Burrito Bowl

I felt like going out to Chipotle today for lunch, but instead stayed home and made this for the whole family. 

Layer in a bowl:

lightly fried tortilla (optional)

rice

Chipotle Pinto beans (from a can) :)

 chicken (see below)

grated cheddar cheese

salsa

sour cream

shredded lettuce

Chicken:

slice thawed breast in half. slice lengthwise into thin strips and then across to cube. Fry in a small amount of light olive oil. Season with Emeril's Bam Seasoning and 1/2 packet of Taco Bell's Fajita seasoning. Drain liquid and heat until fully cooked. Drizzle lime juice over the top.

Homemade Mac-n-Cheese

In large pot, fill 3/4 full with water. Bring to boil. Add 1 pkg. large macaroni pasta and cook according to instructions on package.

In the meantime:

Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp. flour and stir until blended. Season with salt or garlic salt and pepper. Heat over medium heat until bubbly and lighly browned--if your patient enough. Stir in 1 C. milk and mix with a small whisk until smooth. When mixture is hot again, add 1 1/2 C. grated cheddar cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Thin with additional milk, if desired. :)

When pasta is done, drain. Rinse very briefly with cold water so pasta won't stick together; drain again. Stir in 1 Tbsp. butter into pasta, add cheese sauce from above. Serve.

Crepes

For best results, refrigerate covered bowl of batter overnight.
(Makes about 12 crepes, I usually double this recipe for my family)

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. sugar
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 c. milk
2 T. margarine or butter, melted
1/2 t. vanilla
2 eggs

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in 1 1/2 qt. bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Beat with hand beater until smooth. Use a stick of butter to grease the bottom of a 8 inch skillet; heat over medium heat until bubbly. For each crepe, pour scant 1/4 c. of batter into skillet; immediately rotate skillet until thin film covers bottom.

Cook until light brown. Run wide spatula around edge to loosen; turn and cook other side until very light brown. Stack crepes, placing waxed paper between each--for best results. (I never do)

Spread a couple tablespoons of prepared Jello Cheesecake pudding and pie filling into the middle of each crepe. Roll up and top with warm strawberry sauce (recipe below) and whipped cream. Mmmm....

Enjoy!!

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Strawberry Sauce:
(start sauce before cooking crepes) :)

In a small saucepan, heat to boiling:

2 c. strawberries, halved (can use 1 pkg. of frozen strawberries, thawed)
1/2 c. granulated sugar, or to taste (I don't measure it, it could be more like 3/4 c.)
1 c. water
2 T. cornstarch (add to cold water)

Reduce to medium-low heat and cook until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.
*Can substitute raspberries or peaches for strawberries.

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Sweetened Whipped Cream:

1 c. chilled whipping cream
3 T. granulated sugar (or powdered sugar)
1 t. vanilla

Beat in chilled bowl until stiff.

Devil's Food Cake Mix Cookies

EASY!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together:

1/3 C. water
1/2 cube butter, softened (4 Tbsp.)
1 pkg. Duncan Hines plain Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 egg
1/8 C. flour
1 C. semisweet chocolate chips, optional

Drop heaping teaspoons of the dough onto a greased cookie sheet, or onto a cookie sheet with a Silpat mat. Bake for 12-14 minutes and let cool for 1-2 minutes on cookie sheet before removing to cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar and let cool completely.

These cookies usually disappear in my house before they have time to cool, so good luck with that! ;)

Steve's option: spread chunky peanut butter over cookie and sprinkle with powdered sugar for a Reese's fix.

La Tour Eiffel Brownies

No special recipe here, just a little creativity using some bottled icing. My daughter wanted to bake something to use this icing on and so I made some Duncan Hines brownies. FYI- Duncan Hines has the best brownies and cake mixes! Sarah is taking French in high school this year so the Eiffel Tower was a logical design choice. :) Who knew brownies would make such a great artist canvas, right?

Cougar Oreo Ice Cream

1 pint whipping cream
2 BYU chocolate milk (or just add some chocolate syrup)
1 T. Mexican vanilla
3/4 c. sugar
6 crushed Oreos (I love the mint Oreos)

Tip: My favorite way to crush cookies and graham crackers (for pie crusts) is between 2 bowls. I had my son be my hand-model. :)

Double batch for large ice cream maker.

Freeze.  (About 1 1/2 to 2 hours)

My kids have been begging me to make homemade ice cream, this will be the first time I will be making it this year. Last year I made it several times!

Breakfast Casserole

(Recipe from Linda Beach)

Begin this recipe the evening before you plan to serve it.

To save on clean-up, I prepare this casserole in a disposable 9x13" pan.

