Favorite Family Recipes

Creamy Italian Chicken (with salad dressing mix)

2012-02-05T07:27:00.000-05:00

A couple of years ago I posted a recipe for Italian Crockpot Chicken after a Relief Society meeting where it was shared. Today we're having my mother-in-law's version, so I thought I'd post that variation as well. Although there are a couple of differences in how it's put together, the end result is just as delicious!

Creamy Italian Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts (Can you tell I doubled the recipe?)
1 packet dry Italian salad dressing mix (see below)
8 oz. cream cheese, cut in chunks
1 can cream of chicken soup

Place chicken breasts in the crockpot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Serve over cooked rice or noodles.

Oven variation: Place chicken breasts in a 9x13" pan. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover and bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes.

Note: I don't buy salad dressing mixes. Here's the combination of spices and herbs that I used instead:

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried onion
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

To turn this into salad dressing combine with 2/3 cup oil, 1/3 cup vinegar and 2 tablespoons water.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

2012-01-26T16:03:00.000-05:00

Chocolate Cherry Cake

1 package (18 oz) chocolate cake mix
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine dry cake mix, cherry filling, almond extract and eggs. Pour into greased 9x13" pan and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.

Combine sugar, butter and milk in saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Beat until smooth.

Then pour over warm cake.

Cool, then serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Dutch Oven Stuffed Hot Dogs

2012-01-26T15:29:00.000-05:00

Today I'm trying to clean up the "My Pictures" folder. I'm not going to bother looking up this recipe, because I think you can figure it out all on your own.

Cut a slit in a hot dog. Stuff in a thin slice of cheese.

Wrap a slice of bacon around it (secure with toothpicks) and cook in the Dutch Oven until done.

Eat it.

Creamy Pasta Something

2012-01-25T16:31:00.000-05:00

The inspiration for this dinner came from this website, but of course we had to make a few changes!

Start by briefly marinating (about an hour) chicken breasts in a mixture of olive oil, red wine vinegar, parley, garlic, Italian seasoning. Sauté them and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare a basic white sauce, stirring in some Mozarella cheese, peas, cooked mushrooms, and bacon bits.

Cook the pasta (we used linguine this time) and assemble, topping with some Parmesan cheese.

There you go! Of course, the plate would have looked better with carrots instead of cauliflower, but that's the way it goes.

Blackberry Cobbler

2012-01-25T14:51:00.002-05:00

Blackberry Cobbler

Heat oven to 350°. Place 1/2 cup butter or margarine in an 8" square pan and put in oven until melted. Meanwhile, combine 3/4 cup sugar, 1 cup self-rising flour (which I don't have, so I added a touch of baking powder and salt to my regular flour), and 3/4 cup milk. Pour over melted butter and top with about 2 cups blackberries. Return to oven and bake for about 45 minutes.

Serve with ice cream if desired!

It was delicious!

"This Combination Works" Chicken

2012-01-25T08:17:00.000-05:00

I was just planning on having sautéed chicken breasts sprinkled with a little seasoning salt for dinner. Wayne had other ideas. He threw on some sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and Mozarella cheese, and we had Gourmet Chicken for dinner - with the same amount of preparation time! It was delicious. Next time he thinks we should add some sliced black olives as well.

Company Potatoes

2012-01-25T08:11:00.000-05:00

I love potatoes, and it doesn't really matter how they're prepared. However, last night I decided this was the way I wanted them. They're delicious, with or without the green peppers.

Company Potatoes

8 unpeeled potatoes, cut up

1-2 onions, diced

green pepper, diced

12 oz. mushrooms, sliced

package of dry onion soup mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine

Place the vegetables in a 9x13" pan. Sprinkle with onion soup mix and dot with butter. Cover with foil. Bake at 400° for about an hour, or until tender. Serves 8.

Ajiaco

2012-01-24T09:09:00.000-05:00

Last week Wayne cooked another recipe from the Columbia Restaurant Cookbook. This time it required a special trip to the Latin supermarket. I couldn't find tasajo or malanga at Publix! However, it was a great Friday night date, and after trying two or three different stores we came home with the proper ingredients.

I'm just a bit too lazy to go get the recipe book, so if you want the actual amounts, let me know! But you start by soaking 1/2 pound of tasajo (or dried beef) overnight.

The next day, drain it, dice it, and combine it with 1/2 pound of fresh beef and 1/2 pound of fresh pork, and brown in some peanut oil. While that's cooking, prepare all the vegetables. (You could also save yourself all the peeling and dicing and go to the bodega and buy a bag of ajiaco vegetables. I'd never even heard of the soup before, but such an item exists!)

Wayne likes peeling and dicing! He used corn on the cob, green pepper, onion, garlic, sweet potato, butternut squash, yuca, taro, a green plantain and a ripe plantain. Salt and pepper to taste and stir in a can (8 oz) of tomato sauce and the juice from one lemon.

Cook until it's done, then serve!

I still don't like plantains, but the rest of the soup was pretty good.

Chocolate Profiteroles

2012-01-15T18:32:00.000-05:00

Michelle enjoys choosing our Sunday desserts. That way she gets what she wants! This recipe came from a recent Good Housekeeping magazine article. Since I already had some Hot Fudge Sauce in the refrigerator, we just used that (and so I haven't included their chocolate sauce recipe). Also, we didn't have chocolate ice cream, but Moose Tracks worked just as well.

Chocolate Profiteroles (or Cream Puffs)

1 cup cold water

6 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

4 eggs

Combine water, butter and sugar. Heat on medium until just boiling. Remove from heat. Add flour and cocoa, stirring vigorously until ball forms. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until batter is smooth.

Drop batter by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake at 400° for about 35 minutes (note: we thought that was too long - it made the puffs too crunchy). Turn off oven and remove pans. Make a 1/2" slit on side of each puff with a sharp knife. (Be careful! They're hot!) Return to oven; let stand 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

To serve, cut puffs in half with a serrated knife. Place small scoops of ice cream on bottoms; replace tops. Drizzle with warm chocolate sauce.

Strawberry Bavarian

2012-01-13T11:57:00.001-05:00

On the way home from church, Michelle wanted to know what was for dessert. I said "something with strawberries" and she suggested some sort of parfait. There wasn't a lot of time to do anything fancy, but we found this recipe that only took 5 minutes to prepare, and set up while we were eating. And it even looks fancy!

Strawberry Bavarians

1 package (4 serving size) strawberry jello
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup ice cubes, with cold water to make 1 1/4 cups
1/2 cup whipped topping
1 cup sliced strawberries

Combine dry jello with boiling water. Put in blender. Add ice cubes and process a couple of minutes. Add whipped topping and blend to combine. Put a few strawberries in each parfait glass. Pour jello mixture over berries. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. To serve, dollop with additional whipped cream if desired. Makes 4 servings

Unstuffed Cabbage

2012-01-13T11:46:00.000-05:00

Unstuffed Cabbage

1 small head cabbage
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup rice
salt and pepper to taste
1 can (10 oz) tomato soup
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Cut cabbage into 1 1/2" pieces (about 6-8 cups) and place in baking dish. Brown and drain the beef and onion (or use a package of wheat/meat) and pour over cabbage. Sprinkle rice over all. Add water to tomato soup, stir and pour over casserole. Cover and bake for one hour at 350°. Top with Parmesan cheese. Serves 4-6.

Hearty Cassoulet

2012-01-13T11:25:00.000-05:00

We weren't sure what a "cassoulet" was, so we looked it up. It's a recipe made with meat and white beans that is cooked in a casserole dish. This was aptly named. It also made it onto the "ways to cook dried beans that we can have again" list! Give it a try and see if you agree.

Hearty Cassoulet

4 cloves garlic

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup sliced scallions

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 chicken thighs, skinned (we used drumsticks this time, and didn't skin them)

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 carrots, sliced

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 cup water

2 (16 oz) cans cannelini, rinsed and drained

2 ounces Canadian bacon, diced (we used ham)

Combine garlic, parsley, scallions, thyme, salt and pepper; rub onto chicken and let set 10 minutes. Heat oil in skillet and cook carrots for 5 minutes. Transfer carrots and chicken to baking dish. Combine tomato paste and water. Add to dish with beans and bacon. Stir. Cover and bake at 400° for 35 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with additional parsley before serving. Serves 4.

Dutch Oven Chicken with Vegetables

2012-01-13T11:09:00.000-05:00

It was obvious this recipe was meant for a crowd, but we made it for three. There was a lot of sauce! Of course, that made it delicious. And even though we made it for three, there were a lot of leftovers; it was closer to eight servings. When we try the other variations, I think we'll add more vegetables just for the fun of it, to help even out the proportions.

Dutch Oven Chicken and Vegetables Casserole

1/2 pound chicken per person

1/2 pound vegetables per person - equal parts potatoes, carrots, and celery (all cut up)

2 onions - chopped

1 bell pepper - chopped

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

2 cans cheddar cheese soup

seasoning to taste

Brown the chicken in a 14" Dutch oven. Add the vegetables. Mix together the cans of soup and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Season to taste. Cook until tender, about 1 hour.

Note: also good with cubed turkey or beef instead of the chicken.

Soy-Marinated Chicken

2012-01-11T14:35:00.000-05:00

Marinate a 3# fryer in the following overnight::
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons lemon peel
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons oil
1 clove garlic, minced

Drain and broil 20 minutes 5" from heat. Turn and cook 15 more minutes. Brush often with marinade.

Serves 6.

Note: I halved the marinade ingredients, used 4 chicken thighs, only marinated them while at church (4-5 hours), and they were done after 20 minutes of broiling. Yummy!

Linguine with Zucchini

2012-01-11T14:34:00.000-05:00

You know it's a good recipe when everyone says you can make it again. Next time we'll probably add mushrooms, and maybe even try thickening the sauce just a bit with cornstarch.

