I love collecting recipes from family and friends and I try to cook a new one every week! I am slowly trying to replace all my unhealthy recipes with natural ingredients :) Here are some of my favorites:
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Grandma Connie's Orange Blossom Sticks
Ingredients:
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 small orange rind, grated
1 loaf extra thin sliced Pepperidge Farm white bread
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar together; add orange rind. Cut bread in thirds and spread mixture on bread. Bake at 225 for 1 hour.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Donna's Pineapple cheese ball
Ingredients:
2 pkg. cream cheese, softened
big can crushed pineapple, drained
1 Tbs minced onion
sprinkles of seasoned salt
crushed nuts
Directions: Mix first 4 ingredients; roll in crushed nuts
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Katie's Yummy Haystacks
Recipe from Katie Gay
Ingredients:
1 bag butterscotch chips
1 Tbs. peanut butter
1 large can chow mein noodles
Directions: Melt butterscotch chips in crockpot; add peanut butter. Add chow mein noodles and coat thoroughly. Drop into heaps onto wax paper with two spoons. Allow to cool and then enjoy!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Crockpot peanut clusters
Ingredients:
3 (16-ounce) jars lightly salted roasted peanuts (lightly salted is important!)
2 (8-ounce) boxes German Baker's Chocolate
1 (8-ounce) box Unsweetened Baker's Chocolate
1 (24-ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
(any other add-ins you might like: tiny marshmallows, coconut, etc)
The Directions.
Use a large crockpot. This makes about 150 peanut clusters. Spray the inside of your crock with cooking spray, and place the unwrapped baking chocolate, and bars of German chocolate in the bottom. Add all the peanuts. Pour in the chocolate chips, and add vanilla. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. While the chocolate is melting, lay out a bunch of parchment paper on your counter top or kitchen table. When time has elapsed, stir well, add in any other yummy ingredients that you thought of, and remove from heat. Use a small ice-cream scoop to plop out bite-sized piles onto the parchment paper.
Let cool before eating---this takes a long time---hours. It is best to leave them overnight so you don't pick at them :)
These are addictive. The chocolate flavor is quite rich, and tastes dark. If you aren't a fan of dark chocolate, use milk chocolate chips! The salt flavor from the nuts is subtle, but is there, and it makes your tongue itch for more.
Found at: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/12/crockpot-peanut-clusters.html
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Cinnamon Fudge
Cinnamon Fudge
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Wonderful!
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Yield: About 32 pieces |
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Gigi's Chocolate Fudge
Ingredients:
4 ½ cups of sugar
1 can evaporated milk
½ lb butter
1 ½ of large Hershey’s Milk Chocolate candy bar
1 bag of Nestles semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 large jar marshmallow cream
2 cups of nuts
2 tbs vanilla flavoring
Directions: Cook sugar, butter, and milk until it comes to a boil. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Pour into buttered dish. Chill and cut into pieces.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Gigi's Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients:
½ cup butter/ marg.
5 cups sugar
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 (18 oz) jar creamy peanut butter
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream
Directions: Butter sides and bottom of a large Dutch oven, leaving excess butter n pan. Add sugar and evaporated milk, stirring well. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches soft ball stage or a candy thermometer registers 234. Remove from heat; add peanut butter and marshmallow cream, beating with a wooden spoon until blended. Pour into a buttered 13x9x2 inch baking pan or dish; cool before cutting.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Sweet potato Pancakes (without flour)
Ingredients:
mashed sweet potatoes
an egg
Butter or coconut oil
Directions: Melt butter or coconut oil in frying pan. Add egg to mashed sweet potatoes, stir, and drop by spoonfuls in frying pan. Fry just like a pancake :) They are kinda mushy in the middle, but she loved them anyways. You can serve with some organic maple syrup, but my toddler ate them fine without it :)
Monday, December 15, 2008
Gigi's Peanut Butter Rolls!