Ingredients:

10 slices white bread

2 c. grated cheddar cheese

12 sausage links

12 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1/2 t. dry mustard

salt and pepper

---

1 can cream of chicken, or cream of mushroom  

   soup

1/2 can milk

Brown sausage links in a fry pan, for about 8-10 minutes. Remove crust from 10 slices of white bread, I prefer Grandma Sycamore's bread, and cut into cubes. Spread bread cubes into the bottom of the 9x13" pan. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the bread. Cut the sausage links into thirds and spread over the casserole. In a large bowl, mix together 12 eggs, 1/2 c. milk and 3/4 t. dry mustard and a little salt and pepper. Using a large spoon, spoon eggs over the casserole to cover the sausage and bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

___________

1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours before serving:

Pre-heat oven to 350-375 degrees F. (depending on how eager you are to get it done) ;)

In a small bowl, combine 1 can of Cream of Chicken (or Cream of Mushroom) soup with 1/2 can of milk to make a sauce. Spoon sauce over the casserole, being careful to get a little over each sausage--mainly so the ends of the sausage won't dry out. Bake (covered) casserole at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours and then remove foil and bake the rest of the way-- until middle is cooked.

*The person I got this recipe from uses Cream of Mushroom soup, but I usually prefer using the Cream of Chicken soup. Also, the sauce on this casserole is intended to be "a sauce" but I prefer the top of any casserole with eggs to be dry on top. Thus, I overcook it. The bottom may get a little dark but my family doesn't mind.

This is my family's Fourth of July breakfast tradition, right before our neighborhood's bike parade. Great served with cut-up fresh fruit. We also like to have this when our family comes over on Christmas morning. Great to make ahead and be ready to just stick it in the oven.

Ice Cream Snowballs

A couple of Summers ago my daughter had a friend over and were wanting to find something to do and this is what we came up with.

First scoop balls of ice cream using a cookie-scoop. Then roll ice cream balls in coconut, crushed oreos, sprinkles or homemade graham cracker pie crust: crushed graham crackers, granulated sugar mixed with a little melted butter. Roll coated ice cream gently into balls and then place the finished "snow balls" on a plastic plate lined with waxed paper and put them in the freezer to firm up. Place the extra snow balls (that haven't been immediately devoured) in a ziplock bag for storage. Instant treat--hide carefully in freezer if you ever want to see them again! :) The snowballs above were rolled in coconut and pie crust crumbs.

Yum!

Purple Plums

It's a long story...yesterday I went to the grocery store and they were giving out complimentary "Burgundy" plums at the checkout! Could this be? Could the insides be purple like the ones I crave from my childhood when we had plums with purple insides growing on a tree in my backyard? The same ones my mom would make plum jam out of? Yes!! My wish had been granted. Oh the joy of purple plums! :9

Believe it or not, I actually left the store content with my free perfect plum. Of course, as soon as I got home I wanted more!! I convinced my daughter to come back to the store with me on the hunt for more of these plums. They were hard to find. None of the plums said, "burgundy" on them, they all said "black" on them, but I know from my own experience they have yellowish insides. No thanks. Yes, I'm a plum snob. ;)

We found the plums that we were searching for, in bags that were labeled "premium plums" and were noticeably more expensive-- so I was convinced we had the right ones. Part of the reason why Sarah came with me was because she made a deal that I would buy her a coconut, so we picked out one of those next. Then, she was fascinated by all the other tropical fruits that we had never tried and we picked up a few of those as well. The one she wanted the most was the dragon fruit--of course she would, it cost $6.99! She offered to pay for it even, so I got it for her, knowing I wouldn't make her pay for it because we would all share in eating it if it was good.

Here is a display of the fruits that Sarah put together. She knew I'd want to get a picture of it, so here it is. I love that she took such joy in arranging it on a plate. Everything we tasted she "liked" or, at least, she convinced herself it was good even though some were barely edible. She cracks me up. She also called yesterday our "Fruit Day" and asked if we could do this every year. She set a goal of trying every fruit too. So, we are off to a good start.

Chicken Teriyaki Kabobs

Thanks Brooke for this recipe idea! :)
(a Warner family favorite)

2 Pkgs chicken breasts--cleaned and cubed

Marinate in:

4 TBSP soy sauce
4 TBSP oil
4 TBSP orange or lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger

Thread chicken on skewers with green peppers, cherry tomatoes and small white mushrooms.

Tilapia a la Steph ;)

Thaw frozen Tilapia Loins as directed on package. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of extra light olive oil in large fry pan, add thawed tilapia loins to pan. Sprinkle each loin with garlic salt and fresh cracked pepper. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle parmesan cheese over the tops to coat. Saute over medium-heat for 4-5 minutes. Carefully turn tilapia over using a spatuala. Season tilapia loins as above with garlic salt, pepper, lemon juice and parmesan. Cook for another 5 minutes or until a light golden brown and then turn and brown the remaining side. :) I prefer to overcook the tilapia until there is a bit of a crispy outer layer. Mmmm... 