Linguine with Zucchini-Clam Sauce

Sauté 1 sliced medium zucchini in 2 tablespoons olive oil until tender. Add 2 cans minced clams and their juice, 1 cup chicken broth, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat through. Stir in sliced scallions and toss with 12 oz. freshly-cooked linguine. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

"One Skillet, No Skill"

2011-12-15T17:29:00.005-05:00

That's what the description of the recipe we saw in the Sunday paper said. Michelle noticed the picture and thought it would be a good addition to our menu, and I agreed. I don't have a problem with quick and easy! Once it got on her plate, she was a bit surprised that it wasn't pasta, but it was still delicious. Give it a try; it makes a great "December is a busy month" meal!

Tortilla Skillet

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 can tomato soup

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup water

6 (6") tortillas, cut in 1" pieces

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef and onion, or make it even more quick and easy and pull a package of wheat/meat from the freezer, thaw it in the microwave for one minute and toss it in the skillet. Stir in the tomato soup (undiluted), salsa and water. Add the tortillas (ours were 8" so I used four; the pizza cutter works great for cutting them into pieces). Heat through, then top with cheese and serve. I also added some sliced olives because they were handy, and served it with a dollop of sour cream.

Sunday Dinner

2011-12-04T15:01:00.006-05:00

"That was good. You should go write down what you did. And you should post it on your blog." So I will, particularly since I looked at about three or four recipes and took bits and pieces from each. On the way to church Michelle wondered what was for dinner. I said I had thawed chicken thighs and was trying to figure that out, but probably something with rice. She suggested Teriyaki Chicken, and after some discussion (which included the possibility - quickly vetoed - of Mexican Molé), I told her I'd see if I could come up with something teriyaki-ish. This was the result.

Teriyaki Mushroom Chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 chicken thighs

4 oz can of mushrooms, undrained

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

Heat the oil in a frying pan; add the chicken and brown on both sides. Salt and pepper to taste Combine the mushrooms, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Pour over chicken and simmer until done (about 35-45 minutes). Combine cornstarch and water, stir into sauce and cook until thickened. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Notes: The basic sauce was a marinade recipe I had for broiled chicken breasts. We didn't have time to marinade the chicken, but cooking it in the sauce infused it with flavor. I added the mushrooms because the original recipe called for sherry, and for years I've used the liquid from canned mushrooms as a substitute for that when cooking dinner. Besides, one of the other recipes I looked at was Giant Teriyaki Meatballs, and that sauce contained mushrooms.

Omelet Quesadilla

2011-11-17T06:41:00.003-05:00

I saw the idea for this recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine. The contributor said she invented it after her family complained that breakfast burritos were too messy. I don't particularly care for breakfast burritos either, so wanted to give this a try. It was delicious, even if I didn't follow her instructions exactly.Omelet Quesadilla

Actually, this is more of a process than a recipe. Scramble some eggs, but be sure to include some yummy add-ins. This time around we did bacon, mushrooms and onions. Heat the griddle. Place a tortilla on the griddle; spread some cheese on top. We used 1/2 mozarella and 1/2 cheddar. Top with a spoonful of the cooked egg mixture. Then you have your choice of folding the tortilla over (which is what we did) or placing another on top. After a couple of minutes flip the quesadilla, and cook until the cheese melts. Cut in wedges if desired and serve with salsa and/or sour cream. Yummy!

Saucy Pork Chops

2011-11-17T06:35:00.003-05:00

Pork Chops were on the menu the other day, and I found two recipes that looked intriguing. Since I couldn't choose between the two, I decided to combine them into my own. Here's the result:Saucy Pork Chops

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 cups chopped onion

1-2 cups chopped celery

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 pork chops

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Sauté the onions, celery and garlic in the olive oil until softened. Scoot to the side and add the pork chops, browning on both sides. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the chops. Spoon the vegetables back on top. Cover and simmer until the pork is done, turning over occasionally if needed. Serves 8.

Note: These were fairly thick chops. I think it might have been fun to "stuff" them with the onion mixture, but there wasn't enough time before company arrived to add that step. Maybe another time.

Cheesy Potato Bake

2011-11-17T06:34:00.001-05:00

Here's another successful, tried-and-true, Taste of Home recipe. I doubled it, cooked it a bit longer (45 minutes instead of 30), and our company loved it.Cheddar Potato Strips

3 large potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch strips

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon minced parsley

Arrange potatoes in a greased 9x13" pan. Pour milk over potatoes and dot with butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and bake at 425° for 30 minutes, or until tender. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes longer. Serves 4.

Old-Fashioned Cheesecake

2011-11-17T06:32:00.002-05:00

Wayne first made this recipe in 1988, long before the days of this blog! So when Michelle requested "just an ordinary cheesecake" (I guess she wasn't quite in the mood for Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake), this is the one we had. I put off her request for several weeks because I figured it would be expensive and time-consuming. I was wrong, and it won't be years before we have cheesecake again!
Company Cheesecake

1 1/4 cups graham crack crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons butter, melted

19 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

Combine cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and butter and press into bottom of a 9 springform pan. (Note: my choice was 8 1/2" or 9 1/2" - I went with the 9 1/2". Next time I'll try the smaller one, because this was kind of a short cheesecake.) Bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating until fluffy. Add lemon peel and vanilla. Then beat in eggs, one at a time. Pour mixture over crust. Bake about 45 minutes at 300°. (Note: the original recipe said to bake for 60 minutes; that was too long.) Cool to room temperature.

Spread with sour cream and chill for at least 3 hours. Remove side of pan before serving. Serves 12.

Variations: Top with cherry pie filling or strawberry glaze instead of sour cream. (Note: we chose to top it with hot fudge sauce this time, and with melted raspberry jam another. With 12 servings, we had it for dessert a few different times. It freezes well!)

Deliciousness, but still Mistakes

2011-11-17T06:28:00.004-05:00

Rather than buying Almond Roca and Turtles this year, I decided to try making them. Maybe practice makes perfect, but I have a LOT of practicing to do. The toffee was under-cooked and the caramel for the turtles was over-cooked. And I even used a candy thermometer!!!

Oh, well, here are the recipes. I'm open to any advice and/or tricks you may have to make these turn out properly every time!

Mom's Turtles

pecan halves (about 8 oz.)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup light corn syrup

6 tablespoons, unsalted butter, divided

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (1/2 cup chips)

3 oz. cup milk chocolate (1/2 cup chips)

Oil 2-3 baking sheets (or use silicone mats). Place pecan halves in clusters of 4 at even intervals, about 12 per sheet. (Note: the recipe called for 24 clusters, but I used 36.)

Combine sugars, cream, corn syrup, 3 tablespoons of the butter, and vanilla in a large pan. Heat over high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until candy thermometer reads 245° (firm ball stage).

Pour (spoon) a generous tablespoon of caramel over each pecan cluster. When caramel is warm but not set, mold clusters into turtle shapes. Let stand until completely cool and firm. Transfer to wire racks over baking sheets.

Melt remaining butter and chocolates together. Spoon over turtles, spreading with spatula to completely cover. Cool to room temperature. Store covered in an air-tight tin, or refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

Note: The original recipe said to cook for five minutes after it reached 245°. I didn't do that, but immediately started using the caramel. Even so, as soon as I finished spooning it on and went to "mold" the clusters, the caramel was already hardened. So, I'm assuming even the 245° was too high. And for some reason my chocolate wasn't smooth and creamy. I had to spread it on like frosting. Sigh. Fortunately, these candies are still delicious, and I have an excuse to try the recipe again.

CEO's Almond Chocolate Toffee

1 cup almond slivers, divided

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 cup chocolate chips

Line a 9x13" pan with foil, extending over the edges. Sprinkle half the almonds on the bottom.

Melt butter over low heat in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Stir in sugar, water, and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium-high heat to boiling. Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thermometer reads 290° (soft-crack stage). Watch carefully after mixture reaches 280°. Remove pan from heat. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan. Let stand 3 minutes, until surface is firm.

Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Let stand a couple minutes until chocolate is glossy and soft. Spread evenly over candy. Sprinkle with remaining almonds.

Chill until firm. Lift candy out of pan with foil; break into pieces. Makes about 1 1/2 pounds.

Note: On this recipe I took the "watch carefully" warning seriously, because I didn't want it to burn. I think I pulled it off the heat closer to 285° and I shouldn't have. Still delicious, but not the dark golden color that toffee ought to be. Guess I get to try this one again as well! (Or maybe I'll try the recipe from last year.)

Stuffing Casserole

2011-11-16T18:57:00.003-05:00

After having this for dinner the other day, Wayne suggested I needed to start a new blog and call it Food Chain. I'm not ready to do that, but I think it's a great title for a post, and even for a series on this blog! What is a food chain? According to him, it's taking an ingredient from one meal and serving it in a different form at another meal. The "food chain" ingredient in this recipe is Cody's Sausage Stuffing. Her recipe (which we tried last week) made a good 12-16 servings. There are only three of us at home now, and you can only serve stuffing as a side dish a limited number of times. So, when I saw this recipe in an old Friend, I had to give it a try. I loved it (remember my favorite dish as a child was Shepherd's Pie) and I thoroughly enjoyed these leftovers for lunch the next couple of days.
Stuffing Casserole

2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup green beans
2 cups prepared stuffing
2 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup grated cheese

Mix the turkey and soup in a bowl, seasoning it with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Layer the green beans, stuffing, and mashed potatoes on top of the turkey. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until heated through. Remove from the oven and sprinkle cheese on top. Return to the oven until cheese is melted. Serves 4-6.

Now you all have an idea for a way to serve your Thanksgiving leftovers!

Roasted Corn Chowder

2011-11-16T18:48:00.003-05:00

This recipe was inspired by the soup I had on our anniversary dinner at Sinclair's Ocean Grill. When I went internet-searching for something similar, I found a recipe at "The Ungourmet" and they in turn were inspired by "A Blog About Food." Just want to give everyone the credit they deserve :) Here's my version:

Roasted Corn Chowder

2 cups fresh corn tossed with 1 tablespoon olive oil

4 pieces of bacon, chopped

1 small onion, finely diced

3 cups chicken broth

3 cups diced potatoes

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 can salmon, drained

1/2 cup cream

1 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425°. Spread the oiled corn on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake/roast for 15-30 minutes until begins to brown. Meanwhile, sauté the bacon and onion until the bacon is crisp. Add the broth, potatoes and herbs. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Remove 1/2 of the chowder and blend until smooth. (Be careful that it doesn't squirt out the top.) Return to pot. Stir in the corn, salmon, cream, and milk. Heat through. Add salt and pepper as desired.

