Rainbow Cake and Cake Balls

I saw this cake idea on a friend's blog and was cocky enough to think I could make it without glancing at the directions. Boy, am I glad I didn't try that! The original recipe comes from MckMama. Mine didn't exactly end up looking like hers. Oh well! It was still yummy.

I loved the cake idea and decided to save the recipe for a future birthday of one of my children. Justin said I should make it for Michelle's birthday and I simply couldn't resist the challenge. Not sure if it's correctly themed for an adult woman but I thought Michelle might like it anyways. So, I began. Excited?

Be warned: this recipe is not for the faint hearted.

Ingredients

• 2 boxes white cake mix
• 1 box food coloring
• 4 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 TB vanilla
• 5-6 cups powdered sugar

Mix up one box of cake mix and divide it into three equal portions. It comes out to a little over 1 cup of batter in each bowl. Dye each one of the first three colors (purple, blue and green). Bake in greased and FLOURED round cake pans for about 16 minutes each. Repeat for remaining three colors (yellow, orange, red).

Meanwhile, make the frosting by mixing cream cheese and butter; add vanilla. Add sugar to taste.

After the cakes are completely cooled, remove from pans, level the tops with a large bread knife, and assemble cake starting with purple, then blue, green, yellow, orange and finally red, spreading 1/2 - 1 cup of frosting on top of each. It is recommended to freeze the cake after every two layers, because it is easier to work with when it is stiff, not wobbly.

At this point, I would freeze it again and then frost it with the rest of the frosting.

If you have left over frosting, dye it any color you want, put it in a zip lock bag, cut the tip off of the bag, and decorate!

Cake Balls

(original recipe from Bakerella)

Ingredients

• 1 cake mix (I used the scraps from the cake above)
• 1 can of cream cheese frosting (I made my own from an 8oz package of cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter and 1.5 cups powdered sugar)
• melting chocolate (I bought 9oz mini dove bars and it was sufficient)

If you did this with a regular recipe, you'd make the cake according to package directions, then crumble in a large bowl. Since I used my scraps, I used several small bowls.

With a spoon or your fingers, mix crumbled cake with cream cheese frosting.

Roll into balls and freeze or refrigerate for several hours.

Melt chocolate, dip and roll each ball in chocolate with a spoon. Place on wax paper to dry/harden. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Walah!

Cranberry Apple Wheel

As Jodi was walking through the store, she spotted a sale: cranberries. I don't know about you, but I have never made anything with cranberries. The only thing I think I have had with cranberries is juice. She grabbed a few bags and began her hunt for the perfect recipe. She wanted to make something of James' that he had recently posted on his blog, but discovered that our short food supply was lacking. So Jodi searched the internet and found a delectable delight -- the Cranberry Apple Wheel. Yes, it is divine!

Cranberry Apple Wheel

Crust

• 3-4 c. flour
• 1 Tbsp. yeast
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. butter, melted
• 1 c. milk
• 1 egg

Topping

• 1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped (we used fresh)
• 2 apples, peeled and diced (we used one Granny Smith and one Gala)
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 5 Tbsp. flour

Frosting

• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. water
  

Combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Combine butter and milk and heat to a temperature of 120ºF - 130ºF. Add to dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Add egg; mix well. Add enough of remaining flour to make a soft dough that is not sticky when handled.

Lightly grease a medium mixing bowl. Place dough in bowl and roll around so that it is lightly covered with grease. Place bowl with dough in a warm place until it has doubled in size.

Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients, except powdered sugar and water, in a medium mixing bowl. Punch down dough and place on a cookie sheet. Flatten dough into a 10-inch circle. Spread topping over dough, leaving an inch all around. Place in a warm place until dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Combine powdered sugar and water in a small mixing bowl to make glaze. Cool wheel completely and drizzle with glaze. Makes 1 10-inch wheel.

Black Beans and Rice

I had a bunch of black beans I needed to get rid of and we always have tons of rice, so the other day when I was looking for dinner ideas I googled and found this recipe. We had it on nachos with seasoned shredded chicken, green onions, salsa and cheese, but it would also be great with burritos. Justin liked it so much he requested it a couple of days later.

It's very simple, just my style!

Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium, low fat vegetable broth [I used chicken bouillon dissolved in water]
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper [I used crushed red pepper]
• 3 1/2 cups canned black beans, drained [I put in two cans, I think any more would be too much]

Directions

In a stockpot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes. Add the rice and saute for 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Add the spices and black beans.

Honey Curry Chicken

Hey everyone!

I haven't posted in a while because I haven't felt like anything I've made recently has been very exciting or worth sharing. I still don't think this ranks with what you guys have been posting, but I thought I'd tell you about it anyway.

It's simple and good, which is my favorite kind of dish to make most days. I got this recipe in a recipe exchange I participated in. But, the first time I made it I realized much too late that instead of adding 2 tsp curry powder I accidentally added 2 TB curry powder. That is 3 times as much curry powder than was called for! I was scared of the outcome, but it turned out Justin loved it. Tonight I made it with pork instead of chicken (I recommend chicken) and did 2 heaping tsp curry powder.

So, here is the recipe!

Honey Curry Chicken 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup honey 1/4 cup mustard 2 t. curry powder 3 lbs. chicken thighs [I used boneless, skinless breasts and cut them into 1 inch strips] cooked rice Melt butter. Add honey, mustard, and curry powder; mix well. Coat chicken with honey mixture. Place in baking pan, skin side down. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn chicken over halfway and baste occasionally. Remove chicken to platter, and pour pan juices/sauce into gravy separator and pour de-fatted sauce into pitcher to pass with chicken. Serve with rice.

Stromboli

Our friends made this for us and I have been wanting to try it. Since it is pizza night, it seemed like a good time.

Stromboli

1 family recipe pizza dough - divided into four balls
Sauce - white or red will work (we used white and loved it)
cheese
other desired toppings

Roll out dough into long rectangle. Spread sauce down the center. Spread remaining toppings and cheese along center of dough. Pull up sides over the center of the dough. Pinch off. Cook at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Baste with butter after removing from oven. Slice and love it!

Zuppa Toscano Soup

Okay family here is my recipe debut coming from "my kitchen to yours." Every time Bryce and I go to the Olive Garden we order this soup. We finally thought to google the recipe, which we did, to see if there was any likeness, and to our happy taste buds, it was to our liking. I believe this will be our new Christmas Eve soup...everyone in our house loves it. Careful with the crushed red pepper...it can get very spicy. We have tried this with both russet and red potatoes. Both are good but I think I prefer the russet. We also usually eat this with Jodi's super yummy, super easy bread sticks...mmmmm!!!

Makes: 6-8 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
1/2 lb bacon
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale (super easy to find...even Walmart sells it)

-Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
-In the same pan, saute bacon, onions and garlic for approximately 15 Min's. or until the onions are soft.
-Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.
-Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
-Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated.
-Stir in the sausage.
-Add kale just before serving. Delicious!

Lime Navy Bean Chili

This is a wonderful alternative to red chili. It isn't too spicy and the lime adds a nice zing. We enjoyed it with some amazing homemade Asiago foccacia bread. This was made with the foccacia bread recipe in the cookbook. I just added about 1/2 cup cheese while kneading the dough. Sprinkle a little more on top before baking. MMmmmm.

Lime Navy Bean Chili

1 1/4 cups dried navy beans (I used great northern)
3 cups water
2 bone-in chicken breast halves skins removed ( I used boneless, skinless, just add a little more bouillon)
1 cup frozen corn
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (4oz) chopped green chilies
4 garlic cloves, minced ( I used 1 Tb refrigerated minced garlic)
1 Tb chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 Tb lime juice

Place beans in a larger saucepan; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid.

In a crock pot, combine all ingredients except lime. Cover and cook on low 6 hours or until beans are tender and chicken are done.

Remove chicken breasts; remove meat from the bones and cut or shred meat. (I shredded it). Return chicken to chili. Stir in lime juice just before serving. Makes 6 cups. This is lots.

Nutrition facts
one serving: 1 cup
calories: 250
fat: 2 g
fiber: 12 g

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

It has been raining for days and it is cold. I wanted a yummy soup, but didn't have all day. I also wanted something creamy. What I found was all of the above, plus my kids ate it. Doesn't get much better.

