Mauck Kitchen Adventures

Two Holiday Desserts to Try Out!

2009-11-16T12:02:00.000-08:00

I made these for our church's Harvest Dinner last weekend, and they were both a success!

First, Strawberry Pretzel Salad, a Paula Deen recipe. However, I've also seen it in "The Pink Lady's Requested Recipes," a cookbook by a Calera lady who ran a teahouse with awesome salads, veggie dishes, and desserts. So what I'm trying to say is that I think this recipe has been around the block in the South a few times. The buttery-pretzel crust gives the super-sweet cream cheese filling a nice salty contrast, and the top layer is loaded with frozen strawberries (buy the plain strawberries and cut them in half; don't do the syrupy ones).

It took me a few times to get this just right; the trick is that you have to let the pretzel crust cool really well before putting on the cream cheese-Cool Whip-sugar mixture, and then let that set up pretty good in the fridge before putting on the strawberry Jell-O topping. Otherwise, the crust is all crumbly and/or the white part stays goopy.

I also made a Caramel Pecan Pie for the dinner, and it was AMAZING! Seriously, I'm a fan of pecan pie, but this was even better. As Paula Deen would say, it took pecan pie over the top. The recipe calls for 36 caramels, but I just used a bag of caramel bits from the chocolate chip section, and it worked fine.

I bought one of those refrigerated pie crusts that comes with two, and I used the other one to make empanadas from leftover chili and pieces of cheese! That's a way to make leftover chili fun to eat!

Oh man, going on the Food Network site got me excited for some holiday cooking! Sweet potato casserole, cranberry-pear pie, caramel apple pie--yum yum!! Maybe I'll actually start posting on here sometimes.

The Best Green Beans!

2009-07-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

My mom found these green beans at Sam's a few weeks ago. They taste exactly like fresh homegrown green beans. But, without the snapping and 45 min-1 hr of cook time. I cook them the same way that I do fresh green beans. Fry a little bacon in a saucepan or a little bit of olive oil and saute them for a couple of minutes, then add a few cups of water and some bouillon cubes lastly some finely chopped onion, salt and pepper. Then cook for about 10-12 minutes. We've been eating them almost nightly, they are so delicious. Check 'em out!

22 Minute Cake

2009-02-11T07:15:00.000-08:00

This is Phylliese Sawyer's recipe from the Edmond Church of Christ Cookbook:

2 C. flour
2 C. sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 C. shortening
3 1/2 T. cocoa
1 C. water
1/2 C. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla

In a large bowl, combine sugar and flour. In a small pan, mix and bring to a boil: butter, shortening, cocoa, and water. Pour over flour mixture. Combine buttermilk, eggs, soda, and vanilla-add to other and mix all together. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 22 minutes. When cake has been in the oven for 18 minutes, combine icing ingredients except powdered sugar in a small pan and bring to a boil. Add sugar and beat well to remove the lumps. Pour over cake when it's removed from the oven.

Icing
1 stick butter
3 1/2 T. Cocoa
1/3 C. milk
1 lb. powdered sugar.

I love this recipe for church events. It makes a huge pan and I always get lots of compliments. Always giving credit to my friend Phylliese!

Baked Fudge

2009-02-06T10:52:00.000-08:00

I want to try this so, I'm linking it here so I don't lose the recipe.

Here's the recipe. I'll let you know how it goes.

Chili's Salsa

2009-01-05T13:30:00.000-08:00

From Copykat.com

As you can see, I've adopted the recipe for our tastes!

1 (14.5 oz) can Tomatoes and Green Chilis (Rotel)
1 (14.5 oz) Whole Peeled Tomatoes with juice
1 T. + 1 t. Jalapenos (canned, diced, not pickled) I actually use fresh!
1/4 C. yellow onion (diced) I usually use more!
3/4 t. Garlic salt I like fresh, about one clove
3 t. of chopped cilantro This is just a guess. Add more or less to taste.
1/2 t. Cumin
1/4 t. sugar
2-3 t. lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

In food processor, place jalapenos and onions. Process a few seconds. Add tomatoes, salt, sugar, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and spices. Place in a covered container and chill for a couple of hours to blend the flavors. Serve with your favorite thin corn tortilla chips.

Savory Beef Stew

2009-01-05T13:05:00.000-08:00

This is a delicious version of beef stew. It's from allrecipes.com.
INGREDIENTS

* 3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
* 1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
* 2 cups water
* 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
* 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed beef broth, undiluted
* 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 6 small potatoes, quartered
* 6 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
* 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 3 tablespoons cold water

DIRECTIONS

1. In a Dutch oven, brown meat in salad dressing over medium heat. Add the next 10 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Add the potatoes, carrots, green pepper and onion. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Combine flour and cold water until smooth; stir into stew. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Discard bay leaf before serving.

Oven-baked Caramel Corn

2008-10-31T11:20:00.001-07:00

Here's a fun Paula Deen recipe from her Paula Deen Celebrates cookbook. I couldn't find the same one online. It's so addictive, and great for movie nights, game days, or food gifts!

This is for one bag of popcorn (obviously, double the ingredients for two bags, but I've found that one bag is enough for me and four friends on girls movie night!):

Bring 1 stick of butter, ½ cup brown sugar, 1/2 t. salt, ¼ cup corn syrup, 1 t. maple syrup, and 1 t. vanilla to a boil over medium-high heat.

Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. If it starts to boil really hard, I lift it off the burner for a few seconds. You can scorch this if you let it get too hot for too long. And it is HARD to clean out of a pan and to air out your house afterward! After five minutes, remove from heat and add 1 t. baking soda. Spread this over popped popcorn on a cookie sheet and stir it up as best you can, but don't worry about coating every piece yet. Bake at 250 for an hour, taking out to stir every 15 minutes or so. By the third or fourth time of doing this, every piece should be perfectly coated!

Fall's Perfect Breakfast!

2008-10-08T14:15:00.001-07:00

Oh you voluptuous fall fruit, how I desire your tasty innards! Being surrounded by jack-o-lanterns and decorative pumpkins only increases my love of all foods pumpkin. Here's a great way to get rid of that pumpkin craving first thing in the morning: Pumpkin Waffles! Jay and I have eaten these three or four times, and we love them! I might even double the recipe next time so I have leftovers to freeze for a quicker weekday breakfast.

Pumpkin Waffles
by the Taste of Home test kitchens

Ingredients:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, pumpkin and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until combined.

Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions until golden brown.

Apple Bonanza!

