Wassail

Here is the recipe for the wassail I made for our lovely "Ugly Sweater Party"...which by the way was completely awesome!

Wassail:
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups water
5 cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
2 cinnamon sticks

Combine ingredients and boil 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 1 hour.

Add:
1 quart apple cider
1-6 oz can frozen lemonade
1-12 oz can frozen orange juice
4 1/2 cups water

Heat and serve!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach Artichoke Dip:
from: My Kitchen Cafe

-5 garlic cloves

-1 10 oz. bottle store-bought alfredo sauce
-1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
-1/2 cup parmesan cheese
-1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
-1 14.5 oz. can artichoke hearts (non-marinated), roughly chopped
-1 8 oz. package cream cheese (softened)

*Wrap the garlic cloves in tin foil and bake them at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. When they are cool to the touch, squeeze them out of their skins and finely chop.
*Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl. It's ok to have clumps of cream cheese. The mixture won't be completely smooth.
*Spread the mixture into an 8X8 pan and bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and hot. Serve with chips or baguette slices.

~Ok, so I just made this dip for my Craft Group and it was so yummy. I have to say that this is the best Spinach Artichoke Dip that I have ever made. It was a hit, so I had to share it with you girls :-)

St. Jude Sprout

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas. . .

I made these enchiladas last night and they were so good!
I loved the sweet, yet spicy flavor.
The best news was that Isaac and Seth liked them too. :-)


Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
adapted from The Sisters' Cafe

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 4 large chicken breasts)

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 10oz cans green enchilada sauce


Cook and shred chicken and set aside.
Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder till blended, then toss with shredded chicken and let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour.
Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.
Top with shredded lettuce, diced onions, diced tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole etc. or just eat them as is.

Apple Crisp

This is such a yummy Fall Dessert!

Apple Crisp:

-4 medium tart cooking apples (like rome or granny smith),
when sliced it should be 4 cups
-3/4 cup packed brown sugar
-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
-1/2 cup quick-cooking or old fashioned oats
-1/3 cup butter, softened
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-cream or vanilla ice cream

1. Heat oven to 375. Grease bottom and sides of a 8 by 8 by 2 pan with butter.
2. Peel apples, then slice them (I like mine sliced thinly)
3. Spread apples in pan.
4. Mix the remaining ingredients (except cream) with a fork, until crumbly. Pour mixture over the apples.
5. bake for 30 minutes (you don't want to bake it for longer, or the apples will be mushy)
6. cool for about 15 minutes then serve with cream or Vanilla Ice Cream.

creamy chicken soup

I really debated on whether or not to even put the picture...I always forget to take it the night of, so here it is in my tupperware container, straight out of the fridge...but I promise, this soup is delicious!CREAMY CHICKEN SOUP:

3 cups chicken (cubed or shredded)*

3 carrots sliced

1 1/2 cups celery, diced

2 onions, chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups milk

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

*My mom usually just plops a small chicken in, but as a time factor, I usually just cut mine up)

Combine uncooked chicken, carrots, celery, onions, parsley, salt and pepper in large pot. Cover with water and boil apprx. 20 min, or until chicken is cooked and veggies are tender. Drain liquid, reserving 3 cups. Set chicken and vegetables aside. Combine reserved liquid and milk into large pot and bring to a boil. In a different pan, melt butter and stir in flour. Mix until smooth. Add to boiling liquid. Boil until thick. Add chicken and veggies.

When I made this last night I decided to add homemade noodles to it, which tasted amazing!

NOODLES:

1 egg beaten

1 Tbl. milk

pinch of salt

flour

Mix egg, milk and salt together. Add flour unti you have a stiff ball. Knead until it is mixed well. Roll out with rolling pin until pretty thin. Once you have it rolled out, (I use a pizza cutter) cut the noodles into thin strips, or whatever shape you want them! Let sit for 20 minutes.

(I added my noodles to the chicken/milk liquid, while I was waiting for it to boil.)

If you are going to add noodles, I would recommend adding a little more liquid. I added about 3 cups of chicken broth and dumped a little powdered milk in at the end. (Just kinda make it up as you go!)

BYU Mint Brownies

I am usually not a big fan of brownies, but I love the BYU Mint Brownies! I got the recipe from one of my mom's friends. I hope you enjoy!



MAKES ONE 9-BY-13 PAN OF BROWNIES.
PREP AND COOK: 90 min. COOL: 1 hr.

- Brownies:

• 1 c. margarine
  1/2 c. cocoa
  2 Tbsp. honey
  4 eggs
  2 c. sugar
  1 3/4 c. flour
  1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
  1/2 tsp. salt
  1 c. chopped walnuts12 oz (optional)

- Chocolate Icing: (Use your own icing recipe or purchase some chocolate frosting. You can also search the Internet for chocolate icing recipes.)