Ingredients:
2 lbs. Confectionary sugar
3 Tbs. butter, softened
14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbs. vanilla flavoring
Small can of peanut butter
Extra confectionary sugar for rolling out dough
Directions: In a large, bowl, mix together sugar, butter, condensed milk, and flavoring. (Mixture will be very thick and needs to be worked with hands.) Roll out on board sprinkled with confectionary sugar. Spread peanut butter on and roll up like a jelly roll. Freeze for an hour and then slice. Keep chilled in fridge until ready to serve.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Easy Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients:
6 – 8 baking potatoes
I jar or mix or Alfredo sauce
2 tsp. Garlic powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
cooked crisp bacon to sprinkle on top :)Directions: Bake potatoes til soft, either in microwave or in oven. Allow potatoes to cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the Alfredo sauce, garlic powder, and mozzarella cheese. Cut potatoes in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp, leaving a thin shell. Mash the pulp and add to sauce mixture; mix well. Spoon mixture into potato shells. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Microwave on high or place in oven to bake until cheese is melted.
This post is a part of Kelly's SUYL side dishes
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Using soaked grain in normal recipes....
Friday, December 12, 2008
Healthy Blender Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 cup grain (I'd recommend kamut, spelt, prairie gold, or even better, a combo of those :)
1 cup warm water
2 Tbs. whey, lemon juice, or vinegar
1/2 cup buttermilk or fresh cream or milk
1 egg
2 Tbs. oil
1 Tbs. honey
pinch of salt (sea salt is best)
1 Tbs.baking powder
The night before you are going to make them, put 1 c. grain in a bowl with 1 c. warm water and a little bit of whey, lemon juice or vinegar. I use whey that I make from our kefir. Put is somewhere warm overnight. The next morning, pour that into the blender with either 1/2 c. buttermilk or cream or even milk. Bblend on high for three minutes. Then add 1 egg, 2 T oil, 1 T honey and a pinch of salt. Blend for another minute. Then add 1 T baking powder and pulse the blender 3 times.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Healthy Hint: Natural Sweeteners
Types of Healthy, Natural Sweeteners (but of course, not to be eaten in gluttonous amounts :)
Maple Syrup
Real, pure maple syrup is not just for pancakes! I have used it in a variety of desserts with great results. Grade A is sweeter and less robust than Grade B, which has a stronger mapley taste. It sweetens apple pies and ice cream very well, and makes wonderful maple sweetened cakes as well. Just makes sure that you buy organic maple syrup because unorganic is processed with formaldehyde, which is toxic.
(For a pancake syrup, we mix half honey and half maple syrup to stretch it out more, since honey is significantly cheaper. This half and half mixture is also sweeter, which those just going off of sugary fake maple syrup like. )
Maple Sugar
This mapley granulated sugar is one of my favorites. It's not as strong as unrefined cane sugar, and so adds a lighter touch to many desserts. It can be used in place of white sugar (though like all natural sweeteners it will have a stronger taste). The only disadvantage is that maple sugar is one of the most expensive ones to by, so I use it sparingly.
Molasses
Molasses is a by product of white sugar. It has a very dark, robust flavor, and contains the minerals and vitamins from the sugar cane. Since it has a fairly high iron content, it has often been recommended for those with low iron. It makes wonderful gingerbread cakes and cookies.
Sorghum
It's similar to molasses in flavor, though not as strong. While molasses is a by product, sorghum is a "whole food" product made from sorghum grain. You should also know that there are different types of sorghum. That first jar I was given was very light in color and flavor, while the second jar I bought recently is so dark is looks like molasses. The dark type works great in place of molasses (I prefer it to molasses because it has a sweeter flavor). The lighter type, however, I find to be much more versatile. I have found it a wonderful substitute for corn syrup in many recipes (including caramel popcorn), and even made a traditional pecan pie with it (which I loved, though my family was a little unsure of it).
Rapadura or Sucanat
This unrefined, whole, cane sugar is robust in flavor and full of all of it's natural minerals. It can be used in a one to one ratio with white sugar, though it will have a more molasses taste. We have used it in a myriad of desserts and find it very versatile.