2008-10-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

I've been well-supplied with fresh apples since midsummer, thanks to a couple sets of very generous Maucks. I've frozen them thinly sliced with cinnamon-sugar for Diane's apple pie, and I've made apple cake and this week, I tried strawberry applesauce. Both are de-lish and worth sharing. I used tart apples for the cake, and Red Delicious for the applesauce.

Grandgirl's Fresh Apple Cake from Georgia
by Paula Deen

I've never seen a recipe title this long, OR so many positive reviews from Food Network.com users: 531 reviews with a 5-star average rating. If you've got apples, you've got to try this one.

Ingredients

Cake:
Butter, for greasing pan
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a tube pan.
For the cake: in a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, oil, orange juice, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract; and mix well. Fold apples, coconut, and pecans into batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours.

Shortly before the cake is done, make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large saucepan, stir in the sugar, buttermilk, and baking soda, and bring to a good rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the hot cake in the pan as soon as you remove it from the oven. Let stand 1 hour, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Strawberry Applesauce
by Dave Lieberman

This one is very easy, and a flavorful change from regular applesauce. Last time I made homemade applesauce, I made it plain with cinnamon, and Claire didn't care for it too much. This one got her approval, though! Beware: I didn't get the heat high enough for a while, and had to cook it longer. It's okay, just make sure you add water to keep the sauce from getting too thick.

Ingredients
3 pounds McIntosh or other apple of choice (about 9 apples)
10 large frozen strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup water
1/8 teaspoon allspice

Directions
Peel, core and slice apples 1/4-inch thick. Place apple slices in a large saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until a sauce consistency, about 45 minutes. Use a potato masher, if necessary, to break up any lumps, but leave slightly chunky.

Breakfast Cookies!

2008-08-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

Marking my spot for something I want to try. this Sounds yummy!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

2008-08-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

Carson came home last weekend after going to Ashlyn's birthday party with about 40 hershey kisses. They had a pinata that was FULL of them. So, I set out to find a recipe for peanut butter cookies. Surprisingly, I had never made these. I've eaten plenty of them from time to time, but never made them. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. I changed it a bit like some of the comments suggested (less flour and add a little milk) and they were yummy. Although, Carson started asking for a cookie everyday at about 7am. Yeah, they are already gone!

Apple Pie

2008-08-13T11:41:00.001-07:00

I made apple pie with apples from our inlaws. Diane showed me how to make it one time and now I just remember the recipe. So, bear with me!

About 5-6 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup sugar
Ummmmm, some cinnamon. Just add it until it's the right color. :)
Pillsbury pie crust (I know you can make these from scratch, but WHY?)
heavy cream

Cook the apples in the margarine in a saucepan until they are tender. I like them to sort of brown.
Add the sugar and cinnamon. Add a little splash of cream. About 2-3 tablespoons.

Pour it into a pie crust. Put the second crust on top and seal it up. Cut the little slits to release the steam. Then pour another splash of the cream on the top and smear it around. Bake at about 325 for an hour. I love my pie crust sheilds! Use one for the first 45 minutes then remove so that it can brown.

That's it!

Oh and be sure you top it with ice cream!

KIM UPDATE: It's also really good if you sprinkle raw sugar on top of the top crust!

Fun finger foods!

2008-08-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Last night, Matt and Kim Mauck came over to watch America's Got Talent (weak!), and we had a fun finger foods dinner! I served Crash Hot Potatoes (which I love--have made them four times now I think!), Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps, and Fried Asparagus. YUM!

The chicken recipe is courtesy Paula Deen, and you wrap chicken chunks in bacon and then dredge it in a mixture of brown sugar and chili powder. FYI: I thought the dredge mixture needed a bit more flavor after I made it the first time, so I added seasoned salt and lemon pepper.

The fried asparagus is a fun way to eat veggies--dip the asparagus in a very sticky beer batter, and then deep fry. Serve with Ranch dressing to dip!

Sweet squash casserole!

2008-08-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

I should have posted this a little earlier when it was the peak of squash season, but my mother-in-law is still giving me some from her garden, so maybe you can still use this. It's from one of my favorite little cookbooks, Requested Recipes from Granny's Pink Rose Tea Room. This lady used to operate a cute little tea room in her Victorian-style home. I went there once, and everything she served was so different from the kind of stuff you usually eat, but so delicious!

Ingredients
2 lbs yellow squash: cooked, drained, mashed. (I dice three or four medium-sized squash and boil for 6 minutes, then mash with a fork in the colander. Just a rough mash will do.)
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped (I sometimes leave out the peppers and onions if I don't have them on hand; it's still great!)
1/4 cup butter (If you don't do the peppers and onions, you won't need the butter either.)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (Here's where the sweet comes in!)
4 eggs
1 t. seasoned salt
1 pinch plain salt
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Topping: 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Saute onions and pepper in butter. Put cooked, mashed squash in casserole dish. Mix milk, brown sugar, egg, salts, and cheese, and pour over squash. Make sure onions and pepper are cool before adding them to the casserole (I have scrambled my eggs before--when I didn't have any back-up ingredients to start over, and had to strain out all the scrambled bits. Not pretty.)

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until the center doesn't jiggle anymore. Melt butter and add bread crumbs, and bake for 10 more minutes.

This is great as leftovers!

Hot Crash Potatoes!

2008-06-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

These were delish! I made them with home grown potatoes from my in-laws garden. Super easy as well.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

It was a hit!

2008-04-09T13:01:00.000-07:00

The bread turned out delicious! Although, I did the recipe wrong. I put 1/2 C cornmeal in with the dough and you are supposed to only use it on top as you pull it out of the bowl. Anyway, it still turned out good. I'll be doing it again and maybe even for pretzels like Jen suggested.

Bread

2008-04-03T15:19:00.002-07:00

I am off to try this super easy recipe for bread.
http://amazingtrips.blogspot.com/2008/04/speaking-of-dough.html

I didn't want to write down the recipe so, I thought I would just link it here. I'll let you know how it goes!

Molten Lava Chocolate Cakes

2008-02-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

Here's a Paula Deen recipe that is great for special occasions! I made them for Jay and I for Valentine's Day. It's similar to the Chili's molten cake, with a liquid inside! I have no idea how the chemistry works; you don't inject anything, it just turns out firm on the outside and "molten" on the inside. As Paula would say, it will make you want to slap your mama! I made them in a muffin tin, and those are smaller than the called-for 6oz custard cups. Take a couple minutes off the bake time if you do this; mine could have stood to be a bit more molten. I also did not use the orange liquer--not something I have around the house, or really want to make a special trip to the liquor store for!