Serve with Rice Pilaf that's been cooked in chicken broth.

Bleu Cheese Au Gratin Potatoes

Several years ago, Steve and I had dinner at Inn On The Creek in Midway, Utah. One of the best dining experiences ever! :) I have never been the biggest fan of bleu cheese but after having their Au Gratin potatoes I was forever changed. haha. Steve came home from Costco with a container of bleu cheese chunks and I knew immediately what I wanted to try to make with it--potatoes! Steve bought it with the intention of putting it on top of steaks he was going to grill. Our family was in barbecue heaven today with steak & these fancy potatoes. I realize that not everybody will like them, but I can't imagine who!

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet, saute until translucent and golden:
1/2 yellow or vidalia onion, sliced (or chopped)
1 small clove garlic, minced
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
(set aside)

Sauce:
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
2 C. milk
1/2-2/3 C. crumbled bleu cheese or chunks
3 T. cream cheese

*Melt butter in a small sauce pan and saute garlic. Add 2 T. flour and heat, while stirring to combine. Add 2 C. milk, a little at a time. Heat over medium-high heat and stirring often. When mixed well, lower heat and add 1/2 -2/3 C. of bleu cheese chunks, 3 T. low-fat cream cheese, and 1/8 c. parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese is completely melted and remove from heat.

In a medium-size casserole dish, layer:
russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
salt and fresh ground pepper
grilled onions from above
pour sauce over potatoes at half-way and then the rest over the top
top with about 1/4 C. bleu cheese, finely crumbled

Cover potatoes tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hr. 15 mins. Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until slightly golden. Is this what heaven smells like? ;)

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving to help potatoes firm up. 

My family devoured these potatoes. I was actually kind of surprised. One of my kids was a little more resistant to eat it--and it wasn't my youngest. I actually made a second batch of potatoes, substituting the bleu cheese with cheddar cheese and increasing to about 3/4 c. cheese. Reduce cream cheese to 2 T. and omit Parmesan, if you want. The cheddar cheese potatoes were good, but not as good as the bleu cheese potatoes. Mmmm....

Steph's Stir-fry

This recipe is inspired from a visit to a Mongolian BBQ I had years ago and loved. :)

In a large fry-pan, heat until chicken is done:
drizzle of olive oil
4 chicken breasts, split in half and sliced thin
pour a little soy sauce over the top, about 1/4 c.
a few drops of sesame oil
a couple of dashes of garlic salt
a couple of dashes of Emeril's Bam seasoning (optional)

In another large fry-pan, saute: (Omit whatever you don't like)
drizzle of olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 vidalia onions, halved and sliced
1 lg. red pepper, finely sliced and cut in half
1 carrot finely chopped or 1/2 bag of matchstick carrots
1 sm. call water chestnuts, chopped

Add the following during the last 5-10 minutes of heating:
2 cups of steamed broccoli (It's probably not necessary to steam the broccoli, but I did)
2 c. bean sprouts (key ingredient) :) --cook until heated thoroughly and softened, but still crisp inside

*Optional:
Saute mushrooms in a pat of butter with a dash of garlic salt. This is a piece of heaven that my kids don't fully appreciate yet. So, I serve this on the side. ;)

In a large pot, boil: (about 8-10 mins.)

1 package Vermicelli pasta, broken in half

dash salt

*(Vermicelli is a thin spaghetti noodle.)

Combine cooked chicken into pan with sauteed vegetables. Add drained pasta and stir to combine. Add a little more soy sauce of the top and a few more drops of sesame oil to color and flavor the pasta. Can add a little more olive oil if desired.

Serve with Yoshihida's Gourmet Sauce for extra flavor. This was quite the production to prepare but my kids loved it! It's nice to have kids old enough to enjoy this and appreciate the effort that goes into it.

This makes yummy left-overs too!

Banana Bread

From Taste of Home Cookbook

1/4 c. butter, softened (I'd say 1/3 c.)
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
3/4 c. mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
1/2 c. sour cream
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. ground cinnamon
(dash of ground cloves)
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Variation:
Fold in 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (or vanilla or white chips)

1) In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

2) Stir in bananas and sour cream. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir into banana mixture just until moistened. Fold in nuts.

3) Transfer to a greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick is inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fruited Flank Steak

*This is my most requested recipe! The drippings from this dish make the best gravy!

