Versitile Beef Biscuits, Ramen Noodle Salad, 9-Grain Bread

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having Versitile Beef Biscuits. Kids love these! You just put the biscuits in a muffin tin, add the ground beef, sauce and cheese, and bake. Fun! On the side, we're having a Ramen Noodle Salad. This is great for potlucks! You get the slaw mix where all the bagged salads are in the produce section. I've had this salad many times and I love it! And since it's Monday, I'll be making a 9-grain bread. This is a good recipe to use up cereal in your cupboards!

Versitile Beef Biscuits
Contributed By: 4kowboys
Easy and fast to make. This is a true kid pleaser! Add any type of toppings and the whole family will enjoy these!

Ingredients
1 pound Ground beef
14 ounce Jar spaghetti sauce
8 ounce Tube refrigerated biscuits or cresent rolls
1 cup Shredded cheddar

Preparation
Brown beef in a skillet and drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce; cook over medium heat 5-10 minutes or until heated through. Press biscuits onto bottom and up sides of greased muffin cups. Spoon 2 Tbsp meat mixture into the center of each cup. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
*Fill the cups with any type of topping you wish. **You can add pizza sauce, cheese and 1 slice of pepperoni. **You can add taco seasoning to the meat and top with Fiesta Cheese, salsa, sour cream, chilies or any of your favorite mexican topping. **You can add 1/4 cup chopped onion to the meat, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup sour cream, and garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste ** Don't forget you can also add on some scrambled (uncooked) eggs, slice of ham and cheese and have a hearty and quick breakfast! Just bake according to directions above and voila!

Ramen Noodle Salad
annepash

Ingredients:
2 pkg Ramen Noodles (any flavor)
1 16oz. pkg slaw mix with carrots
2 bunches of scallions (cleaned and sliced thin)
1 c. slivered almonds
1 c. sunflower seeds (seeds only)

Mix the following dressing and refrigerate:

2 flavor packages from Ramen Noodles
3/4 c. salad oil
3/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. white vinegar

Directions:
Dump cabbage mix in a salad bowl and add scallions (I use green onion), almonds, sunflower seeds and uncooked crushed ramen noodles. Pour dressing over top, toss and serve.

9-Grain Bread - Bread Machine
Sandy ~ ~*~Sandy~*~

1 1/2 cups water
3 T margarine or butter
2 1/2 T brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups 9-grain cereal
3 cups bread flour
2 tsp yeast (high altitude try 1 1/2 tsp yeast)

Layer in bread machine per manufacturer's instructions. Select the basic or rapid cycle. Makes 2 pound loaf. Sandy's Note: I usually use breakfast cereal that needs to be used up, ie. wheaties, raisin bran, etc.

Amy

The Best Meatloaf, Tossed Greens with Summer Fruit

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having The Best Meatloaf for dinner. Well, that's what it's called. You can decide if it's the best or not. You know my family loves meatloaf so they'll be happy with this. This recipe is very easy to follow and you should have no trouble with it at all. On the side, we're having a tossed green salad with summer fruit. It's a nice salad for labor day weekend. It calls for peaches and blueberries. Yum! Remember, keep your blueberries in the back of your fridge (where it's most cold) in the plastic container they came in or a ziploc bag but don't wash them until you're ready to use them. They'll last a good 10 days this way.

The Best Meatloaf
Cyndy (MyPB&Jelly)

Preheat oven to 350*.

1-1.5 lb. lean ground beef
1/3 C seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 C grated Parmesan
Freshly ground pepper
1 egg
1 tsp. dehydrated onion (or 1/2 c. chopped onion, or some onion powder)
1 garlic clove, minced (I use more)
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt, to taste

Combine all ingredients and put into loaf pan.

Topping
In a small bowl combine:
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. ketchup
1 TB mustard

Pour this on top of meat mixture, and bake for about 45 mins to an hour


Tossed Greens with Summer Fruit
Sandy~~*~Sandy~*~
WW Take 5

Makes 4 servings

Here’s a refreshing toss of greens, fruit, and seeds perfectly suited for warm weather. But you can also enjoy it year-round by substituting frozen blueberries and peach slices. Use packaged spring or mesclun salad mix from the produce aisle to make the prep a breeze.

4 cups rinsed baby greens
1 cup fresh blueberries (about 1/2 pint)
2 medium peaches, peeled and thinly sliced
2 T unsalted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup low-fat ginger vinaigrette (e.g. Annie’s Naturals Low-Fat Gingerly Dressing)

Combine the greens, blueberries, sliced peaches, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss gently to coat. Per serving (1 1/2 cups) 94 cal, 3 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 151 mg sod, 15 g carb, 4 g fiber, 3 g prot, 38 mg calc. POINTS: 1

Five-Start Tip: For a light entrée, top the salad with 1/4 pound cooked sliced chicken (just add 1 POINT per serving) (approximately 1 point per ounce of chicken). Feel free to use any variety of low-fat dressing for this recipe. Low-fat raspberry, honey mustard, or mango are all good choices.

Amy

Crab Cakes with Lemon Garlic Aioli, Skillet Ranch Tilapia

Hi everyone!

John and Jackson are gone boating for the weekend so I'm not cooking tomorrow night. I'm sure Caden and I will visit my parents or just have sandwiches. As always, I'll throw out some seafood recipes for your enjoyment!

Crab Cakes with Lemon Garlic Aioli:

Crab Cakes:
(makes 4 medium sized cakes, 8 mini cakes, can be doubled)

1 can (8 oz.) premium white lump crab meat, drained (or fresh if you can get it)
2 tbs mayo
1 small egg
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs or crushed crackers such as Keebler Club crackers or Snack Sticks (if using bread crumbs, add salt to the recipe, if using crackers, no added salt needed)
1 tbs Old Bay seasoning
1 tbs fresh chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, mashed into a paste
Fresh lemon juice from 1/2 of a lemon
Flour
2-4 tbs Olive oil
1 tbs butter

Directions:
Mix first 10 ingredients together, being careful to not overmix or break up the crab chunks. Dust a sheet pan or piece of tinfoil with flour. Carefully form little patties with the mixture and drop them onto the sheet pan or foil to dust with flour. Don't overhandle as the mixture will be very soft and wet. If the mixture is too wet, add more crumbs, or some flour. Meanwhile, melt butter into 2 tbs of the olive oil and heat a saute pan to medium-high. Carefully drop cakes into pan with a spatula. Cook on one side until brown and crisp. (Per Kirsten's suggestion, I seared the crab cakes in the olive oil and butter and then finished them off in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Perfection!) Turn carefully, cook on the other side until brown and crisp and the inside of the cakes are cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve hot, topped with aioli and a few sliced green onions for garnish.

Lemon Garlic Aioli:
1/4 cup mayo
2 small (or 1 large) garlic clove, mashed to a paste with salt
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Dash of black pepper
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning, or more if you like

Directions:
Mash garlic into a fine paste with the side of a knife on a cutting board, using salt as an abrasive. Mix all ingredients together. Serve with the crab cakes.

Skillet Ranch Tilapia
~*~Sandy~*~

4 tilapia filets
dry Ranch dressing mix
1/4 cup flour
bacon grease
canola oil

Rinse the tilapia filets and lightly dry. Sprinkle each side with the dry Ranch dressing mix, then dust with flour. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add equal parts of bacon grease and canola oil. When hot, add the tilapia filets. Cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Do not overcook, it'll continue to cook as it rests. Make sure you don't overcook. When cooked just right, the filets will be very moist. The more you cook them, the drier they'll become.

Amy

Broccoli Cole Slaw, Lemon Pepper Tilapia, Broiled Tilapia Parmesan, Chilean Sea Bass with Citrus-Soy Reduction

Hi everyone!

We are going to a Cub Scout BBQ tomorrow night so I'm not cooking dinner. I am going to bring a Broccoli Slaw though. The recipe is below. I will leave you with some seafood recipes. As I've mentioned before, I don't eat any seafood and my husband only likes shellfish and salmon so that's all I cook. I know some of you might be interested in more fish choices though so I like to throw out some recommended recipes from the women in some of my cooking sites I visit!

Broccoli Cole Slaw
MyPB&Jelly
Paula's Home Cooking

2 bags (3-ounce) Ramen Noodle Soup in Oriental (other flavors will work, too)
3/4 stick butter
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 bags (12-ounce) bags broccoli cole slaw (in the bagged salad section of the grocery store)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
Chopped green onions, for garnish
Dressing Mix:
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup brown or white sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 ramen noodle seasoning packet

Put the ramen noodles in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin while melting butter in a large skillet over low/medium heat. Add the crushed noodles and slivered almonds to the skillet and saute, stirring occasionally (keep temperature at low/medium heat). Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Place the shredded broccoli into bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds, and sunflower seeds. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped green onions.


Lemon Pepper Tilapia
~*~Sandy~*~
With help from Ila Rae

4 tilapia filets
Cavender's Greek seasoning
Lemon pepper
1/4 cup flour
Butter
Olive oil

Rinse the tilapia filets and lightly dry. Sprinkle each side with the Greek seasoning and lemon pepper, then dust with flour. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add equal parts of butter and olive oil (the oil helps to keep the butter from burning). When hot, add the tilapia filets. Cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Do not overcook, it'll continue to cook as it rests. You could use seasoned flour, but seasoning the filets prior to dusting with flour helps to seal in the flavor.


Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
Konnie

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

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish. Katie's Notes: I followed the Recipezaar version. I brushed the fillets with the lemon juice. I used 1/4 tsp Old Bay instead of the onion powder and celery salt and added 3 T finely chopped green onions to the topping mixture. I also baked them at 350 for 10-20 minutes, spread the mixture on top, and baked about 5 more minutes.


Chilean Sea Bass with Citrus-Soy Reduction
3 Tbsp peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp oriental sesame oil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 6-oz sea bass fillets
2 chopped green onions

Grate the fresh ginger with a microplane grater. Mix the ginger, orange and pineapple juices, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cayenne pepper in a 1-gallon zip-top bag. Squeeze bag to mix well. Add fish and chill 30 minutes inside a bowl large enough to accommodate the bag, shaking the bag occasionally. Preheat oven to 400. Place fish in a baking dish, skin side down, and pour in the marinade. Cover with foil and bake until the center of each fillet reaches 150 degrees (about 25 minutes). Transfer fish to plates. Strain marinade and place in a saute pan over high heat and reduce, reduce, reduce! Boil marinade until thickened enough to coat spoon, about 6-8 minutes; spoon over fish. Garnish with green onions and serve over rice. Adapted from Bon Appetit, March 2002

Amy

Lemon Yogurt Muffins, Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce, Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I am hosting Caden's play group and I'll be serving Lemon Yogurt Muffins. These are thrown together very quickly and use ingredients you likely have. The kids (and moms) in our group love muffins so these should be a hit. Remember, whenever you bake muffins, make a big batch and then freeze the extras. Muffins are great to pull out of the freezer when you're in the need for a quick breakfast. They're especially great on those rushed school mornings! For dinner, we're having Chicken Nuggets. I've said before, homemade is so much better than buying frozen food. This is a Paula Deen recipe so of course it's good. She uses Sour Cream and Onion potato chips for the nuggets. Yum! I also like this recipe because you make a ton of these up and freeze them yourself for when you're in a hurry. There is a honey mustard dipping sauce recipe included. On the side, we're having Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes. This does call for ham in it but I may leave it out depending on how I feel. I like the idea of adding peas to this dish. I haven't tried that before.


Lemon Yogurt Muffins
Katie (KatieDid)

1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c sugar
1 T grated lemon peel
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 c (8 oz) lemon or plain yogurt
6 T butter or margarine, melted
1 T lemon juice

Topping:
1/3 c lemon juice
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp grated lemon peel

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, beat the egg, yogurt, butter and lemon juice. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 400 for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes; leave muffins in pan. Using a toothpick, poke 6-8 holes in each. In a saucepan, combine the topping ingredients. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Spoon over warm muffins. 1 dozen muffins

Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
OP???
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

2 cups crushed sour-cream-and-onion-flavored potato chips
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
6 chicken breast fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup butter, melted
Honey Mustard, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the crushed potato chips in a shallow dish. Beat together the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken cubes into the egg mixture and then dredge them in the chips. Place the chicken nuggets on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. The chicken nuggets can be frozen after baking. Serve with your favorite sauce, such as honey mustard or ranch dressing.

Honey Mustard:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice or juice from 1/2 lemon
Horseradish, to taste
2 tablespoons orange juice (more or less as needed)

Combine all ingredients except orange juice; stir well. Thin to pouring consistency for dressing or dipping consistency for dips with orange juice. Cover and chill for 2 or 3 hours.

Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Cindy (mommy_of_love1) from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 cup chicken broth
3 lb. red potatoes, thinly sliced (about 12 cups)
1 pkg. (6 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Smoked Ham, chopped
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1 cup frozen peas

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Mix cream cheese, sour cream and chicken broth in large bowl until well blended. Add potatoes, ham, 1-3/4 cups of the cheese and peas; stir gently to coat all ingredients. SPOON into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. BAKE 1 hour or until heated through and potatoes are tender. Balance this creamy, indulgent side dish by serving it alongside lean meat or fish and a steamed green vegetable. Substitute OSCAR MAYER Smoked Turkey for the ham and 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables for the peas.

Amy

French Silk Chocolate Pie

Hi everyone! Today was one of those days where cooking wasn't going well. I had dinner in the crockpot, bread in the bread machine, and no power. It went out for no reason. The power company said they didn't even know why it was out. So, I had to improvise on dinner but we made it!

It is shopping day tomorrow and I thought I'd let you know what stood out for sales at Safeway. Rib eye and NY steaks are on sale for $4.99lb which is a pretty good deal. It's regularly like $10-11lb so stock up if you like those cuts of steak. Also, chicken thighs and drumsticks are at .99lb so stock up on those too if you like dark meat. QVF does have t-bones on sale for $5.99lb (regularly about $11lb) so go there if you like the t bone. For those of you looking for the Wild Alaskan King Salmon, QFC does it have it for $12.99lb. That's a decent price although I hate to spend that much on anything (I know, that's bad).

Tomorrow we are having dinner with friends and I am bringing a French Silk Chocolate Pie for dessert. It sounds fancy but it's really quite easy.

French Silk Chocolate Pie
Sandy~~*~Sandy~*~

9" baked pie shell, cooled
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup chocolate chips, melted and cooled
2 eggs
2 cups nondairy whipped topping, thawed

With an electric mixer beat butter, and add the cooled chocolate. Add eggs one at a time, beating 5 minutes after each egg at high speed. Fold in whipped topping. Pour into pie shell and chill until firm, about 2 hours. Keep refrigerated.

Sandy's notes: Works well with Egg Beaters instead of raw egg...

Amy

Quick and Easy Salisbury Steaks, Sicilian Potatoes, Honey Of An Oatmeal Bread

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having a nice hearty dinner. I'm making Salisbury Steaks with Sicilian Potatoes (in the crock pot) and Honey Oatmeal bread. When I was a kid, it was always a treat to get the Salisbury Steak TV dinner. It was my favorite. These days, we don't eat TV dinners anymore but I can still make this at home. This recipe is just like it says, quick and easy. Thanks to a jar of beef gravy, this all comes together very quickly. Also, Angie says this recipe is 5 points if you're doing WW. On the side, I'm making some potatoes in the crock pot. This dish does have sausage in it as well. You basically chop up your veggies and let them all cook. Use whatever tomatoes you have on hand. Just make sure that you're storing your tomatoes on the counter and not in your fidge. The coldness ruins the flavor of a tomato. The bread recipe is very self explanatory. In my cooking group, this is a very popular bread so I'm excited to give it a try!

Quick and Easy Salisbury Steaks
Angie
5 pts per serving

1 lb ground round
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
cooking spray
8 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbs chopped fresh or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp dry sherry or dry white wine
12 oz jar fat free beef gravy

Combine first 4 ingredients; stir well. Shape mixture into 4 1/2" thick patties. Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Place over medium heat until hot. Add patties; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove patties from skillet; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add mushrooms, onion and thyme to skillet; saute 3 minutes. Add sherry; saute one minute. Stir in gravy; return patties to skillet. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish with thyme sprigs if desired. Serves 4.


Sicilian Potatoes
Amy – amylz
The Everything Slow Cooker Cookbook

1 small yellow onion
4 garlic cloves
4 ripe tomatoes
¼ tsp Oregano
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp Olive Oil
14 small new potatoes
6 links Italian Sausage

Peel and chop the onions and garlic into ¼ inch pieces. Chop the tomatoes into ½ inch pieces. Turn the slow cooker on high setting. Add the olive oil, garlic, and onions. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Peel and wash the potatoes. Cut each Italian sausage link into 4 equal pieces. Place the potatoes and sausage in the slow cooker. Cook on low setting for 4 hours, or until the potatoes are tender.


Honey Of An Oatmeal Bread
Sandy~~*~Sandy~*~

Follow the amounts in the parentheses to make a larger loaf.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup water (1 1/3 cups)
1 T vegetable oil (1 1/2 T)
1/4 cup honey (1/3 cup)
1 tsp salt (1 tsp)
1/2 cup rolled oats (3/4 cup)
2 1/3 cups bread flour (3 1/3 cups)(sub up to 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1/4 cup oat bran (optional)
1 tsp active dry yeast (1 1/2 tsp)

DIRECTIONS:
Place ingredients in bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer.
Select Light Crust or Basic setting, and press Start.

Amy

Sweet and Spicy Stir Fry with Chicken and Broccoli

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having stir fry and rice. I love this type of food. With this recipe, you can make it as sweet or spicy as you like. Toby suggests doubling the sauce if you like a good amount with yours. Remember, Hoisin and Chili Paste can be found in your Asian food section of the grocery store.

Sweet and Spicy Stir Fry with Chicken and Broccoli
Toby-madisonsmomx2 via allrecipes.com
Original recipe yield: 4 servings

3 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch strips
1/4 cup sliced green onions
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon chile paste
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/8 cup chicken stock

Place broccoli in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the chicken, green onions, and garlic until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Stir the hoisin sauce, chile paste, and soy sauce into the skillet. Season with ginger, red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Stir in the chicken stock and simmer about 2 minutes. Mix in the steamed broccoli until coated with the sauce mixture. Toby’s notes:I also doubled the sauce ingredients, added one tbsp of corn starch and served over sticky rice.

