Applesauce Oat Muffins, Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Rice, Cafeteria Rolls, Blueberry Crumb Pie

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I am making a batch of Applesauce Oat Muffins. I love recipes that use applesauce because it cuts down or eliminates the oil all together. For dinner, I'm doing slow cooker Pork Chops with rice. You will want to sear these on the stove before you throw it all in the crockpot but it will be worth it. I'm also making some Cafeteria Rolls and a Blueberry Crumb Pie for dessert.

Applesauce Oat Muffins
Katie (KatieDid)

1 1/2 c quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour (1/2 ww, 3/4 ap)
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 c unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c fat-free milk
3 T canola or vegetable oil
1 egg white
Topping: 1/4 c quick cooking or old-fashioned oats 1 T brown sugar 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 1 T butter or margarine, melted

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the applesauce, milk, oil and egg white. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin cups coated with nonstick cooking spray three-fourths full. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 400 F for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Notes: I used old-fashioned oats instead of quick-cooking, 1/2 cup whole wheat and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and made 12 muffins instead of 10 in my Pampered Chef stoneware muffin pan, baking them about 15 minutes.

Nutritional info is figured for 10 muffins. 222 calories, 6 g fat (1 g sat) 5 g protein, 37 g carbs, 3 mg cholesterol, 265 mg sodium

Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Rice
Dawn (mbtmom2000)

4-6 pork loin chops (bone in or boneless)
2 yellow or white onions sliced
1 cup Uncle Ben's converted long grain white or brown rice
2 cups chicken stock
1 can cream of celery or your preference or use 1 can Campbell's Healthy Request Cream Soup
olive oil to brown chops and onions
Ms. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning
salt ( for rice) optional
fresh chopped parsley or herb of choice

1. Season chops as desired-- I use Mrs. Dash(use what you like) brown in olive oil on med. high heat.
2. Remove and set aside--- add onions to hot skillet, let saute for about 3-4 minutes,
3. Spray crockpot with non stick spray, place a layer of onions on bottom add rice, pork chops, soup, the rest of the onions and pan drippings, broth. Set on low 7-8 hours or high 4 hours depending on your crock pot. If using boneless, it will take less than bone-in. Add parsley before serving

Cafeteria Rolls
Angie

1 cup warm water
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoon shortening
1 1/2 tablespoon butter, melted

In a large bowl, mix together the warm water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top, and let it stand for about 10 minutes, until the yeast is foamy. Mix the milk, egg and salt into the yeast. Measure the flour into a separate bowl, and crumble the shortening into it using your fingers until it is barely noticeable. Gradually stir the flour into the wet ingredients. Mix using a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and starts to form a ball around the spoon. Cover with a hot wet towel that has been wrung out, and set in a warm place to rise until double in bulk. This should take about 45 minutes. When the dough has risen, pour the melted butter over it, and knead for about 2 minutes. Let the dough rest for a few minutes, then roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1 inch thick. Use a knife to cut into 2 inch squares. Roll squares into balls, and place into greased round pans, spacing about 1 inch apart. Let rise again until doubled in size. You could also refrigerate the dough, and let it rise overnight for baking the next day. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake the rolls for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.

Blueberry Crumb Pie
Amy – amylz
All Recipes

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Press the pie crust into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and flour. Mix in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Gently stir in the blueberries. Pour into the pie crust.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, oats, flour and cinnamon. Mix in butter using a fork until crumbly. Spread the crumb topping evenly over the pie filling.
4. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until browned on top. Cool over a wire rack.

Amy

Traditional Pizza Dough

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having pizza for dinner. This time I'm going with a Traditional Pizza Dough recipe that you do in the bread machine. My men like pepperoni and olive pizza so that's what I'll go with (I may do pepperoncini and garlic for me).

Traditional Pizza Dough - Bread Machine
~*~Sandy~*~

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 T olive oil
3 3/4 cup bread flour
1 1/2 T sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Put ingredients in bread machine on dough cycle. When dough cycle is complete, remove dough from pan. Divide into two balls (for thick crust pizza) or four balls (for thin crust pizza). Press each dough ball onto a greased 12-inch pizza pan. Brush crust with oil. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Spoon tomato or pizza sauce over dough, top with cheese and topping of your choice. Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 400*F or until cheese gets bubbly and crust is golden brown. Makes 2 (12-inch) thick crust pizzas or 4 (12-inch) thin crust pizzas. Note: increase flour a bit, dough was quite wet.

Amy

Cashew Chicken Salad, Loaded Baked Potato Salad, Easy Berry Cobbler

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I am making up some Cashew Chicken Salad for lunch. This recipe is for a crowd (maybe like 20) so you will for sure need to cut this down for your own family. My kids will love this. We are having dinner with our friends, Scott and Hollie (hi Hollie) and we're going to barbecue. I'm planning on bringing a Loaded baked Potato Salad and a Berry Cobbler. The salad is your typical potato salad with a little twist. The cobbler is so simple and you can use any type of berries (or fruit) and this will come out great. It's one of those semi-homemade type recipes!

Cashew Chicken Salad
OP????

2 C. chopped celery (include some leaves)
3 C. Grapes (slice in half if large)
2 apples, diced (your favorite variety)
20 oz can pineapple chunks (I actually prefer "tidbits" - smaller pieces)
1 can water chestnuts
1 can cashew halves
24 oz. small shell macaroni
3 C. diced, cooked chicken breast
Coleslaw Dressing

Cook pasta, drain and cool. Drain pineapple and save juice for another recipe. Drain water chestnuts. Combine salad ingredients except cashews and toss with as much dressing as you like (2 Cups or so?). Refrigerate several hours. Just before serving, toss in the cashews.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Amy - amylz
Taste of Home

5 pounds small unpeeled red potatoes, cubed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 dill pickles, chopped
1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
2 to 3 teaspoons prepared mustard

Place the potatoes in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 40-45 minutes or until tender. Cool in pan on a wire rack. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, bacon, cheese, onion and pickles. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise and mustard; pour over the potato mixture and toss to coat. Yield: 20 servings.

Easy Berry Cobbler
Cindybakedababy

2 bags frozen Berries (I prefer Blackberries)
1 Yellow Cake mix
1 cube butter (1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 350.In a 13x9 pan, spread frozen berries evenly. Sprinkle dry cake mix over berries. Melt butter and pour on top of the berries and cake mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. This is really really good and it is so easy and fast for potlucks. People always request it.

Amy

Baked Macaroni and Cheese 4

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I'm making some Baked Macaroni and Cheese for lunch. This is just another recipe for mac and cheese among many. It looks good though. We're having dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory tomorrow for our niece's birthday so I won't be cooking again.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese 4
WeinerDog source: The Big Book of Casseroles

12 oz (2 ½ cups) elbow macaroni, cooked & drained
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter, divided
4 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 ½ cup whole milk (2% worked fine)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Place half of the macaroni in a 9-x-13-in baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil. Sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper. Dot with 1 tablespoon of the butter cut into bits. In layers, add half of the cheese, the remaining macaroni, and then the remaining cheese. In a cup mix milk and Worcestershire sauce and pour over casserole. Melt remaining butter and mix with bread crumbs. Sprinkle over top. Cover and bake 30 min. Remove cover and bake until bubbly, 10 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6 - 8

Amy

Peaches and Cream Muffins

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I am whipping up a batch of Peaches and Cream Muffins. These are pretty basic with peaches in them. The kids will love these. We're having dinner with friends so I'm not cooking!

