Eggnog French Toast

We had this lovely French toast for breakfast this morning. There's just enough eggnog flavor in this to make it delicious but not too rich. Delightful! :) A few of the reviewers (from allrecipes.com) said that they put the bread in a baking dish, poured the batter on top and let it soak overnight, then baked it the next morning at 350 for about 40 minutes - I think I'll try that next time! Yum! :)

Eggnog French Toast

2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 C. eggnog
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 loaf French bread

Whisk the eggs, eggnog, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice together in a shallow bowl until well blended.
Preheat an electric griddle to 300 degrees. Lightly grease the skillet with butter.
Dip one slice of bread at a time into the eggnog mixture, being sure to coat both sides of the bread thoroughly.
Place the prepared bread slices onto the heated griddle and cook, turning once, until golden brown on each side. Place cooked slices on a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm until all French toast is cooked. Serve immediately with warm maple syrup and powdered sugar or whipped cream.

Green Chile-Chicken Stew

Mom said, 'If this isn't good, it was Becky's recipe, but if it's good, then I made it!" HA! So thought I should quickly blog it before she has a chance to claim it as her own! :)

Green Chile-Chicken Stew

8 C. chicken broth
1 C. cooked, shredded chicken breast
4 C. cubed red potato (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1-1/2 C. chopped onion
1/2 C. thinly sliced carrot
2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
3 (4.5 ounce)cans chopped green chiles
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (10 ounce) can tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
6 Tbsp shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Sour cream, optional

Combine all ingredient except for evaporated milk and cheese in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until potatoes are done. Remove from heat; stir in milk. Ladle soup into individual bowls, and sprinkle with cheese and a dollop of sour cream, if using. Yield: 6-8 servings

Recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Chicken Saltimbocca

Pounding the chicken ensures that it cooks completely, since I'm not one who enjoys handling raw meat, I let Alan take care of this step.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup flour
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
4 slices prosciutto or ham
4 slices (1 oz. each) mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage leaves
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter

Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place each chicken breast smooth side down; gently pound with the flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until 1/4 inch thick. In shallow dish, mix flour, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and salt. Coat chicken with flour mixture; shake off excess flour.

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook about 8 minutes, turning once, until browned on outside and no longer pink in center. Top each chicken breast with 1 slice prosciutto or ham and 1 slice mozzarella cheese. Cover skillet tightly; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle sage over chicken. Remove chicken from skillet to serving platter; cover loosely with tent of foil, being careful not to let foil touch cheese.

Increase heat to high. Add broth to skillet. Heat to boiling, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet. Boil about 3 minutes or until broth is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Remove from heat; beat in butter. Spoon over chicken.

Sesame-Wheat Berry Salad

We had this with Sunday dinner a few weeks ago. Carrie took the pictures (she'll have to add them) but I did the cooking :D I couldn't find Thai chili garlic paste but I had Thai chili garlic sauce in the fridge and that worked great.

1 cup uncooked wheat berries
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup shredded carrot
4 green onions, sliced
2 Tablespoons sesame seed, toasted

Dressing:
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon Thai chili garlic paste (or sauce)
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

In 2-quart saucepan, heat wheat berries and chicken broth to boiling over high heat; stir. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer about 1 hour or until wheat is tender/ drain and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small jar or bowl with tight-fitting lid, mix the dressing ingredients. Cover; shake well.

In medium bowl, mix remaining salad ingredients. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. If making ahead, add the toasted sesame seed just before serving.

High altitude: Cover and simmer wheat berries about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until wheat is tender.

Grandma's Green Bean Casserole

We brought this to Thanksgiving dinner this year and it was sooo yummy! This one definitely takes the cake for the best green bean casserole I've ever had.

Grandma's Green Bean Casserole

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 cup onion, diced
3/4 cup sour cream
3 (14.5 ounce) cans French style green beans, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled buttery round crackers (I used Town House)
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until tender and caramelized. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Stir in salt, sugar, pepper, garlic powder, sour cream and half of the cheddar cheese. Add green beans and stir well to coat (mixture may be somewhat thick). Transfer mixture to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish and spread remaining cheese over the top. In small bowl, toss cracker crumbs and remaining butter. Sprinkle over the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

This recipe was supposed to be for the crock pot, but I forgot to put it in, so I did it all on the stove top. I don't' really know how well it would work in a crock pot, because there's not a lot of liquid but maybe I'll try that next time. I cut the chicken up into pieces about the size of a golf ball because it was still partially frozen and I didn't want it to take forever to cook. Anyway, I served this with brown rice and veggies. It was delish!

Lemon Garlic Chicken

1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 C. water
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp dried parsley

In a bowl, mix the oregano, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture into the chicken. Add the butter and oil into a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Cook the chicken until there is almost no pink in the center. Add the water, lemon juice, garlic, chicken bouillon and parsley. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, stirring every few minutes, until chicken is no longer pink in center, and sauce is thickened to desired consistency.
Serves: 6

Spinach & Bacon Hash Brown Quiche

This is a yummy quiche!