Slow-cooker recipe:

1 (1 to 1-1/2 lbs.) flank steak
1/4 c. bottled teriyaki sauce
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. vinegar
1 T. canola oil
1 clove minced garlic (I use 1/8 tsp. minced garlic in a jar)
Juice reserved from can of fruit coctail (save fruit for later)

Sprinkle flank steak with salt and pepper; place in slow-cooking pot. Drain fruit cocktail, saving 1/4 c. syrup. Combine 1/4 cup syrup with remaining ingredients: pour over steak in pot. (Do not add fruit cocktail yet...only syrup)

Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or until tender. Add drained fruit the last few minutes until hot. Lift out of pot: place on platter. With sharp knife, cut thin slices of meat across the grain. Serve hot.

Makes 4-5 servings.


Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy made from sauce in pot. (I usually double the liquid ingredients and make a gravy from that for the potatoes. Yummy fruity teriyaki gravy. :9

The Infamous Cheese Zombies :)

Anyone who went to high school in the Mount Diablo School District knows about these yummy rolls filled with melted cheese. It is the ultimate comfort food! Perfect for rainy days! I guess I wasn't the only one who was addicted to these. I have heard of many people who share this "food memory" with me that still crave it! It seriously makes me laugh! People talk about going back to our high school just to walk through the lunch line to get one...and some actually do! Good thing I'm a couple states away or that could be me! I pulled this recipe off of my High School's Facebook page. Someone took the time to contact the school district to get this recipe.

Cheese Zombies

To make 2 ½ pounds of dough:

2 cups warm water

1½ - 2 Tablespoons yeast

6 cups bread flour (can use 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white flour)

¼ cup sugar

1 – 1 ½ teaspoons salt (depending on taste)

¼ cup butter

Directions

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add remaining ingredients and mix with dough hook about 10 minutes until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Dough should be soft and pliable. Let dough rest a few minutes then divide into 1-pound portions. Roll the portions into logs. Cut each log into 5 equal pieces. 

Place your favorite filling on top of each dough slice, then pull dough up from the sides to cover filling. Pinch closed very carefully. Place zombies pinched side down on parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet pan (parchment works best). If desired, brush with egg wash. Let rise until almost doubled in size. Bake @350 degrees until brown on top, about 15 to 20 minutes. 

*When I have tried to make these I don't brush with the egg wash. To soften the rolls, I immediately brush them with water a couple of times--which steams them.

Fillings: If traditional filling is desired use 1 ½ to 2 oz. of cheese per zombie, however, you can use a variety of different fillings. For example: pepperoni, pizza sauce & cheese, ham & cheese, sausage, green chilies, ground beef, sloppy joes, scrambled eggs, vegetables, etc.

French Toast Croissant Breakfast Sandwich

Sorry there is no picture--you'll have to use your imagination. ;)

Okay, this probably sounds a bit crazy...but let me explain! :) I found some left-over croissants that we used for sandwiches this past week. Usually I store them in a large Ziplock bag to keep them fresh longer but must have gotten lazy this week. This morning, as I was thinking about what to make for our Saturday breakfast I stumbled across these croissants that were started to get a bit crispy on the ends. So, I decided to slice them in half and dip the cut side in the same mixture you would use of beaten egg, milk and cinnamon and then fry them up (with very little oil) until browned.

I filled the croissant with scrambled eggs (with sauteed red & green peppers), a little shredded cheddar cheese and a piece of cooked bacon that was broken in two. My kids were so impressed! If you scramble the eggs without adding sauteed peppers, you may want to try a little drizzle of syrup over the eggs--why not? McDonald's makes McGriddles right? (Not that I could eat those. Too fake sweet for me.) :)

Oh, to make it even more special, serve with a fruit smoothie or orange julius. We used the frozen Jamba Smoothie mix with strawberries and bananas in it and added a couple of tablespoons of frozen orange juice concentrate to it with a little milk. Mmmm...

Steph's Taco Salad

Justin's Birthday Dinner request every year is this Taco Salad. This recipe has evolved over the years according to our family's tastes but it is one of our family's favorites. Even though Justin is a couple thousand miles away right now, in Chile, we enjoyed his traditional Birthday Dinner on May 24th--Justin will have to have a raincheck" when he gets home.

1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. Taco Bell seasoning mix, prepare according to direction on package.
garlic salt & pepper, to taste


While meat is cooking, prepare the salad mixture:

Iceberg lettuce, cut-up, or a bag of Iceberg salad mix. (We use the large bag of salad from Costco)
1-2 roma tomatoes, cut-up
1 C. grated cheddar cheese or bagged grated cheese 

1 C. corn 

1/2 red onion, chopped (can soak in ice water for 20 mins. to soften the strong taste of the onion.)

black olives, sliced (small can)

chili beans, pintos (low sodium)

1 avocado, cut-up and sprinkled with salt
a couple of handfuls of Nacho Cheese Doritos, crunched up

Catalina dressing/light Catalina dressing- but not yet :)

*You can serve with Barbecue sauce and Ranch Dressing if you absolutely must, but first try the Catalina!) :)

Mix salad and then top with warm (but not hot) taco meat. Pour Catalina dressing/light Catalina dressing over the taco meat and toss well. Serve with more chips because, inevitably, your family will probably tell you there isn't enough in it!