Molten Lava Cakes

6 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate
2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 stick) butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange liqueur

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Grease 6 (6-ounce) custard cups. Melt the chocolates and butter in the microwave, or in a double boiler. Add the flour and sugar to chocolate mixture. Stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and orange liqueur. Divide the batter evenly among the custard cups. Place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be runny. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates.

Mocha Frappuccino

2007-10-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure no one checks this blog anymore so this is more for my reference. I've been wanting some of these from Starbucks but at $4 a pop that is just ridiculous.

Starbucks Frozen Frappuccino
From: Top Secret Recipes: Sodas, Smoothies, Spirits, and Shakes
by Todd Wilbur
(Plume; February 2002; ISBN: 0452283183; PB)
Cookbook Heaven @ Recipelink.com

It was in 1995 that Starbucks stores started selling this frozen drink, one of the company's most successful new products. The Frappuccino is blended with strong coffee, sugar; a dairy base, and ice. Each one is made to order and each one is guaranteed to give you a throbbing brain freeze if you sip too hard. The drinks come in several different varieties, the most popular of which I've cloned here for your frontal lobe-pounding; caffeine-buzzing pleasure.

Make double-strength coffee by measuring 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per cup (serving) in your coffee maker: The drink will be even more authentic if you use Starbucks beans and grind them yourself just before brewing.

Makes 2 "Grande" Drinks

COFFEE

* 3/4 cup double-strength coffee, cold
* 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1 cup low-fat milk
* 2 cups ice

1. Make double-strength coffee by brewing with twice the coffee required by your coffee maker: That should be 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per each cup of coffee. Chill before using.
2. To make drink, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until ice is crushed and drink is smooth. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses, and serve with a straw.

CARAMEL

For this version, add 3 tablespoons of caramel topping to the original recipe and prepare as described. Top each glass with whipped cream and drizzle additional caramel over the whipped cream.

MOCHA

For this version, add 3 tablespoons Hershey's chocolate syrup to the original recipe and prepare as described. Top each glass with whipped cream, if desired.

Two great breakfast-on-the-go recipes!

2007-08-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry faithful readers; it's been too long! It's not that I haven't been cooking; it's just that finding the time to write about it has become significantly more difficult, as I'm sure you can imagine. Audrey has a good reason, also.

With Claire and having to be at work 20 minutes away by 7:50, I rarely have time to sit down and eat breakfast. Here are two great recipes that you can make up ahead of time and keep in your freezer (I put them in individual Ziploc bags, and then in one big Ziploc bag, to prevent freezer burn and them from sticking together.)

This first one is not so healthy, but absolutely delicious! I got it from an issue of Oklahoma Today. Some Oklahoma bed-and-breakfast serves these scrumptious muffins:

Cappuccino Muffins:

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 cup milk
2 T. instant coffee
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 t. vanilla
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Combine the first five ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir coffee granules into milk into the coffee is dissolved. Add butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients; fold in chocolate chips. Bake muffins for 17-20 minutes at 375 degrees.

This next one is a pancake that's so hearty and sweet, you can just heat it up and eat it plain, no syrup or butter. (But they're outta this world fresh out of the frying pan with warm butter and syrup!) I got it from the American Profile newspaper supplement.

Oatmeal Pancakes
Make this mix and keep it on hand: Trust me, it's way better than Bisquick!

4 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups flour
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup instant nonfat dry milk
3 T. baking powder
2 T. cinnamon
5 t. salt
1/2 t. cream of tartar.

Then when you're ready for pancakes, add these ingredients to make 10 pancakes (for just Jay and I, I halve these amounts, but for a freezer portion, I do the whole amounts):

2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
2 cups pancake mix
1 cup water

Yum!

Paula Deen's Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

2007-04-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

I made this great banana pudding recipe for our Pannell family Easter get-together, after first trying it at Diane's house, of course! Like all PD recipes, this one is rich! With shortbread cookies instead of good ol' Nilla Wafers and an 8-oz package of cream cheese, this stuff is delish! Note: Our Wal-Mart didn't have Peppridge Farm Chessmen cookies, so I used Lorna Doone shortbread cookies, and they tasted great!

Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Paula Deen's Hot Fudge Sauce

2007-03-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

This is the Mauck family's new obsession, as Diane has recently gotten hooked on all things Paula Deen, and made several batches of this delectable, addictive sauce for her kids. Paula serves it on homemade chocolate cake, but we keep a jar in the fridge and heat some up and spoon it on top of vanilla ice cream about every other night!

1 (4-ounce) bar German chocolate
1/2-ounce unsweetened chocolate
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

Melt the 2 chocolates with the butter in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir in the powdered sugar, alternating with evaporated milk and blending well. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the mixture becomes thick and creamy, about 8 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Serve slices of cake topped with warm fudge sauce.

Homemade Hamburger Helper!

2007-03-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

I make this meal once every couple weeks, or whenever I have about a cup of cooked hamburger meat in the fridge or freezer, and only about 20mins to have dinner on the table.

1 cup cooked hamburger meat
1 cup uncooked rotini or elbow macaroni noodles
1 cup spaghetti sauce
1 cup hot water
1/4 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. oregeno
Salt and pepper to taste
A couple handfuls of sharp cheddar cheese

Combine all but cheese in a large skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until noodles are tender. Remove from heat, sprinkle cheese on top, cover until cheese is melted.

Serve with a green veggie and some bread, and voila! Meal in less than Rachel Ray's 30 minutes!

Coconut Cream Angel Cake

2007-03-05T08:13:00.000-08:00

I honestly did not get a single bite of this dessert, but that is GREAT when it's the dessert I take to a church lunch! Ask Jay: As ridiculous as it might sound, I judge myself based on how many servings are taken out of my potluck dishes. A wiped-clean dish after a church meal makes for a happy me, and that was the case yesterday with this dessert! I think I know the secret to making a hit dessert for our church though: pies, pudding-type desserts, and anything that resembles a coconut cream pie. This dessert incorporates a little of all of them, but is way easier than a coconut cream pie. I would even compare it to a coconut cream bread pudding, as the angel food cake kind of soaks up the pudding/ice cream combination.

Coconut Cream Angel Cake

INGREDIENTS

1 prepared angel food cake (8 inches), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1-1/2 cups cold milk
2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant coconut cream pudding mix
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup flaked coconut, toasted

DIRECTIONS
Place cake cubes in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. dish. In a mixing bowl, beat milk and pudding mixes on low speed for 2 minutes. Add ice cream; beat on low just until combined. Spoon over cake cubes. Spread with whipped topping; sprinkle with coconut. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12-15 servings.

Let the freezer cooking begin!