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

1 medium head cauliflower, broken in florets
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (14 1/2 ounces ) chicken broth (I used 2 bouillon cubes and added 2 cups water)
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 TB butter
2Tb flour
3 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 TB dried parsley flakes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp each cayenne pepper, curry powder, and white pepper (I didn't have cayenne and I used regular pepper)

In a large saucepan, combine the cauliflower, onion, broth, and bouillon. Cover ans cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Cook and stir until bubbly. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes longer or until slightly thickened. Reduce heat; add cheese and seasonings. Pour into cauliflower mixture. Simmer slowly for 30 minutes ( do not boil ). Yield: 6-8 servings (2 quarts)

This made plenty of soup for my whole family.

Crab Quiche

I made quiche for the first time this morning. Justin wanted quiche, and I knew I didn't have everything I needed for it. Or did I? I searched for awhile and finally found a recipe that was doable. Even though I didn't have breakfast meat, I did have some left over crab meat from some crab cakes I made a little while ago. Just so happened, I had the perfect amount for this recipe. I put it together, using my apple pie crust, and the result was delicious! I thought it would need more flavor than what I put in, but it tasted just right. If anything, I think some green spices sprinkled on the top would have been pretty.

Crab Quiche

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 TBs flour
• 7 oz crab meat [I used 8 oz fake crab]
• 1/2 cup chopped onion [I would saute this for a couple of minutes first]
• 2 eggs, beaten [I used 3 medium eggs]
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 oz shredded swiss cheese [I used cheddar]
• Mrs. Smith's pie crust [*I made my apple pie crust]

Stir, mayonnaise, eggs, flour and milk until blended [I used a hand mixer for this step because I didn't beat the eggs ahead of time]. Add crab meat, cheese, and onions. Pour into pie crust and bake 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

*Here is the crust recipe I used:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/6 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Combine flour and salt. Add milk and oil. Stir until dry ingredients are blended in. Roll between wax paper and transfer to pie plate.

Hearty Italian-style Soup--bhg.com

We tried this wonderful recipe from BHG.com the other night. It was one of those times when I had only a few things in the "pantry", so typed them in...potatoes, cabbage and tomatoes and this is what it gave me. We found we really loved it when sprinkled with a little Parmesan cheese. By the way, it was a cool soupy kind of day.

Hearty Italian-style soup
Prep. 20 min
Cook: 25 min.

Ingredients
2 14-1/2 ounce cans chicken broth or beef broth (I used chicken broth)
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 14-1/2 ounce diced tomatoes, undrained
2 medium potatoes (peeled, if desired), cubed (I did not desire to peel them)
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup sliced celery (I did not have celery, so did not use)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup snipped fresh parsley (did not have parsley, either)
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning crushed (I used oregano, basal, and some wild cilantro a friend had given me.)
Dash garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 15 or 19 ounce can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I didn't have beans so used some acini di pepe from the pantry)
1-1/2 cups chopped cooked lean chicken or beef (I used sausage)

Directions
1. IN a large saucepan or Dutch oven combine broth, cabbage, undrained tomatoes, potatoes, carrot, celery, onion, parsley, Italian seasoning, pepper, and garlic powder. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Stir in the beans and beef or chicken. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.

3. Serve immediately (sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired) or divide among 6 airtight containers or freezer containers. Store up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in freezer. Heat to boiling before serving. Makes 6 main-dish servings.

173 calories, 2 g. fat, 6 g. fiber (Course that doesn't count the sausage).

Chicken Tenderloins with Cilantro Pesto

This was a fun one. You take the classic pesto and twist it into a completely different cuisine, and it's amazing. I still have some of the pesto in my fridge and I use it on different things—mix it with cream cheese and spread on a wrap or sandwich, smear it across my eggs in the morning—you name it, it's delightful! The recipe says to grill, but since we haven't really launched ourselves back into grilling in the new house, I pan fried. You could also broil. Easy stuff.

Chicken Tenderloins with Cilantro Pesto

adapted from Favorite Family Dinners

• About 2 pounds chicken tenderloins or breasts
• 1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp water (you could olive oil here, but I lightened it a touch with water)
• 3 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Salt and pepper

Pound and/or cut pieces of chicken to desired size; dry completely and set aside. For pesto, combine cilantro, walnuts, oil, water, lime juice, garlic and salt in a blender or food processor. Cover and process until smooth.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then rub pesto light all over. Cook over medium heat until no longer pink, turning once, and lightly re-coating with pesto half way through. We had tons of pesto left, so we cooked up some pasta and mixed it through and also served the chicken with extra pesto on top. It takes like 15 minutes total and it's light, refreshing, and oh so flavorful!