Muscovado
Wilderness Family Naturals has a wonderful muscovado sugar which is a whole cane sugar (not refined at all!), which is processed with, get this, fresh coconut milk! This moist sugar is wonderful. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what brown sugar is really supposed to be like, and be used in place of your refined brown sugar. I highly recommend it.
Stevia
Stevia is a green herb that is very sweet. The Japanese have used it for about thirty years as a no calorie sweetener. The ground herb by itself is very green, so it is usually refined to a white powder, with it's sweetness concentrated. If made incorrectly it can have a bitter after taste. Because I prefer to use whole food sweeteners, I try to buy the extract made from the whole leaf (the NOW brand has one I like). It can also have an herby after taste, so it is best used in small amounts. I find a few drops work well to sweeten salad dressing, and of course, I love lemonade sweetened with it. My only caution with stevia is to use it in moderation, especially if you are using an concentrated form. The leaves were traditionally used to chew on, but they weren't consuming baskets full of it! It is only in more recent years that we have started to use it in mass.
Agave Syrup
Agave syrup is an interesting sweetener. It reminds me a bit like corn syrup.It has high fructose levels, so some feel that it is a good sweetener for diabetes. I personally found, during a time when my health wasn't doing very well, that it didn't raise my blood sugar like other sugars do. However, you should eat your agave sweetened dessert on an empty stomach, because otherwise it will lose it's low blood sugar effects (that's a bit strange, isn't it!). It's also receiving a lot of fire for the fact that it is highly processed and some believe, not any better than corn syrup. (Read Cheese Slave's post about it here). Different brands are manufactured differently however (for example, Ultimate Super Food's Agave syrup is significantly different than anything I have ever gotten in the store), so keep that in mind. I stopped using agave syrup several months back, and have since learned of a new low glycemic sweetener (coconut sugar!), but I encourage you to make your own judgment call on this one.
Coconut/Palm Sugar
coconut sugar and palm sugar are used interchangeably, made either from the coconut flower or certain palm flowers. If you get one that is made with the coconut flower it is actually a low glycemic sweetener (33-35 on the glycemic scale)! Depending on how they made it, it can have a more robust, caramel like flavor, or if you are able to find it in it's moist form (usually found in a jar, looking a bit like raw honey), it will have a lighter taste. This is a newer sugar to me, but I am really enjoying it. I like it in everything from my tea to my cookies, to my chocolate ice cream!
Honey
This sweet substance can have different flavors depending on where the bees were getting their pollen, making honey have so many shades of flavor. It is the first sweetener that many people turn to when taking white sugar out of their diet as it is easy to find and very sweet. I recommend raw honey because it still has many healing properties to it when kept raw. To read more about raw honey's healing properties, check out this search on Dr. Mercola's site. Since I have been able to find a good price on raw honey, I even use it in cooking to avoid highly processed honey (which is heated way higher than if you were simply cooking with it). This really is a heavenly sweetener.
Brown Rice Syrup: She didn't write about it, but one of her commenters did and since I've heard it to be a good option, I thought I'd mention it:
Brown Rice Syrup is a sweetener derived by culturing cooked rice with enzymes (usually from dried barley sprouts) to break down the starches, then straining off the liquid and cooking it until the desired consistency is reached. Brown Rice Syrup is a nutritive sweetener that is about half as sweet as sugar. Brown rice syrup is a tasty alternative for those who watch their sugar intake. Bake with it, pour it over ice cream or pancakes, or stir it into your morning coffee. Brown rice sugar is rich in natural maltose, which supplies a more prolonged source of energy than most concentrated sweeteners. It is a polysaccharide, a complex sugar, which, due to the structure of complex carbohydrates, releases slowly into the bloodstream, breaking down slowly and not altering blood chemistry. Brown rice sugar provides fuel for the body rather than causing an imbalance in blood sugar levels. It can replace corn syrup in most recipes calling for it
Substituting Natural Sweeteners for Refined Sweeteners
White sugar: Equal amounts of rapadura, coconut/palm sugar (in granulated form), maple sugar. Or use 3/4 cup of honey in place of 1 cup of white sugar. With many recipes you can use maple syrup as well, you just may need to adjust wet ingredients.