Cody's Family's Stuffing

2011-11-09T13:54:00.003-05:00

I wanted to try Cody's traditional Thanksgiving stuffing, and decided not to wait until Thanksgiving to do so. We liked it (at least, those of us who actually like stuffing). Thanks for sharing the recipe!

Sausage Chestnut Stuffing (Thanksgiving)

6 Tbs. butter
1 ½ c. chopped onion
1 c. diced celery
1 ½ tsp. thyme
2 tsp. sage
12 c. dried bread cubes
1 can water chestnuts, drained & chopped
12-16 oz. Jimmie Dean sausage, cooked
2 ½ - 3 c. chicken bouillon

Sauté onion and celery in butter. Add thyme and sage. Mix with bread cubes, sausage and water chestnuts. Pour bouillon over top and mix in enough to wet bread without making it soggy. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake uncovered in a 13”x9” pan at 350° for about 30 minutes.

I also read somewhere about baking stuffing in a bundt/ring pan, so tried that new tip as well. It made the presentation a little more fancy, and that was kind of neat. Just be sure to grease the baking dish really well!

Favorite Holiday Recipes

2011-10-25T15:50:00.007-04:00

We took a little survey this week and here are our family's favorite holiday recipes. I thought it would be a good idea to have all the links in one place.

For October:

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Hot Caramel Apple Cider
Caramel Apples
Pumpkin Bars

Candy Corn Cookies
Spudnuts/Doughnuts
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

(I'll work on adding the ones that aren't posted yet!)

For Thanksgiving:

Turkey
Classic Green Bean Casserole
Lion House Rolls
Sausage Chestnut Stuffing

Cranberry Salad

Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese
Frosty Pumpkin Pie
Candy Bar Pie

For Christmas:

Cinnamon Rolls
Shrimp Dip
Dutch Oven Chicken Wings
Glazed Chicken Wings
Sparkling Apple Cider

Steak or Standing Rib Roast
Potato Casserole

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Frosted Sugar Cookies
Rocky Road Candy
Caramels
Toffee

Pretzel/Rolo Treats

Candy Corn Cookies

2011-10-25T09:52:00.004-04:00

The original idea is at "Our Best Bites" over here, and they look a LOT prettier, but this is to show that we tried Elizabeth's suggestion :) For some reason our dough was just too sticky to work with easily, but the cookies tasted just fine.Take your sugar cookie dough and tint 1/3 yellow and 1/3 orange, leaving the last third white. Layer in a loaf pan and chill.
Slice 1/4" thick. (You can trim the edges if you want.) Then cut into triangles and place on the cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with sugar and bake. We did 9 minutes at 350°.
Cute little cookies - much better than real candy corn (at least in my opinion)!

Pretzel Treats

2011-10-25T09:46:00.002-04:00

I'm not seeing that this has been posted, so here you go. This is one of our family's favorite holiday treats. We've made them often, but apparently they disappear immediately, because Dad has never tried one before! I guess there are some advantages to sending all your boys off to college.Layer pretzels on a baking sheet. (We like to use the square Butter Snaps.) Top with an unwrapped Rolo candy. Bake at 300° for 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently press an M&M or pecan onto the candy to "squish" it into the pretzel. Delicious!!

Deep-Fried Turkey

2011-10-25T08:24:00.004-04:00

Wayne wants to deep-fry a turkey for Thanksgiving this year. Since it's been a while, he decided it would be a good idea to make sure everything still works. We're pleased to report that it does! If you haven't ever tried turkey cooked this way, do so. It's fabulous - moist and flavorful.Follow the instructions that come with the fryer you're using, but basically you bring 3 1/2 gallons of oil to 350°, drop in a turkey that's been seasoned (we tried injecting it this time with a basic vinaigrette), fry for 3 minutes per pound, remove and carve. It was the perfect accompaniment for the Dutch oven broccoli casserole that he also made.
I'm not posting the recipe (although you can always ask for it) because it wasn't my favorite way to eat broccoli, but it was still good. He combined broccoli, eggs, milk and cheese and then baked it until it was done. Pretty simple!

Chicken Ranch Pizza

2011-10-05T16:48:00.003-04:00

Chicken Pizza

1/2 cup Ranch dressing

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup chopped cooked chicken

1 ready-to-eat (12") pizza crust [which just means I made our regular crust and pre-baked it a few minutes before adding the toppings]

1/2 cup roasted red pepper strips, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup sliced ripe olives

1/4 cup chopped green onions (omitted this time)

1-2 cups mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450°. Combine salad dressing, cream cheese and tomato paste; stir in chicken. Spread mixture on pizza crust. Arrange peppers, olives and onions on top; sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

2011-10-05T16:41:00.001-04:00

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars together. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients, then add chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes.

First tried in April 1995 - Delicious! Great texture!!

Ground Steak Patties

2011-09-13T11:11:00.002-04:00

We had another yummy dinner on Saturday. The recipe said it served 4, but really it should have served 6, or even 8. I guess it depends on your size and appetite!

Anyway, start with 2 pounds of ground steak. Chop up one onion and one green pepper and mix it all together, along with about 1/4 cup of flour. Then form it into four patties and place in your Dutch oven. Next time we'll add some salt and pepper at this point as well.
Brown the patties on both sides and then dollop on a can of undiluted cream of mushroom soup.Cover and bake (more coals on top than on bottom) for about 30 minutes.
Check to make sure they're not pink in the middle.
And then serve them!
Delicious!!!

Potatoes Romanoff

2011-09-13T11:01:00.004-04:00

Somewhere I came across a recipe for Potatoes Romanoff, and it looked so similar to our favorite potato casserole that I had to give it a try. I just wrote down ingredients, not measurements, because I knew it would be a forgiving recipe. However, I'll try to add amounts for you!Potatoes Romanoff

4-6 potatoes, baked in foil and chilled overnight, then peeled and grated

2-4 tablespoons, scallions or green onions, chopped

1-2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

1-2 cups sour cream

lots of salt and pepper

Combine everything and put into a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

That's it! It was very good. I think we'll stick with our regular recipe, though, because it adds butter and cream of mushroom soup, which is just more deliciousness, and cuts down on the tang of the sour cream. Also, I've always boiled my potatoes before grating them; it was nice to learn that this casserole works just fine with baked potatoes as well.

White Lasagna

2011-09-12T10:58:00.003-04:00

We first tried this recipe 15 years ago, and unfortunately I have no idea who gave it to me. But since I didn't follow the recipe exactly, now it's mine. Feel free to make whatever changes YOU want to it!

White Lasagna - the 2011 version

1/4 cup butter

1 onion, chopped

1/3 cup flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon parsley

1 can (4 oz.) mushrooms, undrained

12-16 oz. cottage cheese

1 egg

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

12 ounces lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

1-2 cups diced cooked chicken

1-2 cups diced cooked ham

12-16 oz. grated Mozzarella cheese

Sauté onion in butter. Stir in flour, then chicken broth and milk. Bring to a boil to thicken, stirring frequently. Add salt, pepper, parsley and mushrooms and set sauce aside. In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg and Parmesan cheese. Place 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in a greased 9x13" baking dish. Top with 1/2 the cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 the chicken and ham, and 1/3 of the Mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers and top with remaining lasagna. Pour sauce over it all. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove foil, top with last 1/3 of Mozarella cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes.

Note: For those of you who care, the original recipe didn't call for the cottage cheese mixture or mushrooms, but since it did call for some white wine, and I use the mushroom liquid as a white wine substitute, I figured the mushrooms themselves would be delicious in this recipe, and they were. (How's that for a run-on sentence?)

Lime Philly Freeze

2011-09-12T10:39:00.002-04:00

Time to try a new recipe! This one was in an old Kraft magazine and turned out quite nicely, although I did have to tweak the recipe a bit.

Lime Philly Freeze

20 Oreo cookies, crushed

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese

1 can (12 oz.) frozen limeade concentrate, thawed

1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, divided

2 teaspoons grated lime peel (didn't use)

Combine cookie crumbs and butter and press into foil-lined 9" square pan. (Note: the original recipe called for 12 cookies, but that wasn't nearly enough for the amount of butter and the pan size.) Beat cream cheese until creamy and and limeade. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the whipped topping and spoon into crust. Freeze for 3 hours or until firm. When ready to serve, lift from pan and cut into squares. Top with remaining whipped topping and sprinkle with lime peel. (We used an Oreo garnish instead.) Makes 12 servings.

Note: This was quite tart. I noticed on the recipe link that now Kraft suggests using a 6 oz. can of limeade. That would probably be better. They also suggest trying different flavors of juice concentrate, including raspberry, lemonade, fruit punch or grape. We just might do that, because in spite of the tartness it was a delicious dessert!

Four Cheese Stuffed Shells

2011-05-10T13:06:00.004-04:00

We found another recipe that our "picky eater" loves!

Four Cheese Stuffed Shells

1 package jumbo shells

2 cups cottage cheese

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 jar spaghetti sauce

Cook shells according to package directions; drain. Rince in cold water; drain again and set aside.

Mix together the four cheeses, eggs and parsley. Pour 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Stuff each shell with a heaping spoonful of cheese mixture. Sit upright on top of sauce. When all shells are filled, pour remaining sauce over shells. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese if desired. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.

Note: this is an excellent recipe to freeze before baking. Thaw and follow regular baking instructions.

Pork Tenderloin with Gravy

2011-05-10T12:53:00.006-04:00

Here was the Mother's Day meal for this year, and it turned out very nicely. The original recipe came from a Taste of Home magazine, in their "Cooking for One or Two" section, so we doubled it. A few years ago we would have had to quadruple it! And it was a little on the salty side, so be aware of that. It's also good to note that if this has to sit on the stove on "warm" for 40 minutes while you talk to your missionary son the quality is not affected.

