Taco Bell Mild Sauce

My friend mastered this sauce.

Dry ingredients- (you can pre mix the dry items and store for future use)
1/2t. paprika
1/2t. sugar
1t. cayenne pepper
1t. garlic powder
1t. garlic salt
2t. cornstarch
2t. salt
4t. chili powder
1T. cumin
1T. onion powder

Wet ingredients
3T. vinegar
1 can tomato paste
3c. water

Combine all together and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Cool, enjoy, and store leftovers in the refrigerator.

White Chicken Spaghetti

White Chicken Spaghetti

4 cups cooked spaghetti (broken into 2" pieces)
1-2 cans sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 cube butter, melted
4 cups chicken, cooked & cut up
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1-2 cups sour cream
1-2 cups mozzarella or monterey jack cheese, shredded
parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

can add onions and garlic too.

Mix above ingredients all together in large bowl. Put into greased 9x13. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until bubbly, remove foil last 10 min. to get brown top.

Mixing Bowl

I bought a new magazine the other day on our way home from Maine called Mixing Bowl from Better Homes and Gardens. It's the magazine for the web site mixingbowl.com. Who knew about this site already? I didn't but it's a pretty cool premise. You can use the site and join groups based on your food preferences so you can share and swap recipes that fit your needs. Pretty cool, huh!? I think I might just browse through the Guiltless Desserts, Live Healthy America, Nutrition Unplugged, Calling All Canners!, and Fast & Fab Chicken Recipes groups.

We tried one recipe from the magazine/site last night for dinner and it turned out great. Here it is for you:

Caribbean Fajitas

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:

8 6-inch flour tortillas
4 1-inch slices peeled fresh pineapple (about half of a medium pineapple)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 small red or orange sweet peppers, seeded and cut in strips
2 teaspoons Jamaican jerk seasoning*
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
fresh cilantro and lime wedges

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in oven. Meanwhile, coat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high. Add pineapple slices; cook 4 to 6 minutes or until browned, turning once. Remove from skillet.

Cut chicken in strips; toss with sweet peppers, jerk seasoning, and pepper. Heat oil in skillet; add chicken and peppers. Cook and stir over medium-high heat 4 to 6 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. Core and chop pineapple. Serve with chicken, tortillas, cilantro and lime.

*We used McCormick Caribbean seasoning from the regular spice aisle. It wasn't nearly as spicy as real jerk seasoning (like the real stuff that Jan brought back from her cruise that could have burned the taste buds right off of your tongue, yeah this isn't as spicy) but it does have some kick so use according to your children's tolerance. You could sprinkle extra on your individual fajitas if you want more than they can handle.

Wonder Flour

I have a confession to make: we don't have much of a food storage to speak of. "Where would I keep it? And how would I use it?" are the two main questions that keep me from doing much toward food storage. We took a big step in the last few weeks and bought a grain mill. I figured I can at least start using grains and learning how to use them better, so when we can afford to get more serious about food storage, I won't be so overwhelmed because I will actually know how to use it all. It makes sense to me at least! Our experiment this week has been with Chef Brad's Wonder Flour.

In a bowl we put:

2 cups long grain brown rice

2 cups pearled barley

2 cups spelt

(I did 2 cups of each because that seemed like a reasonable amount for us to use initially, but as long as each grain is added in equal parts, you can do more or less.)

We mixed the grains together and then we ground them up on the finest setting.

Apparently you can use this flour in any recipe that calls for all-purpose flour, except in recipes that use yeast. Usually you have to add about a 1/2 cup more of the Wonder Flour (if your recipe calls for 3 cups of all-purpose flour, add 3 1/2 cups of Wonder Flour).

Experiment #1: Chocolate Chip Cookies

I used the Wonder Flour instead of the usual white flour in my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. The first time I tried this, the cookies came out wafer thin. I later learned that the nature of these grains required less moisture. The second time I only used one egg and reduced the amount of butter. They turned out much better! However, I may experiment with a different recipe until I'm completely happy. In both cases though, the cookies were delicious.

Experiment #2: Waffles

I used a simple waffle recipe and used the Wonder Flour instead of the all-purpose flour. Unlike the cookies, I didn't need to make any other adjustments to the recipe. I take that back, I did add a bit more sugar and vanilla, but that had nothing to do with the type of flour I used, just my preference. They turned out great!

2 1/2 c. Wonder Flour

1 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp white sugar (I did 4 Tbsp)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups warm milk (I was being lazy and just added it cold, I don't know what difference it made)

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla (I added about 3 tsp)

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter, and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended. Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron.

Benefit: The comfort foods we enjoy are now healthier!

Food Dehydrator?

I'm looking to buy a food dehydrator. I'm overwhelmed by how many different ones are out there. Does anyone own one or know of a great one? Please Help!