- Mint Icing:

• Dash of salt
• 5 Tbsp. Margarine
  3 Tbsp. milk
  1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
  2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
  1/2 tsp. mint extract
  1-2 drops green food coloring

1.Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.
2. Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.

Cooking/Photography Website

I found this really great website. It has some great recipes and I like that it shows EVERY step (with nice pictures!) Also the photography part is pretty great too. There are some basic photo-taking tips and tricks and details about cameras. There is also alot of information about photoshop stuff and how to jazz up your photos. Check it out when you have time! http://thepioneerwoman.com/

Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

These are very similar to the Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes at The Cheesecake Factory. They take some prep work, but are well worth it in the end!!!


SALSA VERDE
2 tomatillos
1 4-ounce can green chilies
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cilantro (you can use fresh, I use the flakes because I always have them on hand)
1 1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon sale
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Combine all ingredients in food processor/blender on high speed. Cover and chill. It will be pretty runny, but it sets up when it chills.

TOMATO SALSA
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 tablespoon cilantro
1/2 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 small jalapeno, minced
dash salt and black pepper
Mix all ingredients together and chill. You really could use any salsa for this part, but fresh is the best!

SOUTHWESTERN SAUCE
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon chlil powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
dash of salt
dash of garlic powder
Mix and chill. This sauce is meant to be drizzled over the top, so it works best if it is in some sort of squirty bottle. I use an old mustard bottle.

SWEET CORN CAKES
1 1/2 cups frozen sweet corn, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup corn flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Chop 1 cup frozen corn in food processor/blender until coarsely pureed. Combine pureed corn with softened butter, sugar and salt in medium bowl. Blend until smooth. Add corn flour and flour and mix well. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup frozen corn. (I think it is easier to mix it all together with my hands. The frozen corn makes the butter hard to mix in.) Form 3-4 patties with the mixture and arrange on un-greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cakes are browned a little on the bottom. Flip cakes over and bake for another 5 minutes.

To serve: spoon SALSA VERDE onto plate or platter (I heat this up a little in the microwave after I put in on the plate.) Arrange cakes on top of sauce. Spoon a dollop of sour cream onto each cake then drizzle entire plate with SOUTHWESTERN SAUCE. Spoon some TOMATO SALSA over cakes then add some chopped avacado. Wala...all done!

Olive Garden Alfredo

8 oz cream cheese (not reduced fat)
½ cup butter
1 pt cream (2 cups)
melt for 30 minutes on low heat
add 1 tsp garlic powder
½ cup parmesan cheese

melt and stir another 20 minutes

Spaghetti & Meatballs

4 T olive oil
1 tsp. instant minced garlic
½ cup chopped onion (sauté garlic and onion with oil)
2 quarts tomato juice
2 - 6 oz. cans tomato paste
1 tsp salt
½ tsp. onion salt
1 tsp. leaf oregano
1 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. garlic salt

Meat Balls:
Beat together
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp onion salt
3 – 4 slices white bread broken and soaked in above mixture.
Mix in 2 lbs hamburger, and form in nice large meat balls.

Drop meat balls in simmering sauce and let steam cook on low heat with lid on pan for 1 hour. Simmer with lid ajar for another 2 hours to thicken the sauce.

BBQ Pulled Pork and BBQ Baked beans:

Andy and I just threw a big BBQ Party for his work!
Here are a couple of the recipes we used:

BBQ Pulled Pork

-1 medium onion, finely chopped
-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
-1, 4-ounce can of green chilies
-1/3 c. cider vinegar
-1/3 c. apple juice
-3/4 c. prepared BBQ sauce
-1 tsp. liquid smoke
-1, 41/2 -5 lb pork roast
-salt and pepper
-buns or rolls

-In a 4 qt or larger slow cooker, combine onion, garlic, and chilies. Place pork on top, drizzle with liquid smoke. Pour in vinegar, juice, and BBQ sauce. Cover and cook on low settings until pork is so tender it falls into shreds when prodded with a fork(about 9 hours). Carefully lift pork from cooker, discard all left over juice in the crockpot. Using two forks, separate pork into shreds. Add a bottle of BBQ sauce and warm in the crockpot or a casserole dish.
Serve with rolls or buns.