Pork Tenderloin with Gravy

1 envelope brown gravy mix

1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pork tenderloin (about 3/4 pound), cut into 1/2 inch slices

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil (no way does it need this much!)

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings

In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients until blended; set aside. In a large skillet, brown poik in oil on all sides. Stir in the gravy mixture, mushrooms and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve over hot rice. 2-3 servings

Warm Black Bean Dip

2011-05-10T09:40:00.007-04:00

I forgot to take a picture before serving this recipe. However, it turned out to be so delicious, that others told me I needed to post it on the blog. In order to do that, I need a picture! Sorry it's of a dirty plate, but there was only one bite left. We'll definitely be having it again, so someday there will be a prettier picture. Warm Black Bean Dip

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup diced fresh tomato

1/3 cup picante sauce/salsa

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese

(1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro or parsley) - we don't like cilantro, so we omitted this

1 tablespoon lime juice

Saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the beans; mash gently. Stir in the tomato, salsa, cumin and chili powder and cook just until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Cheesy Ham Braid

2011-05-10T08:53:00.002-04:00

Here'a another recipe Michelle picked. And we even followed the directions exactly and bought a hot roll mix instead of making our own dough! Okay, I made one substitution, using orange pepper instead of green pepper because we already had some handy, but I did do the egg wash, a step I usually skip. It turned out deliciously, and was extra good dipped in broccoli soup.

Cheesy Ham Braid

1 package (16 oz) hot roll mix
1 cup warm water
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 cups chopped cooked ham
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 egg white
1 tablespoon cold water

In a large bowl, combine the hot roll mix and contents of yeast packet. Stir in the warm water, egg and 1 tablespoon butter. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead for 5 minutes. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet, sauté onion and green pepper in remaining butter until tender. Remove from heat; stir in ham, cheese and parsley. On a greased baking sheet, roll the dough into a 15x10 inch rectangle. Spoon ham mixture lengthwise down the center. On each long side, cut 1-inch wide strips into the center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across the filling. Pinch ends to seal. cover and let rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes. In a small bowl, beat egg white and cold water; brush over dough. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

Stuffed Crust Pizza

2011-05-09T13:36:00.004-04:00

Here's another recipe Michelle chose and made. It was absolutely delicious. (Because it was on the plan to have in our "camping" house, we used all the prescribed shortcuts - pizza dough in a can and pizza sauce in a bottle - something that never would have happened a few years ago!)

Pizza with Stuffed Crust

2 teaspoons cornmeal
2 tubes (10 ounces each) refrigerated pizza crust
8 ounces string cheese
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 can (8 ounces) pizza sauce
1 package (3 1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Sprinkle cornmeal evenly over a greased 15x10" baking pan. Unroll pizza dough and place on pan. (The original recipe said to let it drape over the edges, but ours didn't even reach the edges, so we skipped that part.) Pinch center seam to seal. Place pieces of string cheese around edges of dough. Fold dough over cheese; pinch to seal. Brush the crust with butter; sprinkle with basil. Bake at 425° for 5 minutes. Spread sauce over crust. Place 2/3 of the pepperoni in a single layer over sauce. Sprinkle with mushrooms, olives, and cheese. Top with remaining pepperoni. Bake for 10-12 minutes more, or until crust and cheese are lightly browned. Serves 6.

Pork (or Turkey) Egg Rolls

2011-05-09T10:49:00.004-04:00

As part of our Personal Progress goals, Michelle and I worked together on a two-week menu. It was actually kind of fun having her pick the recipes. Here's one of the recipes she chose. Then we went shopping and made it and she learned how I adapt recipes. To begin with, we decided that instead of buying ground pork, we'd use some cooked turkey we already had; and instead of buying shrimp, we'd use the crab in the freezer. Next she decided she didn't like bean sprouts and water chestnuts, so we could omit those; we added extra cabbage instead. We definitely didn't use 3 tablespoons of oil for the stir-fry; it was whatever was left in the bottle of sesame oil, maybe 1 teaspoon, and that was plenty. Finally, we didn't really measure any of the filling ingredients, and we had enough to use all 21 of the wrappers that came in the egg roll package! Oh, and we only used 1/4" of oil in a cast iron frying pan; even that was a concession to the recipe, because normally I bake egg rolls. (That post also has pictures of the rolling process.) What this all means, is that it's probably impossible to duplicate our finished product, but you could definitely try! And whatever you came up with would be delicious.

Pork Egg Rolls

1/2 pound ground pork
2/3 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 green onions, sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup salad shrimp
1/2 cup water chestnuts, chopped
1/2 cup bean sprouts, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
8 refrigerated egg roll wrappers
oil for frying

Cook pork in a large skillet until no longer pink; drain. Remove pork and set aside. In same skillet, stir-fry cabbage, celery and onions in oil until crisp-tender. Add shrimp, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, garlic, soy sauce, sugar and reserved pork; stir-fry 4 minutes longer or until liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat. (Sorry, I didn't think about taking pictures of these first steps.)

Position egg roll wrappers with a corner facing you. Spoon 1/3 cup pork mixture on the bottom third of each wrapper. Fold a bottom corner over filling; fold sides over filling toward center. Moisten top corner with water; roll up tightly to seal. In an electric skillet, heat 1 inch of oil to 375°. Fry egg rolls for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

Strawberry Cream Dessert

2011-05-05T18:20:00.003-04:00

We tried a new recipe today and, as expected, it was quite delicious. Michelle found the recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine and thought we should try it. It looked like a "jello" version of our favorite Four Layer Dessert, so I was sure we would like it. And we did. Of course, I had to put our own spin on it, particularly when I discovered we didn't have any packages of strawberry jello in the cupboard! I also thought it called for way too much whipped topping (24 ounces)! I used half that amount and it turned out just fine. And, I used my graham cracker/cookie crumb mix from the freezer. So, here's our recipe: Berry Cream Dessert

2 1/4 cups graham cracker/cookie crumbs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
12 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
1 package (3 ounces) raspberry gelatin (any flavor would work, just change the name)

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup frozen, sliced strawberries
3/4 to 1 cup strawberry yogurt

Combine the crumbs and melted butter. Press into a 9x13" pan and freeze for 15 minutes. Beat cream cheese and sugar together; stir in about 1 cup whipped topping and spread over prepared crust. In a large bowl dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in strawberries and yogurt. Fold in about 3 cups whipped topping and spread over cream cheese layer. Chill for several hours. Spread remaining whipped topping over the top, or dollop over individual servings, before serving.

Enchilada Casserole

2011-05-05T16:47:00.002-04:00

Previously I've shared our regular enchilada recipe, which we make rarely, and the shortcut tortilla stack recipe, which we make fairly often. However, I realized today that I hadn't posted about the combination of the two that we'll occasionally try. Basically, it's a stacked version of enchiladas, complete with the sauce, so it's not as dry as the tortilla stack. Here's our version of Enchilada Casserole:

Prepare the sauce mixture. The recipe I started with today called for 1/3 cup flour, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 4 cups water. (However, I cut the water to 2 cups and added a can of tomato sauce. And usually I'll use the sauce recipe found in the link above.)

Combine that with 1 pound cooked ground turkey/beef (or even wheat/meat), 1 1/2 cups chopped onions and 2 minced garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 8-10 minutes. If I'm in a generous mood, I'll add sliced olives to this mixture; it's an easy way to make everyone happy.

Once that's ready, grease a baking dish and line it with a layer of tortillas. (Most recipes call for corn tortillas, but our family prefers flour tortillas.) Top with some of the sauce and a layer of grated cheese. Repeat two more times, leaving off the last layer of cheese. Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover, top with cheese and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Golden Butter Waffles

2011-04-20T07:59:00.004-04:00

Here's our favorite waffle recipe. It's a delicious one. For a special treat I'll make it using the trick my mother taught me, which is to separate the eggs and beat the egg whites before folding into the rest of the batter at the very end. That makes them extra light and fluffy!

Golden Butter Waffles

2 eggs
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Heat waffle iron. Combine ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into waffle iron and bake until done. Serve hot. Combine dry ingredients before adding the melted butter, milk and egg yolks.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff.

Use the same beaters to mix the other batter.

Then gently fold in the egg whites.

Spoon onto the hot griddle. I discovered that my 1/4 cup ladle is the perfect size so that we get full squares and nothing drips over the edge!

Gently close the lid and bake until the little light goes off. You'll need to experiment with your own waffle iron to know how long that is.

Carefully, so you don't burn your fingers, remove the waffle and serve. We usually tear the large one into four smaller ones.

This time around we decided to be more healthy and served it with strawberries instead of syrup!

Peanut Butter Pie

2011-04-20T07:32:00.002-04:00

Sunday after church I was getting ready to make a lemon pudding cake when Michelle asked me what was for dessert. When I told her she grimaced and asked if we could have something else. She flipped open the recipe binder and pointed to Peanut Butter Pie stating that it looked like a good recipe. Because I'm such a nice mom (and because we had all the ingredients handy), we changed the menu plan. The rest of the family was much happier (they don't care for lemon desserts) and said maybe they'll make me a lemon cake for Mother's Day. We'll see! Peanut Butter Pie

3 to 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 to 1 cup peanut butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
8 ounces whipped topping
9" chocolate cookie or graham cracker pie crust

Beat cream cheese until fluffy; beat in powdered sugar, peanut butter, milk and whipped topping. Blend well. Spoon into crust. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top if desired. Freeze until ready to serve.

We only had time to freeze it for an hour before serving, so it was still fairly soft. Interestingly enough, a couple of days later I was talking with a friend who mentioned making Peanut Butter Pie for their dinner the night before. We compared recipes and discovered they were basically the same. She used Dream Whip instead of Cool Whip, and I imagine you could also use real whipped cream. She didn't freeze her pie at all. I asked Steven if the leftovers, which were frozen overnight, were any better and he said either way was delicious. So enjoy a quick and easy, and very adaptable, dessert!