Saturday morning breaksfast

I remember many a wonderful Saturday morning breakfasts. Thanks mom. A fun breakfast for everyone is doughnuts. Who doesn't love these? The problem? Who can eat these deep fried gooey marvels? I may have discovered the solution this morning. A solution you say? Yes, you may now, with a little effort, be able to eat some doughnuts. I found this at tasteofhome.com.

No-Fry Doughnuts

2T yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/3 cup shortening (toying with the idea of using applesauce, I think it would taste good)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour
1/4 cup melted butter

Glaze:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups confectioner's sugar
5 tsp water
2 tsp vanilla

In mixer or large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, and shortening; stir for 1 minute. ( I found it didn't mix really well, so I just kept on going.) Add sugar, eggs, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and 2 cups flour; beat on low speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (do not knead). Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll out to 1/2" thickness, (don't roll too thin, the thicker ones were better). Cut with any 2"ish circular cutter; place 2" apart on greased baking sheets. Brush with butter. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 35o for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, for glaze, melt butter in saucepan. Add the sugar, water and vanilla; cook over low heat until smooth ( do not boil). Keep warm. Dip warm doughnuts, one at a time into glaze, and turn to coat. Drain on a wire rack with wax paper underneath. I also brushed some of mine with butter again and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar instead of the glaze. They were both wonderful. Chloe said she liked them better than store bought. I'm pretty sure she was referring to yucky walmart ones, not super yummy krispie kreme ones.

I've started making fun new things for breakfast every morning. We learned the joy of eating together as a family for breakfast while at James and Liz's house. This was something I made last week. The only complaint was that they couldn't have more. I found this in my wonderful new ood Housekeeping cookbook.

Easy Danish Pastries

2 Tb yeast
1 tsp plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter or margarine, cut up
4 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 Tb heavy or whipping cream
1 cup plus 2 Tb jam or Danish filling (below)

In medium owl, stir yeast and 1 tsp sugar into 1/2 cup warm water; let stand 5 minutes, until foamy. In large bowl, mix flour, remaining 1/3 cup sugar, and salt. With pastry blender (I used my fingers), cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk 3 eggs and 1/2 cup cream into yeast mixture; stir into flour mixture until moistened. Cover; refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 large cookie sheets. Divide dough in half. On floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll half of dough into 12" square. Cut into nine 4" squares. Place 1 Tb jam or filling in center of each square. Fold in one corner 2 inches to cover jam; fold opposite corner to edge. Arrange on cookie sheets and repeat with remaining dough and filling.
In cup, beat remaining egg with 1 Tb water; brush over pastries. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden, switching cookie sheets on oven racks halfway through baking.

Transfer pastries to cooling racks set over waxed paper; cool. In small bowl, mix confectioner's sugar with remaining 2 Tb cream (I had to use a little more) to make thick glaze. Drizzle over pastries.


Danish filling

Almond: In bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat 1 tube or can (8oz) almond paste, 4 Tb margarine or butter softened, 1 large egg, and 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel until smooth.

Cheese: In bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat 1 package (8oz) cream cheese softened, 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 1 large egg yolk until smooth.

Not a good picture, but yummy anyway.

Ham & Sun-dried tomato alfredo

I found this recipe in my taste of home magazine. Everyone loved it and it was very simple. I replaced the ham with pepperoni, because I don't like prepackaged cubed ham.

Ham & Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo

8 oz. uncooked linguine
1/4 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes ( found these at walmart by the canned tomatoes)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham

Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet coated with cooking spray, saute tomatoes for 1 minute. Reduce heat; stir in cream and cheese. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Simmer, uncovered for 5-7 minutes or until thickened. Drain linguine; stir into sauce mixture. Add ham; heat through.

Quick note

First, a thank you again to Jodi for more great new recipes, and also for the Gnocchi that is so tried and true. We had it again last night and it was amazing.