Carne Wilson Fundido

This is one that I make for my team. They pitch in and put it together. It is yummy! They gave it the name of Carne Wilson Fundido.

2lbs of ground beef
2lbs of Chorizo ( I use beef chorizo for this normally)
2 small cans of Rosarita zesty jalapeño refried beans
2 bricks of cream cheese
I block of Fry's (Kroger) Queso Blanco the one that looks like pepper jack... It's similar to Velveeta and you can find it in the Mexican food section.
2 poblano peppers (diced)
2 Serrano peppers (diced)
1 white onion (diced)
2 cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese
1/2 jar of salsa


In a big pot, brown the chorizo and ground beef together over med high heat. Once the meat is just about cooked through, add medley of peppers and onions and sauté with the beef mixture until soft. Depending on your chorizo and beef, you may need to drain some of the grease from the pot. A little is fine and needed, but some chorizo yields a lot more grease than others. Once peppers are softened tranfer to a slower cooker add the Queso Block and stir into meat and peppers until melted through. Add the beans and stir to incorporate. Then add the cream cheese and stir until melted through. Then add the salsa and stir to incorporate. Now add the shredded cheese and stir until melted through.

Serve with chips and enjoy!

Buffalo Wing Dip

I've had a few requests for this. It's been a hit wherever I've taken it.

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup ranch dressing
1 5oz bottle hot sauce (I prefer Franks)
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

Combine and bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes. Serve with crackers. Ritz work well.

Refried Beans from my food storage

I've been taking inventory of my food storage, and I have gobs of #10 cans containing pinto beans. I've found a great recipe for refried beans that is pretty hands off. I'm all about easy around here.




Rinse 3 cups of pinto beans really well in water. Put them in a large crock pot with 3 quarts of water and one tablespoon of chopped garlic and cook on high for about 9 hrs. After they've cooked pretty much all day, use a slotted spoon and ladle them into a frying pan on medium with 1/2 stick of butter, one cup of salsa, and about 1 cup of cheddar cheese. I added about 1 tablespoon of salt, but since you're normal, I would add about 1/2 tablespoon and work your way up from there. Use a potato masher and mash until it's the consistency you want. If they seem dry, add some of the bean water from your crockpot to the pan.

If any of you have any other recipes for mashed or refried beans, I'd love to try it out.

Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon

1 Cedar Plank, 7 by 14 by 1/3 inches - It's very important to soak it in water for at least an hour. Our plank still caught on fire a couple times while it was on the grill, so next time I'll soak it longer. I've seen them at Target, but it's cheaper to buy a large board at Home Depot and cut it down yourself.

1 2lb Salmon Fillet - the recipe calls for the skin on, but I didn't read the recipe thoroughly enough before hand and I purchased skinless fillets. It still worked out fine

1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar

2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

1 Tablespoon Dried Thyme Leaves

1 Teaspoon Cayenne Papper


Preheat your gas grill to medium. Place the salmon skin side down on the cedar plank. Combine the brown sugar, oil, thyme, and cayenne in a bowl. Spread over the salmon. Place the planked salmon on the grilling grate and cook, with the grill covered, until the salmon flakes easily and is opaque throughout, about 20-30 minutes.

It has a slight kick to it due to the cayenne, but the brown sugar sweetens it up a bit.

Cajun Meatloaf

Since this recipe is from The Pioneer Woman, I'll just attach the link rather than retype it out.

Cajun Meatloaf

It was fantastic. It was full of vegetables, and the glaze on top had a slightly sweet taste. It made plenty for the night, plus enough for an additional dinner, which we froze. The only downfall was chopping all the vegetables, which took me about an hour.




I was so frustrated afterward, I immediately got on Ebay and purchased this Quick Chef by Tupperware -







It was worth every penny.

Cream Cheese Flan - Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Cream Cheese Flan from Kraftfoods.com

2 cups sugar, divided

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed, softened (you can substitute 1/3rd less fat cream cheese)

5 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Dash salt

HEAT oven to 350°F.

COOK 1 cup sugar in small heavy saucepan on medium heat until sugar is melted and deep golden brown, stirring constantly. Pour into 9-inch round pan; tilt pan to evenly cover bottom with syrup. (You can also add a little water to the sugar when doing this step if you would rather start with a syrup consistency rather than dry sugar. The water cooks off in the caramelization process).

BLEND milk and cream cheese in blender until smooth. Add remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt; blend just until smooth. Pour over syrup in pan. Place filled pan in larger pan; add enough hot water to larger pan to come halfway up side of smaller pan.

BAKE 50 min. to 1 hour or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool slightly. Carefully remove flan from water. Cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Unmold onto plate just before serving.

*Check the recipe link for recipe variations.