BBQ Baked Beans:

-5 slices of bacon
-2 cans (16 oz each) baked beans, drained(it is best if you use Bush's ORIGINAL baked beans)
-1/2 of a green pepper seeded and finely chopped
-1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
-1 1/2 tsp. prepared mustard
-1/2 cup HICKORY SMOKE BBQ sauce
-1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

-Mix all ingredients in a crock-pot. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 8-12 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Make sure you stir often, scarping the bottom of crock-pot.
Makes about 6-8 servings

Spicy Chicken Quesidillas with Fiesta Rice

Q u e s a d i l l a s

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1/2 cup salsa
7 -10 flour tortillas
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cook chicken until done and juices evaporate, stirring often. Add soup and salsa and heat through. Mix well. Spread about 1/3 cup soup mixture on half of each tortilla to within 1/2" of edge. Moisten edge with water. Fold over and seal. Place on 2 baking sheets. Bake 5 minutes or until hot. Serve with Fiesta Rice. Serves about 5 People.

F i e s t a R i c e

Heat one can of condensed chicken broth, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 cup salsa in a saucepan then bring to a boil. Stir in 2 cups uncooked Minute Rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Under The Garden Moon

There is a great quilting store in Orem, UT called American Quilting.
They now have a great web site where you can buy patterns for lots of fun seasonal decorations.
The prices are pretty reasonable, the web site is
Under The Garden Moon.
Here are a few pictures of some of there 4th of July patterns.
Thought I would share this with all of you quilters.

Smothered Pork Burritos......from Craft Night!

To make the tortillas:

5 cups of flour
1/2 cup shortening
1 Tbs. salt
1/8 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2-1 3/4 cups water

Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients, add water. Roll into balls (about the size of clementine oranges). Using rolling pin, roll out each tortilla as thin as you can. Put on griddle at about 425 degrees. This only takes a few minutes, cook on each side.

To make the pork:

Put a pork roast in the crockpot (whatever size you'd like; I find pretty much all sizes turn out great)
Add 1/2 can coke
Sprinkle in brown sugar (start with about 1 Tbs, and add more if needed)
Cook for 10-12 hours on low

Take roast out, put on plate
Throw away the juice from the crockpot
Shred pork, put back in crockpot
Add one small can of enchilada sauce (green)
Add brown sugar (1 cup to start)
Cook in crockpot on low for another 1-2 hours

You can add whatever you'd like inside the burrito. What I usually do is put black beans, pork, mozzarella cheese, and 1 or 2 spoonfuls of enchilada sauce inside the burrito. Then once all the burritos have been made, add another layer of mozzarella cheese, and more enchilada sauce. Cover the burritos entirely with sauce (otherwise the edges get crunchy).

Serve with sour cream, salsa and whatever else you think sounds good! I don't have a picture of this dish, but for those of you who came to craft night when I did it, this is the recipe I used.

Baptism Shadow Box

I made these for a couple of kids that were getting baptized this past month. This frame was for my little neice, Milan, and I made it these colors to match her bedroom. Obviously, you could choose any color of papers and add whatever embellishments you want. I also think these would be darling for a blessing day and hung in a baby nursery. I did have a hard time finding a white shadow box though(the only craft store with white was JoAnns). Well, I hope you are all doing well in Ohio! Miss you all!

Chicken Salad Sandwich

This is Courtney Peacock's recipe as well - I know there were some other people that wanted these recipes so that is why I am posting them. This one is really yummy as well!

4 c. cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1 8 oz. cream cheese
1 1/4 c. crushed pineapple, drained
2 Tbsp sugar, optional (if needed)
1 c. diced celery
1/3 c. yellow onion, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. mayonnaise
pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients well and serve.

Banana Bread

This is Courtney Peacock's AWESOME!!! Banana Bread Recipe:

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter or margarine
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp soda
2 c. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
shake of salt (I do about 10 shakes with my salt shaker)
1 c. chopped walnuts, optional

Grease and flour (or use cooking spray) 4-5 small or 2 large loaf pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except nuts. Beat well. Add nuts. Pour into pans and bake small pans 40 minutes, large pans 45 minutes. (Better to overcook a few minutes than to undercook).

The BEST Waffles

-1 1/2 Cups flour
-3 tsp sugar
-2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 egg yolks, beaten
-1/3 Cup oil
-1 1/2 Cups milk
-1 tsp vanilla
-2 egg whites, beaten stiff

*Mix dry ingredients. Combine egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients, add oil and mix well. Fold in egg whites. Cook in waffle cooker.

(We like to cook the waffles in a Belgium waffle maker, and top with sliced strawberries and whip cream)

Creamy Black Bean Chicken

Sorry there is no picture but this is an easy and really tasty recipe. The recipe is from my friend Laura Miner.