Peaches and Cream Muffins
Katie (Katiedid)
Yield: 10 muffins

1 egg
½ c milk or sour cream
¼ c vegetable oil
1 ½ c all-purpose flour (¾ all-purpose, ¾ whole wheat)
½ c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 c chopped fresh or frozen peaches, thawed

In a bowl, beat egg; add milk and oil. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir into the egg mixture just until moistened. Stir in the peaches. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400 F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Notes: I doubled this recipe and make 12 regular size muffins and sprinkled the tops with cinnamon-sugar before baking. I put the rest of the batter into my Pampered Chef loaf pan to make a coffee cake sprinkling the top with a combination of cinnamon-sugar and some brown sugar. Next time I will certainly try replacing the oil with applesauce.

Amy

Tortellini Soup, Easy Meat Loaf, Cracker Barrel Country Green Beans

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I'm going to make up some Tortellini Soup for lunch. I have a bag of cheese tortellinis in the freezer that I want to use up. You can use any flavor you like though. Since this cooks in the crockpot, I'm going to start it super early (like 4 AM) so it's ready for lunch but if you're making it for dinner, this is an easy one to throw together in the morning. For dinner, we're having Easy Meat Loaf and Cracker Barrel Green Beans. The meatloaf is a McCormick recipe that has very basic ingredients. It's simple and I like that. The green beans are your basic canned green beans just jazzed up a bit. We don't have Cracker Barrels where I live so I can't say if it is like there's or not but I'm sure it will be good!

Tortellini Soup
hmschlin2 aka Jen :)

2 cans beef broth or consume (or 4 cups homemade)
1 large can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1 cup red wine
1/2 lb hot Italian sausage, loose and browned
1 package frozen tortellini
Grated parm cheese

Place all ingredients in the crockpot except frozen tortellini. Cook on low all day. An hour or so before serving add in frozen tortellini. Serve topped with grated parmesan cheese. You can also use mini ravioli or any other small, filled pasta in place of the tortellini.

Easy Meat Loaf
Amy - amylz
Makes 8 servings.

2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
2 teaspoons McCormick® Minced Onions
1 teaspoon McCormick® Season-All® Seasoned Salt
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Black Pepper
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, egg and seasonings in large bowl. Shape into a loaf in shallow baking pan.

2. Pour tomato sauce over loaf.

3. Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until cooked through. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

©2008 McCormick & Co.

Cracker Barrel Country Green Beans
Mommy2Beth&Sarah via CopyKat recipes
Serving Size: 6

1/4 lb. Sliced Bacon
3 Cans Whole Green Beans (14 1/2 oz cans & do not drain liquid)
1/4 of a medium sized Onion
1 tsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper

In a two quart sauce pan on medium heat, cook bacon until lightly brown but not crisp.
When bacon has browned add green beans. Add salt, sugar, pepper, and mix well. Place onion on top of green beans, cover with a lid and bring to a light boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer beans for 30-45 minutes. Cooking the green beans for 30-45 minutes on a very low simmer will blend the flavors.

Amy

Chicken Cornbread

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I am making Chicken Cornbread. The only change I plan to make is to leave out the cheese. This looks so simple and easy and should be really yummy!

Chicken Cornbread
Amy (ajays)

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
1 tablespoon oil
1 green pepper, chopped
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 package (8-1/2 oz.) corn muffin mix (love the Jiffy brand in the little blue boxes)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook and stir chicken in oil in skillet until cooked through. Drain. Add green pepper, seasoning mix and 3/4 cup water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon chicken mixture into 9-inch pie plate; sprinkle with cheese. Prepare muffin mix as directed on package. Spoon muffin batter over cheese to cover. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving

Amy

Very Berry Coffee Cake, Buttermilk Pancakes 2

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having some friends over for dinner and I'm going with a breakfast theme. I've been wanting to make this coffee cake for a while so this seemed like a good opportunity. It calls for if you have fresh, feel free to use them. I'm also going to whip up some Buttermilk Pancakes. These are so simple and believe me, once you make pancakes without a mix, you'll see how simple it is and will never go back. It's all ingredients you have on hand. These happen to be Buttermilk Pancakes so I will need to pick up some buttermilk but you can get that at any supermarket these days. I'll also serve bacon and sausage, and fresh fruit.

Very Berry Coffee Cake
Sandy~Ardnas1

1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 C. sour cream
1/3 C. milk
2 1/2 C. frozen mixed berries (1-12 oz. pkg.), thawed

CRUMB TOPPING
1/3 C. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 C. sugar
3/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix well. Alternately add flour mixture and milk until all ingredients are incorporated and mixed well. Grease and flour 9 inch square cake pan. Spread half of the batter into pan and smooth top. Cover batter evenly with berries. Cover berries with remaining batter and smooth top with rubber scraper. Prepare the crumb topping. In a medium bowl combine all topping ingredients and pinch them together with your fingers to blend into crumbly mixture. Spread the crumbs evenly over top of cake. Place in oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top of cake is golden brown. Cool cake for a few minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Buttermilk Pancakes 2
Katie (KatieDid) from Cooking Light

1 ½ c all-purpose flour (about 6 ¾ ounces)
2 T sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 ½ c fat-free buttermilk
1 T butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Light spoon four into dry measuring cups, level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, sir with a whisk. Combine buttermilk, butter, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Pour about ¼ cup batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet. Cook 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 pancakes)

Calories 272 (15% from fat); Fat 4.5g (sat 2.2g, mono 1.3g, poly 0.5g); Protein 9.8g; Carb 47.4; Fiber 1.3g; Cholesterol 61mg; Iron 2.4mg; Sodium 583mg; Calcium 126mg

Amy

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Muffins, BEEFY ITALIAN RAMEN SKILLET

Hi everyone! Today is finally the last day of school. We didn't think it would ever get here. I'm very happy to have my big boy home with me for a few weeks. I hope the boys don't fight too much!

Tomorrow I'm making up a batch of Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins. I don't really care for muffins with chocolate chips in them but they're Jackson's favorite so I wanted something special for his first day of summer break! These start with a chocolate cake mix so you can't get simpler than this. It might be a slight stretch to eat these for breakfast but I figure a couple times it won't kill them! For dinner, we're having something else Jackson will love. It's Beeft Italian Ramen Skillet and you use Top Ramen. He'll think it's the greatest meal ever. I plan to use those mini pepperonis I mentioned earlier this week because I like that they're more bite sized than regular pepperoni. I'll skip the cheese but otherwise follow directions. This just has kid meal written all over it! I'll also be serving whatever leftover fruit I have from the week and a green salad.

