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Cinnamon Rolls

You are going to need a bread machine for this recipe.  It is just easier to make dough this way.  Make sure that you put the ingredients in the bread machine in the following order.
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsps water
2 Tbsps margarine or butter, softened
2 1/2 cups bread flour (all purpose works too)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp bread machine yeast (regular yeast works too)

After all ingredients are in the bread machine, select the Dough/Manual cycle.

Meanwhile make the cinnamon filling.
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Mix ingredients.

Also, make the vanilla glaze.
1 cup powered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp milk
Mix all ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. 

Prepare a 9x13 pan, grease the pan with butter.  Spread evenly.  Remove dough from bread machine and flatten with a rolling pin.  Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a 9 in square, larger if you can.  Then spread dough with 2 Tbsp butter/margarine.  Sprinkle with cinnamon filling.  Roll the dough up tightly; pinch edge of dough into roll to seal (make sure you do this, I learned the hard way).  Cut roll into 1 in. slices and place in the pan.  Cover and let rise in a warm place 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until they double.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and drizzle with vanilla glaze.  Serve warm.

If you make them the night before just pop them in the microwave for 25 seconds or so, they are soooo good!

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely minced
• Lemon juice from half a lemon
• Olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut cauliflower into florets and put in a single layer in an oven-proof baking dish. Toss in the garlic. Sprinkle lemon juice over cauliflower and drizzle each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place casserole in the hot oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Test with a fork for desired doneness. Fork tines should be able to easily pierce the cauliflower. Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Grilled Honey Dijon Pork Tenderloin

2 pounds pork tenderloin
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Place meat in a large resealable plastic bag. In a medium bowl, mix together honey, Dijon mustard, chili powder, and salt. Pour marinade over pork loin, seal, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Prepare the grill for indirect heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Remove meat from marinade. Place the leftover marinade in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Use the marinade to baste the pork loin. Grill for 30 to 40 minutes, or to desired doneness ( a lot depends on the thickness of the pork loin. Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings

What is better than chicken and dumplings on a rainy day.

1 (32 ounce) container chicken broth

1 rotisserie chicken cubed

1 onion, chopped

1 package baby carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 bay leaf

salt and ground black pepper to taste

2 1/4 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup milk


Combine chicken broth, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaf, salt, and pepper in a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add chicken.
Mix Bisquick and milk in a bowl until dough is sticky; drop golf ball-sized pieces of dough into the soup. Cover pot and cook until dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes. I like to add a little chopped parsley to my dumplings but that is up to your taste.

Red Hot Cinnamon Apples

4 medium apples
1/2 C red hot candies
1/4 C white sugar
1/2 C water

Cut apples into slices.  (you can peel them if you want, but I don't)  Place all ingredients into a large saucepan and stir.  Bring ingredients to a boil.  Stir and reduce heat to low.  Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until apples are soft.  Serve apples alone or over vanilla ice cream.

Not only is this recipe delicious, it makes your house smell amazing.  This is also really good cold.  Let the cinnamon apples cool, then refrigerate.  Enjoy!

Hank's Home Made Pizza

My son loves pizza, I mean what kid doesn't.  But I really dislike greasy pizza so I would rather make my own than order out.  I like making my own dough but I confess I don't usually make the pizza sauce.  If you have a good recipe feel free to share.

 

2 teaspoons dried granulated yeast
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water, plus
2 tablespoons water

Place all the above ingredients in the order I have listed into the bread machine.  Select the dough cycle and press start.  When the dough cycle is complete, take the dough out of the machine and place in well greased bowl, and roll the dough around to coat it in olive oil.
Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1/2 an hour.  Knead the risen dough lightly.
To shape and bake: roll the dough into your desired shape.  Place on well greased cookie sheet or pizza stone.  Place in the oven for 5 minutes before putting on toppings.  Then add a toppings of your choice and bake at 400 to 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  

Topping Ideas:

For this pizza I used 1 Cup Barilla Tomato Basil sauce, 1lb of ground beef and 2 Cups of shredded Sargento mozzarella.