Creamy black bean salsa

2-4 boneless chicken breast
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup salsa*
1 can (15oz) corn, drained
1 can (15oz) black beans, washed & drained
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup cheese

*I don't like chunky salsa so I use taco sauce or enchillada sauce instead of salsa

Put all ingredients in slow cooker, except the sour cream and cheese. Let cook until chicken is done, 3-4 hours. After, top with sour cream and cheese. Serve with warm tortillas and Spanish rice. Yum

My spanish rice recipe

1 cup rice
1 tblsp oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce

Brown rice lightly in oil. Add other ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20-25 min

Padded Bath Mat

I stole this idea from a shower, but I thought it was a great and wanted to share it. This is prefect for putting your babies on after they get out of the bath - it's so soft!! I am not totally in love with this towel, but I couldn't find a little girl one that I liked so I just decided to go with a fun bath theme!

You will need:
A large bath towel (I found that Target and Kohl's had the best selection)
Matching thread
Matching DMC floss (found in the needlework area of JoAnn's)
Large bag of batting

Directions:
Sew up both sides and the bottom of the towel, leaving a small opening to stuff in the batting. The towel moved alot on me when I was sewing so I started with the sides starting at the end and sewing toward the fold - this way you can't tell if it's a little off. I left an opening at the bottom in the middle. Once you have the batting in, stitch up the opening. Take the DMC floss and make "darts" throughout the towel by going down and coming up close to the same spot. Tie with a sqare knot and wahlah - you are done! (I just eyeballed where I did my darts and it isn't great so please don't look too close! )

For anyone with girls

I know Molly doesn't have a whole lot to work with yet, but I came across this blog and thought some of you cute moms out there might like it. It is all about hair styles for little girls. There are a lot of really cute ides and it made me very excited for Molly's hair to start growing. enjoy!!!

http://shedoeshair.blogspot.com/

Carmelitas

This is a Kristie Crockett original with a little easier twist. Still the same great, yummy results.


1 jar Mrs. Richardson's caramel/butterscotch topping
12 oz. package chocolate chips (I like Guittards or Ghiradelli)
2 C. flour
2 C. oatmeal
1 1/2 C. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C. butter (melted)

Combine flour, oatmeal, melted butter, brown sugar, soda and salt. Press 1/2 mixture into the bottom of greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 17 minutes at 325 degrees. Take out and layer chocolate chips and then the jar of caramel/butterscotch topping. Crumble the remaining crumbs over the topping and return to oven to bake for another 17 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for at least 5 hours before serving. (If you put it in the fridge or somewhere cool, you won't need to let it sit as long.)

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Steaks

Okay, this is Alder's recipe, but Eric and I adjusted it a little to fit us. It's really easy and super yummy!

You will need:
Steak
Cream cheese (tub or block)
Jarred jalapenos, sliced
Bacon
Honey
Toothpicks

This recipe is really easy to make just a few steaks or alot - just get however much meat you think you will need. I just buy whatever is thinest and cheapest.

Cut steak into 1-1/2 to 2 inch strips. Season with onion salt and garlic powder as desired (or any other seasonings you like.) Pound meat until desired thickness. We have noticed they taste better and cook much faster the thinner the steaks are! *If you want the meat to be extra spicy, marinate them in some of the juice from the jalapenos for 30 minutes.

Spread cream cheese over steaks and add 3-4 sliced jalapenos in the middle. (Remove the seeds if you don't want them too spicy.) Drizzle honey down the middle of the steaks and roll steaks up. *Eric does the honey and the rolling up one at a time so the honey doesn't run off.

Wrap each steak with 2 pieces of bacon - one running around the opening of the steak and one running in the opposite direction. Secure with toothpicks.

Place steaks on grill and continue turning and drizzling with honey until cooked! (If the steak is thicker we will finish cooking the steak in the micowave if needed.)

Brown Sugar Muffins

I had a few people request this recipe, so here it is. They are really easy and so yummy.

1/2 cup butter softened*
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Make sure to use muffin liners.

*I always substitute half of the butter for applesauce and then I don't feel so bad about eating all of them by myself.

Kay, Do you remember these Peanut Butter Bars from school lunch? These were my favorites all growing up! Keep them in the refrig. The recipe makes tons! Marci



Peanut Butter Bars:

Cream together in mixer-
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup ( 2 sticks) softened butter


Then add and mix together-
1 teas. vanilla
2 lg. eggs
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups oatmeal (can use quick)
2 cups flour
1 teas. baking soda
1 teas. salt


Press dough into a greased cookie sheet or cake pan & bake at 350' for 15 minutes or until brown. (better if you don't over cook them!)


Warm up 1 1/2 cups peanut butter in the microwave and spread evenly over warm dough.
Put in refrig to set up. Top with Chocolate Frosting! Delicious!