Amy

Midnight Mashed, Pan-Seared Flat Iron Steaks

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having Midnight Mashed Potatoes and Steak. Let's talk about the potatoes first. I think people are crazy not to make mashed potatoes from scratch. They're so easy to do and taste so much better than instant potatoes. I think if you're afraid it will be hard, just try it. I always let my KitchenAid do the mixing but you can use a simple potato masher too. In this recipe, you do bake the potatoes but most recipes you do not. In case you didn't know, potatoes should always be stored in a paper bag in a cool, dark place. You do not want to keep them in the fridge. That will alter their taste. For most people, the pantry floor or even the garage is a good storage place. Potatoes store properly can last a few weeks. For the steak, I'm doing pan seared flat iron steaks. If flat iron steaks don't look good when you shop, get any steak cut you like. The idea here is you're going to sear them in a hot pan. This is a very easy and tasty recipe!

Midnight Mashed
Katie (KatieDid) from Quick Cooking

6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons snipped chives
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, saute the garlic in butter. Drain potatoes and place in a large mixing bowl. Add garlic; beat until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients; mix well. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 8 servings.

Pan-Seared Flat Iron Steaks
Amy - amylz
Yield: Makes 4 servings Southern Living, MARCH 2008

4 (6- to 8-oz.) flat iron steaks
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Trim steaks, if necessary. Combine Italian seasoning and next 4 ingredients; rub over steaks.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add steaks, and cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes.

Amy

Lemon-Dill Chicken, Pudding Topped Fruit Salad

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having Lemon-Dill Chicken for dinner. This recipe is from WW so it's for 1 serving. Adjust the recipe for your own family. This is a very basic chicken with veggies and rice. It does call for broiling the chicken which some of you may be unfamiliar with. Broiling is a great low fat way to cook because it doesn't require any cooking oil. Plus, you get a nice crispy crust with a broiler. However, it works best with thin cuts of meat because they cook through before it gets dried out. So, be sure to pound your chicken very evenly and somewhat flat for this recipe. If you don't have a broiler pan, you can use a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Do line your pan with foil though (the bottom pan) for easier clean up. For the side dish, I'm making a Pudding Topped Fruit Salad. I think this could work as a dessert too. Use any fruit you want with this. You will need to make this a few hours ahead of time though so be aware of that!

Lemon-Dill Chicken
Amylz – WW website
1 serving

Ingredients
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 oz uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tsp dried dill weed
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cup broccoli
1 1/2 cup cauliflower
3/4 cup cooked brown rice
1 medium garlic clove(s) minced

Instructions
Preheat broiler. Drizzle chicken with lemon juice and dill. Broil until chicken is no longer pink. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Sauté garlic, broccoli and cauliflower until tender. Season to taste. Serve chicken and vegetables over rice.

Pudding Topped Fruit Salad
Katie (Katiedid)

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup sour cream
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 medium ripe bananas, sliced
2 cups fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, thawed
2 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup seedless green grapes
1 cup seedless red grapes
fresh mint

Drain pineapple chunks, reserving juice; refrigerate pineapple, add water to juice if necessary to measure 3/4 cup. In a bowl, combine the juice, crushed pineapple, sour cream and pudding mix until blended. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. In a large bowl, combine the bananas, blueberries, peaches, strawberries, grapes and pineapple chunks. Spread pudding mixture over the top. Garnish with mint if desired.

Amy

HOT MEAT DISH, Streusel-Topped Banana Coffee Cake, PESTO PASTA SALAD, Cheeseburger Meatloaf and Sauce

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having something called Hot Meat Dish. I think the name is funny! It's just ground beef topped with croutons and cream of chicken soup and then baked. This is very fast! On the side, I'm making a Pesto Pasta Salad that I found on the Knorr website. You should be able to find the Knorr Pesto Sauce mix where all the mixes are at your super market (like for tacos and fajitas and for gravy). Then since it's Friday, I'm making Streusel Topped Banana Coffee Cake for dessert. It's been a while since we've been home on a Friday so I'm looking forward to this. Whenever you buy bananas, you want to keep them on your kitchen counter and never in a bag. You also never want to put them in the fridge as the cold causes the skin to turn brown and the banana can't ripe properly. Bananas are good for about 3 to 5 days. Whenever I have bananas that I haven't used up before 5 days, I peel them and throw them in a ziploc bag in the freezer. Then whenever I make something that calls for bananas, I'm set. For this coffee cake, I'm going to use bananas from the freezer. Just pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to soften them up but be careful not to cook the bananas. They will look brown and watery and that's perfectly fine. They're supposed to look that way. They are still delicious! I'm also taking a meal to someone who had a baby so I'm taking Cheeseburger Meatloaf. The recipe is below!

HOT MEAT DISH
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
1 (6-oz) package seasoned croutons
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 soup can of milk

Pat ground beef into bottom of greased 9 x 12 casserole. Mix croutons, soup, and milk. Pour over meat and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

PESTO PASTA SALAD
(amy – amylz)
1 pkg (0.9oz) Knorr Pesto Pasta Sauce Mix
1/3rd cup olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
8 oz twist or rotini pasta, cooked rinsed with cold water and drained
4 cups broccoli florets, cooked, rinsed with cold water and drained
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 oz mozzarella cheese, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

In medium bowl, combine pasta sauce mix, oil and vinegar; whisk until blended. Add pasta, broccoli, tomatoes and cheese, toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. Recipe courtesy of Knorr insert.


Streusel-Topped Banana Coffee Cake
(Astrid, from somewhere on the net)
Ingredients for topping:
1/4 cup flour
3 Tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
2 Tablespoons butter, chilled
Ingredients for cake:
2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed bananas
1/3 cup milk at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cream banana, butter, milk, and vanilla; add eggs. Combine mixtures. Pour into 8-inch pan and sprinkle top with sugar and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

Cheeseburger Meatloaf and Sauce
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon House Seasoning (garlic powder, black pepper, and salt mix)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 cup grated Cheddar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup crushed crackers (recommended: Ritz)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (recommended: Lawry's)
2 slices white bread
Sauce, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients together, except the bread slices and Sauce. Shape into a loaf. Line a 1 1/2-quart loaf pan with the bread slices. Place meatloaf on top. Bake loaf for 45 minutes. The bread absorbs the grease and should be discarded after loaf is removed from oven.

Sauce:
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar
Chopped onions, optional
1 bunch fresh parsley leaves, chopped, optional
Heat the soup and milk over medium heat; add the cheese. Add the chopped onions and parsley to the sauce, if desired. Pour Sauce over the meatloaf or pass at the table.

Amy

Grilled Pork Escabeche, Hash Brown Casserole

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we're having Pork Escabeche. You want to cook your pork and then marinate it. I know, that's weird! It's best to make this a day early as the longer it marinates the better. Keep in mind that pork tenderloins most often come with two in a package so you don't need to buy two packs. On the side, I'm making a Hash Brown Casserole. This is a great dish for breakfast too. It does call for ham and I think you can leave this out if you want. I have some diced ham in the freezer so I may throw that in.

Grilled Pork Escabeche
(Sharon)

1/2 cup red wine vinegar or other vinegar
1 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
5 sprigs thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
5 sprigs marjoram or oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried marjoram or
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 dried or fresh chili, optional
1 large onion, white or red, cut in half and then half-moons
3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper
2 pork tenderloins, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds.

1. Heat a charcoal or gas grill (or preheat broiler) until fire is moderately hot. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients except pork (including a pinch of salt and at least 1/2 teaspoon pepper) in a medium saucepan with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer about 5 minutes, until onion softens. Pour into a deep platter large enough for pork.

2. Sprinkle pork liberally with salt and pepper, and brown on all sides until nearly cooked through (150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer inserted into meat), about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pork, let cool a few minutes, then place in marinade.

3. If time allows, marinate for a couple of hours (or overnight, refrigerated). Slice, and serve at room temperature, spooning marinade (with onion) over each slice. To serve more quickly,
marinate at least 10 minutes, then cut pork into 1-inch slices, and marinate for 15 minutes before serving.

Hash Brown Casserole
Cyndy (MyPB&Jelly) Taste of Home
Yield: 12-15 servings.

Ingredients:
12 eggs
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
1 package (30 ounces) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and cayenne if desired. Stir in the potatoes, cheese, onion, green pepper and ham. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Amy

Exquisite Pizza Sauce, Go Green (Olive) Deviled Eggs

Hi again! Our plans for tonight have changed so I thought I'd do a quick post to let you know what we're having for dinner. I decided to go with pizza. My family is very thrilled. I'll probably just pick up some Boboli crusts and the toppings everyone liked. However, I have a great recipe for pizza sauce below. You probably have all these ingredients on hand so give it a try! I'm also going to make some deviled eggs. It's a weird thing to go with pizza but I have a bunch of eggs I want to use up and my family loves deviled eggs. These are actually a Rachael Ray recipe and they use green olives. I think that sounds yummy! I can't wait to give them a try!