BBQ Pizza Chicken

1 Cup of your favorite BBQ sauce, 1lb grilled chicken sliced, 1 medium red onion thinly sliced, 2 Cups shredded Gouda (or you can use colby jack), two jalapeno peppers (seeds removed and sliced).

Enjoy!

Beef Shish Kabobs Marinade

So it is baseball/softball season...which means I have very little time to cook.  I have explained before that cooking is my stress relief, soooo I'm a little stressed right now.  I'm tired of ballpark food and fast food.  Today I was determined to have "real" food.  I got up this morning and put together shish kabobs and made a marinade.  I knew that the kabobs could marinate all day and I could grill them in the hour I would be home this evening.  I also made a blueberry cobbler (see my cobbler recipe in a previous post).  After two games today it was nice to eat at home.  So here is my marinade recipe.

• 
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup prepared mustard
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, ground black pepper, and garlic.  Mix well, and add your favorite meat. Seal the bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours.  You can also place the kabobs in a dish and pour the marinade over them.  Then cover with saran wrap and place in the fridge.

Remember that meat and vegetables cook for different amounts of time so cook them on separate kabobs.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Short Cut Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil1 cup mini marshmallows
2 cups strawberries, quartered
1 pkg strawberry jello

Mix cake mix, eggs, water, and oil according to package directions.  Set aside.  Grease bottom of a 13x9 inch pan, sprinkle with marshmallows.  Combine strawberries and jello, set aside.  Pour cake batter over the marshmallows.  Spoon strawberry mixture over batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  Serve warm, Enjoy!

Sausage, Potatoes, and Banana Peppers

1 package turkey smoked sausage

1 pkg small red potatoes, quarterd

1 small jar banana peppers

1 large onion, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, spray with nonstick olive oil spray.  Slice sausages into thin rounds.  Quarter the potatoes and slice onions.  Place all ingredients on baking sheet and drizzle oil over.  Use your hands to toss everything together in the oil, making sure everything feels coated.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Top with sliced banana peppers.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 30-35 minutes until potatoes are tender.  Enjoy!

Cheesy Beef Bundles

1lb lean ground beef
3 gloves of garlic, minced
1 jar of prepared spaghetti sauce
1 cup of mild cheddar cheese
2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Brown ground beef and drain fat.  Add minced garlic and cook for another two minutes.  Add spaghetti sauce and cheese, stir.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Then separate crescent rolls into squares on a cookie sheet.  Pat the squares out so they are slightly bigger.  Place two spoonfuls of the meat mixture in the middle of the square.  Bring each corner of the square to the middle and twist.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

My mother-in-law made this recipe with hot roll mix.  I loved the recipe but waiting for dough to rise and kneading etc. didn't fit in my schedule.  I was standing in the grocery store one day with all of the ingredients for this in my cart and trying to figure out what night of the week I had enough time to make it.  Then I saw crescent rolls, I didn't know if they would work but it was worth a shot.  I made them that night and it worked!  I also hold this recipe dear to me because I made these the night my son was born.  My Mom had come to my house to help me get things ready and Hank decided that he would come 10 weeks early.  My Pampered Chef stone still has four round spots on it from those cheesy beef bundles that night.  I love recipes that bring back good memories.  I hope you Enjoy and make your own memories.

Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze

Cake:

1 package lemon cake mix

1 package instant lemon pudding mix

3/4 cup vegetable oil 

4 eggs 

1 cup Sierra Mist

Glaze:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.  In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix, then stir in the oil. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the Sierra Mist.  Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. For glaze: Place confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl; stir in lemon juice and zest (glaze should be thick, yet pourable). Add more sugar or lemon juice, as necessary, to achieve desired consistency. Remove cake from pan.  Pour glaze over the cake.  Allow to cool.

I love, love, love lemon, especially in the spring time.  Lemon awakes your taste buds, it's like coming out of a long winters sleep.  So why put it in a bundt cake, only Grandmas in the 1950's make bundt cakes.  SO NOT TRUE!  Bundt cakes are good and really versatile, not to mention pretty.  So try this making this for your next family gathering, Enjoy!