Chocolate Frosting:
1 pd powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 stick softened butter
1/2 teas. salt
1 teas. vanilla

Triple Chocolate Cookies

I got this recipe from my sister in law a while back and it is still one of my favorites. They don't keep long, which usually isn't a problem for us!

Triple Chocolate Cookies

1/2 c. butter
4 1 oz squares unsweetened chocolate
3 c. semi sweet chocolate chips (divided)
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
1 c. white,peanut butter or swirl chips (or nuts)

In a saucepan combine butter, chocolate squares and 1 1/2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips. Melt on low then cool to luke warm.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt.
In a mixer combine eggs, sugar and vanilla together. Gradually add flour mixture. Beat together then add cholocate mixture. Beat until combined then add rest of chips or nuts.
Drop on parchment paper by tablespoon fulls. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Cute new website!

Living in Utah does have its perks! But now you can feel like you live here too! I just found out about this great website with adorable LDS themed fabric. Now I feel like I need to make something. Check it out.

www.ldsfabric.com

Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever

This is not my recipe, this is Tonya's and it is the best cinnamon roll recipe ever. My family is always requesting it. Since it was Conference this past weekend, we had to make some. She put the recipe for sixty rolls in the past cookbook that Leesa put together. She revised it to make twenty rolls. I find the twenty roll recipe is perfect for our family and it is super easy to make. The recipe made three of the above pans, which I ate one, Jarren ate one and then we finished the third one off the next day.

Twenty Rolls:

1 cup 2 Tbs. 2 tsp. Water

3 1/3 tsp. yeast

1/3 cup sugar

5 1/3 Tbs melted butter

1 egg

1 1/3 tsp salt

2 Tbs. 2 tsp. canned milk

4 1/4 cup flour

Split the dough, roll it out. Take softened butter spread out on dough, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on roll. Then cut about an inch thick. Raise until double. Cook 350 for about ten minutes. This time really depends on your oven.

Cream Cheese Frosting (you cannot forget the best part)

1 package powdered sugar

1 cube melted butter

8 oz. package softened cream cheese

1/4 cup hot water

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. lemon juice

Add canned milk until runny

1 1/2 - 2 Tbs. vanilla

The frosting recipe is enough to put on sixty rolls so I usually half it for twenty rolls. My family loves orange extract so I will substitute the almond extract.

Bloom Blocks

This is a sample I made of the craft we are going to do for our craft night next week.
I got the kit's from Alison Ward. She made up this kit by what I described to her I wanted over the phone. If you want to see some of her other kits this is her website: Ali's Attic.
And like I did, you can customize them to get exactly what you want!
Here are the paint colors I used:
B- Bayberry (FolkArt)
L- Lavender (AppleBarrel)
O- Yellow Ochre (Americana)
O- Sky Blue (FolkArt)
M- Rose Pink (FolkArt)

Snickerdoodles

These are the yummiest! I got this recipe from Jamie Lamb, and when she brought them over to us, we ate the entire plate in about 15 minutes! (It's probably because of the shortening, but they are great!)


1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 Tbl. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Cream together. Next add flour, salt, soda and cream of tartar. Mix well. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Roll cough into 1-inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-7 minutes.

(Don't over cook these or they will be crunchy. Also, I would avoid using an airbake pan, because it takes double the time)

Easy Chicken Enchiladas with homemade Enchilada Sauce

This picture does not do these justice. They taste just like something that you would order from a Mexican restaurant. They are also super easy to make.

3 Cups shredded cooked chicken
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
21/2 cups enchilada sauce
1-2 cans chopped green chile's, drained
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
Salt and Pepper
12 soft corn tortillas

adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the Chicken, 2 cups of the cheddar, 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, the chile's, and cilantro. Season with Salt and pepper to taste. Stack the tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40 to 60 seconds. (this will help so that the tortillas don't tear as much.)Spread the warm tortillas out over a clean counter. Place 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla. Tightly roll the tortilla around the filling, then lay seam-side down in a 9x13 pan. lightly spray the enchiladas with Pam. ( this helps them from splitting while cooking.) Pour 1 cup of the remaining sauce over the enchiladas to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheddar down in center of the enchiladas. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheddar browns, about 5 minutes longer. serve.

FAST ENCHILADA SAUCE
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons chili powder*
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin*
2 teaspoons sugar
2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
pepper

*I used 5 Tablespoons of chili powder and 3 teaspoons cumin because I wanted more spice to it.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and salt and cook until softened., about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, garlic, cumin and sugar. Cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with Salt and pepper to taster.