Adventures with Mac & Cheese

My kids love macaroni and cheese, but I haven't bought the Kraft stuff in a really long time (I can't remember the last time I bought it).  I have discovered that making it from scratch isn't as difficult as it seems, it tastes better, and I can make it healthy.  But I do get bored.  So here is my small (yet growing) collection of macaroni and cheese recipes.

Mac and Cheese Dog Casserole - This is the recipe that started it all.  It is a Rachael Ray recipe and it holds true to the "30-minute meal" gimmick.  I have made this recipe countless times and it remains to be one of our favorite meals.  I have experimented with a variety of different hot dog brands and Hebrew National is probably my favorite, but a couple nights ago we tried turkey dogs and they were tasty.  If you wanted to go vegan, tofu dogs might work (though I haven't tried that yet).  My macaroni preference is the Barilla Plus brand, to be a little healthier.  I don't skimp on anything else.  Oh, and I use chicken broth instead of the beer.

Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower - This recipe is from the Real Simple Magazine (February 2009 issue).  It was delicious and my family loved it.  Requires a bit more time because of the cauliflower, but definitely worth it.

Spicy Mac & Cheese - This recipe is from Pioneer Woman.  As with pretty much every recipe I have tried if hers, it was good.  I didn't know how spicy it would be, and I wanted to make sure my kids would eat it, so I did not add the jalapeno pepper and I used regular Monterrey Jack cheese.

Dutch Macaroni - This recipe is from Kayotic Kitchen.  I don't think this link will take you directly to the recipe so just type "macaroni" in the search area and it will come right up.  I haven't actually tried this one yet, but very soon.  I'll let you know.

My one and only tip:  If the recipe you are using calls for cheddar cheese, use Sharp Cheddar -- you get more from the taste without having to add more cheese, if that makes sense.

Daily Giveaways

Here is a cool site that I found that gives away a new item each day during the week. They are a site out of Utah, but you can still enter to win if you don't live in the state. I keep entering for things, but I haven't won yet. They have some really awesome things they give away.

Give Away Today

If you enter make sure you check back everyday to see if you've won.

Smitten Kitchen Recipes

I regularly read the Smitten Kitchen blog and find awesomely delicious recipes. Here is a sampling of my favorites so far:

Acorn Squash Quesadillas-
I've made these quesadillas twice now and they're delicious. Brian thinks they're a little too sweet for his taste, but I love the flavors. The first time I made them I also made the Tomatillo Salsa included in the recipe listing and it was good, but added another step. Since we have a Costco-sized container of salsa now I skipped this step the second time around. Also, I did what the blog author said and used Meunster cheese and it was delicious! Meunster is now my new favorite for quesadillas and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Arroz con Pollo-
This recipe makes a ton of food - which is good because the leftovers are great! We usually get rid of some of the chorizo fat once it renders, but keep some to spread the flavor. Also, I have made the recipe as stated and used chicken thighs and legs, but breast meat would be awesome, too! For the beer, we just used more chicken broth.

Caramel Cake-
Delicious! This was Brian's birthday cake choice last year and we loved it. If you follow the recipe as written the caramel is thin (not like the pictures on the blog) so cook it a little longer if you want the consistency shown by the blog author (use your candy thermometer to get the low end of the soft ball stage).

White Bean Roasted Red Pepper Dip-
This was great as a veggie dip and with crackers/pita bread.

Dimply Plum Cake-
Flavorful and moist cake that we've made multiple times.

Other recipes I want to try:

• Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake
• Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry Coulis
  
• Blueberry Crumb Bars
• Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
• Kefta and Zucchini Kabobs
• Sundried Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms
• Ratatouille's Ratatouille
  

For Jan and Jenny:

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
  

Florentine Macaroni and Cheese

from Rachel Ray (original recipe is served with chicken sausage meatballs, but we just purchased chicken sausage links and skipped the first half of the recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry macaroni noodles (we used wheat elbow macaroni, the recipe called for cavatappi, just use whatever)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (this is increased from the original recipe because the sauce did not thicken enough with 2 T and I had to add more)
  
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, eyeball it
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (I used regular Parmesan cheese)
• 2 boxes, 10 ounces, chopped frozen spinach

Directions:

Defrost spinach in microwave 8 to 10 minutes on "defrost" setting depending on the microwave. Place the boxes in a shallow dish to catch any run off.

In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock and milk, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and thicken 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in 1 cup grated Parmigiano and reduce heat on lowest setting.

Wring spinach completely dry in clean kitchen towel then separate as you add it to the sauce. Also add the reserved 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Toss pasta with the spinach-white sauce and adjust seasonings.

Brian thought the recipe should be a little cheesier so next time we're going to add some shredded mozzarella cheese or some sharp white cheddar.