Grape Salad

4 lbs green seedless grapes
8 ounces sour cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, to taste

Topping

1 cup brown sugar, packed, to taste
1 cup crushed pecans, to taste

Wash and stem grapes.  Set aside.  Mix sour cream, cream cheese, white sugar and vanilla by hand until blended.  Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in large serving bowl.
For topping: Combine brown sugar, and crushed pecans.
Sprinkle over top of grapes to cover completely.  Chill overnight.

I went to a Christmas party and enjoyed greatly a grape salad that was served.  I didn't get a chance to get the recipe but this is close.  It was really light and perfect for spring.

Pizza Casserole

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked pasta (shells, rotini)
1 lb ground lean ground beef
1 (24 ounce) jar spaghetti or pizza sauce
1 container ricotta cheese
12 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package sliced pepperoni

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13 casserole dish.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place pasta in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until evenly brown, drain grease. Mix in the cooked pasta and sauce. Pour into prepared casserole dish.

In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese.

Spoon the cheese mixture over the ground beef and pasta mixture. Top with pepperoni slices.

Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Busy Day Cake

This is one of the best and most simple cakes I have ever made.  This is also a quite old recipe.  When strawberry season starts I will make at least two of these a week, strawberries and whip cream make the best topping for this cake.
1 2/3 cup sifted flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Sift flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together in a bowl.  Add shortening, milk, unbeaten egg and vanilla.  Beat well.  Pour in a greased and floured 9in pan.  Bake 35 minutes at 350 degree.  Serve with whip cream and strawberries. Enjoy!

Strawberry Salad

Salad:

1 package ramen noodles, crushed, flavor packet discarded
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and dried
One 5-ounce bag baby spinach
1 pint strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
1 cup grated Italian cheese

                                                                   Dressing:  

 

6 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cloves garlic, minced

For the salad: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix the ramen noodles, almonds, sunflower seeds and melted butter. Transfer to a baking sheet and toast in the oven, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Tear the lettuce and combine with the spinach, strawberries and cheese in a large salad bowl.

For the dressing: Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar. Combine the oil, paprika, salt and garlic and then add to the sugar-vinegar mixture. Mix well and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Just before serving, sprinkle the crunchy topping over the salad green and toss the salad with enough dressing to coat the greens.

This recipe is really fresh and a lot less sweet than you would think.  The paprika in the dressing gives it an almost smokey quality.  I did half the sugar in the dressing from the original recipe, it was just too much.  The dressing is really good and i poured some over asparagus last night.  I also think you could substitute pecans for the almonds if you wanted to.  Enjoy!

 

Original recipe:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/strawberry-salad-recipe/index.html

Asparagus Bundles

This recipe is addictive if you love asparagus and bacon.  I would also recommend using the sauce on brussel sprouts, I think it would be delicious.  Asparagus always reminds me of spring and I made this for Easter (although it didn't feel like spring).  If you prefer to not use the sauce you could drizzle this with olive oil or balsamic vinaigrette and still get the same results.  But you really need the bacon. Enjoy!

2 pounds fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
12 slices bacon
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Divide the asparagus spears into 12 bundles. Carefully wrap 1 piece of bacon around each bundle, starting about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the tips. Secure the bacon-wrapped spears with a toothpick. Lay the bundles in a low-sided casserole dish.

In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, soy sauce, garlic salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the asparagus bundles. Transfer the dish to the oven and roast until the spears have begun to wilt and the bacon looks fully cooked, about 25 minutes. Remove the toothpicks before serving.

Original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/asparagus-bundles-recipe/index.html

Sunflower Peep Cake

I have never been very good at baking cakes but this one is so easy and the frosting is unbelievable!  This is a sweet recipe for Easter sure to put a smile on the faces of your families.  You could easily use any color peeps to make a different "flower". 