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Muffins
Amy – amylz

1 chocolate-fudge cake mix
1 small box chocolate instant pudding
¾ cup water
3 eggs
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ tsp almond extract
¾ cup chocolate chips, frozen

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners. Mix together cake mix, pudding, water, eggs, applesauce, oil and almond extract until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips last. Fill cups ¾ full. Bake about 23-33 minutes or until done.

BEEFY ITALIAN RAMEN SKILLET
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Betty Crocker magazine)

2 (3-oz) packages beef-flavor ramen noodle soup mix
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
24 slices pepperoni (1-1 ¼ inches in diameter)
1 (1.5-oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
1 cup water
1 small green pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces (½ cup)
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Break blocks of noodles in half (reserve one seasoning packet and discard the second); set aside. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and pepperoni over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir tomatoes, water and reserved seasoning packet into beef mixture. Heat to boiling. Stir in noodles and bell pepper. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender. Sprinkle cheese on noodle mixture in ring around edge of skillet. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Amy

Barbecue Meatloaf, Baked Acorn Squash with Apricot Preserves

Hi everyone! Happy Father's Day!

Tomorrow I am making Barbecue Meatloaf and Acorn Squash for dinner. As I've said a million times, my family loves meatloaf so this should go over well. I'm going to leave out the green pepper but otherwise will follow as written. I'm also going to cook some acorn squash. If you don't like apricot preserves, use whatever you have in the fridge. I personally leave it off mine because it's just too sweet for me. I'll also serve cantaloupe and biscuits.

Barbecue Meatloaf
Christine0120

2 lbs ground beef
1 packet onion soup mix
1 cup dry plain breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup water
2 TB oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup ketchup
1 TB Worcestershire
1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce for topping

Sautee onion and green pepper in oil over med low heat until soft (do not brown). Mix remaining ingredients in bowl and shape into loaf. Put in greased pan (lined with foil) and top with barbecue sauce. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes at 350. ENJOY

Baked Acorn Squash with Apricot Preserves
(Astrid, from Allrecipes.com)

1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
salt to taste
2 teaspoons butter
3 tablespoons apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place squash halves cut side down in a baking dish. Fill the dish with water to the depth of 1/4 inch. Bake 40 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove squash from oven, and set the oven to broil. Turn squash cut side up in the dish, and season lightly with salt. Place 1 teaspoon butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons apricot preserves in each squash half. Return to oven, and broil 5 minutes, or until butter is melted and squash is lightly browned.

Amy

Skillet Macaroni & Beef, Asian Barbecue Chicken, American-Style Potato Salad

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow is Father's Day and John loves to just be outside with the grill on this special day so that's what we'll do. I am going to make a skillet Macaroni & Beef for lunch (after church). This is kind of like homemade Hamburger Helper. It's quick, easy and done in one pot so I like that! For our Father's Day dinner, I'm going with Asian Barbecue Chicken and Potato Salad. The chicken is a pretty basic barbecue chicken but it has a slight asian flair to it. I think it will be more like a teriyaki chicken. You can cook the leftover madinade but Sandy says the chicken doesn't need it so it's up to you. The potato salad is called "all American" and I got it from the Food Network. It is your basic potato salad. I'll add in some actual pickles since John loves that. We'll also have sliced tomatoes (with salt and basil) and fresh blueberries.

Skillet Macaroni & Beef
Amy - amylz
One Pot Meals

1 ½ lbs ground beef
2 c elbow macaroni, uncooked
½ c onion, minced
½ c green pepper, chopped
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
1 c water
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Lightly brown beef in skillet; drain. Stir in macaroni, onion and green pepper; heat until onion is soft. Add remaining ingredients. Lower heat; cover and simmer 25 minutes or until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally. Serves 6 to 8.

Asian Barbecue Chicken
Sandy~~*~Sandy~*~

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 T fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper)
1/4 tsp curry powder
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 skinless chicken thighs (with bone), 4 to 5 oz each
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
Garnishes: lime wedges, green onion tops

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large, resealable plastic bag; add chicken to bag. Press the air out of the bag, and seal tightly. Turn the bag several times to distribute the marinade; place the bag in a bowl, and refrigerate 4 hours, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from bag, reserving the marinade. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat, and boil gently for 1 full minute. Lightly spray both sides of chicken with cooking spray. With the lid closed, grill the chicken over Direct Medium heat (400º to 450ºF) until juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink at the bone, 15 to 20 minutes, turning several times and basting frequently with the marinade. Garnish if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

Sandy’s Notes: If desired, sub chicken breasts for the thighs. Discard the marinade rather than reserving (the finished product doesn’t need it).

American-Style Potato Salad
Amy –amylz
From Food Network Kitchens

1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 pounds (10 to 12) small waxy-style potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 stalks celery (with leaves), chopped
1/2 cup prepared mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons pickle relish
1 tablespoon French's mustard
2 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl soak the onions in cold water, for 15 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan cover the potatoes with cold water by about 2 inches. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until fork tender, about 6 minutes. Drain, transfer potatoes to a large bowl, and mix with the onions and celery. Set aside to cool. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, mayonnaise, parsley, relish, and mustard. When the potatoes have cooled, carefully fold them with the mayonnaise mixture. Gently mix in the eggs and season with pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Amy

Zesty Herb Grilled Chicken, Spicy Baked Potato Chips

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having Zesty Herb Grilled Chicken. I love these McCormick Grill Mates marinades. They are super good and such a quick way to marinade something. These can be found usually on the same aisle as the gravy mixes but check the spice aisle too if you don't see them. I like to marinade my chicken over night but you can do what you like. I'm going to make some Spicy Baked Potato Chips to go along with our chicken. The difference between potatoes and potato chips are in how thinly you slice them. It takes some time and patience but you can do it. We like our with salt and pepper. Yum! I'm also going to serve fresh raspberries and fresh red pepper slices.

Zesty Herb Grilled Chicken
Amy - amylz
Makes 6 servings.

1 package McCormick® Grill Mates® Zesty Herb Marinade
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 pounds bone-in chicken parts

1. Mix Marinade mix, water, oil and vinegar in small bowl. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well.

2. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.

3. Grill over medium heat with lid closed 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, turning frequently.

©2008 McCormick & Co.

Spicy Baked Potato Chips
amylz – WW website

2 sprays olive oil cooking spray
2 medium Yukon Gold potato(es) sliced very thin
1/2 tsp kosher salt or more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground, or more to taste

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat two nonstick cookie sheets with cooking spray. Spread potatoes over pans in single layers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until crisp and browned, about 20 minutes.