Dinner

Jalapeno Corn Bread

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3-4 Tbs sugar
dash of chipotle powder
1/4 cup diced jalapeno
1 cup corn, drained (frozen works good)
1 cup shredded cheese, Mexican blend or cheddar

8 oz sour cream
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
4 Tbs butter, melted

Mix first 10 ingredients in a large bowl
Mix last 4 ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well blended
Add wet ingredients to dry, mix only until combined.

Put in HOT greased 10 skillet (cast iron is best)
Bake @ 400* for 25/30 minutes.

This goes really well with any kind of bean soup

2009 General Conference Packet

These packets are nice, they help get my kids to participate in conference. They don't always work, but this one looks fun and easy for the smaller kids. Enjoy!

http://www.sugardoodle.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4195&Itemid=5

Meat Loaf

I use my aunt's meat loaf recipe and it really is the best.  I have tried a few other meatloaf recipes, but this recipe just can't be replaced in my book.  

Mix together:

15 oz. can tomato sauce

1/4 c. vinegar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. mustard

Set the sauce mixture aside.

Mix together, in a large bowl:

2 pounds ground beef (I like to mix my meats - 1 lb. ground beef & 1 lb. ground pork, or I'll do a mixture of ground beef, ground pork, and ground turkey.  I have even made it just using ground turkey, but this is meat loaf you're making and it really needs a little beef.  Sometimes you can buy a premixed meat loaf mixture or have your meat dept do a custom mix for you.)

1/2 c. onion, chopped

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. bread crumbs (I have used plain, Italian style, or I just rip up a slice of bread into tiny bits)

1 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper

Add half of the sauce mixture (it's about 1 1/4 c.) to the meat mixture and combine.  Form into a loaf or meatballs.  Bake at 350 for one hour (less time for meatballs).  Spoon remaining sauce over the top before serving. 

We like to eat this with baked potatoes.  I prepare my potatoes (scrub, poke, & wrap) and stick them in the oven while I prepare the meat loaf.  They bake right along side the meat loaf so everything is done at once.  We had this last week and I made mashed potatoes instead, that was yummy!

This is what we ate last week...

Here are a couple of items from our menu last week.  I didn't type out the entire recipes (because I am feeling lazy), but gave you the link and any changes I made (which wasn't much).  Both recipes come from The Pioneer Woman -- she makes good stuff.

Penne with Shrimp - This was a huge hit with my kids.  It was delicious.  My kids don't like the full-size penne and I usually have to cut them in half.  I tried the Barilla Mini Penne and they were the perfect size.  I used 1 c. chicken broth in place of the white wine.

Chicken Spaghetti - I have made this several times.  It makes quite a bit so I usually split it between two square dishes and freeze one for future use.  Instead of cooking the chicken I usually buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco, debone it, and use two cups of the meat (using the rest for something else).  Wherever it calls for chicken broth, I use the store bought stuff or chicken bouillon cubes.  Sometimes I put the pimentos in, sometimes I don't.  I don't put the Cayenne pepper in either, maybe later when my kids' taste buds are a bit more mature.  This is another meal my kids devour.

Why does it smell so good?

Growing up we ate beans.  It's one of those things I thought I would never make for my own family.  Not because I didn't like them, but because I didn't know how to make them and if you don't cook beans right -- they're not fun to eat.  For some reason, cooking beans smells really good (maybe it's just me), but throw a ham hock in there (that's what you can see in the picture) and it smells even better.  I'm hoping this pot of beans turns out good because I'm salivating already -- beans with chunks of ham with cornbread on the side!  I have a hard time thinking of what I want for dinner the night before so putting beans out to soak overnight doesn't work for me.  If you're interested this is what I did (thanks to Pioneer Woman for her no-overnight-soak recipe):

-Pour 4 cups of pinto beans into a colander, keeping your eyes open for bits you wouldn't want to eat and beans that don't look so good, then rinse the beans really well under cold water; pour into a large pot.

-Cover beans with water by two or three inches

-Throw in some bacon (4 slices will do, but I usually add more), or a ham hock (I just happened to have one), or just plain diced ham.

-Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover.  Simmer for two hours, or until beans are tender.  Add water to pot as needed.  Beans should have a thick broth.

-Toward the end of cooking time, add salt & pepper and season to taste.  Don't over-salt.  You can also add chili powder, garlic, or Tabasco.  You can get pretty creative with the spices, but I am not very daring in the kitchen so I keep it safe.  Just salt & pepper for me!

-Serve with cornbread (a must).  You can also serve with grated cheese, chopped onions, sour cream, or whatever else sounds good to you.  Aren't beans versatile?!?  Did I mention they're super cheap to make?  You most likely have some in your food storage already, they're good for you, and the leftovers are really good on some ultimate nachos, or homemade Indian fry bread!  

I'm looking forward to my dinner tonight!

Oh, and don't ask me for a cornbread recipe.  I rarely make it from scratch because I'm picky and I haven't found the perfect recipe yet.  I don't like my cornbread to be too dry, but I don't want it too wet either.  I buy the Marie Callender's mix from the store.  