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

 

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 cup carbonated beverage (Coke, Sprite, 7 UP)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup cocoa

pinch of salt

4 cups powdered sugar

Garnish

Yellow Peeps Chicks (enough to go around the top edge of your cake (I used 3 sleeves)

6 oz. chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together.  Cream sugar, mayonnaise, carbonated beverage (I used Coke),  and vanilla.   Add the dry ingredients to the wet.  Stir until well blended.   Prepare two round 8" or 9" pans by spraying them with nonstick baking spray with flour in it or greasing and flouring them.  You can also ensure the cake will turn out by cutting two rounds of parchment or wax paper and placing in the bottom of your pans.  Spray paper and all with nonstick spray.  I used 9" pans.

 

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove and let cool for about 15 to 20 minutes before turning them out of the pan.  

Prepare the cream cheese frosting while the cakes cool completely.  Beat cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy.  Add the salt, cocoa, and vanilla and blend together.  Gradually add in the confectioner's sugar.  When your cakes have cooled, place them on your cake plate and frost.  Press the Peeps around the edge of the cake while the frosting is fresh and still soft.  Then sprinkle the chocolate chip in the middle for the sunflower seeds.  

Original recipe came from http://sweetteaandcornbread.blogspot.com/search/label/chocolate

Zuppa Toscana

• 1 lb. Italian Sausage – ground
• 1 onion, chopped
• ½ tsp. minced garlic
• ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 Russett potatoes – chop into very small pieces
• 2 cups chopped kale
• ¼ cup chopped bacon
• 16 oz. chicken broth
• 1 quart water
• 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream

Brown your Italian sausage in a pan. Drain and set aside.  Put chicken broth and water into pot.  Saute onions, potatoes, and garlic for a few minutes.  Add onion mixture into broth/water mixture.Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. (15-20 minutes)  Add sausage and bacon and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Turn to low heat.  Add kale and cream.  Heat through and serve. Salt and pepper to taste. 

This is one of my absolute favorite soups.  You may know it from Olive Garden and this tastes exactly like Olive Garden's.  It is soooooooo good. Enjoy!

Cherry Delight

• • 1 cup whip cream
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
  • Graham cracker pie shell

In a mixing bowl, whip together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth and fluffy. Fold whip cream into cream cheese mixture and spoon in graham cracker pie shell.  Spread pie filling over top and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

This simple dessert gives you a lot of bang for your buck.  Its rich creaminess works well with the tartness of  the cherries.  I had a request for this recipe last weekend, so I made two.  One went to a friends house and the other was devoured by my family.  Everyone got one serving and my husband was going to finish the dessert off.  Little did he know Jack our boxer/sheltie beat him to it.  Who knew puppies like cherry delight.  Jack is like Houdini when it comes to getting his paws on food in the kitchen.  He is stealth and stays low until the opportune time comes along, then he attacks.  Usually quick enough to not get caught.  He was caught this time though red-handed or should I say red-faced, the cherries gave him away!

Congo bars

My mother-in-law made a lot of wonderful desserts, she has passed away but I am lucky enough to have many of her hand written recipes.  Making her recipes bring back good memories for my whole family.  Tonight I made Congo bars, a family favorite.  They are ridiculously rich and so not good for you but isn't that the point of a dessert.  I hope your family enjoys these as much as mine do.

2/3 cup butter
1lb box of brown sugar
2 2/3 cup flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Melt butter with brown sugar in a pan over medium heat,  When completely melted remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, sift flour, baking powder and salt.  Add three eggs to the cooled sugar mixture, mix well.  Then add sugar mixture to flour mixture, batter will be thick.  Add chocolate and butterscotch chips.  Grease a 9x13 pan, pour mixture in the pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Apple Crisp

4 medium granny smith apples, sliced (4 cups)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup Gold all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats

1/3 cup butter, softened

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Vanilla ice cream, if desired

Heat oven to 375ºF. Grease bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with butter.  Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients until well mixed (except ice cream); sprinkle over apples.  Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm with ice cream.

All I can say is yummy!

Chicken Pot Pie

                                                              

1 bag small yellow potatoes, quartered

1 bag of carrots

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and cubed

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup Bisquick

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil carrots and potatoes until done, drain.  Mix vegetables, chicken and soup, salt and pepper in a glass pie plate. In a separate bowl, mix the Bisquick, milk and egg. Pour batter on vegetable mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or golden brown.