Amy

Whole Grain Blackberry Spice Muffins, Spiral Pizza Casserole, Quick Beef Skillet, Mushroom Pie

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I'm making up a batch of Blackberry Spice Muffins. I love muffins that have oatmeal in them. The only change I'll make is I won't sprinkle them with sugar at the end. My boys don't need that! For lunch, I'm going to whip up some Spiral Pizza Casserole. This will be great as leftovers all week for John and the boys. I found these little tiny (a bit smaller than a quarter) pepperonis at Walmart the other day and those will be perfect for this. For dinner, I'm making Quick Beef Skillet and Mushroom Pie. The beef skillet is very easy and you can sub whatever veggies you like. I think green beans would be good in this too. The Mushroom Pie is kind of like a turnover in a way. I think I'm going to do half without the cheese and half with the cheese just to see which I like better. My little guy will love this as he can't get enough mushrooms in his diet. I think this should reheat pretty well too if there are leftovers. I'll also be serving fresh cantaloupe!

Whole Grain Blackberry Spice Muffins
RecipeGirl
Servings: 17

2 cups flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp allspice
1 cup nonfat milk
3 Tbs butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1½ cups frozen blackberries, chopped coarsely
¼ cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400°F In a large bowl, combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through allspice). Make a well in the center of the mixture. In a small bowl, combine milk, butter, vanilla and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring until just moist. Gently stir in blackberries. Spoon ¼ cup batter into each of 17 paper-lined muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 16 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar; bake for an additional 3 minutes, or until center springs back when touched. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks.

Spiral Pizza Casserole
(P&Co via Taste of Home)

• 1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) pizza sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook the beef, onion, salt and pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the pizza sauce, garlic salt and Italian seasoning; remove from the heat and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk and Parmesan cheese. Drain pasta; toss with egg mixture. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Top with beef mixture, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until golden brown. Yield: 12 servings.

Quick Beef Skillet
Amy – amylz
Campbell’s

1 lb. ground beef
1 can Campbell's(R) Beefy Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can (about 15 oz.) sliced potatoes, drained
1 can (about 8 oz.) sliced carrots, drained

COOK beef in skillet until browned. Pour off fat.
ADD soup, water, Worcestershire, pepper,
potatoes and carrots and heat through. Serves 4

Mushroom Pie
Amy – amylz
About.com Yields: 12 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (10 ounce) package fresh
mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
4 slices bacon, chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1 (17.25 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onion and bacon; cook and stir for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the cream and dill; cook and stir for about 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cheese.
3. Place one sheet of puff pastry on a well oiled baking sheet, and pour the mushroom filling over the top. Cover with the other sheet, and press the edges together to seal. Make some holes in the top with a fork. Brush the top with beaten egg.
4. Bake for about 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool, then cut into squares to serve.

Amy

Italian Herb & Cheese Crusted Chicken Rolls

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I'm making Italian Herb & Cheese Crusted Chicken Rolls. A couple weeks ago I made Chicken Parmesan and used the McCormick Crusting Blend and I was eager to try another recipe with it since those turned out so good. This one caught my eye and looks so easy. I will be leaving out the cheese but the tomato mixture should still fill the chicken nicely. The key to rolling chicken is you need to pound it pretty thin. You can use a meat mallet or a rolling pin. I just put it between two pieces of plastic wrap or I put it in a Ziploc bag and pound it out. It works great! I'll be serving the chicken rolls with fresh blueberries.

Italian Herb & Cheese Crusted Chicken Rolls
Amy – amylz
Makes 8 servings.

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend or mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Italian Seasoning
2 pounds thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup McCormick® Italian Herb & Cheese Crusting Blend

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix tomatoes, cheese and Italian seasoning in medium bowl.

2. Place about 2 tablespoons of the tomato mixture in center of each piece of chicken. Roll up chicken to enclose filling. Brush with oil. Coat with Crusting Blend. Place chicken rolls, seam-side down, in foil-lined shallow baking pan. Discard any remaining Crusting Blend.

3. Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

©2008 McCormick & Co.

Amy

Seven Onion Soup, Gingerbread Waffles

Hi everyone! Happy birthday to my wondeful husband, John, and to our nephew Christopher!

Tomorrow I am making Seven Onion Soup for lunch. If you love onions, this is for you. I didn't even really think there were 7 kinds of onions until I saw this. I can't wait to try it. I love French Onion soup so this should be right up my alley! For dinner, we're having breakfast. I'm going with Gingerbread Waffles. These have pumpkin in them which is good for added nutrients. I'll serve these with bacon, fresh raspberries and grapes.

Seven Onion Soup
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 1/2 cups sliced yellow onions
1 1/2 cups sliced red onions
1 1/2 cups sliced white onions
1 cup sliced shallots
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup sliced leeks, bottoms only, well rinsed in several changes of water
1 cup sliced scallions (white parts only)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 quarts chicken stock
1 cup cream
Salt and pepper
3 teaspoons snipped chives, for garnish
Shaved Parmesan, for garnish

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 7 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and set aside for garnish. To the fat remaining in the pan, add the yellow, red, and white onions, shallots, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and thyme and cook, stirring, until very soft and starting to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the leeks and scallions and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Dust flour over, and stir and cook until flour turns light golden. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cream, stir well to incorporate, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and pulse soup with an immersion blender. Return to the pot, stir to combine, and heat gently. Divide the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with bacon, chives, and a little shaved Parmesan. Serve slices of the Parmesan-Garlic bread on the side and serve immediately. Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Gingerbread Waffles
Amy – amylz
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball it
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter, plus some to butter the iron
Syrup, whipped cream or fresh fruits for topping, to pass at table

Preheat waffle iron. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in pumpkin, milk, molasses and melted butter. Stir the wet into dry until just moist. Do not overstir the waffle batter. Brush the iron with a little melted butter and cook 4 waffles, 4 sections each. Serve with toppings of choice.

Amy

Strawberry Peach smoothies, Strawberry Jam!, Banana-Berry Smoothie, Strawberry Bread, Strawberry Soup, Cool and Easy Strawberry Pie

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow is my husband's (and nephew's) birthday so we will be going out. So I thought I would leave you with a bunch of things to do with strawberries.

Strawberry Peach smoothies

2 cups milk
1 cup frozen unsweetened peach slices
1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries
1/4 cup Orange juice
2 tablespoons honey

In a blender, combine all ingredients.

Strawberry Jam!

2 quarts of ripe strawberries
6 cups of sugar

Cook both ingredients over medium to medium low heat until the mixture gels - the jam should fall in 'sheets' off of the spoon. Remove from the heat and skim foam off of the top. Ladle into hot sterilized jars and process in a water canner for fifteen minutes. If you don't have a water canner, the jam will freeze well for up to six months! Remember if you are freezing the jam, allow it to cool in the jars until you can handle them easily. Putting scalding hot jars of jam into any freezer will make your whole fridge heat up quick!

Banana-Berry Smoothie
Michelle (MMmom)

1 banana
6-7 large frozen strawberries
about 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
2/3 cup milk
16 oz plain yogurt
1 1/2 tbsp wheat germ (optional)
pinch of sugar if berries aren't sweet enough
a couple of spoons of orange juice concentrate (optional)

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until well incorporated. Pour into glasses and enjoy. Makes about 2 large (about 1 pint size) glasses.