Exquisite Pizza Sauce
Kristy's (Mama2_3boys) Recipe

1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
6 fluid oz warm water (110 degrees F)
3 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBS minced garlic
2 TBS honey
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
¼ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp dried red pepper flakes
salt to taste

1. In a small bowl combine all ingredients in order listed above, making sure to break up any clumps of cheese.

2. Cover the sauce and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. Spread sauce over pizza dough and prepare pizza as desired.


Go Green (Olive) Deviled Eggs
Amy – amylz
Yields: 4-6 servings

12 eggs (save the carton they came in!)
1 cup green olives with pimentos, finely chopped (eyeball it)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise, use just enough to bind (eyeball it)
3 tablespoons yellow mustard (eyeball it)
2 tablespoons pickle relish (eyeball it)
1/2 small onion, grated
A few dashes hot sauce (add more if you like it spicy!)
1/4 cup (about a palmful) parsley, chopped
1/4 cup (about a palmful) dill, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the eggs in a saucepan and fill it halfway with cold water. Set over high heat. When the water boils, turn off the heat and place a lid over the pot. Let sit 10 minutes. Place the pot of cooked eggs in the sink and run some cold water over the eggs until both the water and the pan feel cool. When the eggs are cool enough to handle, take them out of the water. Roll each egg on a work surface to crack the shell then carefully peel off the eggshells. Place the eggs on a cutting board and cut a quarter off the egg from the fat rounded end to expose the yolk. Next, cut just a sliver off the opposite end, the pointed end so the egg is able to sit upright without rolling over. Once all the eggs have been cut, scoop out their yolks into a medium size mixing bowl. Place the egg white halves back into the egg container for easy transport and filling, making sure the holes are pointing up so that you are able to fill them. Break the egg yolks up a little bit using a fork. Add in the olives, mayo, mustard, relish, grated onion, hot sauce, parsley and dill. Give it a good stir and a dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Make yourself a fancy instant pastry bag by spooning the egg yolk mixture into a plastic re-sealable bag and squishing it all into one of the bottom corners. Snip off a small triangle from the bottom of the bag and squeeze out a bit of yolk mixture into each of the egg whites. Once all eggs are filled, close the carton lid and you're good to go. Recipe from Rachael Ray!

Amy

Classic Pumpkin Bars

Hi everyone!

We're having dinner with friends tomorrow and I'm bringing Classic Pumpkin Bars for dessert. I don't know why but I like to eat pumpkin stuff in the summer. Most people make it in the fall but I'm just weird that way. These bars have a cream cheese frosting and are super good! Canned pumpkin can always be found where the canned fruit is in your grocery store.

Classic Pumpkin Bars
Katie (KatieDid)

2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
4 eggs
1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin
1 2/3 c sugar
1 c cooking oil
¾ c chopped pecans (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)
Pecan Halves (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat together the eggs, pumpkin, sugar, and oil with an electric mixer until combined. Add the flour mixture; beat until well combined. If desired, stir in chopped pecans. Spread batter in an ungreased 15x10x1 inch pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Frost. Cut into squares. Cover and refrigerate to store.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (3 oz) package cream cheese, softened
¼ c butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 c powdered sugar

In a medium bowl combine cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth.

Amy

Brown Sugar Pork Chops, Yellow Squash Casserole

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having Brown Sugar Pork Chops and Yellow Squash Casserole. For the pork chops, you just add the sugar, butter and soy sauce and then bake. This is a great meal for when you don't have a lot of time! The casserole is perfect for this time of year since there is so much yellow squash to be eaten! This recipe takes a little bit of time to make but it's worth it!

Brown Sugar Pork Chops
Mamma2_3boys

Ingredients
2 pork chops
4 T. brown sugar
1 T. butter
1 T. soy sauce (I never measure)

Directions
Place pork chops in glass baking dish. Put two tablespoons of brown sugar on top of each. Sprinkle soy sauce on top and put a small pat of butter on top of each pork chop. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Yellow Squash Casserole
(Christine0120) (Recipe courtesy of Cheryl Alters-Jamison & Bill Jamison, American Home Cooking, Broadway Books)

1 3/4 pounds crookneck yellow squash or other yellow summer squash
1/4 pound zucchini or additional yellow summer squash
1/2 cup coarse-chopped carrots
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large onion, preferably yellow, chopped
1 plump garlic clove, minced
1 1/4 cups saltine or Ritz cracker crumbs
1/2 cup grated mild to medium Cheddar cheese
Hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a medium baking dish. Slice the yellow squash and zucchini lengthwise into quarters, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Place the yellow squash, zucchini and carrots in a saucepan, barely cover with water and salt well. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium and cover. Cook about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft. Meanwhile, warm 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion and cook slowly until very soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl. Wipe out the skillet, return it to medium-low heat, and add to it the remaining tablespoon of butter. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cracker crumbs and cook briefly until the crumbs are golden. Scrape them onto a small plate and reserve them. Drain the squash mixture, mashing the vegetables just a bit. Spoon it into the mixing bowl. Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup of cracker crumbs, cheese and a good splash or two of the pepper sauce. Salt and pepper generously to taste. Stir in the eggs and spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Scatter the toasted cracker crumbs over the top. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, until golden brown and lightly firm in the center. Serve hot.

Amy

Spaghetti With Sausage and Peppers, Buttermilk Onion Bread

Hi everyone! We're home from camping and I think we're home for a while now. We're thinking about one more trip next month but we're not sure yet. It was soooo hot this weekend where we were at. I don't enjoy that at all. When it reaches 100 degrees, I need A/C!

Tomorrow we are having Spaghetti with sausage and peppers. The recipe does give freezing instructions so make up a big batch and throw some in the freezer for later. This is a pretty basic sauce recipe but it calls for a bunch of peppers. Remember, keep your peppers unwashed in a ziplog bag in your fridge until you're ready to use them. They will stay much fresher. This recipe gives some variations down at the bottom as well. It's a Southern Living recipe so it should be good! Since it's Monday, I'm making Buttermilk Onion Bread. Doesn't that sound good? I love the ease of my bread machine but I hate the shape of the loaves so I often make the dough in my machine and then bake the bread in the oven. Either way works fine!

Spaghetti With Sausage and Peppers
Amy - amylz
Yield: Makes 4 servings Southern Living, FEBRUARY 2008

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 (1-lb.) package mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, cut into eighths
1 medium-size green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium-size red or yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking sausage into pieces while cooking. Remove sausage and drippings from Dutch oven, and drain well on paper towels.
3. Sauté onion and next 3 ingredients in hot oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes, salt, and pepper; cook 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in sausage, pasta, and cheese. Transfer mixture to serving platter, and serve immediately.

To freeze: Prepare recipe as directed. Cool 30 minutes. Place pasta mixture in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350°. Remove and discard plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Turkey Spaghetti With Sausage and Peppers: Substitute 1 (1-lb.) package Italian turkey sausage for mild Italian sausage. Remove and discard casings from sausage. Increase olive oil to 2 Tbsp. Cook sausage in 1 Tbsp. hot oil as directed in Step 2. Discard any drippings in Dutch oven. Proceed with recipe as directed, sauteing onion and next 3 ingredients in remaining 1 Tbsp. oil.

Buttermilk Onion Bread
Katie (Katiedid) from Simple&Delicious

1 c plus 2 T warm buttermilk (70 to 80 F)
1 T butter
2 1/2 c bread flour (2 c)
1/2 c whole wheat flour (1 c)
3 T sugar
1 T dried minced onion
1 T dried parsley flakes
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dill weed
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size if available. Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes or mixing; add 1 to 2 T of water or flour if needed) Yield: 1 loaf (1 1/2 lb, 16 slices) Nutrition Facts: 1 slice equals 99 calories, 1 g fat (1 g saturated), 3 mg cholesterol, 245 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein

Amy

Buttermilk- Brown Sugar Waffles, Mustard Chicken, Quick Lemon-Broccoli Rice

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we're having Buttermilk-Brown Sugar Waffles for breakfast. I love doing waffles when we're camping. I want to buy a waffle iron to keep in the trailer (I need to put that on my Christmas list). These waffles are very easy so give them a try. For dinner, we'll be back home and I'm making Mustard Chicken. This is a brilliant recipe. You put the chicken in mustard and then those fried onions. Yum! Who doesn't love those things? On the side, we're having lemon broccoli rice. This is an easy recipe that uses minute rice and veggies. I happen to love broccoli and lemon together so this will be good. Remember, keep your broccoli in the fridge in a plastic bag. Don't wash it until you're ready to use it. It should last 5 days in your fridge.

Buttermilk- Brown Sugar Waffles
RecipeGirl

2 large eggs
1¾ cups buttermilk
1 stick butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbs light brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk and melted butter. In another bowl, stir dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and whisk just until smooth. Preheat waffle iron; butter lightly or spray with nonstick spray (even if it's a nonstick waffle iron). Ladle batter onto iron (about ¼ cup for an 8-inch round iron). Close lid, and cook until light golden brown. Serve immediately.