I know everyone has a favorite chicken pot pie recipe and this is mine.  You can also add vegetables to this if you want.  I have to say I don't like canned vegetables for this recipe but if you are in a pinch they will work.  I like to use the rotisserie chicken because it saves so much time, but you could bake a couple of chicken breasts ahead of time too.
I served this with cooked cabbage, I love cabbage!  It is easy too I used a tablespoon of butter, 2 cloves of garlic minced, and a head of cabbage shredded.  Put the butter and garlic in a skillet for about 1 minute.  Then add the cabbage, stir occasionally on medium heat until wilted.  You could also cook this with bacon if you wanted.  Enjoy!

Graham crackers and icing

2 Cups Powdered Sugar
3 Tbsp. Milk
1/4 Stick Butter

To make the icing. Mix with a hand mixer the powdered sugar, milk and butter together until a relatively thick consistency is formed. If the icing is too thick, add a little bit more milk. If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar. Color your icing. Use food color to make your icing whatever color you want.

My son had ISTEP today and I wanted to make an easy snack for his class.  I'm not sure why I remembered this but when I was in fifth grade my Mom made graham crackers with green icing for my class on St. Patrick's Day.  All of the kids loved them and I was so proud that it was this snack that the kids always asked for after that.  It is amazing that something so simple can leave such a lasting memory.  I guess it taught me to never underestimate something you do for your child.  My Mom probably thought she was making a quick snack and yet I still remember those green iced graham crackers.  Enjoy!

Italian Meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb ground pork
3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese (Sargento)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)

1/4 cup white button mushrooms (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
extra virgin olive oil (for frying)
salt

garlic pepper

Mix all meatball ingredients together (by hand is the best way to make sure everything is combined). Shape meatballs to desired size.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Place meatballs into skillet and continue turning the meatballs until they are brown on all sides. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Take meatballs out of the skillet and place on paper towels.  Then place on a greased cookie sheet (I like to use aluminum foil for easy clean up.  Bake for 15 minutes until done.  When they are done I usually put them in a crockpot with marinara sauce on low until ready to serve.  You can use your own sauce or I really like Barilla Traditional sauce http://www.barilla.com/content/product/traditional-sauce.  Serve over spaghetti or linguine. Enjoy!

My son really wanted meatloaf this weekend and I had an Italian meatloaf recipe that I was really wanting to try out, so how did I end up with meatballs?  Well I made the meatloaf and meatballs out of the same recipe.  The only difference is that you pat the meatloaf out into a rectangle on a cookie sheet, making sure it is even.  Then you cover the top with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese.   Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  I had a meeting tonight so it was easier to bring meatballs and I left the family with the meatloaf.  Everybody seemed happy with the result.

Quick Red Beans & Rice

So I just got Bobby Dean's new cookbook From Mama's Table to Mine and I love it.  This is the first recipe I have tried and it turned out really well.  I did make a few changes.  I like turkey smoked sausage and red bell pepper instead of green.  I also used an extra tablespoon of olive oil.  I felt that it needed to simmer a little longer than the 10 minutes from the original recipe.  I did not think my kids would eat this but I'm happy to say they did minus the scallions and adding shredded cheddar cheese.  The next recipe I'm going to try from this cookbook is pickled shrimp, Enjoy!

2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 15 1/2-ounce cans low sodium red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups cooked white rice
Chopped scallions, for garnish

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion and red bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the beans, chicken broth, cumin, thyme, bay leaf, and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve the beans over the rice and garnish with the scallions.

Easter Bread

How pretty and fun is this?  I made this for the first time last Easter and I think it will become a tradition.  Also, an answer to what to do with all of those dyed Easter eggs.  I swear this is not hard to make despite what the directions look like, give it a try.  Enjoy!

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

2/3 cup milk 

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
3 whole eggs, dyed if desired

Pastel sprinkles

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast; stir well. Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan; heat until milk is warm and butter is softened but not melted. 

Gradually add the milk and butter to the flour mixture; stirring constantly. Add two eggs and 1/2 cup flour; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. 

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. 