Second, I found something I love on my summer salad. My lunches have been pretty much the same every day—a couple of cups of spinach topped with chopped deli ham, diced cantaloupe and cottage cheese. I love it with the salty and the sweet and the crisp; just heaven. It's also filling with a nice combination of vegetable, fruit, dairy, and protein-rich meat. Well, yesterday I added something that put it over the top into AMAZING! 1-2 Tbsp strawberry jam. That's it. I kind of mix it on the plate with the cottage cheese to help it disperse evenly, and it's pure heaven. I just used my easy chunky strawberry freezer jam and it's perfect. May your summer salads be delightful!

An Hors D'œuvre For Your Tasting Pleasure

This is a great hors d'œuvree recipe that is also really easy. I made it for everyone (Justin, Michelle & Bryce & kids, Mom & Dad & Marquie) on Sunday and everyone seemed to really like it (I don't like it because I don't like mushrooms). Michelle and Mom are talking about trying to make it into a casserole with one of Michelle's gigantic zucchinis, so I guess they'll have to let you know how that turns out.

Stuffed Zucchini

• 3 small zucchini, with ends removed, cut in half, lengthwise
• 3/4 cup stove top stuffing mix
• 1/3 cup mushrooms, drained, chopped
• 1 Tbs. melted butter
• 3/8 tsp. salt
• dash pepper
• 6 Tbs. Shredded cheddar cheese

Add zucchini to boiling water and boil 5 minutes. Remove zucchini from the water and cool under running cold water. Using a melon ball tool, remove the center portion of the zucchini to be used later in the stuffing. (Leave at least 1/4" of flesh on the peeling.)

Combine croutons, mushrooms, margarine, seasonings. Chop the reserved center of the zucchini and add to crouton mixture, stir to mix. Fill the outside part of the zucchini with the mushroom mixture. Top with cheese; then broil until lightly-browned. Cut into bite-sized pieces if desired.

Basic Waldorf Salad

Cooking class again...You might have had this salad before, Michelle just loved it when I made it for her (and Justin when I made it for him).

Basic Waldorf Salad

Makes 6 servings

• 2 cups diced apple (about 2 apples - leave the peel on)
• 1/2 cup 1-inch julienne celery sticks (about 1 celery rib)
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1/2 pint (1 cup) whipping cream, whipped

Combine apple, celery, marshmallow, nuts, and raisins. Set a handful of these ingredients aside to garnish the top when finished mixing. Blend together mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, and dash salt. Fold whipped cream and mayonnaise mixture into apple mixture. Top with ingredients held aside to use as garnish. Chill and serve.

Bread Sticks

Here is another recipe from my cooking class. I made it for Michelle and her family a couple of times and she just loves it. They're great!

Quick Bread Sticks

(Serves 10)

• 1 tablespoon yeast dissolved in 1 ¼ cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3-3 ½ cups flour
• ¼ cup butter or margarine, melted
• garlic salt and parmesan cheese, optional

Add sugar, salt and 2 ½ cups flour to yeast mixture. Mix to form dough. Add up to 1 cup more flour if needed. Mix about 3 minutes. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Put half of melted butter or margarine in jelly roll pan. Using rolling pin or hands, flatten dough into buttered jelly roll pan. Spread remaining butter or margarine over top of dough. Using pizza cutter, cut dough into strips. Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Let rest another 10 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Cut with pizza cutter again.

Easy meals

We've been busy lately. VERY busy. I've been busting trying to get all the house projects done in a timely (and affordable!) manner and Liz has been unpacking, cleaning, organizing, fighting the internet fight. I think we might post on our family blog about that.

Anyway, I digress. The other night I made a quick yummy that the boys flipped for. Liz and I had plain old chicken over lightly sweetened cabbage, but the boys enjoyed this:

• 6 oz. dry pasta (we used Ziti), cooked
• 2 chicken breasts, diced and cooked
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper
• corn flakes

Nope, it's nothing special, but it's quick, easy and makes the boys happy. We combined everything but the corn flakes, added a splash of Alfredo sauce to make Joshua happier, then topped it with crushed corn flakes. Bake for 20 or 30 at 425˚. They loved it. My snitches were good too.

Easy Fudge

This is such a simple recipe!  It's also one I got from my cooking class.  As you can see, it's easily adapted to a small, individual serving, and it would be really fun to let kids make their own.