Ha....Peeee Birthday Cards

I just made these cards for my mom and someone else who will find out tomorrow. (Pies!) =) It turned out really cute! It was way easy too. It works with regular printer paper, but card stock looks better.

Thanks Martha Stewart!!

Butterscotch Oatmeal

(Sorry no photo for this one because how can a bowl of oatmeal really look that photogenic? I didn't want to spend all morning staging my oatmeal for a picture because really it would still have looked like mush. You know what oatmeal looks like so imagine that image here and then imagine some yumminess in there too for this recipe.)

We eat a lot of oatmeal in our house and this recipe might make it so we eat even more because it is so yummy! Who can resist butterscotch at breakfast? Now you might be thinking that adding an egg to oatmeal is weird, but think custard not scrambled eggs. The original recipe is from All Recipes, but I changed it because some of the ingredients needed to be scaled down to temper the sweetness and the fat content.

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 3/4 cups milk (I used skim)
  
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I think you could add even less sugar and it would still be sweet enough)
  
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons butter (I used soft margarine, trans fat free, you could even just omit the butter, but a little fat will help with satiety and feeling fuller longer)
• Optional: berries, chopped apples, nuts, cinnamon (we ate ours with frozen raspberries stirred in, yum!)
  

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the egg, milk and brown sugar. Mix in the oats. When the oatmeal begins to boil, cook and stir until thick. Remove from the heat, and stir in butter until melted. Serve immediately.

The recipe makes three servings according to All Recipes, but the amount of oatmeal and liquid is consistent with two servings according to the oatmeal package. I don't really think that the addition of one egg makes the recipe enough for three. Eliza and I had probably 3/4 of the recipe by ourselves this morning and actually saved the leftovers for Eliza to eat tomorrow morning. This would not have fed our family with Brian at home.

This one is for you Jan!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

(from Everyday Food - Cookie of the Day)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp

1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar 

(we used light since that is what we had)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into chunks

(we just used chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350.  In a bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda; set aside.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat PB, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until smooth.  With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined.  Stir in chocolate chunks.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two large baking sheets.  Bake until golden, 13 - 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.  Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

As an added bonus, here is a poem Chris wrote about them:

Ode to Peanut Butter Chocolate “Chunk” Cookies

 Oh! {dramatic pause} These cookies are so delicious

Although not very nutritious {but who cares-don’t read that out loud}

They are still slam-a-jama delicious

They are so good they are near fictitious

Like self washing dirty dishes

 

I would like to be a plate of Peanut Butter Chocolate “Chunk” Cookies

Because they are more fun than a car full of Wookies

With their chunky chocolateness

I could ere go amiss

Life could be a delicious bliss

Oh! {dramatic pause} These cookies are so delish!

Blueberry Sauce

Another winning recipe from Allrecipes.com.

Brian made this to go with pancakes yesterday and French toast today and it was delicious. He only used about half the sugar so try that and then sweeten to your liking. Also, we didn't have OJ so he swapped the orange juice and water amounts to use 1 C. water and whatever he could squeeze out of a fresh orange.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup orange juice
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, 1/4 cup of water, orange juice, and sugar. Stir gently, and bring to a boil.
2. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Gently stir the cornstarch mixture into the blueberries so as not to mash the berries. Simmer gently until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract and cinnamon. Thin sauce with water if it is too thick for your liking.

Be forewarned though that your kids may end up looking like this:
Eliza is going through some squinty eye phase for pictures now. Still cute, but totally random.

Quinoa and Red Bean Burritos

Keeping with Annette's whole grain theme, here is a burrito option
that we had for dinner tonight that we liked.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa (pronounced keen-wa, see Note)
• 2 teaspoons McCormick smoky sweet pepper blend (found in spice aisle)
• 1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans, drained, rinsed and lightly mashed
• 1 1/2 cups jarred salsa
• 8 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 cup shredded Mexican-cheese blend

Directions

1. Place quinoa and pepper blend in a saucepan and cook following package directions (2 parts water to 1 part quinoa, boil water, add quinoa, cover and simmer about 15 minutes until soft and water is absorbed-same as rice). Once cooked, stir in beans and 1 cup of the salsa. I would eat this as a side dish without doing the burrito part, it's very similar in texture to Spanish rice, but the flavor is different. You can make it more/less spicy depending on the type and amount of salsa you use.

2. While quinoa is cooking, heat oven to 350°. Coat large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Heat tortillas in microwave for 45 seconds to soften. Place 1/2 cup of the quinoa mixture in center of each tortilla and fold like a package. Place seam-side down on baking sheet.

4. Lightly coat burritos with nonstick cooking spray and top with remaining salsa and cheese, dividing equally. Bake burritos at 350° for 12 minutes until heated through, with cheese melted. Serve with additional salsa.