*Tip: cook up double the amount of taco meat and have tacos the next night with half the effort. :)

Happy Birthday Justy!

Ground Beef Stroganoff

This isn't your typical Stroganoff recipe. I got this recipe from a friend at BYU and it has proven kid friendly over the years. We never put in the mushrooms, so I'm not sure if you can really call it Stroganoff. Oh well, my kids love it!

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
garlic salt
pepper
2 cans cream of chicken soup
worcestershire sauce
browning sauce
(optional: sauteed mushrooms)

Boil pasta for 8-9 minutes:
12 oz. No Yolks dumplings (pasta)

In large frypan, brown ground beef and garlic salt and pepper to taste while breaking beef into small pieces. When done, remove extra grease. Add cream of chicken soup and a few drops of worcestershire sauce. Add a couple of drops of browning sauce for richer brown color. Since I am not a big fan of sour cream in this dish, I thin the sauce with a little milk. Reduce heat and cover until pasta is done.

Stir meat mixture into the pasta until well combined.

Optional: sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese and garlic salt.

Aunt Abby's "Quick Brownies"

This is one of those good old recipes that never gets old. "Quick" is a relative word, it would probably be quicker to use a premade brownie mix, but not by much. If you want a quick brownie than Ghiradelli, in my opinion, makes the best ones. If you want a good recipe that makes you feel like a homemaker, this is it! These brownies turn out firmer and chewier than the package mix brownies. The tops of these brownies crack on the top as you cut them into squares. The crispy edge of these brownies are my favorite part. Steve and I fight over the corners. ;)  I might need to invest in one of those all edges pans for this recipe. :) This recipe calls for a chocolate icing but I don't think it needs it.

"Quick Brownies"

2 eggs
1 c. sugar
6 T. vegetable or Canola oil
3 squares Baker's unsweetened chocolate, melted
     or 3 T. cocoa powder
1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla

3/4 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Beat together the sugar, egg and oil. Add chocolate, mix. Add flour, salt and vanilla. Stir in "nutmeats" last. :) (I always omit the nuts, they just get in the way of the chocolate to me) ;) Spread in a greased 8" square pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 mins. Cut into 2" squares.

*Can double recipe for 9"x13" pan.

*High Altitude: Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 mins. or so. --toothpick test it.


Fudge Frosting for Quick Brownies (Icing)

Combine:

1 c. powdered sugar
1 T. cocoa powder
2 T. cream or milk
1 T. butter

Cook until mixture boils around sides of pan. Remove from heat, beat 'til frosting is of spreading consistency. Cut into squares while frosting is still warm--this way the frosting will crack less.

Chocolate Chip Cookies...why not?

Perhaps it is a bit odd to post our Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, which is basically the Toll House recipe, when you can just read it off the bag of chocolate chips...but what if you lost the bag? ;)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix together and set aside:

2 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, combine:

3/4 C. granulated sugar
3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. butter, softened (1 sticks)
1/2 C. Crisco, plain or butter flavor (it doesn't really matter)

Mix well, then add:

2 large eggs

1tsp. Mexican Vanilla (If you haven't already converted to Mexican Vanilla you are behind the times) ;) ha!

Mix briefly to combine, then gradually add in flour mixture.

Stir in 1 1/2 C. chocolate chips

Omit nuts!!! (just kidding, you can add them if you want them) :)

Scoop cookie dough using a cookie scoop or form into small balls using a teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Remove to wire rack and let cool completely. Store in a gallon size Ziplock bag to keep the cookies soft. (The other key to keeping the cookies soft and chewy is to replace the butter the recipe calls for with 1/2 butter and 1/2 Crisco.

To make Justin's Chocolate Chip Cookies: (Or, if you just want to drive Steve crazy. Steve is obsessive about perfectly measuring out ingredients...and cleaning as he goes!) Use the same ingredients as listed above and just dump everything into a large bowl, except the chocolate chips. Mix well. Add chocolate chips or M&Ms, mix well, and bake according to directions above.