Lemon Chicken

Lemon Chicken

-12 chicken tenders

-2 T. lemon juice
-1 cup heavy whipping cream(not half & half)
-2 T. white cooking wine or white grape juice concentrate
-2 tsp. grated lemon peel*
-parmesan cheese
-salt and pepper

1. Cook chicken tenders in a buttered saucepan, until browned and cooked through.
2. Place chicken in a glass casserole dish.
3. In the same saucepan, add lemon juice, lemon peel, and white cooking wine OR white grape juice concentrate. Keep on low heat and add the heavy whipping cream. Add the salt and pepper in the sauce.
4. When heated through, pour over chicken tenders. Add a generous amount of parmesan cheese on top.
5. Place in the oven on broil for 7-12 minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes or rice. (we like having it over mashed potatoes)

*I use the little grates on the grater, so it is more like lemon zest. I just don't like the big grated lemon pieces.
**This is our favorite lemon chicken recipe. It is very easy to make and very delish! Enjoy:-)

Burp clothes

So I needed gift to send to a friend and cousin who just had baby girls. I made these super cute burp clothes and then put a flower headband around them. They turned out so cute and I was so excited to send them off. You all know how much I love headbands. I got the idea from Kim R and Misty M. Kim's were extra cute because she had Katelyn's name embroidered on them. The burp clothes they made me have been one of my most used gifts. Thanks guys for letting me copy your creativity. They were fun and easy to make, so don't be surprised if you get a baby gift from me and there are some burp clothes. You can never have enough burp clothes.

To make them I bought a pack of burp clothes from Target and then bought some cute baby fleece at Joann's. I then cut the fabric to the size of the burp cloth. I sewed them inside out with an opening at the bottom. Turned the whole thing right side out and then sewed across the whole bottom to close the hole. I also sewed ribbon on the burp cloth side along the bottom half. I sewed that on before I sewed the burp cloth and fabric together. I have also made one where you can sew two pieces of ribbon down the long side of the burp cloth (breaking it in thirds). Just make sure you sew the ribbon on first. After I sew the whole thing together I sew down the complete burp cloth, cutting it into thirds. This just helps when you dry it because the burp cloth and fabric will dry differently. I hope this makes sense. I am not very good and explaining things. I am a much better visual learner. As you can see in the picture one of the burp cloths has the baby fleece on one side and a really soft pink bumpy fabric on the other. Katelyn has a blanket that she loves with that material. (Thank you Stacey N, she uses it all the time.) I bought that material also at Joann's. They have a ton of fun colors. Call me if you have any questions or just ask Misty or Kim. Like I said I am totally copying from them, so all the cute credit goes to them.

Fetticini Alfredo

The above picture does not even do this dish justice. This is one of Nancy Churches incredible recipes. All of her recipes are awesome. Jarren could eat this daily. It is so easy and a huge hit.

Fettuccine Alfredo

1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon basil
Pinch oregano
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Melt together cream cheese and butter and slowly add 1 cup milk. Then add remaining ingredients. Add sauce to rinsed noodles and add cooked chicken or shrimp. Don't rinse noodles when adding shrimp.

This one is excellent with grilled chicken. I always make this with some broccoli as to Nancy's suggestions and it really adds to the meal. In the winter I just cook up the chicken on the stove.

Family Traditions

Every Holiday I realize how much my kids love it when I make a big deal about that Holiday. So I would love some ideas. I love the jello egg idea. What else do you guys do in your families? What do you all do for St. Patricks Day. Andrea Morgan told me that Lucky the Leprechaun visits and turns their milk green and then leaves a treasure map and the kids have to find the treasure. How cute is that? Does anyone have any fun ideas for Easter. I want to do some memorable things for the kids. Thanks for the ideas.

Jell-O Eggs

I know it doesn't quite feel like spring outside, but Easter is just a few weeks away! Every year we make these Jell-O Eggs and I just LOVE them... okay, and so do my kids! I mean what kid doesn't love eating Jell-O? You can order the egg molds off of the kraft website:

http://jellostore.archway.com/KraftCornerEStore/jell_mold_catalog.seam?cid=323

I ordered a few egg molds to make different colors/flavors at once. This is especially great if you are serving them at a family party(or with friends) and need a bunch of them. They look great served in an easter basket or just in a pretty bowl. Anyway, I hope you are all doing well and you have a great Easter and a Happy Spring!

Happy St. Patrick's Day Crafts

These are the fun projects we did at our last Craft Night. I love how they turned out. I thought the "Lucky" might be a little too dark but it looks great on the dark TV stand. The shamrocks don't match the sign so they are in a different part of the room. I still think these might be a work in progress. I might redo the plaid one because the paper wrinkled a little on me or I might add some ribbon. I am just not sure. If anyone has some creative thoughts, please share. Thanks to Haley for the super fun craft project.