Zip-Lock Bag Fudge

(makes 1 1/2 cups, amounts in parentheses make a single serving in a sandwich bag)

• 2 oz cream cheese (1 T)
• 3 cups powdered sugar (3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup margarine (1 T)
• 1/4 cup cocoa (1 T)

Put all ingredients in a 1 gallon zip lock bag.  Push the air out of the bag and seal well.  Squish mixture with hands to mix well.  It will be dry at first, but will soon become fudge.  Serve in whatever shape you would like.  Balls of fudge can be rolled in chopped nuts or coconut.

Tuna Melts!

This is one of the recipes that I got from my cooking class during Winter semester.  We've made it several times, and it proves to be a very simple and delicious recipe.  Great for kids!

Tuna Melt Sandwiches

•1 (6 oz) can tuna, drained

•1/4 cup mayonnaise [we use miracle whip]

•1 hard cooked egg, diced*

•2 oz cheddar cheese, in 1/4" cubes [we've used significantly more than this on some occasions, just as good! also, we use shredded and it works fine]

•1/4 cup sweet pickle relish [we use dill]

•12 slices of bread [or as many as it takes you to use the filling up]

Combine filling ingredients.  Mix well. Spread between two slices of bread, buttering outsides of bread.  Cook in a sandwich maker or electric skillet, turning, until both sides are golden brown and cheese is melted [we just use a frying pan with a lid].

*You can prepare the boiled egg however you usually do, or use the way from my cooking class:  place room temperature egg in a pan with cold water.  Bring water to boil, remove from heat, cover tightly, and allow to remain in water for 20 minutes.

Brunch Casserole

I made a slight change to the existing brunch casserole recipe and we loved it.  Instead of throwing away the crusts of the bread, tear them up into small pieces (about an inch or less in length) and put them on top of the casserole before pouring the milk and egg mixture.  The crumbs get sufficiently moist to be baked and brown nicely.  It made it look beautiful and added a delightful crunch.

Pizza pinwheels

Made these for our pizza movie night and everyone loved them.

1 recipe pizza dough
toppings as desired, finely chopped (we did pepperoni and sausage)
cheese

Make dough as directed. Cut dough in two. Roll out on counter cinnamon roll style. Spread cheese and toppings. No sauce goes on these. Roll into a log and pinch. Slice to desired thickness, no more than 2". Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes. Dip in favorite sauce. We did a marinara with mozzarella cheese and an alfredo.

Chipotle Burritos

Thursday night, we had the missionaries over to dinner. We served them burritos. I wanted the flavor of that wonderful Chipotle Beef in the burrito, so instead of adding taco seasoning to the ground beef and onions, I added 1/2 t. cumin, 1 t. chopped garlic, about a 1/4 can of chopped chipotle peppers and some fresh cilantro. I let it simmer, covered, for, oh, about 45 minutes. I uncovered it and let it continue simmering for about 15 minutes more. The flavor was divine. Incredible with rice, beans, cheese, sour cream and guacomole on those giant tortillas! I served it with chips and salsa and watermelon chunks for dessert.

Spiced up Black Beans

I found myself alone, and with responsibility. I don't know that this was the best combination, but hopefully something good came of it. Jodi had volunteered to prepare "Beans for Eight" for the Stake Fiesta Latina activity tonight. However, she dared to leave this responsibility on me (she went up to Idaho to visit her dad). I didn't want to be boring and just take some refried beans, so I put my mind to work, and came up with this...a slightly spicy black bean concoction, and I like it! Next time you have burritos, or just want something to dip your tortilla chips in, give this a try.

Spiced Up Black Beans

• 1 (30-oz) can Black Beans, drained
• 1 (4 oz) can fire roasted, diced green chiles (you can use medium or hot)
• 3/4 cup salsa (select your favorite)
• 1 (14.5-oz) can whole kernel corn (I didn't put this in, but I think it would be great)

Mix everything together. Heat and serve, or dip (I served mine cold, but that is mostly because I had to go to work, and just dropped the beans off well before the activity started). I think a little lime juice would add a nice background flavor. I'll have to try that next time.

Just a note, it is better if you let it sit and allow the flavors mix. Plan ahead!

Cinnamon Rolls with a twist

I needed small pieces of cinnamon roll for a crowd, so I took a tip from my new favorite simple cookbook and made over our family cinnamon recipe (which I still think is amazing.) It's simple, just take 1/2 the recipe and roll it out nice and big. Butter, sugar and cinnamon as usual (I also added some toffee bits) then roll it up and seal it. No changes thus far.