Steph's tip:
Double the batch and when you get tired of baking the cookies, scoop the remaining cookie dough onto a plastic plate. Put in freezer for about 20 minutes and then remove dough balls from plate and put into a large Ziplock bag. Lay bag flat in the freezer. Bake the cookies within a couple of weeks, there probably won't be many left to bake it you wait too long. ;)

The Perfect Omelette (according to my taste buds) :)

This is my favorite omelette combination, not that I'm perfect in making it though...but I'm getting closer. :)

In a frypan, saute the following:

1-2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped fine
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine
4 green onions, sliced

When vegetables are getting tender, add:

1 ham steak, chopped
or 5 slices of lunchmeat ham, cut into small pieces

*Grate 1/2 c. medium cheddar cheese, set aside

In a small omelette pan:

Coat bottom of pan with butter or medium low heat.  I put my pan on a number 4. The pan is usually perfectly heated when the butter turns brown, but the browned butter doesn't make the egg look good, so I usually dump it and wipe it out with a paper towel. Then, I rebutter the bottom of the pan, let it melt, and add the whipped eggs to it. (If the pan is cold when you add the eggs and then heated, the eggs will stick to the bottom) Cook until the bottom 3/4 of the eggs are cooked, it's okay if the top is runny. Then maneuver your spatula under the eggs and tilt the pan so that most of the "egg pancake" is on the spatula while letting any of the runny part of the egg drip back into the pan, and flip over.

Immediately sprinkle half of the omelette with grated cheese and spoon sauteed vegees over the cheese. Use spatula to fold the empty side over the top, while holding in place for a few seconds. If eggs are done, remove immediately to a plate, sprinkle with a little more grated cheese and vegees.

I am not much of an egg lover but I can actually eat and enjoy this. Even better with hashbrowns. Mmmm...

2-3 eggs, whip eggs with hand mixer for a few seconds with salt and pepper

Summer Squash Skillet

In large fry pan, saute until tender:

I cover it for the first 5 or so minutes and then leave the lid off for the remaining time.

2-3 Tbsp. butter

3 yellow squash, quartered and sliced

2 zuchinni, quartered and sliced

1 yellow onion, sliced (or chopped)

garlic salt & pepper

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.

I made this yesterday to go with our Mother's Day dinner and my 19-year old son Jared came up to see what smelled so good. He was REALLY disappointed when he saw it was just vegetables. :) ha! We served it with grilled chicken and rice. My son started with the chicken and rice and then eventually gave in and tried the vegetables and loved them. It was pretty funny. He didn't expect to like them so much.

Another fun way of serving this is by cooking these vegees, minus the butter in a metal basket on the barbecue. Pre-spray the pan with Pam cooking spray and then add vegetables and seasoning. Yummy stuff.  Perfect for summer! If only it would stop raining so I could plant a garden! :)

More photos coming...

Some of the recipes I have posted I have been meaning to get pictures of but when the certain foods hits the table in my house it's gone and it's too late to get a picture. Namely, the Fruited Flank Steak. It looks a bit strange but it's yummy stuff. :)

My daughter Sarah just came home from school last week with a recipe for Snicker's Salad that she wanted to try. As you can imagine it wasn't much of a "salad." It's one of those things that would look nasty if you didn't know what it was. It has chopped apples and sliced bananas in Cool Whip mixed with some vanilla pudding and with chunks of cut-up Snickers in it. The family loved that but they were almost afraid to try it because it looked like potato salad. I'm thinking that Sarah would be safe to put it in the fridge with a few pieces of grated carrot on top and nobody would ever touch it. That would have been a fun salad to make for April Fool's day. 

Just some food for thought.

Have a great week,
Stephanie

Danish Pastry

Recipe from Linda Beach

(This recipe makes 2 large pastries)

2 pkgs. dry yeast (2 tsp. each) dissolved in 1/2 c. warm water (shouldn't feel hot to the touch)

1 lb. butter

1/3 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 c. milk

6 c. flour (3 c. at a time)

Fruit Filling:

3/4+ can cherry or blueberry pie filling or about a cup of jam (slightly drained is helpful)

Almond Filling: (To make "bear claws" :) 
3/4 c. Zwieback crumbs (I used 1 1/2 c. crumbs from Zwieback toast)
1/2 c. butter, melted (I used 1/4 c.)
1 egg, beaten (I used 2 egg whites)
1/2 t. almond extract
1/2 t. cinnamon (try 3/4 t.)
1/2 c. powdered sugar (can increase to 3/4 c.)
1 (7 ounce) stick of almond paste (found at Pirate O's)--it helped to grate it.com
*combine filling ingredients together and mix well; set aside.
**enough filling to make 2 full size pastries

Pastry:
 

Cream 1 stick of butter with the sugar and salt. Add the eggs and beat well. Mix in the milk and yeast mixture. Add the flour, one half at a time. Mix just enough in to moisten the flour and form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured counter and pat into a 14" square. Fold all sides under to form a square. Gently pat down and wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1/2 hour or until well chilled.