Strawberry Bread
Michelle (MMmom) from my mom

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 (10 oz) packages frozen strawberries, thawed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, sift together the four, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add oil and sugar, mixing well. Gradually stir in the flour mixture. Add the thawed strawberries, including their juices, and the vanilla. Stir in the pecans. Pour into two greased and floured 3 x 5 x 9 loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


Strawberry Soup
Michelle (MMmom)

15 oz frozen strawberries, thawed, with juice
15 oz sour cream
1 oz vanilla extract
3 oz powdered sugar (meas. after sifting)
1/2 oz grenadine
2 oz half and half
a splash or two (to taste) of vinegar to balance it out

Mix strawberries and sour cream. Beat slowly until well mixed. Add grenadine, vanilla, and sugar while mixing until smooth consistency. Add half and half last, mixing only until well blended. Add vinegar to taste. Chill and serve. Shake or mix well before serving. Serves 6.

Cool and Easy Strawberry Pie
(Christine0120)

2/3 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O Brand Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
Ice cubes
1/2 cup cold water
1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping, thawed
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1 (6 ounce) ready-to-use reduced fat graham cracker crumb crust
1 cup sliced strawberries

Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to gelatin; stir until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. Add whipped topping; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in chopped strawberries. Refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes or until mixture is very thick and will mound. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight until firm. Top with sliced strawberries. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

Amy

Ginger Pear Muffins, Pear and Blue Cheese Salad, Croissant Panini, Colorful Apple Salad,

Hi everyone! Today is my baby brother's 16th birthday. Seriously, how did that happen? It seems like he was just born. I feel old!

Tomorrow I'm making Ginger Pear Muffins. This is from Diabetic Living. I love ginger and pears together so I'm anxious to see how these turn out. I'm also planning to have a Pear and Blue Cheese Salad for lunch and thought I would share the recipe in case any of you might like that. I have some blue cheese I wanted to use up and I love it with pears. For dinner, we're having Croissant Paninis and an Apple Salad. The paninis call for salami and gouda but use what you like. My kids love salami but John doesn't so I'll do ham for him. Of course none of them will want cheese. The salad is super yummy and easy.

Ginger Pear Muffins
Amy – amylz
Diabetic Living

Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar or brown sugar substitute
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup fat-free milk
1/3 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup chopped, cored pear
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 tablespoon oat bran
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder, the 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and the salt. Make a well in the center. In a small bowl, combine milk, oil, and egg; add all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Fold in pear and, if desired, walnuts.

3. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Combine oat bran and the 1/4 teaspoon ginger; sprinkle over muffins. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until tops are brown. Cool in muffin cups on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm. Makes 12 muffins.

4. *Test Kitchen Tip: If using a brown sugar substitute, we recommend Sweet 'n Low® Brown or Sugar Twin® Granulated Brown. Use 1-1/2 teaspoons Sweet 'n Low® Brown or 3 tablespoons Sugar Twin® Granulated Brown in place of the packed brown sugar.

Nutrition Facts per muffin with brown sugar substitute: 136 cal., 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 95 mg sodium, 16 g carbo., 2 g fiber, 3 g pro.

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1.5 fat
Carb choices: 1

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
Calories 149
Total Fat (g) 7
Saturated Fat (g) 1
Cholesterol (mg) 0
Sodium (mg) 96
Carbohydrate (g) 19
Fiber (g) 2
Protein (g) 3
Diabetic Exchanges
Starch (d.e.) 1
Fat (d.e.) 1.5

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad
Amy - amylz
From Food Network Kitchens How to Boil Water, Meredith, 2006

2/3 cup nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, or cashews)
1 bunch watercress
1 bunch arugula
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 Belgian endive
2 ripe pears, such as Anjou, Bartlett, or Comice
2 ounces mild blue cheese (about 1/2 cup loosely packed crumbles)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts on a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake, shaking the pan occasionally, until the nuts are toasted and fragrant, about 7 to 10 minutes. Let the nuts cool, and then coarsely chop. Trim the stems of the watercress and arugula. Wash and dry the leaves. Meanwhile, whisk the vinegar and mustard together in a large salad bowl. Season with the 1/4 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream, to make a smooth, slightly thick dressing. Halve the endive lengthwise, cut out core, then thinly slice crosswise and add all the lettuces to the bowl. Quarter and core the unpeeled pears and thinly slice; add to the salad. Scatter the cheese and nuts over the salad, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss the salad gently to evenly dress all the greens. Divide among 4 plates and serve immediately.

Croissant Panini
Amy – amylz
Giada De Laurentiis

4 croissants, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
4 ounces smoked Gouda, grated
8 teaspoons grated Parmesan
4 ounces Genoa salami
5 ounces arugula

Heat a panini grill. Divide 1-ounce (1/3 cup) smoked Gouda between 1 top and 1 bottom of a croissant. Sprinkle each half with 1 teaspoon Parmesan. Top each side with about 3 slices of Genoa salami (about 1 ounce of salami per sandwich, total.) Top 1 half of the sandwich with a small handful of arugula. Close the sandwich and continue with the remaining sandwiches. Grill the panini until the cheese melts, about 3 to 4 minutes. Cut each sandwich into thirds. Place the remaining arugula on a serving platter. Place the warm sandwich slices on the arugula. Serve hot.

Colorful Apple Salad
Amy – amylz
Gooseberry Patch

6 Granny Smith apples, diced
6 Red Delicious apples, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
¾ cup raisins
16 ounce whipped topping, thawed
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix apples, celery and raisins in a bowl. Add whipped topping and cinnamon. Stir and serve immediately. Serves 12!

Amy

Pineapple Smoothie, Mixed Greens with Lime Vinaigrette

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I am going to whip up some Pineapple Smoothies for breakfast. This is an old WW recipe. It's pretty basic but a good way to use up pineapple. For lunch we're going to have a salad but the star of this recipe is the Lime Vinaigrette. We love homemade dressings so I can't wait to try this. We have Jackson's baseball banquet tomorrow night so we'll be having dinner there. I'm bringing a baseball cake (that I ordered) so there is no cooking for me! The cake was so cute that I had to get it. Decorating is not my strong suit so every once in a while I don't mind doing store bought things!

Pineapple Smoothie
Amylz – WW website

1/2 cup pineapple (fresh or canned in its own juice; cubed)
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup water
4 cubes ice cube(s)
Place all ingredients into blender and blend on high until combined.

Mixed Greens with Lime Vinaigrette
Amy - amylz
Robin Miller

6 cups mixed lettuce greens
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place lettuce in a large bowl. In a jar with a lid, shake together remaining ingredients. Pour desired amount of vinaigrette over greens just before serving. There will be leftover dressing.

Amy

Frozen meatballs and Sour Cream Sauce

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we will be at our nephew's graduation party so I'm not cooking. I decided to leave you with a recipe for Frozen meatballs and sour cream sauce. It looked very easy and like something most families would enjoy.