Spinach & Bacon Hash Brown Quiche
3 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
4 Tbsp butter, melted
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3 eggs
1 cup half-and-half cream
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp onion powder
2 cups fresh spinach
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded Swiss cheese

Press hash browns between paper towel to remove excess moisture. Toss with butter and press onto bottom and sides of 9 in pie plate. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, or until edges are browned. Meanwhile, combine eggs, cream, salt, onion powder and pepper. Stir in cheeses, spinach and bacon. Pour onto crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (bake on 2^nd from top rack in oven so bottom does not burn). Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Oatmeal Almond Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I think these are one of my new favorite cookies. And, as far as cookies go, they're relatively healthy. Minus the 14 tablespoons of butter... :)

Oatmeal Almond Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 3/4 stick (14 tablespoons) butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup almond butter
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup ground almonds
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (not quick cook)
8 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks or chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Beat butter until creamy. Add sugars beating until fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Scrap the bowl as necessary. Beat in almond butter until incorporated. Beat in vanilla and then eggs, one at a time.

Gently stir in the dry ingredients. Add ground almonds and oatmeal and stir until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

Roll cookies into 2 Tbs sized balls. Place on baking sheets and bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. Edges should be slightly browned and the cookies puffed. Cool on sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a cookie cooling rack.

Freeze any leftover cookie dough for use later.

Ranch Chicken Tostadas

These are really quick and yummy. Jeremy prefers them to regular tacos.

Ranch Chicken Tostadas

2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
cumin, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
2 roma tomatoes, diced
shredded lettuce
1/2 can (14 oz) sliced olives
Mexican blend shredded cheese
ranch dressing, to taste
tostada shells

Place shredded chicken and beans in pan and sprinkle generously with cumin and garlic powder and warm until heated through. Layer chicken, lettuce, tomato, olives, and cheese on tostada shells and top with ranch dressing.

Hazelnut Swirl Pumpkin Bread

You don't need a whole new pumpkin bread recipe for this. You can just start with your regular pumpkin bread recipe. Once the batter is prepared, pour it into several mini loaf pans. Use about 2 Tbsp Nutella per loaf pan and drop by spoonfuls into batter. Use a knife to swirl the spread in the batter and then bake as usual. (You may want to stir the Nutella really well beforehand so it is easier to swirl). This is a yummy twist on regular pumpkin bread!

Cider Biscuits

These biscuits are really moist and flaky... they would be yummy with honey too.

Cider Biscuits

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp apple pie spice
8 Tbsp cold butter, divided
3/4 cup apple cider, or apple juice
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

In large mixing bowl, combine first six ingredients. Cut in 7 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cider just until combined. Knead dough about 8 times. Roll into 10"x6" rectangle on greased cookie sheet. Melt remaining tablespoon of butter and spread over top of dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cut into 8 even pieces and separate about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Bavarian Cream

I was looking for an "authentic" Bavarian Cream recipe to use in Justin's b-day cake because I really don't like the "pudding-y" kind. I found this recipe on "Joe Pastry" and it was great! The recipe says that you can freeze it for up to 3 months, which I think is wierd, because I didn't think that cream things were supposed to freeze well, but I've put the remainder in the freezer to try it, so we'll see how it works! :)

Bavarian Cream

1.5 ounces (3 Tablespoons) cold water
2 1/4 tsp gelatin
4 large egg yolks
3 ounces (1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) sugar
1 1/2 C. half-and-half
seeds from one vanilla bean
1 1/2 C. heavy cream, cold

Put the cold water in a small bowl, sprinkle on the gelatin and let it stand. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar.


Get a large bowl of ice water ready. It should be big enough to hold the bowl of cooked custard, without letting water spill into the mixture.


Put the half-and-half in a small saucepan, add the vanilla seeds and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then slowly pour it into the egg mixture, whisking the whole time. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and bring it just to a boil. When the custard starts to bubble, pour it through a fine mesh strainer into another bowl. Whisk in the gelatin and place the bowl in the ice water bath.


While the custard is cooling, whip the cream. Add the cold cream to the bowl of an electric mixer and whip to the soft peak stage. When the custard has cooled and has just started to thicken but is still liquid, fold in the whipped cream. If desired, scrape the mixture into individual serving bowls, or leave in the large bowl. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours. It can be kept several days or frozen for up to three months.

Pasta Fagioli Soup

We had this soup last night with Foccacia Bread (which Jeremy isn't a fan of and I don't understand how that can be) and it was quite yummy. Mom, you should be happy to know that this is good because this is actually a recipe that you printed and put in your recipe binder (somehow I ended up with your binder instead of mine).

Pasta Fagioli Soup

1 (29 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
2 (14 oz) cans Great Northern beans, undrained
2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
3 C water
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 pound seashell pasta
shredded parmesan or Romano cheese

In large stockpot, combine all ingredients except pasta and cheese. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 40 minutes, covered. Add pasta and cook uncovered until tender, approximately 10 minutes. Garnish individual bowls with shredded cheese.

Vanilla Spiced Pear Butter

This is SO yummy! We had some on toast and it was absolutely delish. You can use it on anything you would use jam on... toast, rolls, muffins, crepes etc. I still don't have any cardamom so I didn't add it, and I didn't miss it, but it would probably be delish with it as well.