Place chilled dough on a lightly floured counter and roll out into an approximately 12x17 inch rectangle. Cut one of the cubes of butter (chilled, or slightly thawed butter) into an 15 or 20 pats and place one half of them down the center third of the dough. Fold over one side and place the other half of the butter down the center again. Fold over remaining side. Turn the dough sideways and roll it back into a large rectangle. Repeat the process two more times with the two remaining cubes of butter. Cut the dough in half and wrap with plastic wrap and chill well. Take one piece and roll out on a lightly floured counter into a 13x18 inch rectangle. (Place parchment paper under pastry before cutting--helpful) Spread the filling (jam or pie filling) down the center third of the dough. With a sharp knife, make diagonal slices on the two outer thirds of the dough approximately one inch apart, within 1/2 inch of the filling. Moisten the outer edges with water. Fold down the top edge and cross over the top two slices, sealing them on the other side of the jam. hold with two toothpicks. Continue to fold the strips over the jam, pressing them firmly on the other side of the jam and alternating the sides until two strips remain. Fold up the bottom edge and cross over the last two strips and seal with two toothpicks. Lift off of the counter with two spatulas and place onto a greased jelly roll pan or large cookie sheet. (I like to use parchment paper). Cover with plastic wrap and a light towel to insulate. Let rise until doubled -it takes about one hour.

*WARNING: Don't put pastry in a warm oven to raise or the butter will melt out of the layers and they will disappear! (I know, it's so tempting!)

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 mins. or until lightly browned. (I also check to make sure that the inner dough isn't too doughy before I take it out of oven. If the inside is doughy and the top is already browned, cover with foil and bake a little longer.) Drizzle with a powdered sugar frosting made of 1-1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp. of vanilla and 1/2 tsp. almond extract and enough milk to make a thin glaze.

*P.S. - I just made this for Justin for the first time after he got home from his mission and when I pulled it out of the oven he said, "It looks amazing." :) After he tasted it, he said, "I didn't know you could cook!" ;) ...and "This is the best pastry I have ever had!"..."Not that it's better than my cookies, because it's in a different category." Ha! Anyway, that made it worth the effort! :D By the way, I think I started "cooking" more after Justin left on his mission. Surprise! :)

Decadent Chocolate Bundt Cake

1 Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake Mix, prepare according to directions

Stir in:
1 chocolate pudding cup

Pour into greased and floured Bundt Cake pan. Bake according to directions.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes and transfer to wire rack. When cool, transfer to plate.

Spoon ganache over the top and garnish around base with fresh raspberries.


Ganache:
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 c. heavy whipping cream

Stir over medium low heat until chocolate chips are melted and sauce is blended together.
(Great ice cream topping!)

Chicken Fajitas

Saute in fry pan:
Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts cut into thin strips
2 Tbsp. olive oil
couple dashes of garlic salt
several dashes of McCormick "perfect pinch" Cajun seasoning (good stuff, adds a nice kick of flavor)


Cover, and cook for about 10 mins. over medium-high heat until done.

Then, add:
1 lg. sliced Vidalia onion (sweet onion)
2 lg. red peppers, sliced into thin strips (Yellow is yummy too)
1 lg. green pepper, sliced into thin strips

Saute until vegees are tender.

Serve with sour cream, sliced avocados, and taco sauce. We like to pull out all the fixins: grated cheddar, chopped roma tomatoes, and shredded lettuce (when we have it). Oh, and Jacks Special salsa, from Costco --love that salsa!

Last night I made this and even attempted to make my own flour tortillas. My family thought I was losing my mind but they were impressed. They have a special flour mixture you can buy at the store to make tortillas with. You just need to roll them super thin so they don't turn out like thick, salty pancakes. I found it easier to roll them out once, set aside and let rest for a few minutes, and then roll them out again. Today a bought flour to make my own corn tortillas. :) I figured this could be an essential food storage item! If we don't have bread we can at least heat up tortillas and open a can of refried beans or chili. If nomads can live off of this stuff than so can we! I think I may set up a grinding stone in my backyard soon. ;)

How to use this blog

I intend to use this blog as my online cookbook. It sure seems like the best way to share my favorite recipes without having to dig them out and make a copy. Hope this is more convenient. I am not sure how to organize these recipes so, for the time being, I am organizing them by the month I would typically use them in.

Blondies

3/4 c. butter, melted
2 c. dark brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
pinch of salt
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. Ghiradelli white chocolate chips

Melt butter, add sugar and eggs. Mix. Add vanilla and all dry ingredients. Scoop batter into greased 9x13" baking pan. (I have found it easiest to press into the pan using a sheet of waxed paper.) Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until middle is set but soft. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting into squares.

*I cover the top with foil to prevent top from over-browning during last minutes.

For drier blondies, cook another 5 minutes, covered.