2007-03-03T11:46:00.000-08:00

I am going to do something different for when the new baby comes. I hope to have my freezer stocked with meals ready to thaw and heat. I have a wonderful friend that works full time with 3 kids and she does this monthly. I am going to try to double recipes that I make over the next few months and freeze a portion to have when I don't have time to cook. Phylliese has some wonderful recipes that she let me borrow that work great for freezer cooking. The first one was a BIG hit.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Lasagna

makes 3- 8X8 pans
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C. chicken broth
1 lb. lasagna noodles (no boil required kind)
1/2 lb. shredded ham
1 T. dried parsley

Sauce:
1 C. butter or margarine
3/4 C. flour
3 C. milk
2 C. heavy cream
1 1/2 C. chicken broth, reserved
1 C. grated parmesan cheese

Cook chicken in pot with 1/2 c. broth and enough water to cover breasts. Cool and cut into bite size pieces. Save broth.

Make sauce: melt butter or margarine. Add flour. Cook and stir slowly. Add milk, cream, and reserved broth. Cook until boiling, stirring constantly. Add cheese and parsley.

Grease 3 8X8 pans. Spread a little sauce in the bottom and layer noodles, sauce, chicken, and ham. Repeat 3 times ending in sauce. I sprinkled a little more parsley on the top for looks.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes covered. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes until bubbly.
Wrap tightly with press and seal and put into a 1 gallon freezer bag. Label with date and directions. Thaw frozen lasagna when ready and cook for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees until bubbly. ENJOY!

Pecan-Crusted Salmon

2007-03-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

I fix salmon about every week, and this recipe from Taste of Home's Quick Cooking (precursor to Simple & Delicious) is definitely a keeper! Easy enough to make for just Jay and I, but fancy enough to serve for company. The sweet AND savory coating with the rich pecan crunch is delicious!

Pecan-Crusted Salmon

From Quick Cooking

INGREDIENTS
4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
2 cups milk
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
2 teaspoons pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS
Place salmon fillets in a large resealable plastic bag; add milk. Seal bag and turn to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes; drain. Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, combine the pecans, flour, brown sugar, seasoned salt and pepper. Coat fillets with pecan mixture, gently pressing into the fish. In a large skillet, brown salmon in oil over medium-high heat. Transfer to a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Yield: 4 servings.

Restaurant-style sweet and sour chicken

2007-02-13T08:55:00.000-08:00

I tried out a new recipe last night from my latest issue of Simple & Delicious, and it was just that! Not the healthiest choice, but delicious! Jay even had some for breakfast this morning, if you can believe that! I served it with a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies (we like the VIP Mandarin style: peapods, broccoli, mushrooms, water chestnuts, carrot slivers) and some quick fried rice. I didn't add carrots and pineapples to the sauce, just 'cause I was tired of standing at the counter after slaving over Valentine's candy for my spoiled-rotten sweetheart after I got home from work!

Classic Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

INGREDIENTS
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
Oil for frying
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

SWEET-AND-SOUR SAUCE:
2 jars (10 ounces each) sweet-and-sour sauce
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained
Hot cooked rice

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the flour, water, egg, baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper. In an electric skillet, heat 1/4 in. of oil to 375°. Dip chicken into batter. Fry in oil, a few pieces at a time, for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the sweet-and-sour sauce, carrots, green pepper, onion and pineapple. Cover and microwave on high for 4-6 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve chicken and sauce with rice. Yield: 4 servings

Weird recipe, great brownies!

2007-01-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

I found this one in a Christmas Gooseberry Patch cookbook Diane loaned me. These Graham Cracker Brownies taste kind of like Hello Dolly bars, but without nuts and coconut; just chocolate! They're chewy and rich, and blow away boxed brownie mixes in flavor. Plus, super-easy to make, and made of the kind of ingredients you usually have on hand anyway. Here it is:

Graham Cracker Brownies
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (have a kid bust 'em up for you for fun!)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
Dash salt
1 t. baking powder.

Mix it all together, spread it in a square baking dish, and bake at 350 for 30-35 mins!

Jay's B-day dinner: Frozen Coconut Caramel Pie, Cajun Shrimp and Asparagus

2007-01-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

Here's three recipes in one post! I'll just provide links to them, though. Wednesday was Jay's birthday (the big 2-9), and so I cooked a kind of special occasion meal. Of course, it consisted of all new recipes, because I don't have many special occasion meal recipes up my sleeve. I can't very well cook Beef-Vegetable Stew or Cornbread Ranch Chicken on his day, no matter how great they taste on a weeknight! Luckily, everything turned out delicious, despite a few errors I thought I made in the process!

The main course was Cajun shrimp and steak, and I got the recipe from Taste of Home. I just marinated some sirloin steak in the shrimp marinade. This is a great way to make shrimp kind of fun and fancy, as you make a special Cajun butter to dip it in! Jay loved the butter, and he dipped his steak and asparagus in it, too! I also got a great, easy spicy asparagus recipe from Taste of Home, and it was definitely a recipe I will use again when I'm cooking a spicy kind of meal. Jay absolutely loved it.

Jay's birthday dessert was this fantastic Frozen Coconut Caramel Pie, which he first tasted just a couple weeks ago at my mom's family's Christmas/New Year's get-together. Aunt Michelle, the perennial knock-your-socks-off dessert maker, brought this little doozy. It's kind of like an ice cream pie meets a cheesecake, with a scrumptious topping of caramel ice cream sauce and toasted coconut and pecan. I don't even like coconut, and I loved this pie! Jay loves coconut, so he practically swooned over it! When he first tasted Aunt Michelle's, he had this kind of dazed expression on his face, and I asked him what was up, and all he could say was, "You gotta try this," and point at his saucer with only the tiniest traces of caramel on it.

If you're ever looking for a good recipe, my favorite way to search is to go to Taste of Home and search their Contest-Winning recipes. That's what I did for the shrimp and asparagus recipes. I believe this is a subscriber-only function, though, so you gotta pay to play!

Easy, yummy Chicken Alfredo

2007-01-03T09:43:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from a Christmas gift: a Creative Cuisine cookbook from Diane, signed by the author herself, a lady who owns a restaurant in Pottsboro and cooks on the noon news once a week. The secret ingredient: booze! Don't worry, I brought it to a boil after adding the liquor, so the alcohol content was greatly diminished, if not erased. Here it is, from memory:

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, thawed and cut into bite-sized pieces
4 T. butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 jar Alfredo sauce: I used Bertolli garlic Alfredo
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/2 cup Chardonnay (you might could substitute chicken broth)
2 cups cooked fettucine noodles: I used whole wheat, and they were great, very flavorful!