Vanilla Spiced Pear Butter
Makes 8 - eight ounce jars or 4 pints

Ingredients:
7 lbs. pears, peeled, cored, and coarsley chopped
1/2 cup water
zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
juice of 1 orange

Directions:
In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine the pears, water, lemon zest and juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently, occasionally stirring, for 20 minutes.

Working in batches, transfer mixture to a blender and puree just until a uniform texture is achieved. Do not liquefy. Measure 8 cups of pear puree (you can use the excess as Pearsauce).

In a clean large saucepan, combine pear puree, sugar, orange juice, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and holds it shape to a spoon and liquid does not separate (about 2-3 hours).

Ladel into resealable containers to freeze or jars to can.

Goat Cheese and Tomato Toast

I was trying to figure out a way to use up some of the goat cheese that I bought and I made this for lunch one day. It was tasty! I don't know that you could call it a "recipe" but I'm posting it here anyway. :) You could also do this on small baguette slices for an easy appetizer. I think it would also be good with feta cheese.

Goat Cheese and Tomato Toast

Good, multi-grain bread
Fresh Tomatoes, sliced
Goat Cheese
Italian Seasoning
Crushed Rosemary

Slice the bread about 1/2" think. Put sliced tomatoes, in a single layer, on top of bread. Sprinkle with crushed rosemary and Italian Seasoning to taste. Crumble goat cheese on top. Put under broiler in oven or toaster oven until cheese is golden brown. Watch closely so that it doesn't burn.

Stuffed Peppers

We had these a couple nights ago and they're yummy. I used ground turkey when I made these and we really liked it, but you you could use beef, too, which is what the recipe originally called for.

Stuffed Peppers

1 pound ground turkey (or beef)
1 1/2-2 C. cooked brown rice
6 bell peppers
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a skillet, cook the meat until evenly browned.
Remove and discard tops, seed and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange in a baking dish with hollowed end facing upwards. (Slice a little off the bottoms of the peppers, if necessary, so they will stand upwards. Be careful not to slice off too much.)
Combine the meat, rice, 1 can tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Spoon an equal amount into each pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl and pour evenly over each pepper. Bake 45 minutes in preheated oven, sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top, and continue baking until cheese is melted.

Serves 6

From Allrecipes.com

Five-Star Chili

Today was rainy and cold - the perfect day for a hot bowl of chili and this chili was goooood! Jeff bought this really thick bacon the other day, which I usually don't like, but it worked great in this recipe and it had a great smoky flavor. One of Jeff's friends gave us some elk meat a while ago so I used that, but this would be great with any kind of meat. And I didn't have any fresh onion so I used dried onion and I don't think I'll change that next time I make this.

Five-Star Chili

4 Tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp brown sugar
3 C. beef broth
4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
4 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cans chicken broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 pound bacon
2 pounds stew meat, trimmed and diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, optional

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and saute for 2 to 3 more minutes. Stir in the beef broth, vinegar, tomato paste, chicken broth, cumin, Cayenne pepper and chili powder. Cook at a low boil for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the mixture is reduced by about half.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and allow to cool. Drain bacon grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons of grease in the pan. Cook the stew meat in the bacon grease until well browned and no longer pink in center.
Break the bacon into small pieces and add the bacon, stew meat and beans to the simmering pot. Mix everything together thoroughly, cover and let simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, if desired.
Serves 6

Greatly adapted from allrecipes.com

Four-Cheese Panini

These are so simple and really a delicious change from regular grilled cheese. The Gorgonzola gives it a nice kick. We had these for dinner the other night and I thought, "Oh, Chad would love these!" - being the cheese connoisseur that he is. The author says you can leave out one of the cheeses but to be sure you use the Gorgonzola and I couldn't agree more. I didn't use the Fontina because they didn't have any at the store and I didn't feel like checking other stores and the sandwiches were just great without it.

Four-Cheese Panini

4 oz shredded or sliced mozzarella cheese

4 oz shredded or sliced fontina cheese

4 oz shredded or sliced provolone cheese

2 oz crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

4 ciabatta rolls, halved lengthwise

Layer cheeses on roll bottoms, putting slices on first then shredded and crumbled cheese. Replace roll tops and place in hot panini grill. Cook for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Yum!

Altered ever so slightly from Panini by Carlo Middione.

Lentil Tacos

You will notice Carrie is actually enjoying a Taco! This is perhaps her first taco she has ever enjoyed because it doesn't have any meat in it!



I found a link http://www.blestwithsons.com/index.php?s=Blestwithsons%27s+Lentil+Tacos&submit=Search to this recipe from another link on another blog and made the tacos last night. Okay that was supposed to be a live link :( Anyway, it's just a recipe on a blog.
This is another great way to use food storage lentils and brown rice.

Lentil Tacos

3/4 cup lentils
1/2 cup brown rice (I soaked mine all day, you don't have too)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
3 cups water (a little scant on the 3rd cup)

Mix in a covered casserole dish. Cover, bake for 100 minutes at 300 degrees. Use just as you would regular taco filling.

Apple Pecan Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

This salad is so delish and there's not even any sugar in the vinaigrette! I forgot to add the pecans but I don't doubt that they would be delicious. I forget ingredients quite regularly these days... I think I'm losing it! I also got this recipe from the last issue of Simple and Delicious.