Note: Quinoa is found in the rice and dried bean aisle of the supermarket. I found quinoa in the bulk grain bins at Giant-you know, where they sell granola, different rices, etc. You can also find it at natural food stores.

Recipe from February 2009 issue of Family Circle.

More Whole Wheat Recipes

I have a few more to share with you. These are recipes that I just recently made, so I know that they are good.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1/3 c. oil (I used canola oil)
1/2 c. honey

Mix these two ingredients together. Then mix in:

2 eggs

Add and mix in:

1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. mashed banana (this is about 5 bananas that are very ripe)

Add to batter:

1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
1/2 tsp. salt

In a separate cup, mix together:

1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. hot water

Add baking soda and water to the batter and mix well. Don't over mix or bread will turn out tough. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.

-----------------------------------------------------

Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 TBSP honey
3 TBSP oil
1 c. buttermilk**
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

2 large eggs

Mix honey and oil together. Mix in buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed in. Cook on hot griddle and add favorite toppings.

**If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a buttermilk substitute, which is what I did.

Buttermilk Substitute

Milk (just under one cup)
1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

Preparation:
1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.

2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.

3. Let stand for five minutes. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

100% Whole Wheat Bread

Hi y'all! My name is Annette. I am Jamie's oldest sister. I was telling her about the bread recipe I just acquired. This is the best whole wheat bread recipe. I have tried many recipes, but this one is the winner and is super simple to make. You add a vitamin C to the recipe to make it light. I also used white whole wheat. This makes 3 generous sized loaves of bread.

1/2 c. warm water (110 degrees)
2 TBSP yeast
1 TBSP sugar
5 c. hot water
7 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. oil (I used canola oil)
3/4 c. honey or sugar (I used honey)
2 TBSP salt
5 to 6 c. whole wheat flour
1,000 mg Vitamin C, crushed or powdered

Mix warm water, yeast and sugar and set in a warm place. Combine 5 cups hot water with 7 cups whole wheat flour, oil, honey (or sugar), and salt. Mix well. Add yeast mixture, remaining flour and vitamin C. Knead 10 minutes. Let rise until double. Push down then divide dough into equal portions and shape into loaves. Place into 3 greased loaf pans. Let rise only 1/2 (approximately even with the top of pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie = cold weather comfort

This recipe is my go-to recipe for Chicken Pot Pie (is it Pot Pie or Potpie?).  It has been rainy and cold at our house and when I made this last week, it hit the spot.  Why do I like this recipe?  It doesn't call for any condensed soups.  It's yummy and my kids eat it up, vegetables and all.  And it makes TWO pies (it can even make three if you use smaller pie pans)!  That's right.  You can stick one in the freezer to use at a later date, you can make one for a friend who just had a baby and have one for your own dinner, you can give a frozen pot pie to a new mother for her to use after the mothers have gone home and all the dinners have stopped coming, etc.  Below is my own version of this recipe, making it easier and faster to make.

2 cups frozen hash browns (I prefer Southern Style)

1 1/2 to 2 cups carrots, chopped or sliced

2/3 cup onion, chopped

2 sticks of butter (I know, it sounds like a lot, but remember this is making 2 pies)

1 cup flour 

1 tsp salt (add more if you want)

1 tsp dried thyme

3/4 tsp pepper

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups milk

1 rotisserie chicken from Costco or grocery store, deboned and cut/shredded into smaller pieces (enough to equal 4 cups)

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

2 - 3 packages of Pillsbury pie crust or make your own homemade pie crust (enough for two 9-inch pies, or 3 smaller pies)

disposable, aluminum pie pans if you plan on giving away or for easy clean up

In a large skillet, saute onion and carrots in butter until tender.  Stir in flour, thyme, salt & pepper until blended.  Cook for about one minute.  Gradually stir in broth and milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened (just a few minutes).  Add the chicken, peas, corn, and potatoes (hash browns); remove from heat.  Sometimes I add in more peas, corn, and/or potatoes if I feel like it.

Line two 9-inch pie plates (or three if you are using smaller pans) with bottom pastry; trim even with the edge of plate, if necessary.  Fill pastry shells with chicken mixture.  Place the top pastry over the filling; trim, seal, and flute edges.  Cut slits into pastry and add decorative cutouts, if so desired.  Brush with milk or egg whites (the egg whites will give it that shiny look).

Place one potpie on a baking sheet, and bake at 425 degrees for 35-40* minutes or until crust is lightly browned.  Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.  

With the remaining pie(s), cover with saran wrap and a couple layers of foil and freeze for up to 3 months.

To bake frozen pie:

Remove all foil and saran wrap.  Shield pie crust edges with strips of foil (you can repurpose the foil it was wrapped in); place pie on baking sheet.  Bake at 425 for 30 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350; bake 70 - 80* minutes longer or until crust is golden brown.  