Frozen meatballs and Sour Cream Sauce
Sharon --GatorGrrrl

1 tbsp olive oil
6-8 frozen meatballs per person
Hot egg noodles tossed in butter and parsley

SOUR CREAM SAUCE:

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 c. beef broth
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
8 oz. dairy sour cream, room temperature

Heat Dutch oven or large wide skillet to medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. When the pan is hot, add a tbsp of water and frozen meatballs to Dutch oven and put on lid to steam the meatballs. Once they are heated through, remove meatballs and add butter to brownings in the pan. Stir in flour and cook until bubbly. Add broth, salt, cayenne pepper and Worcestershire sauce; cook, stirring until thickened and bubbly. Gradually add sour cream, one heaping spoonful at a time to the sauce, stirring constantly. Add meatballs.

Serve over egg noodles.

NOTE: If you want to add volume and no calories, saute onions, carrots and mushrooms in pan after the meatballs. once veggies are cooked, add butter and flour and continue the sauce recipe.

NOTE2: Some people serve it over hot noodles at this point, but I like to cut calories by adding a couple handfuls of cooked egg noodles to the pot. You end up using a lot less.

Amy

Creamy Cheese Bread, Caramel Apple Salad

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow Jackson has his cross over scouting event where he goes from being a Tiger to a Wolf. It's also a potluck and I'm bringing some Creamy Cheese Bread and a Caramel Apple Salad. The bread is perfect for an appetizer as well. The salad is delicious. This is my version and I like to use all sugar free. Trust me, you can't tell. This is usually quite a popular salad.

Creamy Cheese Bread
Amy – amylz
All Recipes

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian
-style salad dressing mix
1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, sliced

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, mayonnaise, Swiss cheese and dry Italian-style salad dressing mix.
3. Spread the mixture generously on the French bread slices. Arrange slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
4. Broil in the preheated oven 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bread is lightly browned.

Caramel Apple Salad
Amy - amylz

1 - 20 oz. crushed pineapple ( do not drain)
4 unpeeled Red Delicious apples, cut-up
1 small box Fat Free, Sugar Free instant butterscotch pudding
1 8 oz. Fat Free Cool Whip

Mix the dry pudding with the can of pineapple and juice. Do not make the pudding up. You need to use it DRY! Add the diced apples and fold in the Cool Whip. Let set over night.

Amy

Best Ever Muffins, Mac & Cheese, Better Burgers

Hi everyone! Congratulations to our nephew Christopher who graduated from high school and community college tonight! We're so proud and I can hardly believe we have a nephew who is grown up. Where does the time go?

Tomorrow I am making a batch of Best Ever Muffins to have for breakfasts. This recipe is nice because it's a base and then you can add whatever you like. There are some suggestions but truly, add anything. I may go with raisins this week. I'm also making some Mac & Cheese for lunches this week. This is a very basic recipe (which my husband loves). For dinner, I'm making Better Burgers. This is a McCormick recipe so they want you to use all their stuff but use whatever you have. These are your basic burger with a little kick and my family loves them like this. I'm going to serve fresh pineapple on the side and we'll all have onions and pickles so that will count for your veggie!

Best Ever Muffins
Jaci via allrecipes

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. In a small bowl or 2 cup measuring cup, beat egg with a fork. Stir in milk and oil. Pour all at once into the well in the flour mixture. Mix quickly and lightly with a fork until moistened, but do not beat. The batter will be lumpy. Pour the batter into paper lined muffin pan cups.

Variations: Blueberry Muffins: Add 1 cup fresh blueberries. Raisin Muffins: Add 1 cup finely chopped raisins. Date Muffins: Add 1 cup finely chopped dates. Cheese Muffins: Fold in 1 cup grated sharp yellow cheese. Bacon Muffins: Fold 1/4 cup crisp cooked bacon, broken into bits. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden.

Mac & Cheese
(babybear010306)

1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni
1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (12 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dry bread crumbs *** I only used 1/2 cup
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain. In 9x13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

Better Burgers
Amy - amylz
Makes 4 servings.

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Black Pepper, Ground
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 slices Cheddar or American cheese (optional)
4 hamburger rolls
Lettuce, tomato and condiments (optional)

1. Mix ground beef, onion, seasoned salt, garlic powder, pepper and Worcestershire sauce in large bowl. Shape into 4 patties.

2. Broil or grill over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes per side or until burgers are cooked through (internal temperature of 160°F). Add cheese slices to burgers 1 minute before cooking is completed. Toast rolls on the grill, open-side down, about 30 seconds.

3. Serve burgers on toasted rolls. Garnish with desired toppings and condiments.

Calories: 304 Fat: 12 g Carbohydrates: 23 g Cholesterol: 72 mg Sodium: 587 mg Fiber: 1 g Protein: 26 g per serving

Amy

Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Gravy

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having steaks with a mushroom gravy. The recipe calls for beef tenderloins which I will try to get but I'll go with whatever steaks are on sale and look good. I plan to serve this with fresh mangos and corn.

Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Gravy
Amy – amyls
From Cooking Light

Cooking spray
4 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed (1/2 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 cup low-salt beef broth
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steaks with pepper and salt. Add steaks to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Place sour cream in a medium bowl. Gradually add mushroom mixture to sour cream, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in minced parsley. Serve gravy with steak.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 steak and 1/4 cup gravy)

CALORIES 210 (33% from fat); FAT 7.8g (sat 2.9g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 26.2g; CHOLESTEROL 75mg; CALCIUM 45mg; SODIUM 237mg; FIBER 0.7g; IRON 3.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6.7g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2002

Amy

Lemon Chicken Tenders, Weeknight Lasagna Toss

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I am making up some Lemon Chicken Tenders for lunches this week. These are like regular chicken tenders but with a lemon glaze. They're very simple. For dinner we're having Weeknight Lasagna Toss. I'm going to leave out the green peppers but otherwise I'll follow directions. I'm going to serve the lasagna toss along with fresh peaches.

Lemon Chicken Tenders
Amy – amylz
Southern Living, AUGUST 2003

1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 large skinned and boned chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch strips
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

Combine first 3 ingredients; sprinkle on chicken strips. Dip chicken pieces in egg, and dredge in breadcrumbs. Arrange chicken in a single layer in an aluminum foil-lined 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, turning chicken once. Cook sugar, lemon juice, and curry powder in a small saucepan for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring till sugar dissolves. Drizzle over chicken; bake 5 more minutes.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Weeknight Lasagna Toss
Amy - amylz
4 servings, 2 cups each

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 cups chopped green peppers
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1-2/3 cups water
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

BROWN meat in large (4-qt.) saucepan on medium heat; drain. ADD peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water and dressing; bring to boil. Stir in noodles; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover. COOK, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 min. or until noodles are tender. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Special Extra: Stir 1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Ricotta Cheese into noodle mixture before sprinkling with shredded cheese.

Substitute 12 regular lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces, for the oven-ready noodles. Increase water to 2 cups and cook 30 min., stirring occasionally.