Apple Pecan Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

7 cups torn Bibb or Boston lettuce (I just used romaine)
1 medium apple, sliced into bite size pieces
1/3 cup pecan halves, toasted
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp honey mustard
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In serving bowl, combine lettuce, apple and pecans. In small bowl, whisk the vinegar, honey, oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bacon & Rosemary Chicken

I adapted this recipe from the latest issue of Simple and Delicious. We had it for dinner last night and it was scrumptious!

Bacon & Rosemary Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup flour
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 tbsp butter
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
a shake of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp lemon juice

Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thin pices of meat. Place chicken in ziploc bag with flour and shake to coat. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and a generous amount of garlic powder on chicken breasts. Melt butter in pan over medium heat and cook chicken in butter until juices run clear. Remove chicken from pan and add chicken broth, lemon juice, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Cook until liquid reduces by half. Return chicken to pan and sprinkle with bacon. Heat through and serve.

Maple Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

I made these this morning and they were quite yummy. They're a bit healthier than a lot of pumpkin muffins too!:) I didn't have any cardamom and I forgot to put the allspice in (opps!) but I'm sure those would make a delightful addition. :)

Maple Pumkin Pecan Muffins

For the muffins:
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons cold milled flax
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 - 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the streusel:
2/3 cup pecans
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cold butter, cut in cubes
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 12-cup muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray or fill with muffin liners.

Put the nuts for the crumb topping recipe into the work bowl of a food processor and pulse to roughly chop. Add remaining crumb topping ingredients and pulse until mixture is crumb-like. Remove crumb topping and set aside in a small bowl.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add the pumpkin puree, oil, vanilla, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Mix well. In another medium sized bowl, combine the flour, flax, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt. Stir well to combine.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the pumpkin mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to combine until just moistened. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, using a little less than 1/4 cup of batter per muffin. Top each muffin with a heaping tablespoon of the streusel mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in pan before removing. They taste delicious served warm. Cool any extras on a wire rack until room temperature. Then, store in a ziplock bag or a container with lid.

Makes 2 dozen muffins.

Harvest Pancakes

We made these this weekend and they were so yummy! I could not find the jar of applesauce that I swore we had so I mashed up some canned pears instead and it worked great. You can also switch out the applesauce for one large mashed banana. The original recipe calls for only 2 cups milk and I added more because it made really thick pancakes. You can obviously make them as thick or thin as you want to though.

Harvest Pancakes

1 cup uncooked rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons flax seed
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 sugar (optional)
2 tablespoons dry milk powder (optional)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 egg
2 1/3 cups milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup applesauce

Stir together dry ingredients and set aside. In seperate bowl, wisk together the egg, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla. Stir in the applesauce. Pour into dry mixture until just moistened. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes. Heat a lightly oiled griddle to medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip and cook until light brown on other side.

Cider Cake

Here's a good fall recipe that is from pioneer times.  I made it for our pioneer group's Harvest Dinner this weekend.  It is a dense cake, not light and fluffy.  I cooked it in two loaf pans and they don't rise up very much; they stay pretty small.  But, like I said, it's dense, so you don't really need a big huge piece. I think the pearlash in the original recipe was something like the baking powder?  Also, mine took less than the 50 minutes listed to cook, so be sure to check it after about 40.

The first paragraph is how it was originally written, the next instructions are how it was interpreted for modern times.

"Cider cake is very good, to be baked in small loaves.  One pound and a half of flour, half a pound of sugar, quarter of a pound of butter, half o pint of cider, one teaspoonful of pearlash; spice to your taste.  Bake till it turns easily from the pans.  I should think about half an hour."

1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
1 t. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. sugar
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. apple cider

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and blend well. Sift flour, baking powder, and spices.  Add flour mixture and cider alternately to butter mixture, beginning with flour and stirring well after each addition.  Batter will be stiff.  Pour into two greased 5x9 loaf pans or two 9-inch round cake pans.  Bake 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees.

From American Frugal Housewife - Mrs. Child 1832 -- interpreted by Old Sturbridge Village Cookbook.

Stacked Burrito Pie

We had this tasty concoction tonight. I would like to say that the kids liked it, but none of them would try it, not even Amelia - because she was copying everything her naughty brothers were doing. But Jeff and I liked it. Oh, I also had to use my sour cream powder from our food storage, in place of the regular sour cream, because the stuff in the fridge was old. And it was good! So I'm sure this would be even better with real sour cream! : ) I also used more than 8 ounces of cheese.