Brown Sugar: Muscovado sugar, or Rapadura/Sucanat
Corn syrup: Sorghum, Honey, Maple Syrup, Agave Syrup, Brown Rice Syrup
Monday, December 8, 2008
Grandma Connie's Peanut Butter Pie
Connie’s Peanut Butter Pie Recipe from Connie Carr,
Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 8oz pkg. Cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs melted butter
1 8oz container frozen cool whip
1 graham cracker crust
Directions:
Mix peanut butter, sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and butter until creamy. Fold in cool whip. Pour into crust. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Healthy Hint: Why I love quinoa!
What is it? Qiunoa looks like a grain, but is actually a seed. It reminds me a lot of the texture of cous-cous. We substitute it in any recipe that calls for rice or noodles because its so much better for you.
Some of the nutrients in quinoa include:
- Rich in calcium
- It's high in iron, phosphorous, vitamin E and several B vitamins.
- Although the fat content is higher than most grains, clocking in at 6-7%, the protein in Quinoa is unparalleled in the plant kingdom and a strong contender to members of the animal kingdom as well. It's content ranges from 12-18%. Quinoa rivals the protein content of meat and because it contains abundant levels of all the 8 amino acids our bodies need in an almost perfect balance, Quinoa can be termed a "complete protein".
- Quinoa is wheat and gluten free and makes a wonderful alternative to people suffering from Celiac disease or wheat allergies.
* Complete protein. Quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles.
* Magnesium helps relax your muscles and blood vessels and effects blood pressure. Quinoa contains high levels of this vital nutrient.
* Fiber. Quinoa is a wonderful way to ensure that you consume valuable fiber that eases elimination and tones your colon.
* Manganese and copper. Quinoa is a good source of these minerals that act as antioxidants in your body to get rid of dangerous cancer and disease-causing substances.
How to make it: I make quinoa exactly the same way I make oatmeal -- I soak 1 cup of quinoa from 7-24 hours in a jar with1 cup warm water and 2 Tbs. buttermilk, yogurt, or whey. Right before cooking, I rinse off the quinoa in a strainer. This is important because the quinoa has a slightly bitter taste unless you rinse it off first. When I'm ready to cook, I boil another cup of water in my pot on the stove, turn down the temp to low, pour the rinsed off quinoa in the pot and let it soak up the water for about 5-7 min. So easy!
Our favorite uses:
** My toddler LOVES it for breakfast with a little milk, butter/coconut oil, and organic maple syrup -- just put whatever add-ins you would put on your oatmeal.
**A quick snack with a little butter and cheese mixed in (kinda like a healthy version of mac a cheese :)
**I add it to whatever leftovers we have with a little sour cream and cheese for an easy lunch for my toddler
** Fried quinoa -- I mix an egg in it and fry it in coconut oil or butter; serve with a little bit of organic maple syrup
** Any recipe that calls for rice, noodles, oatmeal, etc. Here are some of our favorite recipes to use quinoa with: mango crockpot chicken, stir-fry, Tortilla Soup, meatballs, Crockpot Italian Chicken, Hawaain Chicken Pile-up, Cranberry Chicken, etc.
Where to get quinoa: The best option is to buy in bulk at a food co-op. You can also get it inthe bulk section at Whole Foods, Earth Fare, and other natural food stores. I've seen quinoa flour and flakes in the organic section at grocery stores.