Now it gets fun. Slice it with a very sharp knife (I sharpened mine the other day) the long way. Yup, just one long slice all the way down the length of that hunk of dough. Now you have 2 delicate pieces that are spilling out all over the place. Take them and twist them together, trying to keep the filling on top. I forgot to photograph this step, which I regret, because it's beautiful to see the brown sugar striped twisting around themselves. Take the twist and wrap it in a circle on the inside of a springform pan. I used a 10", and I think it would be difficult to do it smaller unless you used less dough, which, of course, is easy, so never mind about that.

Seal the ends together the best you can, then let it raise, which mine didn't do well, but it's no biggie. Cook at 350˚ for 25 minutes, then beat 1 egg yolk with 1 tsp water and brush it over the rolls. Cook 15 minutes more, then remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove sides of pan and place a sheet pan or large cutting board under the cooling rack. Drizzle the thin icing over the top and let it drip down the sides and into the waiting pan. Cool completely, then slice and serve. Voila! Little cinnamon roll slices for many people!

Chocolate Caramel Popcorn

So, yeah, it had to be done eventually, and I don't regret being the one to do it. As Michelle (and Bryce, Justin, Jodi, Liz, Heather, Mom, Marquie, etc.) can attest, I'm just one BAD influence. Oh well, that's life. Besides, after the Chipotle Beef debacle, I thought I owed the forum something! So here you go, please enjoy (as Liz and I did last night!)

Chocolate Caramel Popcorn

• 1 recipe of Family Cookbook Caramel Popcorn
• 2-3 batches of air popped popcorn [more popcorn=less caramel per piece—don't be greedy!]
• 1/4-1/3 cup cocoa [I used dutch process because I finally replenished my Kitchen Kneads supply!]
• Peanuts or pecans or peanut butter chips (optional)

OK, so prepare the popcorn and caramel as usual, but after you melt the butter and sugar together, add cocoa and mix well. Be very careful with the boil, because this will thicken FAST! Of course, I only made a 1/4 size batch, so it thickened super fast. Add salt, vanilla, and baking soda as usual. This will be thicker than your average caramel, but you shouldn't hate it.

For the small batch I used about 2 Tbsp cocoa, so my amount above is an estimate. We didn't add nuts or anything, but they sound good, don't they? We did 1/4 batch caramel to 1 batch popcorn, and it wasn't quite enough goo; so gauge accordingly. Love you!

Chipotle Beef II

I originally posted this as a comment to the recipe below, but thought it would make a nice recipe (and story) all by itself.

So, I was craving Chipotle yesterday, so I thought it would make delightful party fare for our get together last night. Unfortunately, I forgot you posted the great recipe below and I went in search of a recipe online (Sorry, Dad!) I found one, bought the ingredients, and then realized that the directions were horrible, so I freaked out. While I was online I saw your recipe posted (again!) and used it as the basis for my new hybrid of chipotle beef. It saved us all, so many thanks, Dad, even though I forgot about your original post! I do feel bad, but there's nothing I can do now. So, our hybrid was the same, but with a can each of green chiles, beef broth and diced tomatoes. It was really juicy, and I think Justin will be sick for a week after what he ate (even though Jodi tried to stop him!) We used a 3 pound roast, and it was a bit spicy as Mom mentioned, but we ate it up anyway. I think for the kids you could reduce the Chipotle peppers to 1/2 or 2/3 can. So here's the one I used:

Crock Pot Chipotle Beef

• 3-5 pound roast
• 1-14 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1-14 oz can beef broth
• 1 small can diced chiles
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped

Rinse and dry roast, then place in crockpot. Pour tomatoes and broth over the roast. Combine remaining ingredients, then pour over the top of the roast. [My recipe said to keep it all on top of the roast, but I'm not sure if that's important or not given how I prepared it.] Cook on low 12 hours or high for 8 hours. [I used a combination of the two as I checked it and freaked out about it being done on time, etc., etc.] When the roast is shreddable, removing it from the pot and shred it completely. Give the ingredients in the pot a stir, then return the meat to the pot and continue cooking until you're ready to serve it. [I let it stew another 1 1/2-2 hours and it was juicy, flavorful, and divine! I don't think it would have been quite as luscious if I hadn't let it stew in the liquid after shredding.]