Mustard Chicken
Amy – amylz
All Recipes Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup prepared mustard
1 (6 ounce) can French-fried onions

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Place mustard in a shallow dish or bowl; place onions in a second shallow dish or bowl. Dredge chicken in mustard to coat both sides, then dredge in onions. Place coated chicken in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Quick Lemon-Broccoli Rice
Amy – amylz
4 servings

1 (10 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup broccoli florets
1 small carrot, shredded (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/4 cups Minute Rice, uncooked
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Heat broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the broccoli and carrots, cover and simmer about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in lemon juice, pepper and rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving. From Campbell's Homemade in Minutes.

Amy

Buttermilk Pancakes, Jen's shiska-bobs

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we're having buttermilk pancakes for breakfast. This is a very basic and easy recipe. Remember, if you don't have buttermilk, you can sub sour milk. That's 1 tbsp of white vinegar and 1 cup milk. For dinner, we're having Jen's Shiska-Bobs. This is a very easy recipe. I've come to learn that when you do kabobs, it's better to put all your meat on a skewer and your veggies on a seperate skewer. It cooks better this way and you won't end up with charred veggies. Be sure to use sweet onions! With the peppers, use whatever you like. These days, peppers are super expenzive so you never know what will be a good buy from week to week. When you buy peppers, be sure you're getting ones that are firm and glossy. You don't want wrinkles in the skin and the stems should be green. The shape of the pepper makes no difference so don't worry about that. When you get them home, keep them in a ziploc bag in the fridge but don't wash them until you're ready to use them. They will decay very quickly if they're exposed to water. They should last a week in your fridge.

Buttermilk Pancakes
Katie (KatieDid) from Taste of Home 2007 Annual Recipes
4 cups all-purpose flour
¼ c sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
4 eggs
4 c buttermilk

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and buttermilk until blended; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour batter by ¼ cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until second side is golden brown. Yield: 2 ½ dozen
Katie’s Notes: I made 2 separate batches. I made 1 batch with 2 cups all-purpose flour. The 2nd batch I used 1 ¼ cups whole wheat and ¾ c all-purpose flour. Both batches were delicious, but I think I actually prefer the wheat. Froze leftovers which reheat well in the toaster.

Jen's shiska-bobs
By Luckycat99 - Jen

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts
1-2 sweet onions
Green & red peppers
Cherry or grape tomatoes
1-2 large bottles of zesty italian salad dressing
1 package of Mccormick Grill Mates® Zesty Herb Marinade (or your favorite chicken marinade)
Directions:
1. Cut up your chicken into bite sized pieces and put into a zip lock bag with the Grill Mates marinade. Let sit in the fridge for a few hrs or overnight.

2. Cut up the onions and peppers into large chunks. Put into a large bowl or zip lock bag with the tomatoes, and add the italian dressing. Let sit in the fridge for a few hrs or overnight.

3. A few hrs before your ready to cook, put the wooden skewers into a pan filled with water. Make sure they are completely covered with water. This keeps them from burning.

4. Just before you are ready to cook, skewer everything and place onto the gril. Discard the Grill Mates marinade, but you can hang onto the dressing.

5. Place on the grill and cook on low to medium heat until chicken is fall off the skewer tender. Brush with additional italian dressing for extra flavor. At this point you can also take a fresh lemon and/or lime and squeeze it over the skewers to give it an extra tang.

I love this dish, but it is labor intensive cutting and skewering everything. However it is worth it in the end. Note, you may want to cut up an extra onion or two. It seems like when I make this, people always want just a skewer (or two) filled with the sweet onions.

Amy

Blueberry-Orange Pancakes, Giada's Simple Tomato Sauce, Crunchy Pea Salad

Hi everyone!

For tomorrow's breakfast, I'm whipping up some blueberry-orange pancakes. The recipe is very easy and I like that it uses whole wheat and white flour. For dinner, we're having spaghetti. I'm going to make Giada's Simple Tomato Sauce for this. This is another great recipe to freeze! I'm going to pull a bag of this out of the freezer for camping. This recipe does call for fresh basil so I thought I would take a second to talk about storing it. When you buy fresh basil, it can be treated like a bouquet of flowers. Just trim the stems and put them in a glass of water and leave them on the kitchen counter. You really don't want to keep basil in the fridge as the leaves will start to turn black. By keeping them in a glass of water, it will last up to a week. This method really works for any fresh herbs with a long stem (parsley, cilantro, etc.). With herbs like chives, thyme and rosemary, you want to put them in a ziploc bag and put them in the warmest part of your fridge so maybe along the door. Don't ever wash them until you're ready to use them though as they will get moldy. You can even throw a paper towel in with them to soak up some moisture. Whenever I have extra herbs that I don't need, I dry them (chop them up and leave them on a plate for a few days on the counter and they'll dry out, then put them in the fridge) or I chop them up and throw them in the freezer. Anyway, I'm going to cook up some bulk Italian sausage for the guys to add to their sauce. Then I'll serve over regular spaghetti noodles. For a side dish, I'm going to make a pea salad. This is sort of random with spaghetti but I don't think anyone in my family will really eat it anyway so it's more for me and the people we're camping with. This is a crunchy salad so it does call for cashews. I'll just leave them on the side for people to add as they like!

Blueberry-Orange Pancakes
Katie (KatieDid)
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole-wheat flour
1/2 c sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 container (6 oz) plain low-fat yogurt
1/3 c skim milk
1/2 c orange juice
2 eggs
1 T canola oil
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c fresh blueberries
Maple syrup, for serving

Heat oven to 250 F. Place a large baking sheet in oven. Blend both kinds of flour, the sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Combine yogurt, milk, juice, eggs, oil, orange zest and vanilla in a medium-size bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add yogurt mixture to flour mixture and stir until a smooth batter forms. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon batter by 1/4-cupfuls onto skillet, spreading to a diameter of 4 inches. Sprinkle 5 or 6 blueberries onto each pancake. Cook until bubbles appear on surface, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook until underside is lightly browned, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer pancakes to baking sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with batter and berries for a total of 16 pancakes. Serve with maple syrup. Per Serving: 286 calories, 4 g fat (1 g sat), 9 g protein, 56 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 211 mg sodium, 29 mg cholesterol

Giada's Simple Tomato Sauce
OP?????
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors. Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce. If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Crunchy Pea Salad
Grace (TigMode)

10 oz fresh or frozen peas
1/4 cup crisp bacon (crumbled)
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup diced green onion
1 cup cashews
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 cup prepared ranch dressing

Rinse peas in hot water (or steam if fresh); drain. Combine vegetables, nuts, and bacon with sour cream. Mix dressing, mustard and garlic together; pour over salad mixture. Toss gently. Chill for a couple hours.

Amy

Chili 2

Hi everyone! Well, it's the end of an era. Due to our schedule in the fall, I'm changing my shopping day from Thursday to Wednesday. Tomorrow will be my last time shopping on Thursday and it makes me a little sad. I'm sure I'll adjust though. I have been shopping on Thursdays for about 10 years now. Anyway, when you do your shopping this week, make sure you pick up a couple bags of the Manor House Boneless Skinless chicken (in the frozen section) as it's on sale at Safeway this week for $1.89/lb. That's a good deal! I love to have those bags in the freezer. They're nice big breasts too. The Tenders are on sale too. They have roasts at 50% off so you might want to get a couple to throw in the freezer.

We're heading out on another camping trip tomorrow so I have camp food planned. Tomorrow we're having chili. I like this recipe because it's written to freeze and then thaw later. So, for those who like to fill your freezers with meals, pay attention to this one! This is a very basic chili but good. If you don't want to freeze it, just make it and simmer as written and then serve.

Chili 2

1 ½ lbs. ground beef
1 ½ C. Chopped onion
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 ½ t. salt
1/8 ground cloves (I use less, about ½)
1-2 Tb. Chili powder
¼ tsp. hot sauce (or more for spice)
½ tsp. paprika
1 Can kidney beans (drain and rinse)

To Freeze: Brown meat, add onion, cook until soft. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, cloves, chili powder, hot sauce, and paprika. Cover and simmer 2 hrs (add hot water if necessary). Add beans and heat through. Remove bay leaf. Place into freezer bags and lay flat to freeze.

To Serve: Thaw & reheat.

Amy

Pineapple Glazed Pork Ribs, Special Green Beans, GRAPE SALAD

Hi everyone!

We have friends coming for dinner tomorrow and I'm making up some Pineapple Glazed Pork Ribs. This recipe is not difficult, it just looks long. You can get Chinese 5 Spice powder in your spice section. It's actually a very basic spice so everywhere should have it. Sesame Oil is often found in the Asian food section of the grocery store and keep in mind that sesame oil is a condiment more than an oil so a little goes a long way. You want to store it in your fridge once it's opened as it will spoil quickly at room temperature. I suppose you could use canned pineapple but fresh would be so much better. Cubing a pineapple is so simple. Just cut off the top and bottom. Then, stand the pineapple up and cut the skin off in strips around the whole pineapple. Then cut it into quarters lengthwise and cut the core out. You don't want to use the core as it is very tough. There you go, you have a cut up pineapple. Dark rum you get at your liquor store, hoisin is found on the Asian food aisle (it's like a super thick teriyaki sauce) and fresh ginger is in the produce section. With ginger, just cut the brown part off and you're ready to go. On the side, I'm serving Special Green Beans and a Grape Salad. The green beans are cooked with mushrooms, onions and water chesnuts, yum! The grape salad is with cream cheese and vanilla pudding, yum again! I will be leaving the nuts out of the salad but otherwise, I just follow the directions!