Sunday Roasted chicken

Sunday Roasted Chicken

You will need:

• 1 six-pound roasting chicken
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium onions, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
• 1 lemon
• 3 large cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth
  

1. Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.
2. In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. (This softens the lemon and allows the juice to flow more freely) Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity. Place chicken in pan, on onion slices. Cut about 18 inches of twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.
3. Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. The breast temperature should read 180 degrees.and the thigh 190 degrees.
4. Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle. Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings into a shallow bowl or fat separator, and leave onions in the pan. Leave any brown baked-on bits in the bottom of the roasting pan, and remove and discard any blackened bits. Using a large spoon , skim off and discard as much fat as possible. Pour the remaining drippings and the juices that have collected under the resting chicken back into the roasting pan. Place on the stove over medium-high heat to cook, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, raise heat to high, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up and combine the brown bits with the stock until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Strain the gravy into a small bowl, pressing on onions to extract any liquid. Discard onions, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of cold butter until melted and incorporated. Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon. Carve, and serve gravy on the side.

(I usually will make mashed potatoes and a vegie to go with the chicken, this is a favorite meal at our house.)

Williams-Sonoma Whole Wheat Bread

Williams-Sonoma Whole Wheat Bread

You will Need:
-1 1/2 Tablespoon active dry yeast
-Pinch of Brown Sugar
-1 cup warm water
-1 1/2 cups warm buttermilk
-1/4 cup maple syrup OR honey
-1/4 cup canola oil
-1 Tablespoon salt
-3 cups whole-wheat flour
-3 -4 cups bread flour

1. In a bowl, sprinkle the yeast and brown sugar over the water and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk, maple syrup, oil, salt, and 2 cups of the whole-wheat flour. Beat on medium -low speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the yeast mixture and the remaining whole-wheat flour and beat for 1 minute. Beat in the bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl sides. Switch to the dough hook. Knead on low speed, adding bread flour 1 Tablespoon at a time, until smooth but slightly sticky when pressed, about 5 minutes.
3. transfer the dough to an oiled deep bowl and turn the dough once to coat it. Cover loosely with wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1-1 1/2 hours.
4. Lightly grease two 9-by-5- inch loaf pans. turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Divide in half and pat each half into a long rectangle. Tightly rool up the dough into a thick log. Roll the laof back and forth with your palms until it is the same length as the pan. Pinch the ends and along the seam to seal. Place the loaf, seam side down, in a prepared pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or towel and let rise about 1 inch above the rim of each pan. (about an hour)
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake until the loaves are golden brown and pull away from the pan sides, 35-40 minutes. turn out onto racks and let cool.

(This may look like a lot of work, but it is really easy. Every time I make this bread it turns out really good)

Big Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

BIG Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

You will need:
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1 cup packed brown sugar
-1 Tbsp vanilla extract
-1 egg yolk
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
-1/2 cup white sugar
-1 egg
-2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350degrees. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooded spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time(this is what makes them so big) onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15-17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
(I have tried several chocolate chip cookie recipes, this one has become one of my favorites. They are very yummy, enjoy!!)
**I got this recipe from Vanessa Neal**

Chicken Artichoke Casserole

4 tablespoons butter
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 (7.5-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained*

1 pkg fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup half & half

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary*

1 pkg favorite noodles

*I recently found frozen artichoke hearts at Trader Joe's that are awesome, and just as cheap as the canned ones!!! Also, I don't put rosemary in mine because I don't like the taste of it, but the recipe calls for it.

Cook chicken breasts in simmering water over low heat for about 30 minutes or until cooked through (I have also cooked chicken in frying pan on stove, it works just as well.) Cut chicken into cubes. Place cubed chicken, artichoke hearts and mushrooms (I only use half the package of mushrooms) in a greased 8x8-inch pan. Lightly salt; set aside.

When chicken is almost done cooking start the sauce. In saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until well blended. Add half & half and chicken broth and stir constantly over medium heat until thickened. Stir in salt, pepper, Parmesan and rosemary (if you like rosemary!) Pour over chicken and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve over noodles.

Makes 4 servings.