For more info on quinoa, click HERE and HERE and HERE
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Lynne's Delicious Cranberry Salad
Ingredients:
1 can of whole berry cranberry sauce
1 tall can crushed pineapple, juice reserved
2 small boxes raspberry jello
1 cup hot water
1 cup cool water, including pineapple juice
1 cup finely chopped apples
Directions: Dissolve jello in hot water. Add cold water with pineapple juice and let set til thickened. Add crushed pineapple, cranberry sauce, and diced apples. Let set til thickened.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Healthy Crackers for Toddlers (and adults :)
I am always trying to find healthy snack options for Karis that don't have to be refrigerated for when we are running errands. She absolutely loves any store bought cracker or cereal, but they are expensive and really not that great for her. So I was excited to make these crackers because I feel like she can eat as much as she wants since they are so good for her. They are filled with the "healthy" fats she needs like coconut oil and real butter, as well as the whole grains that are soaked and therefore easy to digest. And the best part: she and I both love them! Daddy only likes the ones that are really thin and crispy; I should have made them a little more flat :) I made them plain this time, but am probably going to try some with a little bit of honey and some with cheese just so I can have different flavors. I basically just used the yogurt dough recipe from Nourishing Traditions Cookbook and then flattened the dough, pricked it with a fork, and baked at 400. But here are the directions all spelled out in case yo don't have the cookbook:
The night before cream in a large bowl:
1 cup of plain whole yogurt or a very creamy buttermilk)
1 cup of butter, softened ( I used 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup coconut oil)
Mix in:
3 1/2 cups of freshly ground grain
2 teaspoons of salt
Cover and leave in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours (this is the "soaking" part). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using white flour to dust your surface and dough, roll your dough out thin. Cut into strips and then cut into squares.
Place your squares on an ungreased cookie sheet and prick with a fork. Bake for about 8 minutes and check, keep checking every two minutes until done. They should be browning slightly on the edges, when done. Take off of sheet and place on a cooling rack and enjoy!
**I didn't make them quite flat enough, so I baked for more like 11 minutes.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Mango Crockpot Chicken
Mango Crockpot Chicken
Spray your crockpot (any kind of cooking spray)
Fill with whole chicken (boneless) breasts
Cover with ½ container of Costco’s Mango Salsa (any salsa works, but this particular kind is the best!)
Cook on LOW all day long – do not stir
It’s time to eat!! Shred the chicken with two forks (do not drain off any juices), salt lightly, and your chicken is ready to go!
--serve with your choice of additions: shredded lettuce, cheese, cut up onions, olives, tomatoes and cilantro, sour cream, etc – on tortillas.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Gigi's Corn Pudding
Ingredients:
2 cans creamed corn
5 slightly beaten eggs
5 Tbs. flour
4 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups milk
Directions: Mix corn, flour, salt, and sugar together. Add eggs, milk, butter. P:our into a greased baking dish. Bake at 350 for 1 hour til inserted knife comes out clean.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Mom's Acorn Squash with Sweet Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
Several small acorn squash
1 cup cranberry sauce
¼ cup pineapple juice
½ cup brown sugar
3 Tbs. butter
2 tsp. cinnamon
Directions: Cut squash in half, place face down in dish with a little bit of water. Microwave on high for about 15 minutes or bake ½ hour at 375. Put rest of ingredients in small pot on stove and cook 20-30 min over low heat. Pour sauce over squash halves before serving.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Gigi's Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients:
1 ½ lb. Zucchini (med. Size)
½ cup soft bread crumbs
2 oz. grated American or cheddar cheese
¼ cup minced onion
2 T. minced parsley
1 ¼ t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. butter
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions: Clean zucchini, cut off ends, don’t pare. Cook until tender in 1 inch of boiling water with 1 tsp. salt in covered kettle (5-7 min.) Remove insides with a spoon. Mash and combine with bread crumbs and next 6 ingredients. Spoon mixture lightly into zucchini shell. Dot with butter and top with shredded cheese. Put shells in pan and bake at 350 for about 30 min.
This post is a part of Kelly's SUYL side dishes!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Mom's Quick 5-cups Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup coconut
1 cup mini marshmallows
Directions: Mix all ingredients together; chill.
**I also use chopped apples or grapes – any kind of fruit you like will work great!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Grandma Connie's Pound Cake
Ingredients:
½ lb butter (at room temperature)
½ cup shortening (at room temp.)
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups plus 5 tbs. sifted flour (Swans cake flour works best!)