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal size rounds; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each round into a long roll about 36 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. Using the two long pieces of dough, form a loose braid, leaving spaces for the three colored eggs. Seal the ends of the braid together and use your fingers to slide the eggs between the braids of dough. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place loaf on a buttered baking sheet and cover loosely with a damp towel. Place loaf in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Brush risen loaf with melted butter. 

Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden.

Mama's Manicotti

4 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
14 (8-ounce package) manicotti
1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp nutmeg
3 cups marinara sauce (Barilla is my favorite)

Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.

Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta.  Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes and serve.

Beef & Broccoli

1 lb uncooked lean & trimmed boneless top round roast of beef, sliced thin and cut into bite-sized pieces (I bought breakfast steaks)
1 cup fat free beef broth
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 T sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T cornstarch
2 cups frozen broccoli florets, unthawed

Combine the broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and garlic in your slow cooker and stir together to combine. Add the uncooked beef pieces and mix until the beef is covered by the liquid.
Turn crock pot temperature to low and cover. Cook for 6 hours or until the beef is cooked through.
Remove 4 tablespoons of the liquid from your slow cooker to a bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Once combined, add the cornstarch mixture back into the slow cooker and mix in thoroughly. Add the broccoli and stir in. Re-cover the slow cooker and cook on low for another half hour.  Serve over rice or noodles.

I wasn't sure if the family was going to like this one, but they loved it.  My son had three servings and he isn't a fan of broccoli.  Needless to say there were no leftovers.  I'm not a fan of water chestnuts but they could easily be added to this if you like them.  I think chicken could be used too.  Enjoy!

Banana Pudding

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
2 cups cold milk
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1 container cool whip
2-3 sliced bananas
1 box vanilla wafer cookies
1tbsp lemon juice

Mix pudding and milk; refrigerate for 5 minutes.  Add condensed milk and blend well; refrigerate again for 5 minutes.  Slice bananas and toss with lemon juice (prevents browning).  Alternate layers of vanilla wafers, bananas, pudding and cool whip. Finish with a layer of cool whip and garnish with crushed wafers.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Banana pudding is a delicious dessert that reminds me of being a kid.  I was reminded of this when my Step Dad's sister-in-law brought banana pudding to a 4th of July party.  It was so good I have to admit I ate a bowl and then hid a bowl in my Mom's refrigerator for later.  I finally got the recipe and made a few little tweaks.  This is the final result and I have to say it is pretty good.  Enjoy!

Orange French Creme Fruit Dip

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
 

 

Soften cream cheese and then whip with powdered sugar. Whip cream and sugar together until it forms soft peaks. Combine beaten cream cheese, whipped cream, lemon juice and zest; continue to beat, adding just enough orange juice to achieve desired consistency. Garnish with orange zest. Serve with fresh fruit.

Rum Cake

Rum cake is a favorite birthday cake option for certain people in my family.  The first time I tried it was on a trip to St. John's island.  The place where rum was invented, I'm not sure if that is true but that is what the locals told us.  I have tried making it with several different types of rum and most have turned out well.  I was not a huge fan of the spiced rum but otherwise go with what you already have or your favorite.  Enjoy! 

1 cup chopped pecans

1 package yellow cake mix

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup rum

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup water

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the bottom of the pan.  In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Mix in the eggs, 1/2 cup water, oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts in the pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. To make the glaze: in a saucepan, combine butter, 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup rum.  After taking the cake out of the oven, let it sit for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto serving plate. Brush glaze over top and sides. ( I like to poke the cake with a toothpick to allow it to asorb more of the glaze).  Allow cake to absorb glaze and repeat until all glaze is used.

Slow Cooked Jambalaya

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes 
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced 
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes with juice 
1 large onion, chopped 
1 large green bell pepper, chopped 
1 cup chicken broth  
2 teaspoons dried oregano  
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning  
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste
juice from 1 lemon  

In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, green bell pepper, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Stir in the shrimp and lemon juice during the last 30 minutes of cook time.  Serve over white rice.  
The first time I made jambalaya I think you could literally breathe fire after you ate it.  The taste testers were begging for milk to cool the heat.  This time there was a burn, but a good burn.  If you are making this for kids I would suggest cutting the cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper in half.  Also, if you want to put this in the crockpot in the morning I would suggest doing your prep the night before.  There is a lot of chopping/cutting to do.  So just in time for Mardi Gras this is a perfect dish, Enjoy!

