Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Peach Cobbler


This is one of my favorite desserts! It's easy and it's a really comforting food :)

1 stick Margarine
1 c Sugar
1 c Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 c Milk
1 lg can (29 oz) Peach Slices

Melt margarine in a baking dish. Mix together sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Pour batter over dish. Pour peaches on top of batter (**do not drain**). As cobbler rises, sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350* for 35-40 minutes (or until middle doesn't jiggle if you shake the pan).

Strawberry Whipped Sensation

This is sooooo good! My aunt made this not too long ago, at my mom's house, and it was really yummy!!

4 cups fresh strawberries, divided
1 can (14 oz) Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed, divided
8 Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. butter melted

Line 8X4 inch loaf pan with foil. Mash 2 cups of strawberries in large bowl. Stir in Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk, juice and 2 cups of the Cool Whip, pour into pan.

Top with combined chopped cookies and butter; press into mixture. Cover

Freeze at least 6 hours. To serve, invert onto plate. Remove foil. Frost with remaining Cool Whip. Top with remaining strawberries, sliced. Makes 12 servings.

Roasted Bell Pepper Pasta

1 lb. penne pasta
2-12 oz. jars roasted red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves
2 T balsamic vinegar
1-2 tsp. hot sauce (like Louisiana)
2 T. -1/3c cream, milk, or silken tofu
spicy chicken sausage (like Emeril's habanero chicken sausage), cut into half moons
1-2 T olive oil (depending on how much sausage you used)
1/2 c grated pecorino cheese (although parmesano-reggiano will work just fine)
1 sprig of basil leaves, chopped

Bring water & salt to boil. When boiling, add penne pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, toss in a pasta bowl with 2 tsp olive oil.

In blender, add bell peppers, garlic cloves, balsamic vineger, hot sauce, and cream. Puree until smooth but still retains some chunks of red bell peppers.

Heat olive oil in pan over medium high heat and add the chicken sausage. Brown sausage slightly. Pour the roasted bell pepper puree over the sausage and simmer over low-medium heat until the sauce darkens in color slightly. This will help to mellow out the garlic. Pour over cooked penne pasta. Toss to coat the pasta. Add grated pecorino cheese and chopped basil over the top and serve.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas


1 can (10 ¾ oz.) Cream of Chicken Soup

8 oz. sour cream

1 cup mild picante sauce

6-8oz. mild enchilada sauce

1 tsp. chili power

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese

8 flour tortillas

1 medium tomato, diced

lettuce shredded

Mix together soup, sour cream, picante sauce, enchilada sauce and chili power in a separate bowl. Combine 1 cup of mixture with the chicken and most of the cheese (reserving enough cheese to sprinkle over the top). Spray a 9 x 13 pan with a non-stick spray. Spread about ¼ cup of chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in pan. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 40 min. Top with the tomato and lettuce or onion.

Chicken Cacciatore

This is a recipe I got from a recipe exchange. This lady is an excellent cook!

2-3 lbs. bone in chicken and thighs
1 tbsp. of rosemary
salt to taste
black pepper optional
1 can of tomato sauce 8-10 oz. can
1 can of mushrooms 8- 10 oz. can
4 tbsp of oil
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic

Boil chicken in a pot of water, seasoned with some salt and rosemary, just a pinch....to flavor chicken..let boil for 20 to 30 minutes, then drain... brown garlic in oil, then add onion, and saute, add chicken, season with rosemary, salt and pepper.allow to brown on both sides... then add tomato sauce, mushrooms, let cook another 20-30 minutes...then enjoy...

Strawberry Yogurt Pie

1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust
2 (8-ounce) containers of strawberry yogurt
1 (12-ounce) container whipped dessert topping, thawed
1 (10-ounce) package frozen sliced and sweetened strawberries, thawed or 1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries lightly sweetened with sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine the yogurt with 3 1/2 cups of the dessert topping until well blended. Stir in strawberries and spoon into crust. Freeze until filling is firm, about 3 to 4 hours or overnight.

Top frozen pie filling with remaining dessert topping. Store pie in freezer. For best results, remove from freezer about 10 minutes before serving.