*All temperatures and times are based on a 9-inch pie.  Some adjustments may need to be made if you are making smaller pies or baking multiple pies.  I would adjust the time before the temperature though.

Yield: 2-3 pies, 6 to 8 large servings per pie

Need a last minute Valentine?

I'm usually not a big celebrator of Valentine's Day.  There are no Valentine decorations in my house, or in my possession, but there will be come Friday when the kids get home from school with all their goodies.  I have to say that this year I am having fun with it!  I saw these on a blog today and I cannot decide which one I want to use -- Twilight or Moulin Rouge?  I especially like that you can download them for free and print them out all in the cozy of your own home.

Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

This recipe is also from Real Simple, February 2009
(You can tell which magazine I was using for our grocery list)

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

* 2 sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into thin wedges
* 1 red onion, thinly sliced
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* Kosher salt and black pepper
* 4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* 1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 4 cups)
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Preparation

Heat oven to 425° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, onion, 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side.

In a large bowl, toss the warm potato mixture with the spinach, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve with the chicken.

Substitutions: Tossing warm roasted vegetables with fresh spinach gently wilts and tenderizes the greens. In place of sweet potatoes, try butternut squash, rutabaga, carrots, or parsnips.

We really liked this recipe - the lime juice in the sweet potato salad was delicious. Eliza ate all of this meal including the onions!

Cheesecake-Topped Brownies

This is what I made for the pot luck Sunday. I thought I would post it, it's very easy to make and I thought it was good!

Cheesecake-Topped Brownies
Makes 3 to 3-1/2 dozen brownies

Prep Time 20 minutes

Bake Time 40 to 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (19.5- or 22-ounce, family size) package fudge brownie mix

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Ready-to-spread chocolate frosting

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare brownie mix as package directs. Spread into well-greased 13X9-inch baking pan. (I lined the pan with foil, and it made it much easier to remove the brownies from the pan.)

2. In large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and cornstarch until fluffy.

3. Gradually beat in EAGLE BRAND, egg and vanilla until smooth. Pour cheesecake mixture evenly over brownie batter.

4. Bake 45 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Cool. Spread with frosting. Cut into bars.* Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

* These were even better the next day, cold. So make them the day before and serve cold! Yum!

Tip: I saw this in Family Circle. When lining a pan with foil, "place the pan upside down on counter and shape foil over outside. Flip pan over and tuck shaped piece inside."

I know that probably sounds silly but I used this tip when making these brownies and it actually made it a lot easier to line the pan with foil.

Pulled Pork Tacos

Pulled-Pork Tacos

2 cups store-bought salsa, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Kosher salt
1 2 1/2-pound boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
18 corn tortillas
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 lime, cut into wedges

In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the pork and turn to coat.

Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.

Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 350° F. Stack the tortillas, wrap them in foil, and bake until warm, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve with the tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, lime, and extra salsa.

I omitted the cilantro, but used lettuce. We also had some shredded cheese on our tacos. The corn tortillas we used kind of fell apart (probably my fault) so either cook them in a way that doesn't let them steam too much or use flour tortillas. We followed the recipe and wrapped them in foil but I think that venting the foil a little would have helped the steam to escape and would have prevented the breakage.

Tip: When using a slow cooker, resist the urge to lift the lid until the dish has cooked the minimum amount of time specified in the recipe. Each peek allows heat to escape and can increase cooking time by as much as a half hour.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Brian rated this recipe 4 1/2 starts out of 5 which means it's pretty good.

Chocolate-dipped Marshmallows

I'm sitting at the computer, trying to come up with my menu/grocery list for tomorrow.  Michon's post made me want to make desserts instead!  I saw this recipe in Real Simple and thought the kids would have fun making it.

12 marshmallows

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

3 Tbsp toppings (such as chopped pistachios, shredded coconut, and crumbled graham crackers)

Dip half of each marshmallow in the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip off, then sprinkle with your desired toppings.  Serve immediately or chill until firm, about 20 minutes.

The marshmallow-chocolate-graham cracker combo is making me salivate.

Okay, back to business, grocery list.....

Chocolate-Glazed Cake Tower

Danielle, you said you were looking for ideas, I haven't tried this recipe, but it looks like a cute and easy idea for Valentine's Day. There's even a video of Rachael Ray making it. I would probably use milk chocolate instead of dark, but it depends on what you like.


Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam (or any flavor you like)
10 slices store-bought pound cake (each about 1/2 inch thick)
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

Preparation:

1. Heat the jam slightly in the microwave so it's easily spreadable.
2. Using a cookie cutter of your favorite shape, punch a shape out from each slice of pound cake. 3. Slather one side of each slice with the jam.
4. Build the cutouts into a stack by layering five of pieces of cake on top of each other, ending with a bare piece of cake. Set the assembled cake stacks aside.
5. Place a small pot over medium heat with the cream. Bring up to a bubble and remove from the heat. Add the chocolate to the pot and stir to melt.
6. Set the cakes on a screen over a sheet pan and pour the chocolate glaze over the cakes to cover them completely (heads up – the excess will drip onto the tray below so you can just scoop it back up and use it again later). Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Cakes can be made up to 1 day ahead of time.)

Spinach & Prosciutto Lasagna

I'm thankful for spell checker because no matter how many times I have written/typed it, I have a hard time spelling 'prosciutto'.  I would lose in a spelling bee if I was given that word.  Anyway, onto the recipe.  I love trying new recipes and I hope to share my successes with you.  A success, to me, is a recipe that I myself would make again.  Very few make it into this prestigious category.  My success this week was the Spinach & Prosciutto Lasagna from Everyday Food (like my last post, coincidentally).  I usually steer away from lasagna recipes because in my mind it equates to too-much-work-for-a-week-night-meal.  On the contrary, this recipe was quick and easy to make, surprisingly tasty, and the true reward came when Gretchen said "I love spinach!"  

I about fell out of my chair.

Enjoy!

Spinach & Prosciutto Lasagna

2 packages (10 oz each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry  (I have to admit I did not use this much spinach.  For those of you who have a Trader Joe's, I used 1 bag of their frozen spinach.  I can't remember the amount, but I know it was more than 10 oz, but less than 20 oz.  One package might be sufficient for you.  It is important to squeeze it dry, but I don't go crazy.  I just made sure it wasn't dripping.)

1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta (I threw in  the whole 15 oz tub I bought)

1 garlic clove, minced

salt & pepper

2 1/2 cups jarred tomato sauce (one 26 oz jar of spaghetti sauce was enough)

4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, finely chopped  (I don't know about you, but prosciutto isn't easy for me to cut up, the slices turn into one big clump.  I just tore the slices into small, bite size pieces.  I also used the whole package, which was more than 4 oz.)

6 no-boil lasagna noodles

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Make filling: In a medium bowl, stir together spinach, ricotta, garlic, salt (to taste), and 1/4 tsp pepper; set aside.  In another medium bowl, stir together tomato sauce and prosciutto.

In an 8-inch square baking dish, spread 1 cup tomato sauce.  Layer 2 noodles, 1/3 filling, and 1/3 remaining tomato sauce; repeat two more times.  Top with mozzarella.  Bake until browned, 35 to 40 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Smoky Shrimp with Creamy Grits

Here's a recipe that may sound a bit weird, but tasty nonetheless. It's fairly simple to make.




Ingredients -

2 C Water
1 tsp salt
1 14.75 oz can cream style corn
3/4 C quick-cooking grits

2 oz cream cheese
1/4 C butter
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 lbs uncooked, de-veined, and peeled large shrimp
1 tsp seafood seasoning
1 tsp chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat water, salt, and corn to boiling. With a wire whisk, gradually beat in the grits. Return to boiling, beating constantly. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remover from heat. Stir in cream cheese until well combined. Cover and keep warm

Meanwhile, in a 10 inch heavy skillet, melt butter over med-high heat. Add garlic; cook and stir about 2 minutes or until lightly browned. A shrimp; cook and stir 4-6 minutes or just until shrimp are pink. Stir in seafood seasoning, chipotle chiles and tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium; simmer uncovered 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes are thorougly heated.

Divide grits mixture among individual large soup bowls; spoon shrimp mixture evenly over top.

Italian Pot Pies

I tried this recipe back in December and it has become one of our favorites.  Personally, I find myself craving it.  It was also simple and quick to make.  What more could you ask for?

Italian Pot Pies

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped  (I used my Pampered Chef "chopper" to get it "finely chopped")

salt & pepper

1 pound ground beef  (I'm sure ground turkey would be a good substitute, or Italian sausage - yum!)

2 cups homemade or store bought tomato sauce (I used one jar of my favorite spaghetti sauce.  The better the sauce, the better it will turn out.)

1 cup flour

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp crushed dried rosemary

4 Tbsp butter, melted

1/2 cup whole milk (I'm sure any milk can be used)

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in lowest position.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and carrots; season with salt & pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.  Add beef, and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add tomato sauce; bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat mixture has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk flour, parmesan, baking powder, rosemary, and 1/2 tsp salt; make a well in center, and add butter and milk.  Stir just until dough comes together.
• Spoon meat mixture into four 8-ounce ramekins; mound dough on top.  Place on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake until topping is golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in topping comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Serves 4  (this served 4 adults and my two kids, theirs were in smaller ramekins) 
• Prep Time: 25 min
• Total Time: 35 min