Upside-Down Pizza

2011-04-05T14:40:00.004-04:00

Here's a recipe we tried from a Taste of Home's Quick Cooking magazine. As is usually the case with recipes from this source, it was delicious, and easy too. It reminded me a lot of the Crazy Crust Pizza our family likes. Which version do you prefer?Upside-Down Pizza

2 cups wheat/meat, thawed

(or use 1 pound ground beef browned with 1 medium onion, chopped as the original recipe states)

1 jar (14 ounces) spaghetti sauce

(I substituted a can of tomato sauce plus some Italian seasoning for this)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine hamburger and spaghetti sauce and spread in greased 9x13" baking pan. Top with cheese. (We also decided to add a layer of pepperoni as well.) Combine remaining ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Then pour over pizza ingredients. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. 12 servings.

Well, I don't know about the 12 servings, but it did serve more than 3 people, and the leftovers were just as delicious the next day.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-03-08T16:24:00.000-05:00

We found another cookie (in addition to frosted sugar cookies) that Steven really likes!!!Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Cream butters and sugars together. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Add chocolate chips. Pour into 9" square pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. (Or do drop cookies - bake for 9 minutes).

Broccoli Salad

2011-03-08T12:15:00.004-05:00

Chinese-Style Broccoli Salad

2 heads broccoli, separated into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1-2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli; cook 1-2 minutes. Plunge into cold water and drain. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over broccoli and toss. Serve warm or cold.

Note: As you can tell from the picture, I decided to add some sliced mushrooms.

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

2011-02-27T09:45:00.005-05:00

Steven said he wouldn't mind muffins for breakfast today, but they had to be "good" ones. So, I googled "best ever muffins" and found a plethora of possibilities. I settled on this one from Smitten Kitchen, although I also saw it at a few other websites. And it was a success. Apparently, there was enough sugar to overcome the fact that it contained wheat flour!
Whole Wheat Apple Muffins
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt (Since I don't keep this on hand, I added a tablespoon of vinegar to just under a cup of milk and let it sit for a few minutes.)
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (1 was enough for our family)

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease muffin cups and set aside.

Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: about 12

Deliciousness

2011-02-23T03:50:00.000-05:00

Sister Turner's mother raised her properly. When I served this at dinner last night she asked, "What is this deliciousness?" Steven, on the other hand, saw it sitting on the counter when he came home from school and just said "What is that?" Well, it's not really a cake, although the ingredients are similar, but it's definitely delicious. Give it a try yourself! (Oh, and by the way, Steven actually liked it, too.)

Almond Torte

3/4 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

sugar and sliced almonds

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs. Add flour, salt and extracts. Pour into greased and floured 8" round cake pan. Sprinkle with sugar and sliced almonds. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

(Well, that's what the recipe said. It really needed 45 minutes - use a toothpick in the center and bake until it comes out non-gooey. And it was also pretty thick, so a 9" cake pan would probably work just as well.)

This may give you an idea of its texture - moist and dense and yummy - although a little too rich for Michelle. Cut small pieces!

Bran Pan Biscuits

2011-02-22T14:13:00.004-05:00

I'm assuming these are called biscuits because you don't really knead them. But you do use yeast instead of baking powder and let them rise a couple of times, so they're not your typical biscuits. Bran Pan Biscuits

1 tablespoon yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup whole bran or oats

1 egg

3 tablespoons shortening

3 1/2 to 4 cups flour (1/2 wheat)

Dissolve yeast in water. Stir in sugar, salt, bran, egg, shortening, and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise 1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough and shae into 1 1/2 inch balls. Use greased hands because it will be sticky. Place in 2 greased cake pans. Cover and let rise until double, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

Easy Caramel Popcorn

2011-02-22T13:29:00.001-05:00

Whenever I make this recipe I think of my college roommate Allison, because she would make it often, and then share it with us. The original recipe calls for brown sugar, but occasionally I make it with white sugar and add food coloring. When I do that, it reminds me of my hometeachers when I was a little girl. Every Christmas they would bring our family a bag of green popcorn and a bag of red (really pink) popcorn. I don't know if they used this recipe or not, but they might have.

Easy Caramel Popcorn

2 batches popped corn (use about 2/3 cup kernels)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/3 cup white corn syrup

Place the sugar, butter and corn syrup in a small pan and bring it to a boil.

(I usually melt the butter first; it speeds things up.)

Boil for two minutes, then pour immediately over the popcorn.

Stir well to combine. Be careful - it's hot!

Turn out onto a piece of waxed paper to cool. Then enjoy.

Eggs Florentine

2011-02-20T14:48:00.004-05:00

This morning I asked Wayne what he wanted for breakfast, with the caveat that it needed to take ingredients we already had. He suggested Eggs Benedict. Slight problem - no English muffins or Canadian bacon. However, we decided that we could do something similar, particularly since I had a couple of egg yolks just waiting to be made into Hollandaise Sauce. I also discovered that although I had started an entry with our recipe for Hollandaise Sauce, I had never posted it. I was probably waiting for pictures, and it's not something we do often. So, here it is, still without pictures.

After years of trial and error, we finally found a recipe/technique that works for us. Unfortunately, the process takes two hands which means there still aren't pictures! Start with 1/2 cup of cold, salted butter cut into chunks. Melt a couple chunks using a double boiler. Combine 2 egg yolks with 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Melt a couple more chunks of butter. Stir in the egg mixture and while whisking constantly, gradually add the remaining butter chunks. Remove from the heat as soon as it starts to thicken. (I could take a picture of the finished product!)

Instead of Eggs Benedict, we decided to make a version of Eggs Florentine. It started with poached eggs cooked until the whites were firm but the yolks were still runny. Or, at least, that was the goal. Sometimes it doesn't always happen the way we want.

We made toast (including some mini bagels that needed to be used), heated up some spinach and added some cheese to the eggs just before they finished cooking. And then we assembled it all.

But it wasn't complete until topped with Hollandaise Sauce!

Wayne loved his breakfast. Amazingly, so did Steven. I really wasn't expecting him to like it at all, but he said the combination of flavors (not necessarily textures) was surprisingly pleasing.

Valentine's Day Fortune Cookies

2011-02-02T14:42:00.004-05:00

Valentine's Day Fortune Cookies

2 egg whites
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1 tablespoon softened butter or margarine
1-2 tablespoons water
few drops red food coloring, optional

First, you'll need a dozen "fortunes" for the cookies. Write whatever saying you desire onto slips of paper about 1/2" x 2" long and then fold them.

Preheat oven to 375° and lightly grease cookie sheets, or use parchment paper.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Beat in the remaining ingredients; the batter should be thin.

Using a tablespoon, spoon two dollops of batter onto the prepared cookie sheet and spread into a 3-4" circle. Bake for 5 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden.

Working VERY QUICKLY, remove a cookie with a spatula, place a fortune in the center, fold in half, and then gently press the folded edge against a bowl/mug rim, and place the formed cookie into a muffin cup to hold its shape while it cools. (If you don't want to burn your fingers, wear cotton gloves.)

Repeat the process until you run out of batter. This batch made 14 cookies. Remember, only bake two or three cookies at a time; once they've cooled they'll be brittle and, (while still very delicious), unable to be formed into fortune cookies.

Note: I found a youtube video which was helpful.

Brownies for Missionaries

2010-11-29T15:02:00.002-05:00

The other day Elder Jeff asked for a brownie recipe. The first one I sent him didn't work, because he can't get chocolate chips in Uruguay. (That's pretty sad.) However, this one does. This is the recipe I used before I found the one using chocolate chips.

Brownies

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

Cookie Pizza

2010-11-14T21:14:00.006-05:00

I'm not sure where this recipe came from, but it's a delicious one, although a bit messy to cut (because of the sticky marshmallows). We tried it again today when we realized there was a "help bring refreshments" assignment for the fireside that started in an hour. Within a half hour, we were ready.

Cookie Pizza

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour. Spread dough onto a greased 12-inch pizza pan. Bake at 375° for 10 mintues. Sprinkle with marshmallows and chocolate chips. Bake 2-3 minutes longer until lightly browned. Note: This recipe is best eaten the same day it's prepared.

Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake

2010-11-08T10:59:00.004-05:00

While I stayed after church for a meeting, Princess came home and looked through the recipe books to find something for dessert. Here's what she chose. I was amazed we had all the ingredients and that we actually had time for it to set before our planned dinner time. Although noone elevated it to "favorite pie" status, everyone said it was delicious and we should have it again.

Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake

1 (7-ounce) package soft caramels - about 20 candies
1/4 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup chopped pecans - divided use
1 (9-inch) chocolate crumb pie crust**
2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups milk
1 (3.9-ounce) package chocolate instant pudding mix
1/2 cup fudge topping

Place caramels and evaporated milk in a saucepan. Melt over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth for about five minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Pour into pie crust. Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and milk in a blender. Process until smooth. Add pudding mix; process for about 30 seconds more. Pour pudding mixture over caramel layer. Chill about 15 minutes. Drizzle fudge topping over pudding layer and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecans. Chill for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

** To make the crust, combine 3 tablespoons melted butter and 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (Oreos work fine). Press into a 9" pie plate and bake for 6-8 minutes at 350°. Cool before filling.

Frisbees!

2010-11-08T10:35:00.003-05:00

also known as
Georgia Raised Biscuits

1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups warm water
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups flour

Soften yeast in water to which sugar has been added. Combine flour and salt and cut in butter. Stir in water. Knead lightly (may need a bit more flour), roll out and cut with biscuit cutter. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Lightly brush with melted butter if desired. (Can also stack two high, which is what the originally recipe called for, but we prefer the single layer version.) Let rise for one hour. Then bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Makes two dozen. This recipe came from Jeanine Tibbitts in my Hollister Relief Society Cookbook. The first time we tried it, our school-age boys decided they looked like frisbees. I suspect they actually tested them to see if they flew like frisbees! Hence, we renamed the recipe.