Amy

Spicy Chicken Breasts, Parsley Potatoes

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow we are having Spicy Chicken Breasts for dinner. This recipe has you make a rub first but I don't like making extra to store so I just sprinkle a little of each onto my chicken. If you don't like that idea, by all means, make the rub. This way, I can tone down the spiciness for the kids too. You just grill the chicken, it's very easy. We're also having Parsley Potatoes. You want to use the tiny red potatoes for this, otherwise, cut the potatoes so that they're small. Also, I prefer flat leaf parsley when I'm cooking with fresh parsley. I'll also serve fresh cherries and sliced cucumbers.

Spicy Chicken Breasts
Amy – amylz
All Recipes - Yields: 4 servings

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, thyme, cayenne pepper, and ground black pepper. Set aside about 3 tablespoons of this seasoning mixture for the chicken; store the remainder in an airtight container for later use (for seasoning fish, meats, or vegetables).
2. Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Rub some of the reserved 3 tablespoons of seasoning onto both sides of the chicken breasts.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the grill, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear.

Parsley Potatoes
Tyne ( ABC123T)

1 ½ pounds small red potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs. canola or vegetable oil
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 cup minced fresh parsley, divided
½ tsp. salt, optional
½ tsp. pepper

Cut a strip of peel from around the middle of each potato if desired; set aside. In a large skillet, sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in broth and ¾ cup parsley; bring to a boil. Add potatoes. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with salt if desired and pepper and remaining parsley.

Amy

Apple Raisin Muffins, Grandma's Chili Con Carne

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I'm going to make some Apple Raisin Muffins. This is a Paula Deen recipe so full of butter but I'm sure they're really good. It doesn't matter what type of apples you use nor color of raisins. It will all be good! The kids should love these. I'm also going to make a batch of Grandma's Chili Con Carne for lunch. Kayla said that as written it's very spicy so if you don't like that, I would cut out the cayenne pepper. You could also use regular chili beans instead of chili beans in chili sauce. She says it's best if you make it a day ahead so I'll probably do that. John and I are going on a date night to Red Robin for dinner so I won't be cooking!

Apple Raisin Muffins
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated apples
2 cups raisins
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons baking soda
31/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the water, sugar, apples, raisins, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and cool completely. In a large bowl, stir the nuts and baking soda into the flour. Add the cooled mixture to the bowl, and stir until blended. Fill greased miniature muffin tins with batter to the top. Bake for 15 minutes.

Note: Extra muffins can be stored in a re-sealable freezer bag

Grandma's Chili Con Carne
Kayla ~ kmc0415 via my friend Laura
*I cut the spices in half, and I like spicy food.

2 pounds extra lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 4-oz cans green chilis, diced
1 30-oz can chili beans in chili sauce
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes in sauce
1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 T. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt

In a large Dutch oven, brown ground beef and garlic. Add remaining ingredients, stir well. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. (Best if made one day prior to serving.)

Amy

Meat Loaf

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I am making Meat Loaf for dinner. This is from the McCormick website so it's going to be your basic meatloaf which is what my family loves. On the side I plan to serve cantaloupe, avocado slices and some type of bread (with balsamic vinegar and oil).

Meat Loaf
Amy - amylz
Makes 8 servings.

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Italian Seasoning, divided
2 pounds ground beef
2 slices white bread, crumbled
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons McCormick® Season-All® Seasoned Salt
3/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Black Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt butter in small skillet on medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 5 minutes or until softened. Cool slightly. Mix tomato sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning; set aside.

2. Mix ground beef, crumbled bread, cooked onion, milk, eggs, Season-All, remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and pepper in large bowl. Shape into a loaf. Place in foil-lined 13x9-inch baking pan.

3. Bake 45 minutes. Spoon seasoning tomato sauce over meat loaf. Bake 15 minutes longer or until cooked through. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Classic Meat Loaf: Prepare as directed, using 1 cup ketchup in place of the seasoned tomato sauce.

Serving Suggestion: Prepare as directed, omitting seasoned tomato sauce. Serve meatloaf with prepared McCormick® Brown Gravy Mix.

2008 McCormick & Co.

Amy

Baked Bow Ties, Italian Herb Chicken Parmesan

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I am making up a batch of Baked Bow Ties to eat for lunches over the weekend. I'm going to use all Mozzarella cheese because that's the only cheese my family will eat but it does sound good with all the other ones. For dinner, I'm making Italian Herb Chicken Parmesan. You take some help from McCormick's Italian Herb & Cheese Crusting Blend which you should be able to find in the aisle with all the gravy mixes or on the spice aisle. I'm going to serve it with the rest of the spaghetti sauce (we always use Prego), noodles, fresh cantaloupe and cucumber slices.

Baked Bow Ties
Grace (TigMode)

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 28- to 32-ounce can whole Italian tomatoes, drained, reserving 11/4 cups juice, and chopped fine
1 pound bow-tie pasta
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/2 cup diced Italian Fontina cheese (about 2 ounces)
1 1/3 cups freshly grated Romano cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (preferably flat-leafed Italian parsley)

Preheat oven to 375°F. and butter a 3-to 4-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish. (I use a Corning French White dish) In a heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat. Add flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk and reserved tomato juice in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Stir in tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. In a kettle of salted boiling water cook pasta until just al dente, about 8 minutes, and drain well. In a bowl stir together pasta, sauce, mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Fontina, 1 cup Romano, and parsley and transfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle pasta with remaining 1/3 cup Romano. Bake bow ties in middle of oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden and bubbling, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Italian Herb Chicken Parmesan
Amy – amylz
Makes 4 servings.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts halves (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 tablespoon oil
1/3 cup McCormick® Italian Herb & Cheese Crusting Blend
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend or mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Brush chicken with oil. Coat evenly on both sides with Crusting Blend. Place on foil-lined shallow baking pan. Discard any remaining Crusting Blend.

3. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Top each chicken breast with 2 tablespoons each of the sauce and the cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through. Serve with spaghetti and additional sauce, if desired.

©2008 McCormick & Co

Amy

Grilled Lemon Herb Pork Chops, Garlic Onion Tortilla Cake, Harvest Basket Apple Crisp

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I am making Grilled Lemon Herb Pork Chops. You want to marinate these a few hours and then you grill. It shoudl all be ingredients you have on hand. On the side I'm making a Garlic Onion Tortilla Cake. I saw this on Guy's Big Bite once and it looked awesome. I have to try it. It comes out like a cake with all these layers. Seriously, I hope it's as good as it looked. I'll also be serving fresh cherries. I'm going to make an Apple Crisp for dessert. The recipe does call for 12oz of apples and they're referring to those bags of already sliced apples. You can start with regular apples if you like and just slice them up yourself. I will leave off the nuts but otherwise I'll follow as written.

Grilled Lemon Herb Pork Chops
Amy – amylz
All Recipes - Yields: 6 servings

1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 (4 ounce) boneless pork loin chops

1. In a large resealable bag, combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper. Place chops in bag, seal, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Turn bag frequently to distribute marinade.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Remove chops from bag, and transfer remaining marinade to a saucepan. Bring marinade to a boil, remove from heat, and set aside.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill pork chops for 5 to 7 minutes per side, basting frequently with boiled marinade, until done.