Cook chicken in butter until lightly browned, about five minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic. (I drizzled it with EVOO b/c the butter was mostly gone.) Saute for about two minutes, until mushrooms are tender. Add sauce and wine; let simmer for about five minutes. Pour over noodles and let stand for 5-10 mins, until sauce has thickened. Sprinkle with parsley flakes.

Serve with garlic bread (I use Peppridge Farm frozen five-cheese Italian bread--yum!) and salad!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

2006-12-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

I made this last night for dinner and it was super good. It is Kristin Burton's recipe from our church cookbook.

2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 large cans of white chicken meat
1 (16oz.) sour cream
1 small can diced chilies
1/2 t. salt
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 chopped green onions
8 lg. flour tortillas

Mix together chicken soup, chicken, 1 3/4 cup sour cream, green chilies, salt, and onions. Soften tortillas in a little oin in a skillet for a few seconds. Drain on a paper towel. Pour a small amount of the filling, just enough to cover the bottom of the 9X13 pan. Fill the tortillas with the filling and some cheese. Roll up and place in pan seam side down. Repeat for remaining tortillas. After all of the enchiladas are assembled, pour the remaining sauce on the top. Top with cheese and remaining sour cream. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

I had never used canned chicken for anything. It was surprisingly good and much faster.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2006-12-14T14:33:00.000-08:00

Here's a yummy, easy, festive-looking Christmas side dish, courtesy Paula Deen from Food Network! I took it to my office Christmas party today, and everyone loved it! The saltiness of the pretzel crust, mixed with the melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese/Cool Whip mixture, plus the sweetness of the strawberry mixture, is delicious!

Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
See this recipe on air Sunday Dec. 17 at 7:00 AM ET/PT.
Show:
Paula's Home Cooking
Episode:
Christmas

Ingredients
2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar, plus 3/4 cup sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping
2 (3-ounce) packages strawberry gelatin dessert mix
2 cups boiling water
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen strawberries
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
Whipped topping or whipped cream, to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. For the crust, mix the pretzels, butter, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Press this mixture into a 9 by 13-inch pan and bake for 7 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar. Fold in the whipped topping, and spread over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until well chilled. In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, and allow to cool slightly. Add the strawberries and pineapple, and pour over the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until serving time. To serve, cut slices and serve with a dollop of whipped topping.

Next party, I'm bringing stuffed mushrooms, which are lots of fun. I'll post on that next week when I decide what recipe I'm going to use.

Secret ingredient Waffles

2006-11-30T06:37:00.000-08:00

These are seriously the best waffles I've ever eaten: so light and crispy! I got it from Simple and Delicious. The secret: club soda instead of milk!

Light 'n' Crispy Waffles

2 cups Bisquick
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup club soda

Mix all ingredients except club soda well. Add club soda and stir until smooth. Bake in waffle oven!

Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole!

2006-11-27T11:35:00.000-08:00

I also had many requests for this recipe. It is Leeanne Paris' recipe from our church cookbook. This is the same recipe I took to our class Thanksgiving party.

2 c. uncooked rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can broccoli cheese soup
1 lb. broccoli
1 lb. velveeta

Cook rice according to directions. Steam broccoli or cook according to package. Mix cooked rice, broccoli, and soups together. Cube velveeta and melt in microwave, stirring every minute. Add velveeta to soup mixture until thoroughly mixed. Pour into a 9X13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge, but will take longer to cook. ENJOY!

Christmas (Or Anytime) Toffee

2006-11-27T10:18:00.000-08:00

I had many requests for this recipe over Thanksgiving, especially the two Kim Mauck's so, here it is. I hope you aren't on a diet!

1 lb. butter
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 oz. slivered almonds
2 giant Hershey bars
chopped nuts (pecans)

Melt butter and sugar in a saucepan stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it reached 265 degrees. Add slivered almonds and continue cooking until it reaches 300 degrees. Pour onto a greased jelly roll pan and immediately put broken up Hershey bars on the top. When it is melted smear it all over. Top with chopped pecans. YUM!

Pumpkin dump cake

2006-11-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

I'm also thinking about bringing this recipe to Thanksgiving: super-easy and a yummy alternative to pumpkin pie (which I've never been a big fan of). I copied and pasted from allrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup margarine, melted
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix well, and spread into the prepared pan.
Sprinkle cake mix over the top of the pumpkin mixture, and pat down. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over the cake mix, then drizzle with melted margarine.
Bake for 60 to 80 minutes, or until done. Top with whipped topping when ready to serve.

Corn Casserole

2006-11-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

At Kerri's request, here is my Corn Casserole. Kim, you could make this for T-giving. It is super easy. I made it for life group on Sunday and had many compliments.

1 Box Jiffy Cornbread mix
1 can corn
1 can creamed corn
1 egg
1/3 cup milk

Stir and pour into a greased 8X8 pan and bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes until golden.
Easily doubled for a 9X13 pan. Enjoy!

UPDATE: Kim's [higher calorie] family recipe:

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole-kernel corn
1 egg
8 oz. sour cream
1 stick butter

Stir and bake in a greased 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 50 mins to 1 hour.

Easy Crock pot Roast

2006-10-30T13:01:00.000-08:00

Here is mine...........
It is from the top of my head and my memory so, forgive me.

Easy Sunday Roast

Get a roast, (Say, 4 lbs.).
Brown it in the skillet on all sides.
Put in the bottom of the crock pot.
Add potatoes (halved), carrots (baby, so you don't have to peel then), and some onion, chopped.
Pour one can of Cream of Mushroom soup over roast and veggies, then add one can of water.
Don't stir.
Sprinkle one envelope of Lipton onion soup on the top.
Don't stir.
Cook on low on Saturday night for 12-14 hours and it will be ready for Sundee lunch.
OR cook on high for 6-8 hours for weeknight dinner.
YUM!

My first roast!