Baked Chicken Fingers

2010-11-08T10:26:00.002-05:00

These chicken "nuggets" are much better than the ones you buy in the freezer section, and they really don't take that much more work, particularly if you make up a big batch and stick them in the freezer yourself. If you do that, just reheat the frozen fingers for 5-10 minutes in a 400° oven.Baked Chicken Fingers

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips or cubes
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup Ranch dressing**
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Combine the milk and Ranch dressing and toss with the chicken. Combine bread crumbs and paprika and toss with the chicken. (Although it can get messy, it's fastest to do this with your clean hands and a large bowl. However, you could also use a spoon or a bag for shaking.) Place on greased baking sheet and bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes; turn once if desired. Serve warm, with various dipping sauces if desired. Freezes well.

**You can substitute 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons dry mustard and 1 teaspoon onion powder for the Ranch dressing

French Cheese Puffs with Ham

2010-11-08T10:15:00.004-05:00

These are basically cream puffs, but the ingredients are adjusted to make a savory appetizer instead of a sweet dessert. They're best served hot, but are still good at room temperature.

French Cheese Puffs with Ham

1/3 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup flour
3 eggs
1 cup chopped ham
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley or chives

Bring butter and water to a boil; stir in flour and cook until it forms a ball. Cool a bit, then beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in ham, cheese and parsley. Drop by tablespoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400°. Makes about 2 dozen.

Spinach Tortellini Salad

2010-11-08T10:09:00.002-05:00

I found the idea for this recipe here, and it turned out great. We tried the leftovers warmed up, and it was delicious that way as well. Spinach Tortellini Salad

1 (9 ounce) package cheese-filled tortellini
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (2 ounce) can sliced black olives
1 (8 ounce) bottle Italian-style salad dressing

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente, rinse under cold water and drain. In a large bowl, combine the tortellini, spinach, cheese, tomatoes and olives. Add enough salad dressing to coat. Toss and season with salt and pepper.

Mother's One Pan Family Meal

2010-11-08T10:01:00.004-05:00

This recipe came from Gloria in Beaumont Texas; how, I have no idea, but that's what it says in my recipe binder. We like it, though, so thank you Gloria.

Mother's One Pan Family Meal

1 cup uncooked rice

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 can creamed corn

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Cover the bottom of a 9x13" pan with rice. Brown ground beef and onion together; drain. Add remaining ingredients except cheese and still well. Pour over the rice. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese.

Note: I used thawed wheat/meat and didn't heat anything before pouring it over the rice. It took about 90 minutes for it to cook. However, I expected that because that's how long my chicken and rice recipe takes, so dinner was still on time. It may only take 25 minutes in the oven if your mixture is boiling first.

Another note: Amazingly this week I was out of creamed corn, so I used regular canned corn instead. I also had a half can of cream of mushroom soup in the fridge, so substituted that for the whole can of cream of chicken soup. And I never have Rotel tomatoes; I just regular canned tomatoes for that. As you can see, it's a very forgiving recipe.

Taquitos

2010-11-08T09:51:00.004-05:00

The other day "Beef Taquitos" was on the menu plan. When it came time to fix dinner, however, I decided to use some leftover barbecued ribs instead of ground beef. I just shredded the pork, added a bit of salsa and cheese, rolled them up in the tortillas (large ones instead of small ones) and baked them. They were fabulous! However, the original recipe is delicious as well, so I'll go ahead and post it below. Beef Taquitos

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 pound ground beef
1/2 cup salsa

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
10 6" tortillas
1/2 cup Cheddar or Jack cheese

Brown beef with onion and garlic. (Remember you can always use wheat/meat instead!) Stir in salsa and seasonings; simmer for 10 minutes. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup beef mixture. Sprinkle with some cheese. Roll up and place seam side down on foil lined baking sheet. Brush lightly with oil if desired. Bake 8-12 minutes at 400°. If desired, serve with additional salsa and sour cream.

Classic Green Bean Casserole

2010-11-08T00:47:00.000-05:00

We actually had this a couple of weeks ago for dinner (minus the french-fried onions because I didn't feel like opening the can). However, I didn't take a picture. You can go to the official Campbell's site to see what it looks like if you don't know.

Classic Green Bean Casserole

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

1.Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.
2.Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions.
3.Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

RECIPE TIPS and VARIATIONS
•Easy Substitution: Use 1 bag (16 to 20 ounces) frozen green beans, thawed, 2 packages (9 ounces each) frozen green beans, thawed, 2 cans (about 16 ounces each) green beans, drained or about 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans for this recipe.
•Easy Substitution: For Broccoli Casserole, substitute 4 cups cooked broccoli florets for the green beans.
•Flavor Variation: For cheese lovers, stir in 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese with the soup. Omit the soy sauce. Sprinkle with an additional 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese when adding the remaining onions.
•Flavor Variation: To add a festive touch, stir in 1/4 cup chopped red pepper with the soup.
•Flavor Variation: To add crunch, add 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds to the onion topping.
•Flavor Variation: For bacon lovers, add 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, to the bean mixture.
•Flavor Variation: For Golden Green Bean Casserole, substitute Campbell's® Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup for the Cream of Mushroom Soup. Omit the soy sauce. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped red pepper with the green beans.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

2010-10-29T06:50:00.003-04:00

Although the non-quiche-loving son didn't try this recipe (leftover pizza was a better option in his opinion), it was pronounced "the best ever" by others, and it also made a great "quick and easy" breakfast for this morning. Crustless Spinach Quiche

Sauté one cup of onions and one cup of sliced mushrooms in a bit of olive oil until tender. Stir in 2/3 cup chopped ham and 10 oz. package of frozen spinach (thawed and drained). Salt and pepper to taste. Beat together 5 eggs and 2-3 cups cheese. (The original recipe called for Jack or Muenster, but that wasn't in the fridge, so we used Mozarella with a bit of Cheddar.) Stir in the vegetables and pour into a lightly greased 9" pie plate. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes. Serve warm.

Bubble and Squeak

2010-10-13T10:39:00.003-04:00

Here's the final "English" recipe for right now. Apparently it was a way to use up the leftovers from Sunday dinner, and the title came from the noise it made while you were fixing it. All we know is it was pretty good, and I think we'll have it again someday.

Bubble and Squeak

4 ounces bacon, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1 cup cubed ham
1/2 head cabbage, chopped and boiled for 5 minutes
3 cups potatoes, cooked and sliced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Sauté the bacon and onion in a cast iron frying pan. Add the ham and heat through. Stir in the potatoes and cabbage. Let cook for a few minutes, then flip and cook on the other side. Sprinkle with paprika and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 4.

This is a very forgiving recipe - amounts don't need to be exact. And if it seems a bit dry, and you're not me, just add some catsup.

English Scones

2010-10-13T10:26:00.003-04:00

We decided scones would be a great "traditionally English" recipe to try as well, so we did. We couldn't really tell the difference between regular biscuits (except for a bit more sugar) and they weren't fried like the scones my mom made on Sunday evening, but they were still good. And they were super simple and quick to make.

Traditional English Scones

(at least according to the recipe submitter on All Recipes)

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/4 cup butter

2-4 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup milk

Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Cut/rub in butter. Mix in sugar. Add milk and stir gently. Knead no more than 8-10 times on a floured surface. Roll/pat out to 3/4" thick and cut with 2" round cookie cutter. Alternatively, pat into a flat circle and score wedges. Brush with milk and bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Serve with clotted cream and jam. Alternative add-ins could include currants or raisins, orange zest and dried cranberries, blueberries, or mini chocolate chips.

We also noticed in other recipes that the cream of tartar and baking soda could be substituted with 2 teaspoons baking powder. We tried both variations and didn't notice a difference. Just so you know.

Coconut Cookies

2010-10-13T10:10:00.003-04:00

In trying to find a "Heritage Recipe" to share, I turned to the back section of our recipe binder where there were a few recipes my mom sent us years ago. A lot of them were variations of Christmas Pudding (my thoughts on that are deserving of their own post!) but this Coconut Cookie recipe looked like it was worth a try. Because my family doesn't care for coconut, I figured the cookies would be safe for the 24 hours before I took them to Relief Society. I figured wrong! Everyone actually liked them, so I had to guard them vigilantly. (Fortunately, I brought home a few leftovers.) The recipe came from a little booklet my grandmother, Ethel Beckstrand, compiled while serving their mission in Australia in the early 1960s. Coconut Cookies

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, margarine or shortening
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup shredded coconut

Combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Cream butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients and coconut. Make into 1 1/2" diameter rolls in wax paper and chill for a few hours. Slice and bake at 425° for 5 minutes. Makes 3-4 dozen.

Salmon Patties

2010-09-22T19:09:00.003-04:00

While waiting at the orthodontist and reading a magazine, I saw a recipe for Salmon Croquettes, and it sounded like a good thing to add to our menu this week. I couldn't find the same recipe when I googled it, so we tried a variation of one at allrecipes.com. It was pretty good, and a great way to use the canned salmon in our food storage!

Salmon Croquettes

1 can salmon, drained and bones removed

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup finely chopped onions

seasoned salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Form into 4-6 patties and fry in a touch of olive oil until cooked through. Turn gently!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2010-09-22T18:20:00.005-04:00

I'm not sure where I got this recipe, probably a Relief Society class, but it's a good one.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 bunch broccoli, trimmed

2 medium onions, sliced

5 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup flour

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups milk or cream

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Mozarella cheese

Cut tops off broccoli and divide into flowerets. Simmer in lightly salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside. Cook onion in butter until soft. Stir in flour and cook until bubbly. Add broth and heat to simmering. Stir in milk, oregano, mustard and broccoli. If desired, process with hand blender until smooth. (If you don't have a hand blender, you could pour it into a regular blender, or just leave it chunky.) Stir in cheese and heat until cheese melts. Makes 8 servings.