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla (can use 1 tsp almond extract if desired)
1 tsp orange extract
½ tsp. baking powder
Directions: Do NOT preheat oven! Grease a tube pan with Crisco completely, flour pan. Cream butter, shortening, and sugar; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately. Add flavoring and baking powder; beat well. Bake in tube pan at 300 for 1 hour 35min.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Grandma Connie's Holiday Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients:
4 cups boiled, sliced potatoes
2 Tbs. margarine
1 ½ Tbs. flour
1 cup milk
½ tsp. salt
3 hard boiled eggs
½ cup cubed cheddar cheese
2 Tbs. chopped pimento if desired
¼ cup shredded cheese
Directions: Prepare cream sauce from margarine, flour, milk, salt. Butter casserole dish. Layer potatoes, eggs, cheese, and white sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with shredded cheese. Cook for 30 to 40 min at 350.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Pumpkin Bead Pudding
Ingredients:
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 5 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old baguette or crusty bread
• 3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Whisk together cream, pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, yolk, salt, and spices in a bowl.
Toss bread cubes with butter in another bowl, then add pumpkin mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish and bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Homemade Taco Meat
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oi
1 onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced (I use a tablespoon of the bottled minced garlic)
2 tablespoons chili powder (adjust to your personal taste)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt
1 pound (90 percent lean) ground beef (or use a higher fat beef and rinse the meat)
1/2 cup smooth canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
8 taco shells
Directions: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, spices, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant about thirty seconds. Stir in the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about five minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, and sugar until thickened, about ten minutes. Season with salt to taste. Divide the filling evenly among the taco shells and serve passing any desired accompaniments separately.
Make-Ahead Version: The filling can be fully prepared, cooled, covered tightly and refrigerated for up to three days. Reheat over medium-low heat, adding additional water to adjust the consistency. I also froze half of it for later use :)
recipe found at: http://www.momadvice.com/blog/2008/11/best-taco-meat-in-world.htm
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Hawaiin Turtle Cups
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups vanilla or white chips
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
18 caramels
2 tsp. heavy whipping cream
12 dried pineapple pieces, chopped
Directions: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt vanilla chips; stir until smooth. Pour by teaspoonfuls into greased miniature muffin cups; set aside the remaining melted chips. Sprinkle the center of each muffin cup with nuts. In another micro-safe bowl, melt caramels and cream; stir until smooth. Pour over nuts Reheat reserved chips if necessary; pour over caramel mixture. Top each with pineapple. Chill for 30 min. or until set. Carefully run a knife around the edge of each muffin cup to loosen candy.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Terra's Mini - Meatloaves
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing
1 cup water
Then you have 4 options:
1. The Italian Option - Seasoning - 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning; Add-In - 3/4 cup Spaghetti Sauce; Cheese - 3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella
2. The Fiesta Option - Seasoning - 2 tsp. Chili Powder; Add-In - 3/4 cup salsa; Cheese - 3/4 cup Shredded Mexican
3. The Mediterranean Option - Seasoning - 1 tsp. dried Oregano leaves; Add-In - 3/4 cup roasted red peppers; Cheese - 3/4 cup feta cheese
4. The BBQ Option - Seasoning - 1 tsp. Garlic powder; Add-In - 3/4 cup BBQ sauce; Cheese - 3/4 cup shredded cheddar
Pick which option you’d like then -
Preheat oven to 375. Mix meat, stuffing mix, water and the Seasoning until well blended. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. Press meat mixture into muffin cups (not the paper kind, but you know, the metal muffin pan, lol) & make an indentation in center of each with back of spoon.
Spoon in Add-Ins into indentations
Bake 30 minutes (or until meatloaves are cooked through)
Top evenly with cheese; bake another 5 minutes (or until cheese is melted)
Let stand 10 minutes before serving
**Jazz it up a little - add 2 tbsp. of A-1 sauce to meat mixture.**
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Pumpkin Pie Fudge
Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tbsp. corn syrup
2 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
9 oz. white chocolate, chopped
7 oz. jar marshmallow crème
1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
Stir together first six ingredients in a 3 ½ - quart saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 234° (soft-ball stage).
