and stir for 5 min or until cooked through. Add the broth and soy sauce, bring to a boil. Stir in the begatables and rice; then cover. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 min. Stir before serving. Sprinkle with one chopped green onion, if desired.


Chicken Tortilla Soup

First you have to grill the chicken. Here's the marinade recipe
1 lb chicken breats
2-3 juicy limes
1-2 T red wine vinegar
3 clves garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper.

Marinade for 8 hrs then grill


1 lb grilled chicken
1/2 T olive oil
1 large onion , chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno peppers, minced
4 (15 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15 oz can chopped or diced tomatoes
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 c chopped cilantro
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Garnishes : cheese, lime wedges, advacado, tortilla chips

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute for 3-4 min. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook a few minutes more until pepper in softened and garlic is fragrant. Add chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer 15- 20 min.

While soup in simmering, juuice the limes and set aside. Start preparing the toppings; Right before serving, add lime juice, cilantro and chopped chicken to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Melissa

This week is as follows:

Cream Cheese Chicken & Vegetable Soup - (its not my recipe and its the first time I'm making it, so I'll see how it goes before I post the recipe. Its basically chicken with potatoes & veggies, thickened with cream cheese, milk & flour.)

Chicken Cordon Bleu - (recipe posted before)

Chicken Crepes - I don't remember if I've posted this one before or not; if you want it let me know.

Stuffed Mushrooms - this will be more of a treat to eat on the side of one of these meals; here's the recipe:

1 package whole white mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 bread heels, ground into crumbs

A couple slices of cooked, crumbled bacon

dash salt

dash pepper

Italian seasoning

grated cheddar cheese

sliced cheddar cheese

Wash & de-stem mushrooms. Set tops aside on a paper towel to dry. Mince stems, put in medium bowl. Add garlic, bread bits, salt, pepper, seasoning, & small handful of cheese. Sautee in a non-stick frying pan until reduced & brown with small amount of olive oil. Stir in bacon bits. Arrange caps on a cookie sheet. Stuff with cooked mixture & top each with a small square of cheddar cheese. Bake @ 400 for 5-10 min. or until caps are soft & cheese is bubbling.

Rich 'N Cheesy Macaroni - I don't remember if I've posted this one before either; recipe available upon request.

Angela

On Sunday we had hash browns, sausage, and eggs for dinner.
On Monday we had fried potatoes and sausage.
On Tuesday we had turkey sandwiches with leftover turkey from Christmas.
On Wednesday we had baked potatoes
Tonight we are having grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup

Tomorrow we are having a casserole where you fry some sausage (ground meat, like hamburger, only it's sausage) put it in a glass pan with raw rice, a can of tomatoes (or mushed up tomatoes if you have an abundance of those) a little water, seasonings (I like thyme, basil, paprika, salt, maybe some chili powder), and then chop up half a cabbage and put it on top.  Cover the whole thing with tinfoil and bake an hour if it's white rice, and two hours if it's brown rice.  Sprinkle cheese over the cabbage and put it back in to melt.

The day after tomorrow we are having fajitas if I can scrape up the coins to buy a couple of peppers.  I have to make homemade tortillas and come up with my own seasoning which is different every time.  I just use whatever meat falls off the bones when I cook up bones from my cows, pigs, or chickens (to make broth).  I always have sour cream on hand, even if it means all my utilities will be shut off.  It's important to keep your priorities straight!

After that I'll make meat pie with the rest of the meat that fell off the bones and some of the broth.  The rest of the broth goes in the freezer.  My favorite ingredient when I make meat pie?  Barley!  I add it to the veggies and broth while they are cooking.  I've posted this before (I make it a lot) but just to recap, you chop up whatever veggies are wilting in your pantry and fridge, boil them in whatever flavor broth you have (beef, chicken, or pork for me)(or bouillon cubes broth I guess)(or water, then strain the veggies and use a gravy packet) ANYWAY, Strain the veggies from the broth, save the broth, put the veggies and some cooked leftover meat inside a pie crust shell (so easy to make, like five minutes), make gravy from the saved broth, pour it in the shell too, then put another crust over the top and bake it until the crust is cooked, an hour for me because my crust is whole wheat and huge.  I cram my glass cake pan as full as I can without overflowing.

The day after that, it will be hamburgers with homemade ground beef, homemade bread, pickled beets, and tomatoes.

The veggies I am trying to use up right now are: cabbage, carrots, beets, tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkin, and butternut squash.  If anyone has a favorite recipe using any of those, let me know.  I bought fifty pounds of each and keeping ahead of them is fun!

Just for fun, this is what I do for pickled beets.  My family eats half a gallon within a month.
Wash the beets and wrap them in foil.  Roast them in the oven for three hours or so.  Put them in the fridge until you have time to peel and slice them.  Uh, then you peel and slice them!  Pack them in a gallon jar, or half gallon jar, or old pickle jar, or quart jar, or some kind of container that won't leak if it gets tipped, preferably not plastic because it will get stained.  In a saucepan, boil two cups of vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar), two cups of water, and two cups of sugar.  That's it!  Make sure the sugar is dissolved and pour it over the beets.  You don't have to wait for it to cool.  Leave them in there up to four months, but mine go way faster than that.  Then make another batch, using the same brine if you want, just reboil it.  This is enough brine to fill a half gallon jar filled with beets.  I'm going to make a gallon this next time, so I'll just double it.