BBQ Chicken Skewers

2010-09-18T20:48:00.004-04:00

About ten years ago, Weston went fishing with his priest quorum in San Francisco Bay and brought home this shark for us to eat. Since I'd never cooked shark before, we went searching for a recipe and found a delicious marinade. I decided to keep the recipe because it was so good, but then it just sat in our recipe binder because shark-fishing was a one time deal. Finally, however, one day the light bulb went off and I realized we could try it on something else. Guess what? It's delicious on chicken, too!
Grilled Shark (and Chicken) Marinade

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons lemon juice

parsley, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Combine marinade ingredients.Cut chicken breasts into strips and thread onto skewers.Place in pan and pour marinade over. Refrigerate for a few hours.Cook on heated grill for a few minutes.Turn and cook a few more minutes. Serve to hungry teenagers (or anyone else)!

Chicken Fajita Salad Wraps

2010-09-18T11:37:00.003-04:00

For some reason, Betty Crocker sent us a calendar this year, and since we didn't already have one for the kitchen, we hung it up. We've even tried some of the recipes that were featured each month, of course with our own variations. Here's the one for August which was actually pretty good.

Chicken Fajita Salad Wraps

For the dressing, combine:
1 cup ranch dressing
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped chipotle childes in adobo sauce (we actually bought a can for another recipe and stuck the extras in the freezer so we had this ingredient!)
and 1 teaspoon grated lime peel (we didn't have this ingredient)

In another bowl combine:
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (no deli rotisserie chicken here, although I'm sure that would have been delicious)
2 cups sliced iceberg lettuce
1 cup cooked corn
1 diced tomato
and 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Stir in the dressing and spoon onto tortillas. Roll up and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Roast Chicken and Potatoes

2010-09-17T20:26:00.003-04:00

This was an "I don't feel like making a real recipe, so just throw something in the oven" Sunday dinner that was met with such raves, we'll definitely have it again. All I did was peel some potatoes, put them in a 9x13" pan with some chicken thighs, and plop them in the oven for an hour to roast. I guess the "secret ingredient" was the Everglade Seasoning I sprinkled over the chicken and potatoes before baking. I'm not sure who introduced this to us, and if it's even available outside of Florida, but it's a pretty good mix of spices. We love it!I didn't feel like making dessert that day either, so it's a good thing there was a nice variety already in the refrigerator!

Strawberry fluff pie, mini cheese-cakes from the open house, birthday apple pie, and some cheesecake a friend gave us - everybody got their favorite!

Strawberry Fluff Pie

2010-09-17T20:19:00.002-04:00

Here's a simple dessert for when you're tired of chocolate (as if that could ever happen)!
Simply dissolve a small package of strawberry jello in one cup of boiling water. Add about 8 ice cubes and stir until thick. Beat in 1-2 cups whipped cream and stir in 1-2 cups chopped strawberries (frozen and thawed is fine). Pour into a graham cracker crust and chill for a few hours. Serve topped with more whipped cream, if desired.

Spanish Bean Soup

2010-09-17T19:51:00.007-04:00

Or, what happened the second time we tried it. I'm not giving the recipe here, because even though we've made it twice, we probably won't ever make it again. However, I thought I should let you know that there's a difference between American salt pork and Spanish salt pork (or whatever it is they sell at the Latin market). We needed chorizo and blood sausage, so that's where we went shopping. The first time we made it, using canned beans, it was so salty it was unpalatable. Yet, not being a family that wastes "good" food, we doctored it up - by adding tomato juice and a lot more potatoes - and finished it off. The second variation, using dried beans, we washed the extra 1/4" layer of salt off of the salt pork before adding it to the soup. Fortunately, this version was not too salty!

P.S. If you really want the actual recipe, let me know and I'll post it.

Nauvoo Bread

2010-09-17T19:46:00.002-04:00

Steven came home from Nauvoo raving about the bread he tried at the Pioneer Living Center there, and he wanted to have it again. So, we looked up the recipe - which you can find here - and tried it ourselves. It was delicious bread, although not quite what he remembered. He thinks the fancy brick ovens had something to do with the taste. Or maybe our pans changed things. We'll try it again someday without pans - forming it into a round loaf and baking it on a cornmeal-topped pizza stone. We'll let you know his verdict.

Dutch Oven Dough Dogs

2010-09-17T19:36:00.004-04:00

Here's a simple 3-ingredient recipe, made even more simple by using the shortcut of Rhodes frozen roll dough!

Start by taking 8 hot dogs (one package) and cutting a lengthwise slit in each one, not quite all the way through. Take a slice of cheese (whatever variety you like) and stick it in the slot. Then grab a hunk of roll/bread dough (you could use homemade dough, but we used the frozen variety this time - thaw 12 rolls and use 1 1/2 to cover each hot dog) and form it around the hot dog, sticking all the cheese inside. (The one you see above with cheese oozing out is proof that you only need one slice of cheese, not 1 1/2.) Place them in your dutch oven and bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes. Serve with ketchup and mustard.

Note: Because they still weren't golden brown after 20 minutes, we upped the oven to 400° for another five minutes. That did the job.

Dutch Oven Biscuits and Gravy

2010-09-17T19:04:00.004-04:00

This recipe is one of the first ones in our Dutch Oven Cookbook, and since it had 16 variations, we had it a lot of times. However, because all those times were before I started this blog, I hadn't typed up the recipe yet. Michelle requested this for her birthday breakfast, so I took advantage of the opportunity to record this family favorite. (It was either this or Eggs Malagueña, and since it was a seminary morning, we opted for the quicker recipe. We also saved time by making the gravy and biscuit dough the night before and just baking it in the morning.)

Dutch Oven Drop Biscuits and Milk Gravy
(serves 4-6)

Start by browning 1/2 pound of sausage (or bacon, or both!) in your dutch oven. Stir in 3 cups of milk. Combine 3/8 cup each flour and water and stir into the pot.

Bring to a boil and cook until thickened. Serve over Dutch Oven Drop Biscuits.

To make the biscuits, combine 2 cups flour, 3 tablespoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in 1/3 cup shortening and stir in 1 cup milk. The dough will be sticky, but dump it onto a floured board and knead a few times. Spoon into a dutch oven and bake, uncovered, at 450° for 12 minutes.

Cut biscuits in half and top with the milk gravy.

Delicious!

The various combinations included the gravy plain, with bacon, with sausage, with sausage and bacon over regular biscuits, and also over "pigs in blanket" which were made by forming the biscuit dough around a cooked sausage link or patty. Then we tried eight variations of Dutch Oven Eggs Goldenrod which was adding chopped, hard-cooked egg whites to the gravy and sprinkling the chopped, hard-cooked egg yolks over the whole concoction. This is definitely not a recipe for someone who's trying to lose weight!

Super Simple Chicken Spaghetti

2010-09-16T18:33:00.003-04:00

The recipe that was my inspiration for this called it Chicken Cacciatore, but in my mind that looks like something else, so I changed the name.

Simple Chicken Spaghetti

4-8 boneless chicken thighs, diced
1 tablespoon Italian dressing or olive oil
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can tomatoes (28 oz.)
1/2 teaspoon basil
salt and pepper to taste
cooked spaghetti
grated mozarella and parmesan cheese

Sauté the chicken in the salad dressing until cooked through (or use pre-cooked chicken and add with the tomatoes). Add the peppers and onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and seasonings and heat through. Serve over spaghetti and top with cheese.

Baked Egg Rolls

2010-09-13T15:11:00.004-04:00

The other day we decided to try this recipe again. Baking instead of frying helps me feel like I'm doing a better job of eating healthily. First, make the filling by combining the following and cooking in a non-stick skillet for just a few minutes :

2 cups grated carrots
2 cups grated cabbage
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 garlic clove, minced

Stir in 2 cups diced, cooked chicken or pork. Then combine:

4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
pinch of cayenne pepper

Add it to the skillet and bring to a boil. Then remove from the heat. Now you're ready to form the egg rolls.
Place a 1/4 cup of the mixture on one corner of the egg roll wrapper.

To start rolling, fold up the corner.

Fold in the opposite corners and continue rolling.

Secure the final corner with a dab of water.

And place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with a little melted butter and bake at 425° for 10-15 minutes.

These are hot when they come out of the oven!

Serve with sweet and sour sauce if desired.

Pulled Pork

2010-09-08T11:21:00.003-04:00

One of the meals for the Nauvoo trip was pulled pork sandwiches. We decided it would be prudent to cooke the meat ahead of time and then freeze it until we needed it, so that's what we did. I didn't have a favorite recipe, so I looked online and here's what we came up with, after combining several different recipes.Pulled Pork Rub

1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons cracked pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder

Combine all the ingredients and rub them all over a pork roast. Place in roasting pan and bake at 275° for 6-7 hours.
Let cool a bit and then shred with two forks. (Or let cool even more and shred with your fingers.)

Bag and freeze. When ready to serve, thaw and heat with your favorite barbecue sauce. Serve on hamburger buns. Delicious!

Once again, some day we'll have to make this again so we can take a picture of the final product! We didn't think about it while we were busy in Nauvoo.

Focaccia

2010-09-08T11:16:00.002-04:00

Here's a recipe that Steven liked (and remember that that's saying something!), although I forgot to take a picture. I guess we'll have to have it again sometime.

Focaccia

1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups flour
8 cloves garlic
8 ounces grated Mozarella cheese
pizza seasonings to taste

Combine water, yeast, oil, salt and flour and beat together for 60 seconds. Stir in garlic and cheese. (Note: this time I used roasted garlic and added some roasted red pepper as well.) Grease a 9x13" pan and drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom. Scoop the dough into the pan; cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 60 minutes. Sprinkle with pizza seasoning and bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes.

Sour Cream Vegie Dip

2010-09-08T06:20:00.005-04:00

Sour Cream Vegie Dip
(invented by Wayne and served at Brad's and Cody's open house)

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons mild picante sauce
2 tablespoons dried onion
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients. Chill and serve with raw vegetables.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-09-02T06:34:00.004-04:00

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins 1 cup flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup low-fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Combine first five ingredients. Combine next six ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix the two and stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon into greased muffin cups and bake for about 20 mintues at 350°. Makes 12 muffins.

Speedy Shrimp Scampi

2010-08-31T20:11:00.002-04:00

Here's what we decided on for a low-calorie, special occasion, birthday dinner main dish. How's that for an introduction! Heat a bit of olive oil in a frying pan, and throw in some minced garlic. Then toss in some raw, peeled shrimp. (This time I left the tails on - just so it would look a bit prettier - but normally I remove the whole peel.)