2006-10-30T12:44:00.000-08:00

So any meat besides chicken breasts, steaks, pork chops, and ground beef is generally a little frightening to me. Whole chickens, big roasts or hams, no way. Too high maintenance! All that basting and gravy-making and stuffing--not for me. So I took a baby step this weekend to making a roast: I took a small arm roast (cows have arms?) and made a gravy of water, soy sauce, onion soup mix, garlic, and sauteed onions, and cooked it for a couple hours after browning the meat on the stove. Then I put the meat and onion mixture on French bread, put mozzarella cheese on top, and used the juice for au jus! Roast beef sandwiches! They were delicious. The recipe is on Taste of Home, but it's a subscriber-only recipe, so I don't think you'll be able to see it. Here's the link, nonetheless, and I pasted the recipe here:

INGREDIENTS
1 boneless beef rump roast (4 pounds)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large sweet onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices
6 tablespoons butter, softened, divided
5 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon browning sauce, optional
1 loaf (1 pound) French bread
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

DIRECTIONS
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown roast on all sides in oil; drain. In a large skillet, saute onions in 2 tablespoons of butter until tender. Add the water, soy sauce, soup mix, garlic and browning sauce if desired. Pour over roast. Cover and bake at 325° for 2-1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Return meat to pan juices. Slice bread in half lengthwise; cut into 3-in. sections. Spread remaining butter over bread. Place on a baking sheet. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Top with beef and onions; sprinkle with cheese. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with pan juices. Yield: 12 servings.

Audrey or readers, if you have a great recipe for roast that actually keeps the meat moist and flavorful, please post it!

Corn bread Ranch chicken

2006-10-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

This one came from Taste of Home somewhere...

Mix one box Jiffy cornbread mix and one packet of Ranch seasoning in a big Ziploc. Dip chicken breasts in milk, and then toss in Ziploc bag. Cook in olive oil four minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.

Very fast, and tastes sweet and tangy at the same time! I do this recipe or a similar one about once a week; Jay calls it my specialty. The other way to do it is to mix 2/3 Italian or plain bread crumbs and 1/3 Parmesan cheese (these are ratios, not amounts), and dip your meat in egg, then this mixture, then cook the same as above. It would probably be healthier to bake it, but I've never tried that.

Believe it or not, my first beef-vegetable stew!

2006-10-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

That's right, I'd never made beef-vegetable stew on my own before now! I have great taco soup, potato soup, and chicken tortilla soup recipes, and had never gotten around to fiddling with beef-vegetable. But the wind had a bit of a bite to it Tuesday, so I tried my hand at--and it was great! Here's what I did:

1 lb hamburger meat
1 lb frozen corn
2 sm. cans tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (mine were basil and oregano flavored)
3 cups diced potatoes
2 cups frozen green beans
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix

Brown hamburger meat while you bring all the other ingredients to a boil in a soup pot (add water until soup reaches desired consistency). Then add hamburger meat, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 30mins or so. Meanwhile, bake a pan of cornbread.

YUM!

Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

2006-10-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. It's melt in your mouth delicious with tortilla chips, and I don't even really like artichokes!

UPDATE: Make the dip in a smaller pan than 9 x 13; it got a little dry in such a thin layer. Also, it needs a bit more of tangy flavor or spice to it--perhaps more garlic? Some chopped onions? Chopped green onions on top, maybe? Must consider...

UPDATE: Frozen spinach! You can't find the fresh stuff anywhere, although I hear it's safe again now.

Best fruit dip

2006-10-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

1 8-oz package cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbs. maple syrup

Whip it all together and chill for an hour or so. I find the whipped cream cheese to make the smoothest mixture. Feel free to adjust amounts to your taste. I always taste the brown sugar and maple syrup bit out. Serve with slices/chunks of apples, bananas, strawberries, and pineapples. This is what I'll be taking to the OU/Texas watch party this weekend, along with Hot Artichoke Spinach dip, which is AMAZING! Coming soon.

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

2006-10-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

4 boneless chicken breasts, thawed
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chilies
1 C. frozen corn
1 C. enchilada sauce
4 green onions, sliced

Place chicken in bottom of crock pot. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and brown sugar, toss to coat. Add green chilies, corn, and enchilada sauce. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours (Or high 3-4). Stir chicken mixture with fork until chicken breaks apart and shreds. Stir in green onions. Cook an additional 15 minutes. Serve in taco shells with desired toppings. Enjoy!

This recipe is from Heather Stone. Okay Kim, your turn!

Poppyseed Chicken

2006-09-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

Poppy Seed Chicken
4 chicken breast (cooked and chopped)
1 Can cream of Celery Soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 small package slivered almonds
1 8oz Sour cream
1 Tbs. Poppy Seeds
1 tube Ritz crackers (crushed)
1 stick of Butter (melted)

Spray and 11 x 13 casserole dish with Pam. Place chicken on bottom of dish. Mix Soups almonds, and Sour cream. Spread mixture on top of chicken. Mix crackers, poppy seed, and butter. Spread on top of chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

UPDATE by Kim: I've made this twice now, and we love it! One thing I tried this last time is to put cooked egg noodles underneath the chicken, and it was GREAT!

Pumpkin Banana Bread

2006-09-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks Kim for letting me join your Kitchen Blog. Now for the first post!

1 1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Shortening
2 eggs
2 large very ripe bananas
3/4 C. solid pack pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. chopped nuts (optional)

In large mixing bowl, cream sugar and shortening. Beat in eggs, mashed bananas, pumpkin, and vanilla, mix well. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and nuts. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 9X5 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes ir until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Now, what to do with the left over pumpkin in the can. Add 2 eggs, 1/2 c. sugar, some evaporated milk (about 1/2 cup), and some pumpkin pie spice and pour into a little dish (mine was about 5X7) lined with a Pillsbury pie crust and you have a mini pumpkin pie. Serve with cool whip. YUM!

Next up, Poppyseed Chicken!

Easy Chicken Parmesan

2006-09-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, this recipe might be a no-brainer, but it is so easy and good that I wonder why I don't make it more often. All you do is thaw your chicken breasts, beat them down to uniform width, and then dip them into beaten egg and water. Then dip them into a one-third/two-thirds mixture of Parmesan cheese and Italian-style bread crumbs. Cook them in olive oil for about five minutes, or until light brown on both sides. Then put them into a baking dish, dump some spaghetti sauce on top, and sprinkle a good handful of mozzerella cheese on top of that. Cook it at 350 for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, cook your noodles and prep some sort of green side dish. (I made good ol' broccoli this weekend, what with the spinach scare and all.)

Rainy Day Baked Potato Soup

2006-09-05T07:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a yummy, easy Baked Potato Soup recipe. Diane gave it to me, and she got it from Pat Duncan.

Ingredients:
3 baking potatoes (or five or six red potatoes--my preference)
5 strips of bacon
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup instant mashed potatoes (I use the loaded baked potato mix for a little extra flavor)
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
Salt, pepper, Garlic salt
Add-Ins: Cheese, chives

Bake potatoes in microwave or oven. Meanwhile, fry bacon crisp and mix broth and potato mix. Melt butter in large soup pot (while it's melting, cut baked potatoes into chunks) , add flour. Then add milk. Stir frequently so this is a smooth sauce. Add potatoes and broth mixture. Add desired seasonings. Let simmer for 20 minutes or so. Serve it up with cheese on top!