Pineapple Glazed Pork Ribs
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

2 pounds baby back pork ribs
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup Chinese five-spice powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Pineapple glaze:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 whole fresh pineapple, peeled and cubed
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup dark rum
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 fresh red chile, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, whacked open with the flat side of a knife

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Rub the ribs all over with the sesame oil; season generously with five-spice powder, salt, and pepper. Arrange the ribs in a single layer in a shallow roasting pan and roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. To prepare the pineapple glaze: In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter and add the pineapple chunks; saute for 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce, rum, hoisin sauce, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, chile, garlic, and ginger. Bring to a slow simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Pull out the ginger pieces. Pour the glaze into a blender and puree until smooth. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, baste the ribs with some of the glaze. When they are done, the pork will pull away from the bone and you will see about 1/2-inch of bone showing. When you are ready to eat, baste the ribs with more glaze and stick them under the broiler for 5 to 8 minutes to give the ribs a nice crust. (Watch them carefully as they can easily burn.) Separate the ribs with a cleaver or sharp knife, pile them onto a platter, and pour on the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro before serving.

Special Green Beans
Amy - amylz
Gourmet Gardner - Garden Club of Kentucky, Inc.

2 1/2 pounds fresh green beans
3 cups water
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 can (8oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Wash beans, trim ends and remove strings. Combine beans and water in Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 6 to 8 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain beans and set aside. Saute mushrooms and next 7 ingredients in oil in a Dutch oven. Stir in beans and cook until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Serves 6 to 8.

GRAPE SALAD
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)
3 lbs grapes (any color or mixture)
½ cup sugar
1 (8-oz) Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1 (8-oz) sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup walnuts or pecans
Mix sugar, cream cheese, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. Fold the grapes into mixture. Mix brown sugar and nuts in separate bowl – put on top of grape salad and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Amy

Barbecue Chicken Recipe, BLT Iceberg Wedge, Creamy Chicken Burritos

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having Barbecue Chicken and a salad for dinner. The chicken is done in the crockpot. You just throw in all the ingredients and cook. After a few hours, shread the chicken up. This is great served on rolls or buns. The salad is a BLT wedge. I love wedge salads. This one is just bacon, tomatoes and ranch dressing. I will let my boys use Italian dressing if they want to. If you don't want to cook bacon, use some Hormal bacon bits. I always keep a bag on hand for things like that! Dinner can't get much easier! I'm also bringing dinner to someone who just had a baby. I'll be bringing them Creamy Chicken Burritos. These are really simple to throw together and a great way to use up leftover chicken. If you don't have leftover chicken, you can easily poach these in some water or chicken stock for about 13 minutes and they'll be perfect!

Barbecue Chicken Recipe
Amy – amylz

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups tomato ketchup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground red hot pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix all ingredients for the sauce in the slow cooker/Crock Pot. Add the chicken, try to coat it well in the sauce. Cook on high 3-4 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked all the way through. Then shred or cut up the chicken, and replace it in the Barbecue sauce in the pot; mix it all up so all the pieces are coated. You can keep the slow cooker/Crock Pot on low to keep the chicken warm for serving on hard rolls.

BLT Iceberg Wedge
Amy – amylz
Yields: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 head Iceberg Lettuce
3/4 cup ranch dressing
1 cup chopped tomato
6 strips bacon, cooked, crumbled
Croutons or Crostini (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Core lettuce; rinse and drain well. Cut into 6 wedges.
2. Spoon dressing over wedges, as desired. Top with tomato, bacon and croutons.
All Recipes


Creamy Chicken Burritos
Cherie (dnvrmama)

3 chicken breasts, no skin, no bone
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup medium salsa
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
6 flour tortilla

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Add cream cheese and salsa to large sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until cheese is melted and blended with salsa. Add garlic, beans and chicken. Mix well. Fill tortillas, roll up and place in baking dish. Mixture will be a bit runny so be careful not to burn yourself filling tortillas. Sprinkle burritos with cheese cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Amy

Bacon Burgers, Apple Walnut Gorgonzola Salad, Whole Wheat Honey Bread

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having Bacon Burgers. John will be so happy! These burgers are a little different than your typical burger as you cook the bacon, onion and garlic and then you add it to the hamburger mixture to form the patties. Doesn't that sound good? You do need to make these up and let them rest for at least an hour though so be aware of that. On the side, we're having and Apple Walnut Gorgonzola salad...well, I am at least. My guys will love the dressing so they'll just have plain salad greens with the dressing and I'll have all the other yummy stuff. Make sure you always store your apples in the fruit drawer of your fridge. I see a lot of people leave them out but at room temperature apples will ripen too quickly and they won't really go bad but they'll get mealy. Who likes mealy apples? Apples from the store can last up to two weeks in your fridge. And, since it's Monday, I'm making Whole Wheat Honey Bread.

Bacon Burgers
SunValleyMom

2 pounds ground chuck
½ pound bacon, chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic
2 tablespoons BBQ sauce of choice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the bacon is crispy and most of the fat has rendered. Add the onions to the pan and continue to cook until they are softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Add bacon and onion mixture to ground beef, add salt and pepper, and mix well. Allow to marinate at least one hour before forming patties. Serve with usual condiments of cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and any other desired toppings.

Apple Walnut Gorgonzola Salad
OP?

Salad:
10 oz salad greens (spinach or lettuce)
2 thinly sliced Granny Smith apples
1 tsp lemon juice
8 oz crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Toss apple slices with lemon juice to keep them from browning. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl or shake in dressing shaker. Season to taste. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat just before serving. (If you expect to keep leftovers, keep the dressing “on the side” or greens will become wilted in fridge.) Also great with bacon pieces or grilled chicken.

Whole Wheat Honey Bread
Jaci via allrecipes

1 1/8 cups water
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon dry milk powder
1 1/2 tablespoons shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select Whole Wheat setting, and then press Start. Jaci's notes: I use 2 cups whole wheat flour & 1 cup bread flour. I also have better luck with this recipe if I just use the dough cycle & then bake in the oven. But then I prefer all my breads that way & it could also be due to my altitude.

Amy

Spiced Pumpkin Waffles, Wingless Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow is our last day of camping and I'm making Spiced Pumpkin Waffles for breakfast. I do have to remember to pack the waffle iron for this! Of course, since I have the trailer, I can cheat and use electrical appliances while camping. I love that! In this recipe, I'm going to use the nutmeg I have and a can of pumpkin. Make sure you get regular pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin can be found with the canned fruits and veggies. I will also be leaving the pumpkin seeds out although I live the idea of this. Serve these with the honey butter. You can make the honey butter up to two weeks ahead of time and just keep it in your fridge. Honey butter is good on a lot of things! When we get home tomorrow evening, I'll be making Wingless Buffalo Chicken Pizza for dinner. It's a 30 minute meal from Rachael Ray so it will be fast. Rachael cooks everything on a grill pan (which I do have and love for the winter) but feel free to grill the chicken on your outdoor grill for this if the weather is nice. This recipe is so quick and easy. You slice up your cooked chicken that was cooked with steak seasoning. The sauce is easy to make and you put it on your pizza dough. I like to make homemade dough but I'll probably just use some Pillsbury Pizza dough from the fridge for this since I'll be getting home and wanting to cook right away. I will be putting the blue cheese on only a section for me but otherwise, it will be as written. Jackson will love this! He's so funny because the other day we had some pizza at Pizza Hut and I asked if he wanted to try Buffalo Wings and he said "no mom, I don't care for buffalo." This couple at the next table cracked up. I explained to him that buffalo meant spicy in this case but it was pretty cute!

Spiced Pumpkin Waffles
Sandy~~*~Sandy~*~

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
A pinch of salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
8 oz roasted pumpkin flesh, fresh or canned
1 2/3 cups milk
4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Freshly grated zest of 1 orange
2 oz pumpkin seeds (optional)

TO SERVE
Honey butter
Whipped cream (optional)

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and pepper into a large bowl. Put the eggs, sugar, pumpkin, milk, cooled melted butter, and orange zest into a second bowl and beat well. Gently fold in the flour mixture. Depending on the size of the waffle iron, spoon about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the batter into the preheated compartments and sprinkle with a few pumpkin seeds , if using. Cook until crisp, about 4-5 minutes. To achieve a frilly effect at the edges, use a little less mixture in the waffle iron. Smother in honey butter, and serve with whipped cream, if using.

HONEY BUTTER
Makes 10 oz

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup thick honey

Put the butter and lemon zest into a food processor and process until smooth. With the motor still running, add the honey and blend until pale. Transfer to a lidded container and store for up to two weeks in the refrigerator (it will set as it chills).