Garlic Onion Tortilla Cake
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

2/3 cup canola oil
4 cups small chopped red onion
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup roasted garlic, from jar
5 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper
12 flour tortillas
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to caramelize but not over brown. Add butter and sugar and cook until onions have nicely caramelized, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Once cooled mix together the remaining ingredients except for the tortillas and vinegar; refrigerate for at least 4 hours. After mixture has had time to meld, set aside 1/3 of the mixture for the dipping sauce and evenly spread the remaining mixture on the top of 11 tortillas. Stack the tortillas on top of one another, with the last tortilla on top having no mixture spread on it. Wrap tortilla stack in plastic wrap and let set up for 12 to 24 hours in refrigerator. Heat a grill heat. Cut the stack into 16 wedges. Grill each wedge on each side until warmed and grill marks appear. Mix reserved mixture with balsamic vinegar for dipping sauce. Serve tortilla wedges with dipping sauce.

Harvest Basket Apple Crisp
Amy – amylz
Costco

12 ounces apple slices
2 tbsp flour
2 tsp cinnamon
½ cup sugar
3 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350. Prick apple slices with a fork. Combine flour, cinnamon and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add apples and stir to coat well. Add melted butter, mixing until covered. Pour into square baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

½ cup flour
3 tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup old fashioned oats
¾ tsp cinnamon}
pinch salt
3 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
3 tbsp chopped walnuts

Mix all the topping ingredients by hand until crumbly. Remove the apple filling from the oven and cover with topping. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Amy

Monkey and Gorilla Bread, Doodle's Surprise, Easy Honey-Garlic Chicken

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I am going to make a batch of Monkey Bread for the kids to have for breakfast. There is also a recipe for Gorilla bread which is the same as monkey bread but with cream cheese. This is soooo easy and sooooo good. You use refrigerater biscuits and bake it all in a bundt pan. You will love it. We see this a lot at our Mops group but it's often made with butterscotch pudding. This is just a little different but same idea. Plus, you don't have to wait for these to rise. For dinner, I'm making Easy Honey Garlic Chicken. This is actually a stir fry type meal that you serve with rice. I'm going to also have fresh peaches. There's also a recipe here for Doodle's Surprise which I'm whipping up for lunch. You start with a box of mac and cheese, add some ground beef, top with cheese and there you have it!

Monkey and Gorilla Bread
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Vita Shanley, 2005

Make each of these breads in separate bundt pans. For serving, layer the 2 cakes, with the Monkey Bread as the top tier and the Gorilla Bread as the bottom tier.

Monkey Bread (recipe may be doubled depending on the bundt pan):
Flour, for pan
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
30 buttermilk canned refrigerator biscuits
1 stick butter, plus more for pan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup walnuts

Butter and flour a bundt pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Cut refrigerator biscuits in half and toss in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Melt the 1 stick of butter in a saucepan and add brown sugar and bring to a boil; then add nuts. Line the bundt pan with biscuits and pour butter mixture over them. Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the pan when it's still hot to avoid

Gorilla Bread (recipe may be doubled depending on the bundt pan):
Flour, for pan
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
20 buttermilk canned refrigerator biscuits
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into 20 cubes
1 stick butter, melted, plus more for pan
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups walnuts

Butter and flour a bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Separate biscuits and flatten each slightly with your hand. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon and sugar mixture onto each biscuit. Place one cube of cream cheese in center of biscuit and fold in half to resemble a half moon. Melt the 1 stick of butter in a saucepan and add brown sugar and bring to a boil; remove from the heat. Place 1/2 cup nuts on the bottom of the bundt pan and then line the pan with a row of cream cheese filled biscuits. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Drizzle half of the butter mixture on top and then repeat steps, beginning with nuts. Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the pan when it's still hot to avoid sticking.

Doodle's Surprise
karacotton

Velveeta Shells & Cheese
Ragu Spaghetti Sauce (any flavor)
6-8 slices of cheese, depending on the size of the pan you are using
1-2lbs. hambuger meat

Getting Started: * Preheat your oven to 425°F. Brown your hamburger meat and in a separate pan, put your noodles on to boil. Strain and rinse hamburger meat. Make sure you non-stick your pan first, but then add your hamburger meat to your pan. I always use 9x9 inch pan, but you can use a bigger size if needed. This dish typically makes around 8 servings. For more, I'd suggest a bigger pan & doubling the noodles & sauce. Remove noodles from stove once they are nice & done. Strain them as well, then add to your meat & sauce pan pour ontop your velveeta cheese. And mix mix mix mix mix. Once mixed well, add on a top layer of sliced cheese. I usually cover the whole pan with cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes or until cheese browns. Remove from oven, let cool, and DIG IN!!

Easy Honey-Garlic Chicken
Amy – amylz
Kraft Makes: 4 servings, 1-3/4 cups each

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced
3 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables
1/2 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
2 Tbsp. honey
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

COOK chicken in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 5 min., stirring occasionally. ADD vegetables, dressing, honey, garlic and ginger. COOK and stir an additional 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are heated through. Serve with rice.

Amy

Chicken Puffs, Crockpot Golden Mushroom Pork Chops, Creamy Herbed Mashed Potatoes

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow I am making up some Chicken Puffs for lunch. This recipe makes up quite a few little balls so if you don't need that much, cut the recipe in half. If you don't have any leftover chicken that you need to use up, just follow the directions and dice up some chicken. For dinner I'm making Golden Mushroom Pork Chops in the crockpot. Golden Mushroom soup can be found anywhere they sell Campbell's soup. I plan to peel the apples but otherwise I will follow the directions as written. I'm also making Creamy Herbed Mashed Potatoes. If you don't make your own mashed potatoes, you should! It's so simple and this is a great recipe to try out. This asks for Yukon Gold but really, use anything you want. I'm also going to serve steamed broccoli.

Chicken Puffs
Amy – amylz
All Recipes - Yields: 12 servings

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
3 tablespoons chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3/4 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
6 tablespoons butter
3 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, slowly cook and stir skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, onion and garlic. Cook until onions are tender and chicken is lightly browned.
2. In a medium bowl, blend chicken mixture, cream cheese and butter until creamy.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
4. Unroll croissants and divide in half to create 12 rectangles. Place approximately one tablespoon of the chicken mixture on each rectangle. Fold into balls.
5. Arrange balls on a large baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Crockpot Golden Mushroom Pork Chops
OP?

2 can golden mushroom soup (Campbell's)
4 Granny Smith apples, chopped
2 lg onions, chopped
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp thyme
1/2 c water
8 boneless pork chops

1. Place pork chops on bottom of slow cooker and add remaining ingredients on top.
2. Cook for 7-8 hrs on low.

Creamy Herbed Mashed Potatoes
Amy - amylz
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

4 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potato (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place potato in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return potato to pan. Add milk and remaining ingredients; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.

CALORIES 215 (30% from fat); FAT 7.1g (sat 4.5g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.3g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 51mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.5g; SODIUM 280mg; PROTEIN 4.5g; FIBER 2.4g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2003

Amy