I served it alongside homemade tortillas, spiced black beans, sauteed peppers and zucchini, and plenty of sour cream to cut the spice! Again, Dad, sorry I neglected the recipe you so generously posted. I promise to use it next time!

Chipotle Beef

Mom like this so much she asked (Actually, she told :)) me to get it posted and since James has the recipe site to do it, it made it easy to do. Some of the older family members may remember burritos from Jerry's in St. Paul. One of the meats we always enjoyed was Chipotle beef. So, because of mom's prompting and as a reminder of wonderful food from years gone by, here is my personal recipe.

First, the peppers, Chipotle peppers are actually Jalapeno peppers that are smoked. They are spicy but have a very robust and full flavor brought out by the smoking process.

Ingredients --

• Three to five pound beef roast, thin sliced or cubed. Either way, after cooking you will want to shred it some.
  
• One medium red, or yellow onion cubed
  
• Five Garlic cloves, chopped
• One small can Chipotle peppers, cut into pieces
  
• Salt to taste
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Cooking --

• Brown the beef
• Add onions, garlic, salt, pepper and Chipotle Peppers
  
• Cook until tender in either a crock pot or dutch oven (heavy covered pot). Cast iron is best.
  

Serving --

• This is a spicy dish and can be used in many ways such as a filling for burritos, tamales, or just as a meat dish served with rice, beans and tortillas. (Pinching as Heather would say)
• Depending on how it is served, (such as with rice and beans) will serve ten to twelve people
  

Enjoy.

Turkey Chili

I stumbled upon this recipe by accident. I started making taco soup by cooking 1 lb of ground turkey, and then realized I hadn't pre-soaked the dry beans that I needed to make the soup. So, I searched some recipes for what to do with 1 lb of ground turkey. I came across this recipe on Creative Homemaking and found we happened to have all of the ingredients, so I made it and it turned out great! Justin and I loved it so much we suggested it to Michelle and James as they put together the menu for the week. We had it together and everyone liked it (well, except for some of the kids). Give it a try! It's very healthy as well!
Turkey Chili

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced [we found that thickly sliced is pretty good too]
  
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 28-oz. can of crushed tomatoes [we used diced, and it seemed just fine]
  
• 1 15-oz. can of black beans, drained
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 can corn (optional) [I don't think you'll want to leave it out, the color of the corn makes it visually appealing]

In a large soup pan, cook onion, pepper, celery, and turkey in oil until turkey is cooked through. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, beans, and oregano, and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn and simmer for 10 more minutes. Serves 6.

My Mom's M&M Cookies

These (we think) are the cookies my mom used to make for us when we were little. They are by far my favorite kind of cookie ever, and I insist that the same recipe with chocolate chips substituted is not as good (but there is considerable debate on that topic, so feel free to try that if you want :). When she would make them, I would usually eat about 6 right in a row, until I had to stop because I felt sick.

M&M Cookies

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter (not spread), softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (12-oz) (1-3/4 cups) M&M® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Bits

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in flour mixture. Stir in M&M’s bits.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls about 2-in apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350* for 9 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute in pan.

Hint: For chewy cookies, begin checking cookies for doneness at ~ 8 minutes and for beginning brownness.

Here's some fun ways to spice up your pancakes!

I found these recipes one day on Mr.Breakfast.com when I decided to make breakfast for dinner and wanted a few ways to spice up our pancakes. We just happened to have apple cider in the fridge and I couldn't resist making the cinnamon honey butter to go along with it. Justin loved both, and it was really fun. We had whipped topping with it and it was very good together.

Apple Cider Syrup (15 servings)

[I halved this recipe and it served us more than twice each, but there's only two of us!]

• 2 cups apple cider or apple juice

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup butter

• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg in saucepan. Pour in juice (apple and lemon). Cook and stir constantly until thickened and boils. Boil and stir one minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Serve warm over pancakes [we found that it is just as delicious served cold (as long as you stir the separated ingredients)].

Cinnamon Honey Butter (16 servings)

[I halved this recipe and it was more than enough]

• 1/2 bup butter, softened

• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1 tsp cinnamon

In a medium bowl, combine butter, confectioners' sugar honey and cinnamon. Beat until light and fluffy.