Wingless Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Patunia
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

3/4 pound chicken breast cutlets
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 teaspoons grill seasoning, (recommended: McCormick Montreal Seasoning) eyeball it
1 pizza dough, store bought or from your favorite pizzeria
Cornmeal or flour, to handle dough
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
2 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce, medium to spicy heat
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, a few generous handfuls
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Preheat grill pan to high. Place chicken on a plate and drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the chicken then season with grill seasoning. When grill is hot, add chicken and cook about 3 minutes on each side. Stretch dough to form pizza using cornmeal or flour to help you handle it. If you let it rest and warm up a few minutes it will handle even easier. Set pizza on pizza pan to the side and clean board. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter and stir in Worcestershire, hot sauce, and tomato sauce. Remove the chicken from grill and thinly slice it. Add chicken to sauce and coat. Cover the pizza dough with the saucy Buffalo chicken, cheeses, and scallions. Bake 18 minutes or until crisp.

Amy

Southwest Homefry Scramble, Southwestern Pork Chili, Paula Deen's Watermelon Salad

Hi everyone!

Saturday morning, we're having a Southwest Homefry Scramble. This recipe is for 1 serving so adjust that as needed. This recipe is also from the WW site but I don't know what the point value is. I do know it's a core recipe. This would be good with some ham or sausage thrown in as well. It's a nice quick breakfast for the kids too. For dinner, we'll be having Southwestern Pork Chili. This is a basic chili recipe but it uses pork instead of beef. I like to use boneless chops for this and I just dice it into bite sized pieces. The side dish is Watermelon Salad. I've seen a lot of different variations of this. In this salad, you combine the watermelon with onion and feta. Do try to use a Vidalia or whatever sweet onion your store has. Since my family won't eat feta, I'll serve it on the side for people to add as they like. The dressing is just vinegar and oil with fresh mint. You can get mint in the produce section of your grocery store. Remember that a little goes a long way with mint. You want to serve this salad nice and cold. This is a great salad for a potluck!



Southwest Homefry Scramble
Amylz – WW website
1 serving

Ingredients
2 large egg(s)
1 medium scallion(s) sliced
1 medium garlic clove(s) minced
1/4 cup sweet red pepper(s) chopped
1 sprays cooking spray
1 medium red potato(es) cooked, cubed
1 Tbsp cilantro chopped
1 Tbsp Kraft Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Instructions
Mix eggs, scallion, garlic and red pepper thoroughly together in a medium bowl. Coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add potato and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until potato starts to brown. Mix in egg mixture and scramble until desired doneness, about 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.




Southwestern Pork Chili
Amy - amylz

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless lean pork, cut in small cubes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1 can beans, your choice, drained (15 ounces)
1 can diced tomatoes, (15 ounces)
1 can chopped green chilies, drained (4 ounces)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
tortillas and sour cream or cornbread

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork, onions and garlic. Cook until pork is browned; add salt and pepper. Add beans, tomatoes, chilies and cumin. Simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with cornbread or tortillas and sour cream.
Serves 6.




Paula Deen's Watermelon Salad
OP????

5 lb. watermelon
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
6 whole mint sprigs

Cut flesh from watermelon and cut into bite-sized pieces, removing and discarding seeds, and set aside (I would just buy the seedless- seems easier). Peel and slice the onion into rings. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, salt, pepper and whisk until salt is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, a few drops at a time. Add in the chopped mint, taste and adjust seasonings. In a large bowl, combine melon, onion and feta. Pour dressing over melon mixture and toss gently until everything is coated and evenly mixed. Garnish with mint sprigs. To serve, divide salad among individual plates and garnish w/ mint leaves.

Amy

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes, Marinade for Steak I, Ranch Spinach Pasta Salad

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are still camping so I'll be making breakfast, lunch and dinner. We always do hot dogs over the fire for lunch so there's no recipe needed. For breakfast, I'm making Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes. Pancakes are so easy while camping since you can put your dry ingredients into a bowl (I use my Pampered Chef batter bowl with a lid) and just take that with you. Then you just add your wet ingredients while you're there and you're set. If you don't have buttermilk, remember that you can sub sour milk by adding 1 tbsp of white vinegar with each 1 cup of milk. For dinner, we're having steak and a pasta salad. I'm going to throw the steak and marinade into a ziploc bag and into the cooler so it can marinate for a day. I'll use whatever steaks look good (and are on sale). The pasta salad is a semi homemade meal. You use one of those Suddenly Salad pasta mixes and then throw in some other ingredients. I'm going to be using the LightHouse Homestyle Ranch dressing but otherwise I'm following the recipe!

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
(Dusanka, from the Mildred Pierce Restaurant)

2 cups/500 mL all-purpose flour
1/4 cup/60 mL white sugar
1/2 tsp/2 mL salt
2 1/4 tsp/11 mL baking powder
1/2 tsp/2 mL baking soda
2 large eggs
2 cups/500 mL buttermilk
1/4 cup/60 mL unsalted butter, melted
1 cup/250 mL fresh blueberries
unsalted butter to grease the skillet

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the buttermilk and melted butter. Using a spatula, combine the dry and wet ingredients to make a thick, lumpy batter, taking care not to over mix. That is the secret. (I only mixed until I had no loose flour on the bottom of my bowl.) In a non stick skillet or griddle, melt some butter over medium-high heat. Ladle 1/3 cup/75 mL of batter onto the hot skillet and sprinkle with blueberries. Take care not to overcrowd the skillet, since the pancakes will puff up as they cook. When bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes and the edges begin to brown, flip the pancakes and cook the other side. It should take about 2 to 3 minutes per side. If you're making these faster than you are eating them, keep the pancakes warm in a 250 F/120 C oven. Smother with maple syrup and dollop with whipped cream.

Marinade for Steak I
MyPB&Jelly
Allrecipes

1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced

In a medium bowl, combine the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, ground black pepper, mustard, onion, and garlic. Mix together well, and use to marinate your favorite meat.

Ranch Spinach Pasta Salad
Amy - amylz
Makes:6 servings

1 box Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad® classic pasta salad mix
1/2 cup Hidden Valley The Original Ranch® dressing
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups baby spinach leaves or small broccoli florets
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup sliced cucumber, halved
1/2 cup julienne (matchstick-cut) carrots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1. Empty pasta mix into 3-quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Drain pasta; rinse with cold water. Shake to drain well.
3. In medium bowl, mix seasoning mix, dressing and lemon juice. Stir in pasta and remaining ingredients. Store any remaining salad covered in refrigerator.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Make pasta mix following High Altitude directions on box.

Nutrition Information - 1 Serving: Calories 220 (Calories from Fat 90); Total Fat 10g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 830mg; Total Carbohydrate 28g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 5g); Protein 5g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 60%; Vitamin C 10%; Calcium 4%; Iron 10% Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Betty Crocker

Amy

Grilled Chicken Salad

Hi everyone! Today was shopping day. There are a few good deals at Safeway this week worth mentioning. London Broils are 50% off so you might want to buy a couple to throw in the freezer. Pork Spareribs are 99 cents a pound so that's a great deal too! Stock up! You can also get a whole watermelon for $3.99 and I'm making a great watermelon salad this weekend so be on the lookout for that recipe! It's also green bean season so it's time to try those recipes!

We're heading out on a camping trip tomorrow so I'll be cooking in the trailer. Really, it's just about as nice as cooking at home. For tomorrow's dinner, we're having Grilled Chicken Salad. It's basically salad with some chicken on top. I'm sure my husband and kids will want their chicken on the side and that will be just fine. First, you make up a dressing. Then you grill your chicken that has steak seasoning on it and that's it. Assemble your salad and you're ready to eat. My guys won't eat goat or any type of cheese nor pine nuts so I'll sprinkle all that on just my salad. The salad also has grapes on it. This sounds so yummy, I can't wait! Just a reminder, anytime you buy grapes, you want to be storing them in a ventilated plastic bag in your fridge. Grapes will ferment at room temperature. In your fridge, they can last up to a week. Just remember to wash them really well when you do go to eat them as grapes are treated with insecticides. If you have leftover grapes, throw them in the freezer. My kids love to snack on frozen grapes.

Grilled Chicken Salad
Sandy~~*~Sandy~*~

1/4 cup grape seed oil or olive oil
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 T dried dill weed
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed
4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Montreal steak seasoning or Kansas City steak seasoning
8 cups mesclun or spring salad greens or spinach
3/4 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

For vinaigrette, in a screw-top jar combine oil, vinegar, dill weed, garlic, pepper, and oregano. Cover and shake well; let stand 1 hour. Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken breast halves lightly with steak seasoning. Grill chicken on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender and no longer pink (170 degree F), turning once. Cool slightly. Arrange salad greens on 4 plates; top with grapes, goat cheese, and pine nuts. Slice each chicken breast and arrange one sliced breast on each salad. Shake dressing and drizzle over the salads. Makes 4 servings

Nutritional Information
Nutritional facts per serving
calories: 400, total fat: 23g, saturated fat: 4g, monounsaturated fat: 5g, polyunsaturated fat: 12g, cholesterol: 86mg, sodium: 167mg, carbohydrate: 12g, total sugar: 8g, fiber: 2g, protein: 38g, vitamin A: 0%, vitamin C: 21%, calcium: 9%, iron: 18%

Amy

Strawberry-Banana Gelatin Poke Cake

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are eating dinner at a friend's house and I'm bringing dessert. I'm going with a super simple poke cake. I'm going to use just plain strawberry gelatin but otherwise I'll follow the directions. I have a ton of strawberries I want to use up so I'll probably put them on the top! I love poke cakes because they're nice and moist plus these are great to have the kids help with!