Stacked Burrito Pie

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 c. frozen corn kernels
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 C. sour cream
1 C. salsa
8 ounces Cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

In a large skillet over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and saute another minute.
Increase the heat to medium, then add the ground beef, chili powder, and cumin. Cook the mixture until the beef is browned and no longer pink, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add the salt, water, black beans, and corn, and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow it to continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using the rim of a 9-inch springform pan as a template, trim 3 of the tortillas to the size of the pan. Leave the fourth tortilla untrimmed.
Butter the bottom and sides of the pan (or use non-stick cooking spray). Press the untrimmed tortilla evenly into the pan's bottom. Spread 2 tablespoons of the sour cream over the tortilla, followed by 1/4 cup of the salsa. Spoon and spread a quarter of the beef mixture over the salsa, then sprinkle a quarter of the grated cheese evenly over the top.
Place one of the trimmed tortillas on top of the cheese, then repeat the layers until the ingredients and tortillas are used up. You should end up with four layers, topped with the final sprinkling of cheese.
Bake the pie until heated through, about 30 minutes. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the rim from the springorm. Slice the pie into wedges using a sharp knife.
Serves 10

Note: I think that you can save yourself 20 minutes and skip the water/boiling part but since I haven't tried it w/out the water, I left it in the recipe. And I didn't bother with trimming the tortillas like it says to - I just used a springform pan that fit the tortillas and it worked fine.
Also, it says that you can use a 9-inch cake pan instead and serve it like a lasagna.

Recipe and picture from Family Fun magazine.

Easy Mediterranean Fish Stew

I made this a couple weeks ago and it was deeeelish. I didn't use the anchovy fillets, but I put them in the recipe just in case you're feeling adventurous. :) I also used regular russet potatoes and they worked fine, and I just used dried thyme b/c I don't have fresh thyme growing in the garden. And I used mahi mahi for the fish. Yum!!

Easy Mediterranean Fish Stew

4 large garlic cloves, minced
Salt
4 anchovy fillets, soaked in water for 4 minutes, drained and rinsed (optional)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 pound small red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered or sliced
1 bay leaf
couple sprigs of fresh thyme
crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
splash of lemon juice
1 quart water
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 to 1 1/2 pounds firm white-fleshed fish (tilapia, cod, halibut)
2-4 tablespoons minced fresh flat parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. If using anchovy, mash the garlic, 14/ teaspoon salt and anchovies together with mortar and pestle. Add the onion, celery, carrot and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender. Add the garlic (or garlic-anchovy paste, if using). Cook, stirring, until the mixture is very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes (with juice). Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down a bit and the mixture is aromatic, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the potatoes, salt to taste, bay leaf, thyme, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste, adjust salt and add black pepper to taste.
Season the fish with salt and black pepper, and stir into the soup. The soup should not be boiling. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes (depending on the type and thickness of the fish) or just until it flakes easily when poked. Remove from the heat, remove the bay leaf, stir in the parsley, taste once more, adjust the seasonings and serve.

Serves 4-6

From the Denver Post and they got it from "The Very Best of Recipes for Health" by Martha Rose Shulman

Pear Crumble with Vanilla Brown Butter

We had this for Family Home Evening last night and it was scrumptious! The almond crumble on top gives it a bit of a different flavor than your standard crisps/crumbles.

Pear Crumble with Vanilla Brown Butter

Adapted from Gourmet, October 2007

Crumble Topping:

3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup almonds with skin, finely chopped

1/8 cup packed brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Filling:

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon flour

4 firm-ripe pears peeled and coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons apple juice

Make topping: Mix together flour, almonds, brown sugar, and salt. Mix in butter. Chill at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
Scrape seeds from vanilla bean (or extract) into a small saucepan, then add pod and butter and cook over medium-low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until butter is browned and fragrant, about 4 minutes.
While butter browns, stir together sugars, flour, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add pears and apple juice and toss to combine.
Discard vanilla pod, then toss butter with pear mixture. Spoon filling into ramekins and sprinkle generously with topping. Put ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Cool to warm or room temperature on a rack.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

**Makes enough for 4 single-serving ramekins.

Gluay Buat Chee

I told Jeremy what I was making last night and then I asked him if he knew what it meant. He laughed and said "I have to pee so bad it hurts!" Well. Aparently it depends on the spelling because that's not what this Gluay Buat Chee means! It means "bananas ordained as nuns". (The nuns in Thailand wear white robes). It is devine. And rich. It is very rich. So I would just pour a small bowl for each person. Mmmm!:)




Gluay Buat Chee

3-4 medium bananas (underripe)
1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt (a little less is ok)


Peel bananas and halve lengthwise. Cut each half into 4 equal pieces. Bring coconut milk, water, sugar and salt to a gentle boil over medium high heat. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add the bananas and serve hot or warm.

*You can freeze any leftovers to use in smoothies!


I got this from the Thai cookbook you guys gave me when I got married: Quick and Easy Thai

Rainbow Swirl Cake

Rainbow Swirl Cake

Use your favorite white cake recipe and prepare according to directions. Divide the batter into 7 equal portions and add a different color of liquid food coloring to each portion. Grease and flour a round cake pan and then drop the bowls of batter in the pan, one by one. In between each color, gently bang the pan on the counter to spread the batter a bit. Cook according to directions for your cake recipe and frost with white frosting.

Ok, I'll be honest. I haven't actually made this cake. BUT you just use your own vanilla cake recipe so it's not really the flavor that I'm excited about... it's just that it looks like a really fun cake!:) I thought the little kids would think it was fun... I'm going to make it with Ava when she's older.