Remove pan from heat; stir in remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour into a greased aluminum foil-lined 8-inch square pan. Let stand 2 hours or until completely cool; cut fudge into squares.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Grilled Monte Cristo Sandwiches
Ingredients:
Sliced Bread of your choice (and if you happened to have leftover French Toast, that makes it even better :)
Sliced ham
Sliced turkey
Swiss or Monteray Jack cheese
Oil for frying -- Coconut oil makes these sooo sweet and yummy and is good for you too!
Raspberry jam
Optional Confectioners sugar for dusting :)
Directions: Dump several spoonfuls of coconut oil in frying pan, heat on medium heat til melted. Make a simple ham, turkey, and cheese sandwich, spreading raspberry jam on insides of bread if desired (my husband would rather just dip it in the jam afterwards :) Grill sandwich in coconut oil on both sides til golden and crispy. Dust with confectioners sugar if desired. Have jam available for dipping :)
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Easy Broccoli Soup
Ingredients:
- 2 TBSP butter
- 1 medium onion - sliced
- 1 medium potato - diced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups broccoli (florets and stems) - chopped
- 1 cup half and half
- salt and pepper to taste
- pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Directions: Melt the butter over medium high heat in a pot (at least 3qt in size). Add the sliced onion and cook until soft.
Add the diced potato. In a microwave safe bowl heat the broth. I use my 4 cup glass measuring cup and heat half at a time. While it’s heating don’t forget to stir your potatoes and onions.
Pour the broth into the pot and add the broccoli. Cook until the broccoli is soft, stirring occasionally.
Using a standard or immersion blender puree the soup until smooth. If you use a standard blender just return it to the pot when you are through.
Add the half and half, salt and pepper to taste, and stir until heated throughTuesday, November 4, 2008
Mom's Taco Bake
Ingredients:
1 tube of crescent rolls
2 cups (divided) corn chips
1 ½ lb. ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded mexican cheese
Directions: Unroll crescent rolls into 9×13 inch greased dish, seal seams by pressing together
Sprinkle with 1 cup corn chips
Brown beef, drain, stir in tomato sauce and taco seasoning
Bring to boil, simmer about 5 minutes
Spoon over chips
Add sour cream, cheese & chips
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Chicken Monteray
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
BarBQ sauce
4 slices of bacon, cooked crisply
Shredded cheddar cheese
Directions: Put chicken breasts in a greased baking dish. Cover with barbq sauce. Top with a slice of bacon on each chicken breast (I usually break the bacon into pieces). Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until bubbly and chicken is no longer pink.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!
Directions for Making Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients and Equipment
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Recipe and Directions
Step 1 - Clean the seeds
When you are carving your pumpkin, separate the seeds from the pumpkin flesh and strings. Wash them well (usually putting then in a big bowl of water and rubbing them between your hands is a fast way to clean them) and let them drain in a strainer for about 30 minutes, then spread them out on a baking pan. Now just use a hair dryer to dry them quickly! It is also time to start preheating the oven. Turn it on and set it to 275 F
Step 2 - Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet and season them
Spread the seeds evenly over a cookie sheet and lightly baste the seeds with melted butter, margarine, or vegetable oil. There are many variations. Here are the most popular, in order or popularity:
- Savory: 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt and 2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce
- Lemony: 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon 'Mrs. Dash" or lemon pepper
- Halloweeny: 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice.
- Spicy: 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Natural: 1 teaspoon sea salt or other salt, 4 tablespoons melted butter,
Step 3 - Roast the seeds
Heat them in a 275-degree oven for 10 to 20 minutes until golden brown. DO KEEP AN EYE ON THEM, checking every few minutes and stir about every 5 minutes. Some ovens run hot and it can be as little as 10 minutes or as long as 30 minutes to roast them. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot or cold.
Mom's Simple and Frugal Beefaroni
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup noodles of your choice
1 can tomato sauce
4 slices American cheese (or whatever cheese you like best)
shredded cheese to sprinkle on top
Directions: Cook pasta while browning ground beef. Drain water from pasta and grease from ground beef. Add pasta and tomato sauce to beef in pan, cook on med heat til sauce is bubbly. Turn heat down to low. Add in American cheese; stir til melted and well-mixed. Serve with some shredded cheese sprinkled on top.