Strawberry-Banana Gelatin Poke Cake
Amy – amylz
101 Things to Do with a Cake Mix

1 white cake mix
1 small package strawberry-banana gelatin
1 cup boiling water
½ cup cold water
8 oz whipped topping

Bake cake according to directions on box. Allow cake to cool. With a fork, poke holes in the cake, thoroughly covering it. Stir gelatin mix with boiling water until mix is dissolved. Then, add ½ cup cold water to hot gelatin water. Pour over cake. Chill 4 hours. Top with whipped topping before serving. Store leftovers in fridge!

Amy

Chili Dog Chili With Spicy Mustard Cornbread, Fruit Salad

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we're having Chili Dog Chili, Cornbread and a Fruit Salad. Just from the title you can probably guess this is a Rachael Ray recipe. She's always coming up with crazy stuff like this. Even though this recipe looks long, it's actually quite easy. I know my kids will love this as they love chili and they love hot dogs. We may not be able to get jalapenos (they're recalled) so if I can't, I'll just leave that out. The fruit salad is basically some canned fruit with some vanilla pudding and a few other things. Yum!

Chili Dog Chili With Spicy Mustard Cornbread
Amy – amylz Yields: 4-6 servings
Recipe from Rachael Ray

•2 8.5-ounce boxes cornbread mix, recommended brand Jiffy
•2 eggs
•2/3 cup milk
•2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
•2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard (eyeball it)
•Butter or nonstick cooking spray (for greasing baking dish)
•2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
•1 16-ounce package all-beef hot dogs, cut in to small bite-size pieces
•2 pounds ground sirloin
•2 medium onions, diced
•4 garlic cloves, chopped
•2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped (add more or less depending on how much spice you like)
•2 tablespoons (2 palmfuls) chili powder
•2 tablespoons (2 palmfuls) cumin
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
•2 to 3 cups beef stock (add a little more or less depending on how loose you like your chili)
•1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
•1 15-ounce can red beans, drained
•Hot sauce, to taste
•Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
•Carrot and celery sticks

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Prepare the cornbread according to package directions then fold in the corn kernels and spicy brown mustard. Butter or spray a 8x8 baking dish and pour in the mixture. Transfer to oven and bake according to the back of the box. Remove from oven and cut into chunks. Once you have the cornbread working, start the chili: Heat a large, high-sided pot over medium-high heat with about 2 tablespoons EVOO, two turns of the pan. Add the chopped-up dogs and cook, stirring every now and then until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Remove and reserve the browned dogs. Add the ground beef to the pot and use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to break it up into small pieces while it cooks and browns, about 4-5 minutes. Once the meat is brown, add the diced onions (reserving some for garnish), garlic, jalapeños, chili powder, cumin, salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Cook until the onions start to get tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, beans, reserved browned hot dogs back to the pot and season with some hot sauce, to taste. Bring the mixture up to a bubble and simmer for 10 minutes. To serve, ladle up the Chili Dog Chili and top each portion with some cheese and some of the reserved chopped onion. Serve veggies sticks and a chunk of the cornbread alongside.

Fruit Salad
Katie (Katiedid)

1 (29 oz) can peach slices, undrained
1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks, undrained
1 (3 1/8 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 lb strawberries, stemmed and quartered
1 banana, sliced
1/2 pint blueberries
1 bunch grapes
1-2 T sugar (optional)

In a large bowl, combine peaches, pineapple and vanilla pudding mix, including the juices from the cans. Mix well until pudding is dissolved. Stir in remaining fruit and sugar if desired. Chill.

Amy

Cherry Pork Chops, Whole Wheat Bread, Broccoli and Three-Cheese Casserole

Hi everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend.

Tomorrow we're having Cherry Pork Chops. I know John will love these! I'm going to use bone-in chops for this. I love crock pot recipes so I already love this recipe just for that! On the side, we're having Broccoli and Three Cheese Casserole. It calls for Fines Herbes which is a seasoning you can buy in the spice aisle. You can also make it yourself by combining a tablespoon each of chopped Tarragon, Chervil, Chives and Parsley. You can store the mixture for up to 4 months. It calls for Fontina Cheese (which I love) but if you can't find that it can substituted with Gruyere, Appenzell or Abondance. If you cannot find these types, you can try Edam, Havarti or Gouda. If you want to try something that you might have in the refridgerator, you could try Jack, Muenster or Jalsberg. Next, you need broccoli so let's talk broccoli a minute. You always want to buy the broccoli that has very tight florets and is an even dark green color with a lighter colored stem. Store the broccoli in the plastic bag from the store in your fridge. Don't wash it until you need it though because the water will make it go bad. The broccoli will be good in your fridge about 5-7 days. For this recipe, you need to boil it and that is typically about 3-4 minutes for a standard head of broccoli (that is cut up). Feel free to use actual bread crumbs instead of making your own and 3 eggs can be used instead of egg substitute! I'm also going to make some Whole Wheat bread in my bread machine. I'll just follow the recipe in the instruction book it came with.

Cherry Pork Chops
Amy - amylz
The Everything Slow Cooker Cookbook

6 pork chops
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 tsp lemon juice

Place the pork in a large skillet on the stove. Brown on medium high heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix half the can of cherry pie filling, the crushed bouillon cube and the lemon juice in the crock pot. Place the pork chops on top. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Heat the remaining cherry pie filling and serve over chops.

Broccoli and Three-Cheese Casserole
Amy - amylz

Ingredients
2 cups cooked white rice
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried fines herbes
3 egg whites
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
4 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets (about 1 bunch)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup (1 ounce) reduced-fat shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup egg substitute
3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (1-ounce) slices firm white bread

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°. Combine the rice, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, fines herbes, and egg whites. Press mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle fontina evenly over rice mixture. Set aside. Cook broccoli in boiling water for 4 minutes or until tender; drain well. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in broccoli. Spoon broccoli mixture evenly over rice mixture. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Combine egg substitute, milk, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Pour egg mixture over broccoli mixture. Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 1/4 cups. Combine breadcrumbs and the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over broccoli. Bake at 400° for 23 minutes or until set.
Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 piece)
Nutritional Information
CALORIES 242(28% from fat); FAT 7.6g (sat 4g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 16.3g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 259mg; SODIUM 613mg; FIBER 2.5g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 27.8g
Maureen Callahan , Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2006

Amy

Basil Grilled Chicken, Au Gratin Potatoes II

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we're having Basil Grilled Chicken and Au Gratin Potatoes. The chicken recipe is very easy. It does call for the chicken breasts but feel free to use any pieces you like. Since the recipe is basic and there isn't a lot to discuss, I thought I would talk about buying chicken. Do you ever wonder what the different labels on the chicken mean? I did so I asked the meat counter guy and he explained it all to me. The most common whole chicken is the broiler-fryer and these are your smaller whole chickens. Then the ones called roasters are older birds so they're bigger (about 5 pounds) and they're fattier but they have the most chicken flavor. If it says free range, it means the chicken were free to roam outside rather than being in cages inside. They tend to have more flavor. Kosher chickens are, well, kosher. They follow the Jewish dietary rules and they tend to be saltier. Natural chicken does not caontain artificial anything or preservatives. They may have been exposed to antibiotics and growth enhancers though. And finally, the organic chicken eat organic feed and they are free of drugs and antibiotics. Wow, did you get all that? Sorry if that bored you to tears, I thought it was interesting! I'll still probably buy what's on sale though!

Ok, for the potatoes, these are super simple. The recipe does tell you to shred your potatoes but I prefer Au Gratin potatoes with thinly sliced potatoes so I'm going to run them through my Cuisnart with the slicing blade. This recipe is more like cheesy potatoes (you know, they're at every potluck or Mops meeting) than typical Au Gratin but trust me, they're still yummy!

Basil Grilled Chicken
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007
3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 skinned chicken breast halves
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves, plus 2 tablespoons freshly minced basil leaves
1/3 cup (5 tablespoons) butter, melted, plus 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Fresh basil springs, optional

Prepare charcoal grill.
Press the coarsely ground pepper into the meaty side of the chicken breast halves. Stir the chopped basil into the melted butter. Brush the chicken lightly with this mixture. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, minced basil, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer until smoothly blended. Transfer to a small serving bowl; set aside. Grill the chicken over medium coals for 8 to 10 minutes on each side, basting frequently with the remaining melted butter mixture. Serve the grilled chicken with the basil-butter mixture. Garnish with fresh basil springs, if desired.

Au Gratin Potatoes II
Amy – amylz
All Recipes
Yields: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sour cream
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
4 1/2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup cornflakes cereal
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray one 8 inch square baking dish with vegetable cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the sour cream and soup. Add grated potatoes, cheese, and onions. Mix well, and pour into the prepared baking dish. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
3. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter and cornflakes. Sprinkle over the top of the potatoes, and return to the oven.
4. Bake uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes or until bubbly and corn flakes are golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Amy