I found this and the pictures at http://almostbourdain.blogspot.com/

Roman Egg-Dipped Panini

I checked a panini cookbook out from the library, aptly named Panini, to see what exciting things it might hold for my panini grill, which I love. So, I made this sandwich for the J for breakfast today (you know, my eternal search for new breakfast ideas also goes on...). They were easy to make and tasty. They'd be great for a lunch as well and, in fact, I don't really think they were intended for breakfast but I figure they have eggs so he could get by with it. :)

Roman Egg-Dipped Panini

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced*

8 sliced Pullman-type bread (pain de mie or pane in cassetta)**

1 1/2 C whole milk

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil for grill

Cut crusts off of each slice of bread. Divide cheese among 4 of the bread slices. Top with remaining slices of bread and gently press closed. You can cut each sandwich in half or leave whole.

In a large, shallow bowl (I think with a flat bottom is best), whisk together the milk, eggs, salt, and pepper until well blended and frothy.

Lightly soak the assembled panini in the milk mixture until very moist, but not soggy. Transfer to a plate and let sit for a few minutes to finish soaking.

Lightly oil the panini grill and preheat to medium. Grill the panini until the bread is golden, the egg mixture sets, and the cheese melts and barely begins to dribble out. Serve warm.

*I didn’t have sliced mozzarella on hand so I used shredded Italian blend cheese. That worked but it would be easier to dip with a slice of cheese in the middle of the bread rather than tiny little shreds of cheese.

**Poor man’s bread substitution - Italian bread, sliced diagonally, crusts removed.

Altered slightly from Panini by Carlo Middione.

My Grandma's Thunder Cake

This is adapted from a book, Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco, that we randomly got at the library one time.  We never tried the recipe, but last year Avery's teacher read the same book and they got to try the cake too.  The kids love it (ok, we all do) and Avery reassured everyone, "You can't taste the tomato; it just makes it moist."

My Grandma's Thunder Cake

1 c. butter, softened
1 3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs, seperated
1 c. cold water
1/3 c. pureed tomato (from 1 seeded, peeled tomato)
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
strawberries, optional

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the vanilla and egg yolks, blending well.  Beat in the water and tomato puree (it will look curdled).
Add the dry ingredients.  Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into chocolate mixture.  Bake in one of the following: 2 greased and floured round pans, a greased 9x13 pan, or a jelly roll pan at 350 for 20-40 minutes, depending on the size of the pan.
Frost with chocolate frosting.  Top with strawberries, if desired.

Spicy Chicken Strips

I tasted these at Wal-Mart from the food demo lady and decided to give them a try. They're super easy and the dipping sauce in tangy.


Perhaps I shouldn't have told Tiernan we were having snake that I caught in the back yard....

So even after we told him it was just his favorite chicken it still took a little convincing to get him to try it.

Spicy Chicken Strips

Boneless, skinless chicken breast - cut into strips (or leave it whole)
Mrs. Dash original seasoning

To make it very spicy coat the chicken in the Mrs. Dash seasoning then brown in a frying pan sprayed with Pam type spray. To make it a little less spicy just sprinkle with the Mrs. Dash. The plate also shows just plain chicken strips I made for the kids.

Dipping Sauce:

Dijon mustard
Lemon juice
Honey if you want more sweet than tangy

Squirt a little mustard and pour a little lemon juice in a bowl and stir. Cut your chicken into bite size pieces and dip in the sauce.

(Tiernan did actually try it - we gave him the plain chicken - and he declared that "snake" is good!)

Moroccan Potato Bean Soup

This soup is a nice change of pace from your standard potato soup. Jeremy doesn't really love curry but he did like this and I thought it was way yummy.

Moroccan Potato Bean Soup

6 cups water
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream or half-and-half
1 cup dry potato pearls

In medium-sized pot, bring water and kidney beans to a boil. Once they are boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. In a small frying pan saute onions in olive oil until brown. Add water mixture and onions to crock pot followed by potatoes, chicken bouillon granules, spices and soy sauce. Cook on low for 3 hours. Add milk, cream and potato pearls and stir until well blended (potato pearls will take a little while to dissolve).

Blue Cheese & Toasted Walnut Spread

This dip is deee-lish! Very easy to make and will keep for a few days.

Blue Cheese & Toasted Walnut Spread

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

1 C (about 5oz) crumbled Gorgonzola or Saga blue cheese, at room temperature

1 C sour cream

1/2 C mayonnaise

1 C chopped toasted walnuts

1/4 C chopped green onion

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Milk to thin dip if necessary

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add remainder of ingredients and mix until well blended. Add a little bit of milk, if needed, to thin the dip.

Serve with water crackers, wheat thins, pear slices and apple slices (dipped in lemon water). Or whatever suits your fancy.

Altered slightly from a recipe in The Big Book of Appeitzers by meredith Deeds & Carla Snyder.

Barbeque Chicken Pizza

This was so yummy. Jeremy gave it a 10 and he's not very liberal with his 10 ratings. :)

Barbeque Chicken Pizza

1 can refrigerated pizza dough (or ready made dough of your choice)
mozzerella cheese, to taste
.25 lb gouda cheese
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
diced onions, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll pizza dough on cookie sheet. Spread generous amount of barbeque sauce on dough (around 1/4 cup). Top with mozzerella cheese and gouda cheese then add chicken and diced onions. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until crust is medium brown and cheese is crispy.