Stir until the shrimp is pink, then drizzle with some lemon juice and parsley.That's it!

Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

2010-08-31T19:15:00.007-04:00

Time to share a couple of "non-recipe" recipes! Pare and thinly slice enough apples to equal 6 cups, more or less.

Combine about 1 cup sugar, 2-4 tablespoons flour, 1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg, and toss with the apples.

Pile into a pastry-lined pie plate (here's one possible recipe) and dot with a bit of butter.

Top with some more rolled-out pastry, flute the edges, and cut a couple of slits. (You could also do a lattice top - Michelle's vote - or a crumble top - my vote. What's your favorite way to finish an apple pie?)

Bake at 375° for about 45 minutes, covering with foil for about half the time.

Then serve it to the "I don't like cake" birthday boy!

Top it with vanilla ice cream

or, for a special treat, some sharp cheddar cheese. Bon appetit!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

2010-07-18T17:14:00.003-04:00

When this recipe came up in the rotation, Wayne was surprised to discover that the method for getting the pineapple on top is to turn the cake upside-down! I guess he'd never thought about it before. He was excited to learn a new skill, and we were excited to eat his creation, even despite the fact that none of us like maraschino cherries!Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/3 cup brown sugar

9 slices canned pinepple

3 maraschino cheeries

1 1/2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°. Put butter in an 8x8" pan and place in oven until the butter melts. Sprinkle brown sugar over the butter and top with the pineapple slices, with a cherry in each center. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, cream the shortening with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat vigorously. Stir in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk. Pour the batter over the pineapple and bake for 45 minutes. Invert the pan on a wire cake rack; let stand 1 minutes before removing the pan to allow the syrup to drain onto the cake. Serve warm, plain or with whipped cream.

Jeralee's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

2010-07-18T13:47:00.004-04:00

Years ago our good friend Jeralee brought us the delicious cake. Today I felt like making it again, yet couldn't find the recipe. Google came to the rescue and I found 4 similar variations, which allowed me to recreate hers. One of the variations was to bake it in a jelly roll pan, for 20 minutes. I might try that next time. I also used pecans today instead of walnuts, because that's what our family prefers. Have fun making your own variations!Jeralee's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

1-3/4 cups boiling water
1 cup uncooked regular oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

In a bowl, pour water over oatmeal. Allow to stand 10 minutes. Add sugars and butter, stirring until the butter melts. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition; then add vanilla. Sift flour, soda, cocoa and salt together. Add to batter. Mix well. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle top of cake with walnuts and remaining chips. Bake at 350° for about 35 minutes. Yield: 12 servings.

Gazpacho

2010-07-07T08:20:00.003-04:00

Here's one of Wayne's favorite recipes. According to him, we don't have it nearly as often as he'd like. Maybe we should work on changing that perception.

Gazpacho

3 cups tomato juice
1 tsp beef bouillon dissolved in ¼ cup water
2 tomatoes, chopped
½ cup chopped cucumber
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Combine all ingredients. Chill several hours before serving.

Yes, there is such a thing as too much salt.

2010-07-07T07:33:00.004-04:00

Last week, it was time to try another recipe from Wayne's Columbia Restaurant Cookbook. This one entailed a trip to the Latin Market, because we needed a special type of sausage -Morcilla or blood sausage - in addition to chorizo and ham hocks and salt pork.

We get to try it twice - once with canned beans, and again with dried beans.

Basically, it's a bean soup. Cook the beans, Morcilla, salt pork and ham hocks for a while.

Add the Chorizo and some potatoes and cook some more.

But don't add more salt! This was actually not palatable, although we tried to make it so by adding more potatoes to the bowl. Next time we'll try rinsing off the salt pork to see if that helps. My guess is Spanish Salt Pork is not the same as English Salt Pork (or whatever you want to call it)!

Jello Cake, Revisited

2010-07-07T07:20:00.003-04:00

Normally when we make Jello Cake, we use a 9x13" pan and make it single layer. However, I was reminded that the original recipe called for it to be a two-layer cake. Then you can use two different colors/flavors of jello. Thanks, Peggy, for the birthday surprise!

Oh, and if you mix pudding into the Cool Whip for the frosting, that becomes more scrumptious as well.

Chicken Breasts Diane

2010-07-07T07:08:00.004-04:00

Here's another recipe that satisfies those who are "starving" when you come home from church. It goes together very quickly. And if you have a crockpot, timed-oven feature, or even a microwave, the baked potatoes can be ready when the chicken is as well.Chicken Breasts Diane

4 boneless chicken breast halves, flattened

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons green onions

2 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard

1/4 cup chicken broth

Heat 1/2 the oil and butter in a large skillet and cook the chicken for 4 minutes on each side, or until just done. Transfer to a warm serving platter. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat through. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

2010-07-07T07:02:00.004-04:00

Everyone thought it would be nice to have potato salad with our barbecued ribs on the 4th, but we were out of potatoes. (Wayne wants to know how you run out of potatoes!) Rather than run to the store, we decided that pasta salad would work. Here's the one we tried. 3 out of 4 of us liked it. I guess next time we feel like barbecuing we'll have to plan ahead and have potatoes in the pantry.

Becky's Bacon Pasta Salad

16 oz. small shell (or different type) pasta

3/4 cup ranch salad dressing

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup green peas

1/3 cup cooked, crumbled bacon

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Cook pasta according to directions; drain and cool. Combine with everything else. Chill for a couple hours.

He's still cooking!

2010-06-28T17:08:00.001-04:00

From Elder Whitaker's latest email: "Yeah Mom, the picture of the steak and potatoes is for your cooking blog. That's what I ate the other day when we didn't have a lunch appointment. Not too shabby."

A Childhood Memory

2010-06-23T15:56:00.003-04:00

We don't normally have juice hanging around, but the other day we did, along with some bananas that needed to be eaten immediately (or frozen). And that reminded me of a simple dish my mom served regularly - bananas in orange juice. That's all it is - slice bananas in a bowl, pour orange juice over them, and eat with a spoon. You could make it fancier, and call it Ambrosia, by simply sprinkling some coconut on top. But that's not necessary. Give it a try sometime!

Special Strawberry Ice Cream

2010-06-02T17:04:00.007-04:00

We got blackberries in our co-op basket this week, and while they're delicious fresh, I thought I'd look for a new recipe to try them in. I got side-tracked when I saw Strawberry White Bean Ice Cream. Since I also had an egg yolk and some white beans left in the refrigerator that needed to be used up, I figured I'd do the experiment and see how it tasted. The "ice cream" was actually pretty good. Steven liked it too, although he prefers our standard smoothie. I didn't bother telling him there were beans inside!
Special Strawberry Ice Cream

2 cups White Beans, Drained
2 whole Frozen Bananas, Partially Thawed
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 whole Egg Yolk (optional)
¼ cup Honey
1 cup Fresh Whole Strawberries

Blend white beans in a food processor until smooth. Cut bananas into small chunks. Add bananas, vanilla, egg yolk and honey to the processor bowl and whir until smooth. Add whole strawberries. Mix until the strawberries are mostly blended, but leave some bigger chunks. Add to an ice cream maker and mix until thickened to soft serve consistency.

Notes: I used both frozen bananas and strawberries, and that made it thick enough so I didn't bother with an ice cream maker. I should have cut the chunks a bit, or partially thawed them, because it did take a lot of "whirring" to get it smooth. It was the brown bananas that were handy; yellower ones would make the dessert prettier.

Easy Banana Bread

2010-05-21T06:18:00.003-04:00

I've never been able to determine if the fact that this recipe has no butter or shortening was intentional or just a typographical error, but it works, so I keep making it. (The original recipe was submitted to the Hollister Relief Society Cookbook by Zola Tayler.) Easy Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Crush bananas; add eggs and beat until light. Then add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Pour into 3 mini loaf pans (or one large one).

Bake at 325° for 35 minutes (or one hour for the large size).

Remove from pans to cool.

Slice and serve.

Clam Wontons

2010-05-14T08:06:00.005-04:00

I copied this recipe from someplace (sorry I have no clue where) about 3 years ago, and we decided it was "very good." Since I bought more wonton wrappers than what I needed for the mini quiches, it was time to try this recipe again.

Clam Wontons

12 oz cream cheese

2 cans clams, drained

1/4 cup green onions

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

3 drops sesame oil

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

14 oz wonton skins

Combine everything but the wonton skins for the filling. Place 1 teaspoon on each wonton. Fold in half and seal. Bake for 12 minutes at 425°. Serve with Sweet and Sour Sauce for dipping.

Classic Hollandaise Sauce

2010-05-12T14:46:00.000-04:00

Hollandaise Sauce - Stir 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice vigorously and set aside. Cut 1/2 cup of cold, salted butter into 8-12 chunks. Add water to the bottom of a double boiler (don't let it touch the top pan) and bring to a slight simmer. Add a couple chunks of butter to the top and let it melt. Stir in the egg mixture and blend well with a whisk. Continue to stir and slowly add the rest of the butter chunks. (Be sure butter melts slowly; this gives eggs time to cook and thicken sauce without curdling.) Sprinkle with a dash of paprika. Serve hot or at room temperature. Note: if you don't have a double boiler, you can try this on direct - but extremely low - heat.
from Better Crocker's Cookbook

Dutch Oven Chicken

2010-05-12T10:25:00.000-04:00

I think everything that Wayne cooks from his Dutch Oven Cookbook is a success. This one was no different. It was a little time consuming - and very high calorie! - but definitely delicious. Dutch Oven Chicken/Sausage Casserole

4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 pound pork sausage
1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons beef bouillon
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste

On top of the stove, brown the sausage lightly with the carrots, celery and onions. Then remove the excess grease. Add the chicken breasts and brown briefly. Turn off the heat. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and bake in the oven at 250° for 2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked and tender. To serve, place a chicken breast on a serving of rice and pour the sausage "gravy" over it.