Skillet Lasagna and Bacon-Ranch salad

2006-08-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

I forgot to take pics of our meal Friday night; we were too hungry! I had my mother-in-law over for dinner, but I was short on time and energy, so I made a really easy Italian meal from Simple & Delicious: Skillet Lasagna! You don't have to cook it in the oven, and it's ready in about 30mins from start to finish!

The side dish was salad with a homemade, easy dressing. This one came from the Pink Tea Room cookbook. This lady in Calera turned her living room into the Pink Tea Room and served amazing food there. Then she published a cookbook! The great thing is, most of her recipes are pretty simple, except for her ridiculously complex pie crust. The dressing is called Bacon Ranch Viniagrette, and it's sweet and sour and yummy on spinach:

1 packet of Ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup veggie oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 T. light brown sugar
4 T. bacon bits (I just fry up four short slices of bacon and crumble them)

Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

2006-08-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

The Betty Crocker Bridal cookbook has a great beef stroganoff recipe. However, DO NOT add the sour cream until the very end. (If the sour cream gets too hot, it curdles or something.) I added it at the beginning and remembered just in time to turn the heat down, so the other stuff didn't get to simmer together like it was supposed to. Ah well! It turned out great, with a side of roasted asparagus (Martha Stewart recipe): After washing and snapping asparagus, place on cookie sheet with a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll the asparagus around on the sheet to get it evenly coated. Then sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Cook at 400 for 8 or 9 minutes. Fast and delicious!

Thrown-together meals

2006-08-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

J's been busy this week, so I haven't done much cooking. However, one night I did make one of my favorite slapdash meals: Gourmet breakfast burritos!

I don't really like breakfast burritos, but these things are great!

Cook smoked sausage (or I buy the pre-cooked kind, so I just warm them in a skillet) OR Polska Kielbasa. Keep warm.

Then fry up some potatoes (I like sliced new potatoes).

Scramble some eggs.

Serve all piled up with salsa in a flour tortilla!

Tabouli!

2006-08-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

Yum, yum, how I love tabouli! Unfortunately, I didn't get this recipe online, so no links here. I was picking up some fresh fruits and veggies in Wal-Mart, and spied a package of "Taboli" wheat, made right here in Oklahoma! It's a company called Bishop Brothers, out of Bristow, and the recipe on the back was good. I think I'll add some minced garlic next time for a little more kick, though. Good add-ins (they were suggested on the bag) were green onions and chopped cucumber.

Alas, I thought I had a pic of this, but I don't. I'll try to post one, because it is a truly beautiful food! I'm going to buy some pita bread today so I can fully enjoy it in all its Greek glory.

A Tabouli haiku:

Tiny bits of health
Tomato, wheat, parsley
Crunchy, munchy, yum!

Shrimp fajitas!

2006-08-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight was an example of a little bit of a bunch of stuff going a long way. I had half a bag of frozen shrimp, one bell pepper and as much onion as an onion-loving girl like myself could want. Of course, I always have Guaca-Salsa, Cheddar Jack cheese, and Tostitos restaurant-style salsa on hand, so I grabbed this stuff, too.

Thus, Shrimp Fajitas were born! I threw the stuff in a pan, and after they'd gotten pretty well cooked, I added about half a cup of water and about half a bag of fajita seasoning and let it cook a little longer.

P.S. I have newfound respect for food stylists, a career I heretofore considered utterly silly. It's tough to make especially my sloppy style of cooking look appetizing on film.

French turkey

2006-08-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

I tried another TOH recipe last night: Turkey with mushrooms and sour cream, a dish that is supposed to be decidely French, so I thought hmm..tres bien! Uh....not so much.

Don't get me wrong; the dish was excellent, but it turned out more like quick turkey and rice than Turkey with mushrooms and sour cream on a bed of hot rice.

First of all, the sour cream sauce went totally awry. I didn't have as much sour cream as the recipe called for (my 8oz was only short a couple spoonfuls, though!), but that couldn't have been the only reason the sauce came out looking like a lumpy gravy (that's the muck in the Pyrex cup), instead of a smooth white sauce. Hmmm...don't really know what happened there. Maybe it was because I also had to substitute chicken broth for water and chicken bullion (but that should be pretty comparable, though, right?). I don't know. Here what I did when I saw the sauce staying muddy brown: I panicked. I scanned the fridge for more sour cream or something comparable to sour cream (here I go again with my crazy substitutions!), and grabbed a squeeze bottle of mayonnaise! What was I thinking?

Anyhoo, the idea of a bed of hot rice didn't really appeal to me too much, so I cooked minute rice and then added some cream of mushroom soup and chicken broth. Now that's a bed of creamy, yummy rice!

Overall, Jay and I gave the meal two thumbs up, despite the minor catastrophes during its preparation. I even had Jay going for a minute when I told him I'd tried to make caviar (the mushrooms were chopped a bit too fine, and did resemble yucky fish eggs a little).

Chunky Apple Cake

2006-08-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

I made this last night for Diane's b-day dinner. It was excellent! (So excellent I forgot to take a picture until I'd already eaten my piece--this is J's half-eaten piece.) Anyway, it should be excellent: it won Taste of Home's apple recipe contest! Find the recipe here. It's not like an ordinary apple cake: it's like half apples and half very stiff cake batter. The crowning glory is a de-lish butterscotch sauce (easy, too: butter, brown sugar, and whipping cream) that you pour over each piece. It soaks it in like a sponge!

P.S. Thanks for the fish tip, Audrey! It's really hard for me to remember to defrost meat; I rarely decide what I'm going to cook until about an hour before dinnertime.

Good ol' Southern meal

2006-08-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

Dinner was pretty good, but not so healthful:
Fried fish
Fried okra
Corn on the cob

Note to self: Fried okra does not count as a vegetable. Do not serve next to a fried entree, such as deep fried fish. I'm feeling a little bit of the not-so-fresh feeling right now...

Unearthed the Frydaddy tonight, filled it with half a bottle of veggie oil and tossed some cornmeal-coated fish in. How big of a pain is it to defrost frozen fish? Anyone have a better way to freeze fish so it doesn't get all partially cooked and mutilated and torn apart when you defrost it? What do you do, Audrey? I used Pa-in-law's famous fish coating recipe, but it wasn't so good to me. I think I overcooked the fish, so the flavor wasn't as full. I think the recipe is kind of a secret, so I'm afraid to publish it here. I'll give one secret ingredient: Ranch dressing. That's all I'm going to say.