This really is better with the cheese a bit crispy, not just melted. Also, gouda is expensive, but you can get it by the pound at most stores and then it's not too bad. And it's worth it on this pizza. :)

Caramel Sandwich Cookies

These cookies are DI-VINE. So yummy! I ate two and had a bit of a stomachache though haha. Really, though, you should give them a try!

Caramel Sandwich Cookies

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt, a little heaping
2/3 cup pecans
2 sticks butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour

Caramel Sauce
Melted White Chocolate, optional

Instructions:

In mixing bowl, combine sugar, salt and butter until creamy. Meanwhile, chop pecans into fine pieces. Add pecans, flour and vanilla to batter and mix until just combined. Roll dough into a log about 1 foot in length and wrap with saran wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once dough is done refrigerating, slice into pieces about 1/4 inch in thickness and bake on ungreased baking sheets for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Cool on pan for 1-2 minutes and then cool completely on cooling rack. Once cookies are completely cool, generously dab the caramel sauce on the bottom side of one cookie and top with another cookie to make a sandwich. If using, dip half of sandwich in white chocolate.

Caramel Sauce

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbs light corn syrup

Stir in all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring just to a boil, then remove from heat.


I tweaked this recipe from the one in BHG magazine this month. They used store bought caramels and I think those are gross so I made the caramel sauce. Also, my white chocolate turned out un-dippable so I didn't use it but I really don't think the cookies need it! They're delicious on their own!

**Also, if you make the caramel sauce while the cookies are baking it will have time to cool to room temp and it won't be so runny when you try to build the sandwiches.

Brown Sugar Muffins

I know Jeremy is tired of toast for breakfast so I've been trying to make things he can take and eat on his way to school. These are not terribly flavorful when they're warm, but if you let them cool down they're quite tastey!

Brown Sugar Muffins

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare 12-16 muffin tins.

Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl and all wet ingredients in another bowl. Pour wet indgredients in the dry bowl and mix just until combined. Divide among the prepared muffin tins and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Chicken Fajita Braid

Hmmm, perhaps I should have used a nicer looking pan....

1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls or 1 can refrigerated flaky dough sheet
1 Tablespoon oil
2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup green or red bell pepper cut into strips (or combination of both)
1/4 cup salsa (I used La Victoria Green Salsa Verde because it's my favorite :)
2 cups shredded Cheddar-Monterrey Jack cheese blend (8 oz.)
1 egg white, beaten
2-3 chopped fresh tomatoes

Heat oven to 375. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Unroll dough onto cookie sheet (if using crescent rolls, pinch the seams to seal) press to 8X12 inches.

In skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken; stir in chili powder, salt and garlic; cook 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add onion and bell pepper strips; cook 2 to 3 minutes longer or until chicken is no longer pink in center and the vegetables are crisp-tender.

Spoon chicken mixture in a 4-inch strip lengthwise down the center 1/3 of dough leaving 1/3 on each side empty for folding. Top with salsa; sprinkle with cheese. With a sharp knife make cuts 1 inch apart on long sides of dough within 1/2 inch of filling. Alternately cross strips over filling' press edges to seal. Brush with egg white.

Bake 22-25 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Top with chopped tomatoes. Cut crosswise into slices.
Serves 4-6

Italian or Ranch Pasta Salads

These are two super quick and super easy pasta salads:

For the Italian Pasta Salad, cook desired amount of Penne noodles (or really any kind of noodles) and once they are cool, add chopped broccoli, diced tomato, chopped cucumber and feta cheese. Top with Italian salad dressing. For the Ranch Pasta Salad do add all the same ingredients except switch out the feta cheese with Parmesean cheese and top with Ranch dressing instead of Italian.

Southern Fried Chicken

I never really thought of Texas as being part of "The South", but everyone down here thinks it is so I guess I can say that I live in the South now. Since we've been in the South, Jeremy has become addicted to fried chicken, so I decided to learn how to make it. This recipe is the first one that we tried, but I don't know if we're going to try any others because it's so good! The chicken is really moist, the flavor is strong and delicious, and the outside is nice and crispy!:)



Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients
25-30 saltine crackers
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons dry potato flakes (or crushed potato pearls)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves


Directions
1. Place crackers in a large resealable plastic bag; seal bag and crush crackers until they are coarse crumbs. Add flour, potato flakes, seasoned salt, and pepper to bag and mix well.
2. Beat egg in a shallow dish or bowl; heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
3. Cut chicken breasts into strips about one inch thick. One by one, coat the chicken in flour and then dredge chicken pieces in egg beat, then place in bag with crumb mixture, seal bag and shake to coat.
4. Reduce heat to medium and cook coated chicken in skillet for 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently, until dark golden brown and juices run clear.

We also made honey-butter biscuits super quickly by mixing 1 part melted butter to 2 parts honey and brushing it on top of some refrigerated biscuits before baking. Tasty!:)

Strawberry Muffins with Pecan Crumble Topping

These were pretty tastey little muffins and it was a nice change to have fruit other than blueberries in a muffin.