Makes one 9-inch pie.

You can substitue yogurt flavor for any other flavor... whatever is your favorite.

Italian Crockpot Chicken

1 C water
2 pks Italian Seasoning (this is found in the isle with the dressings)
4-6 chicken pieces

Cook on low for 4 hours

Add after cooking:
8 oz cream cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Pizza Crust

1 C warm water (about 115 degrees F)
1 Tb yeast
1 tsp sugar

Let sit a few mins to start yeast growing.

1 tsp salt
2 Tb oil
2 1/2 C flour


Sprinkle yeast over the water for a few min. Add other ingredients and
mix to make dough. Preheat oven to 425*. Top and cook in oven for 15 mins or until done.
(Makes enough for one large or two small pizzas.)

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Very fast dinner


Sometimes I just don't want to cook at the end of the day. Recently I decided to try a boxed dinner that my husband could actually make. I got a Macaroni Grill Chicken Alfredo dinner. It was actually very good! I was impressed. It wasn't as good as homemade- but it was much much easier!! I served it with garlic bread and battered/fried zucchini (which is one of our favorite veggies). Here is a picture of our fancy box dinner on our finest china!!

Cheesy Bacon Chicken


I tried this chicken recipe and in my opinion, it's pretty salty. If you use low sodium bacon, I think it would be better. But, it tastes very good. My kids went to town on this chicken! They just loved it!

2 T olive oil
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 lb cooked and crumbled bacon
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup Ranch salad dressing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Put the 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of your crock pot. Add the chicken on top. In a small bowl, combine the teriyaki sauce and the ranch dressing. Pour the sauce over top of the chicken. Add the cheese and the bacon. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

I served this with corn, homemade dinner rolls and rice.

Breakfast Burrito


I make very simple breakfast burritos. My husband and I neither one like the omelet type breakfast burrito. These are so easy and are so yummy.

8 eggs scrambled
6 slices deli ham- chopped
3 tbsp butter or margarine
1/4 cup minced onion
4 slices deli swiss cheese
4 large or 6 small flour tortillas
2 tbsp chunky salsa for each large burrito (1-1 1/2 tbsp for each small burrito)

Melt butter in a skillet. Add onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes until onions are translucent. Add eggs. Add cheese and ham. Cook until the egg is cooked through, stirring just a few times. Heat tortillas in the microwave for about 10 seconds on each side so that you can fold them. Spread the salsa onto the tortillas. Divide the egg mixture up into the tortillas. Fold the bottom up, then fold in both sides and then roll to the top. Serve and enjoy!

** I add hot sauce to mine and my husband's. I omit it so that it doesn't end up on the ones I make for my kids! You can obviously make it with additional veggies, too! It's just whatever you like on yours :)

Cornbread


This is the best cornbread. My whole family loves it! My kids eat it really good, too.

Cornbread

1 c flour
1 t salt
3 t baking powder
½ c sugar
½ c cornmeal
2 eggs
1 c milk
½ c butter, melted
3 T butter, melted in bottom of pan

Put everything in a bowl & mix briefly. Pour into 8” square pan with 3 T butter melted in bottom. Bake 425* 20-25 minutes.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Taco Salad

This is one of my all time favorite meals! It's easy and it's really tasty!

1 lb Ground Beef (Hamburger) cooked
1 bag doritos
1 head Iceberg Lettuce
1 jar Cheez Whiz
3-4 large tomatoes (or 8-8 roma tomatoes)

While the ground beef is cooking, chop the lettuce and tomatoes into bite size pieces and crunch all of the doritos. Put all ingredients in a large bowl- except for the cheez whiz. Melt the cheez whiz- either in a microwave or on a stove top**. Then pour the cheez whiz over top of the other ingredients. Mix together well. Your hands are the best mixing utensils!!

**To heat the cheez whiz-
Microwave- heat for 25-30 seconds, then stir. Repeat as necessary until the cheez whiz is 'liquidy'.
Stove top- put an inch or so of water in a sauce pan. Put the jar of cheez whiz in the water and stir frequently until the cheez whiz is liquidy.