Stephanie's Potato Chowder

In small saucepan, saute:

3 T. butter
1/2 t. minced garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
3-4 stalks celery, sliced (I'm obsessive and like to destring the outer layer of the celery with a knife)
1/2 yellow (Vidalia) onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 ham steak, chopped (better yet, use left-over spiral-cut ham from your holiday dinner)
   (or, 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled)

When vegetable are softened, translucent and slightly golden, add:
1/3 c. flour

Heat, stirring constantly until bubbly and golden. Then add 1 pint of whipping cream (not heavy) or milk. Heat thoroughly and mix well, set aside.

In a large pot, boil for 15 to 20 minutes:  (Can't decide whether to boil in water or chicken broth--
not sure if there is enough chicken broth to cover potatoes. I think it would taste even better to boil potatoes in chicken broth but it probably doesn't matter that much) :)

8 potatoes, peeled & cut up
1/2 bag baby carrots, sliced into chunky coins

Drain. Then add 1 qt. of Rachel Ray's Chicken Broth. (Do not use Swanson's chicken broth--sorry, but I don't like it. Not all chicken broths are created equal.) Skim white starchy stuff off top. Add sauted vegetables/sauce into large pot. Bring to boil, simmer for 3 hours. Add chopped fresh chives.

Mash potatoes in soup to make it more chowder like. Add corn if desired. Serve topped with grated cheddar cheese.

*My family made me feel like a hero after I made this and they have been begging for more ever since. Not sure if it's because they loved it or just were so happy that I finally cooked for them. ;) haha! Disclaimer: my children are teenagers now and are thrilled to have real food! So nice to finally feel appreciated! I have noticed that the less I have cooked over the years the more they have appreciated when I finally make something! Sounds like a plan to me! :)

Next recipe: Chilean Empanadas

For Young Men's tonight Steve is putting together a Mission Panel for the Young Men to ask their leaders questions about their missions and taste some of the foods that were local to the areas they served in. Should be a fun night. Steve decided to make Beef Empanadas for them--which was one of his favorite dishes there. So, we are in the middle of making them today. The ingredients seem a bit strange to me but the meat mixture tastes pretty good. Next I have to roll out the pastries to put the meat mixture into. I'll let you know how it goes--hopefully it tastes good.

Justin is currently serving his mission in Chile but I can't remember if he mentioned having them. He likes having Chilean completos there which is basically a glorified hot dog with guacamole on it--sounds kind of gross to me but he loves them! That's all that matters, right?

Eldredge Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

(When our family makes cookies we always use equal amounts of butter and Crisco in the recipe. Just the right amount of soft and crisp. Also, aside from Steve, we are lazy and only use this one bowl method) :)

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream together:

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. Crisco
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed

Then add and mix together briefly, do not overbeat:
2 large eggs
1 t. mexican vanilla

Add to mixture above a little at a time: (I stir the baking soda and salt into one of the measuring cups of flour and then sprinkle it into the dough.)

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt

2 c. Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate chips, although I also love the Guittard milk chocolate chips

Drop by cookie-scoop onto baking sheet lined with a Silpat. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 to 11 mins. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

If, by some miracle, you have any cookies left over to store, I suggest storing them flat in a gallon size Ziplock bag to keep them softer.

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Note: if your cookies have become hard as rocks, try sealing in a slice of bread in the bag and the moisture from the bread will transfer to the cookies. Don't leave in too long or your cookies will taste like Wonderbread. Not recommended.  : p

Peanut Butter Honey Balls

Makes cute little snacks for little kids. Tasty too.

1/4 c. clover honey
1/4 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. non-fat dry milk
1/2 c. crushed cereal flakes

Mix honey and peanut butter. Add dry milk. Form into balls with greased hands. (this is the worst part) Roll in crushed cereal. Chill. Makes 30 small snacks.

Crescent Chicken Rolls

I used to make these a lot for dinner when my kids were little. Where has the time gone? :'(

1 can chunk chicken
  (or 1 cup cooked chicken, cut into small pieces)
2 T. butter, melted
3 oz. cream cheese
1 T. milk
Pillsbury crescent rolls


(In the Summer, I like to add more fresh vegetables to this recipe: chopped red peppers, fresh broccoli, tomatoes, water chestnuts, grated cheddar. You may want to try adding 1/2 can cream of chicken soup to this mixture--minus the butter and milk. Add in small amounts of each because it doesn't take much to fill the crescent rolls. You may want to use 2 packages of crescent rolls to use up the mixture.) Yummyness!

Sorry, I got distracted...

Cream together above ingredients. I use a hand mixer, the kind you use to blend drinks. Drop tablespoon of mixture into the center of each open crescent roll triangle and wrap closed. Pull up ends over top, if possible to create a little bundle. Put each bundle on a foil-lined cookie sheet. It gets messy.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until browned.

Serve with rice, potatoes & chicken gravy or just snack on these. :)