No more Mexican corn!

2006-08-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

Why oh why did I think cream cheese corn would be good if it was Mexican cream cheese corn?! I never like cream cheese corn--non-sweet cream cheese is never good for me. Yet, I had NO side dishes for Mexican casserole, so I thought Mexican cream cheese corn would be good. Yuck!

Ingredients, in case you care: frozen corn, frozen chopped bell pepper, cream cheese, butter, minced garlice, and chopped onion. All those ingredients are so good individually and in other recipes, but in this one, it was a mixed-up mess.

Mexican cream cheese corn: Unsuccessful venture into unknown recipe territory!

Pot o' beans

2006-08-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

I've had a request from one of my (okay, my only) reader (love ya, Liss!) about how I make beans. Yes, they're a favorite in our family, ALWAYS mashed up with cornbread, unless you're weird like my husband. (He eats them with ketchup, with cornbread on the side, the sicko.)

My last pot was AMAZING and PERFECT--my first time for this! So now I'm an expert. The previous pot stunk up the whole house, I burned them so bad. I do not recommend cooking beans on heat higher than medium.

Here's what I do:

Quick-rinse the beans by rinsing them in a colandar, then dumping them in the pot and then filling it up with water. Do this three times. Fill the pot half-full with water and place it on the stove on medium heat. While the burner is warming up, add chunks of onion and the meat of your choosing. Note on the meat: A very seasoned, savory hambone is the absolute best, but bacon will do as well. In fact, my PERFECT pot of beans was done with bacon. Add a couple tablespoons of salt. I've learned it's best to add a small amount of salt early, and then add the rest when you can taste the beans later.

Bring this to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for three hours or so, adding water every half-hour or so.

That's it! It's a fine art, beans-making.

Breaded pork chops, fried spinach, roasted onion potatoes

2006-07-31T19:12:00.000-07:00

Great dinner tonight, if I do say so myself...and I do. (I must get this from my Nana--quick, but hilarious side story: At an after-worship ice cream social, I told Nana her homemade vanilla was excellent. She answered: "Yes it is! It was so good I had to get a second bowl!" I laughed and said, "If you do say so yourself!" Nana said, "That's right! I'm not afraid to brag on myself!" Oh, Nana, gotta love it--and emulate it!)

Anyway, I made a meal in about 45 minutes, but about 15 minutes in the middle was downtime to talk with Hubby and clean up my little kitchen messes, making for shorter cleanup time after. The longest thing; the thing I have to start first--even before defrosting the meat---was the roasted onion potatoes. Dice new potatoes and use the recipe from the back of the onion soup mix box. Once you've got that in the oven for 35 minutes, start the other dishes. Defrost the meat, and then, if you're using frozen spinach, stick four cups or so in the microwave for defrosting. While that's going, get started on the breaded pork chops--so easy and good! Get the dippers ready: Beat an egg in a shallow dish, and then a mix of bread crumbs, salt, and Parmesan or Romano cheese on wax paper, and then warm some olive oil in a pan. In another pan, melt 1/8 stick margarine AND veggie oil. Throw in some minced garlic and let the mixture get almost clear and very thin. Now, wring out the defrosted spinach really good with a clean dishtowel (watch out; it's hot!). Then toss in the spinach. Now dip the chops in the egg and the read crumb mixtures, and then put them in, and the spinach and chops can both cook at once, for about five minutes.

The chops are really moist and flavorful--I might even use Italian bread crumbs next time, so that there's more spices on them. The potatoes have a big, bold onion flavor--use less mix if you don't like the taste of onion so much (me, I love it!). The spinach is not as limp and mushy as it has been for me with other recipes, because you cook it so fast, and the butter and garlic make it a little less sharp-tasting.

GREAT, easy dinner!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2006-07-31T19:01:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a possible contender for my first-ever Simple & Delicious submission. It's a combination of chicken tortilla soup recipes from All Recipes. Perhaps I should rethink the name though, considering there's no tortilla found in the soup.

Here it is, straight from a wrinkled, broth-spotted piece of yellow legal pad paper:

Ingredients:
1/2 an onion, chopped as fine as you like it (I use my mechanical chopper for a fine cut)
1 t. minced garlic
2 big squirts of lime juice
1/2 jar of salsa
1 can creamed corn
1/2 bag of frozen sweet corn
1 can green chiles
1/2 box chicken broth
1 can cooked chicken OR 2 uncooked chicken breasts, sliced
1 packet fajita seasoning
A couple dashes of cayenne pepper
Tortilla chips, Mexican cheese, sour cream, guacamole

Saute the onion and garlic in lime juice in a big soup pot. When onion is clearish, add the rest of the ingredients, except the fajita seasoning and cayenne. (If you're using cooked chicken, don't add it until you add the seasoning later.) Bring these ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer until chicken is cooked through. Add fajita seasoning and cayenne, cook a little longer. Serve over corn chips, with Mexican cheese, sour cream, and guacamole as add-ins! (Wal-Mart's Guaca-Salsa is AWESOME)

Delicious meal in a bowl!

Goal for this blog

2006-07-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

I love Taste of Home and Simple & Delicious magazines, and all the recipes in it are written by home cooks like me. Actually, they're not like me, because they must be organized to have actually written down a unique recipe and kept it on hand. My unique recipes are usually spur-of-the-moment deals that are the result of emergency substitutions, leftover rebirth, or wild combinations of favorite flavors. I forget what all went into it as soon as it's edible.

One of my goals for this blog is to document one of my tasty, unique recipes and see it published in one of these great mags.

Oh what a proud, happy day that will be!

Great meatloaf

2006-07-31T08:56:00.000-07:00

Definitely going in my reliable recipes file. Even Hubby, who professes not to like meatloaf, got seconds! The good stuff: lots of finely chopped onion, parsley, and a topping of ketchup, brown sugar, and dry mustard.

I quadrupled the recipe for our weekly after-church meal, making two 9 x 13 pans of it, and it was just enough. (Perhaps I should quinutple it next time even?)

From the BH&G cookbook!

Welcome to my kitchen!

2006-07-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

Well, this place is pretty plain, but words will fill it up better than nothin'. I'm having problems remembering which recipes were good, which ones took forever, which ones I want to try, etc. So here I am, with another blog! I'll chronicle my attempts at whipping together dinner every night for my hubby, and the occasional guests. It's generally haphazard; 30-minute meals are my specialty (although I've never tried one of Rachael Ray's).

I cooked a ginormous amount of meatloaf this afternoon because it's my turn to bring meat tomorrow for the after-church meal. I'll post tomorrow on how it turned out.