*The recipe actually says to cook the chicken in the chicken broth and reserve 3/4 cup broth from that to use with the sauce, but the little chicken floaties gross me out, so I use separate chicken broth. It does make it a little quicker because you don't have to do separate broth, but it's totally your choice :)

Chicken Sate' with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 lbs) trimmed
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
3 Tablespoons Ketchup
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Tabasco
4 scallions, Sliced thin
1 1/2 cups Spicy Peanut dipping sauce


Freeze chicken for 30 minutes
Slice chickent diagonally into 1/4- inch thick strips. Combine the soy sauce, vegetable oil,brown sugar, cilantro, ketchup, garlic, Tabasco, and Scallions and pour over chicken. Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes but not longer than 1 hour.
Adjust an oven rack 6 -inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler. Line the broiler pan bottom with foil and cover the slotted broiler -pan top, and cover the skewer endes with foil. (This prevents them from burning) Broil until fully cooked, about 8 minutes, flippin ghte skewers over halfway though. Serve

** I had to cook mine for about 15 minutes because they were not done but my oven isn't the greatest.
* this also works great with Flank steak. But you have to cut it across the grain


Spicy Peanut dipping sauce

1/2 cups peanut butter, creamy or chunky
1/4 cup hot water
3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
2 Scallions, sliced thin
1 1/2 teaspoons Tabasco
1 garlic clove, minced

Whisk the peanut butter and hot water together in a medium bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Transfer to serving bowl. This can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the refrgerated.

The sauce only makes about 1 1/2 cups so you need to double it to have enough for the chicken and the sauce.

The Best Cookbook

Matt got me this cookbook for Christmas and everything that I have made out of it is so good! Not only does it have recipes it also has really helpful tips that are super easy. Like how to remove the bones from salmon and how to make it skewering meat easier. Being as it is put out by America's Test Kitchen it has test kitchen favorites from utensils to cookie sheets to tuna and tomato paste. I love this book!

Orecchiette with Broccoli,Sausage, and Roasted Peppers

4 ounces sweet or hot Italian sausage casings removed ( I prefer it with the sweet)
1 cup Jarred roasted red peppers, rinsed and chopped medium
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch broccoli cut into 1 inch pieces
Salt
1/2 cup water
1 pound orecchiette
2 ounces Romano cheese, grated (1 cup)
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1- Cook noodle
2- meanwhile, cook the sausage breaking into small pieces until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the roasted red peppers and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
3-Stir in Broccoli, 1/2 teaspoon salt and water. Increase heat to high,cover skillet, and cook stirring frequently, until the liqui has evaporated and the broccoli is tender about 5 minutes longer.
4-Reserve 1/2 cup of pater cooking water, then drain the orecchiette and return it to the pot. Stir in the sausage, and broccoli mixture, Romano, and oil, and toss to coat. Add the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce before cooking.
5- serve immediately.

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

• 16 oz. Farfalle pasta
• 1 c. heavy whipping cream
• 3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed OR garlic salt (I do a spoonful of crushed garlic)
• 3/4 Tbsp. pepper
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 lb. bacon, crumbled**
• 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese1
• (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice

** Cooking Tip - If you have a convection oven cook your bacon in the oven (400 degrees, convection). Way less messy. And it's crispy every time. Time varies, so you just have to watch it. I think it's usually around 30 minutes. Allow to cool and then crumple

Directions:

Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred. Set this aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and crumbled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top and serve.

Magelby's Rolls

These are Delicious and so easy! I prefer to cook

mine in a bunt pan (unless cooking for a large group)

• Homemade Bread Dough or Rhodes Rolls
• Equal parts - Mayonnaise, Butter and Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Mix the Mayonnaise, Butter*, and Parmesan Cheese together. Roll the dough in the mixture and place on a greased bunt pan or cookie sheet and cover with Saran Wrap. Raise the rolls in the refrigerate for about 4-5 hours. Then allow them to rise for about 45 minutes on the counter. (Do not leave rolls out longer than that because of the Mayonnaise.) Bake the rolls at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (depending on the oven).

* I prefer to use less butter or none at all because they still taste delicious and are a little healthier.

Andes Mint Cookies

• 3/4 c. butter
• 1 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 2 T. water
• 2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• bag of crumbled peppermint pieces

Directions:

Melt butter, brown sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and then add the chocolate chips, stirring until completely melted. Cool for 10 minutes. Put this in a mixing bowl and beat in 2 eggs. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix together and chill for about 45 minutes. Roll into balls (1 - 1 1/2 inches big), flatten slightly, place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. When cookies come out of oven, sprinkle mint crumbles* on top of the cookie (Optional: I like to spread the mint crumbles like frosting after they have melted a little - but I do not like to spread the peppermint crumbles - the pieces will get soft at first, but then keep their shape and re-solidify when cool).

* Mint crumbles can be found in the baking aisle next to the chocolate chips.

** The picture you see above is a holiday variation that uses Andes peppermint crumbles (also found in the baking aisle). This variation is great for Christmas or Valentine's Day.