Lazy Blackberry Cobbler

Blackberry Cobbler may possibly be my favorite dessert.  I love that in the summer I can go outside pick an ice cream bucket full of blackberries and turn them immediately into cobbler.  In the winter I use the blackberries I froze over the summer.  You can also use frozen blackberries from the grocery store just make sure you defrost them.  Now I have been told by one of my friends that I make the weirdest but tastiest blackberry cobbler ever, you can be the judge.  Enjoy!

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup Bisquick
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
sprinkle of cinnamon
1/2 to 2 cups blackberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place butter in a 9x13 pan and place in oven until butter is melted.  Beat together 1 cup sugar, Bisquick and milk until smooth.  Pour over melted butter in pan, do not stir.  Carefully pour blackberries over the batter, do not stir.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon over the blackberries.  Bake 45 minutes or until browned.  Serve with ice cream.

Cherry Chocolate Kiss Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cherry juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup chopped maraschino cherry
1 cup granulated or decorator sugar (as needed)
12 ounces Hershey’s chocolate kisses (1 per cookie) 
Directions:
Beat butter, add sugar and salt. Beat in cherry liquid and almond extract. Beat in flour. Fold in cherries.  Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes (you don’t have to, but dough is easier to work with when cold).  Roll dough into balls, coat top in sugar and place on cookie sheet.  Put a thumb print in the center to flatten some.
Bake at 325 degrees for 14 minutes. Let cool on pan for 1-2 minutes.
Add Hershey Kiss to center of the cookies.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Just in time for Valentine's Day!  I found that I had to add 4 tsps of cherry juice to get the flavor I wanted.  Also, let these cool completely or you will have squished kisses, I learned the hard way.  Enjoy!

Lily's Cheezy Bake

1 lb lean ground sirloin (you could also use ground turkey)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 box of pasta (rotini or shells)
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown meat in a large skillet.  Cook pasta according to directions on the box leaving slightly al dente.  Drain any fat off of the ground sirloin and put in a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Drain pasta and put in dish.  Add the spaghetti sauce, 1 cup of the grated mozzarella, and salt & pepper, mix together.  Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until cheese is melted and golden. 

This is my daughter's favorite meal, hence the name of the dish.  I usually serve this with an Italian salad and french bread.  This is also a good recipe to prepare ahead of time and then bake when you have a night that is busy but you still want to serve a nice meal. Enjoy!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

So I'm really allergic to pineapple, which is really no fair because it smells so good.  I also really like to make pineapple upside down cake (I made 3 today).  One cake stayed at my house, one went home with Mel (the best tutor ever) and one went to a friend's house.  So I can't tell you if this cake tastes good but I can tell you it makes the house smell wonderful.   

1 stick butter
1 1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 can pineapple rings, drained
1 jar maraschino cherries, drained
1 box yellow cake mix (I like Duncan Hines)
3 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Melt 1 stick butter in a 13x9 in. baking dish by placing in the oven.  The butter will melt in just a couple of minutes so keep an eye on it, you don't want to burn the butter.  Remove pan from oven and sprinkle brown sugar on the melted butter.  Arrange pineapple rings and place one cherry in each ring.  Then prepare your yellow cake mix according to the directions on the box.  I like to use canola oil instead of vegetable oil, just my preference.  Spread the prepared mix over the pineapple rings.  Place in the oven.  I baked mine for 30 minutes, use a toothpick to check, if it comes out clean it will be done.  Remove from oven.  Take a cookie sheet that is slightly bigger than your pan and cover with aluminum foil.  Place the cookie sheet upside down over the pan; turn the cookie sheet and pan over. Leave pan over cake a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over cake; remove pan.

This is a picture I received from Mel about 20 minutes after she left with the cake, I think her family liked it!

If a pineapple is left in the pan just remove it with a fork and put back in place (happens all the time).  Enjoy!