Strawberry Muffins with Pecan Crumble Topping

2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup whole milk or 2% milk
1 tsp lemon juice or zest of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh strawberries, cut into small pieces (about the size of a small blueberry)

Pecan crumble
1/4 cup pecans, chopped and heaping
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peal (optional)
1 tablespoon melted butter

Mix all ingredients until well combined.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12- cup muffin tin with muffin papers (or butter and flour the cups, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.)
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and eggs until smooth – no lumps. Whisk in the evaporated milk, lemon juice and milk until combined.
3. Add the fresh fruit and gently toss with you fingers to combine. Make a well in the center of the bowl. Pour the butter mixture into the center of the well and, using a rubber spatula, gently pull the flour mixture into the center of the well until just combined.
4. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup until full. Sprinkle pecan crumble evenly among muffin tops and gently press. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

I adapted this recipe from http://www.stephanieskitchen.com/

New Orleans Praline Brownies

These were super delicious the first day and then still good the next day, but, really, they're better the very first day that you make them.


New Orleans Praline Brownies

1 box brownie mix for a 9x13 pan
Water, vegetable oil and eggs as called for on brownie mix box
1/2 cup chopped pecans


Praline Frosting :

1/2 cup whipping cream (or evaporated milk)
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla


1. Heat oven to 350° F. Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.

2. Make brownie mix as directed on box for fudge brownies, using water, oil and eggs. Stir in chopped pecans. Bake as directed. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

3. In medium saucepan, mix cream, butter, brown sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in pecans, powdered sugar and vanilla. Cool 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Spread frosting over brownies. Allow to stand 30 to 45 minutes, or until frosting is set.

Waffle Tip

Whenever we make waffles we put them on a cookie sheet and pop it in the oven to keep warm while we make the rest. Naturally the farther down in the stack the waffles are, the more squished they are. The ones at the bottom are completely flat. If you freeze them that way they definitely stick together. And, let's be honest, they just aren't as good that way! I mean seriously, no one wants a squished up old waffle.

So, when I made a big batch of waffles to freeze for the Js school breakfast, I put the finished waffles on a cooling rack until they were completely cool. Then I put them in freezer ziploc bags with a sheet of waxed paper in between each layer, and froze them - and they didn't squish! It worked like a charm. I did the same when I made French Toast too.

Bahama Mama Chicken

I'll post a picture of this later but wanted to get the recipe up for Megan. This is so easy and so yummy! It's a family favorite. I serve it with brown rice and stir-fry veggies - delish!

Bahama Mama Chicken

6-8 pieces of chicken (legs, breasts, thighs... boneless, skinless breasts work great.)

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

1/4 C soy sauce

1 C honey

Remove fat and skin from chicken. Place chicken in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Combine soy sauce and honey; pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour, uncovered. Turn over and bake 1/2 hour more or until chicken is cooked through.

Pour sauce in pan over chicken, rice and veggies, to taste, when serving.

Turkey Avocado Sandwiches

These made for an easy (and cool) dinner after a long day at Pirate's Cove water park. You could easily switch out the hoagie rolls for a wrap or bread or whatever you like. This isn't the best picture but I had to get it fast before all the sandwiches were eaten...

Turkey Avocado Sandwiches

8 oz cream cheese (regular or low-fat); softened

2 Tbsp taco sauce

12 drops Tabasco sauce

6 hoagie rolls, sliced in half lengthwise

6 lettuce leaves

3/4 lb thinly sliced deli turkey

1 to 1 1/2 avocado - peeled, pitted, sliced

Sliced tomato

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth; beat in taco sauce and Tabasco. Spread on the cut sides of the top and bottom of each roll. Layer lettuce, turkey, avocado and tomato; sprinkle with parsley or cilantro. Replace top of roll.

Serves 6.

Altered slightly from a recipe found on allrecipes.com.

Memphis Pulled Pork Sandwiches

We intended to make this for the 4th of July but we had a bone-in roast so it took much longer to cook than we expected... So, we threw some hamburgers on the grill while this finished and had our pulled pork sandwiches the next night. It was worth the wait! They're really yummy - even I ate one. This is barbecue from the Memphis Blues Barbeque House cookbook (they have a restaurant where it all originated) so there are several parts and it takes a long time to cook but it's worth it. We used an 8 lb roast (double the recipe) so Becky took some home and we also froze enough for two more meals.

Oven Roasted Pulled Pork

Pick a pork shoulder that’s not too lean, because you will render the fat through the lean meat during the long roasting time. You’ll lose up to 30% of the raw weight when it’s done. Even in the oven, expect about 4-4 1/2 hours of cooking time. It’s slow food - don’t rush it!

4 lb boneless pork shoulder or picnic shoulder

1/4 C All-Purpose Dry Rub

Heat oven to 225˚. Rub the pork shoulder liberally with the All-Purpose Dry Rub. Place the shoulder in a roasting pan, fat cap up, and cook in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Remove from the oven, wrap in tinfoil, and cook for another hour. To know when it’s done, test it by pushing down on the pork shoulder. It should feel tender and ready to fall apart. If it’s still too firm, cook for another 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and unwrap the pork**. Use two forks to separate the pork while it rests in the roasting pan. There will be natural juices and drippings that you can incorporate back into the pulled pork. Just massage them in with your hands (clean, of course!). This will add extra flavor and keep it nice and moist.

Serve on a bun, with a salad, or as a meal. It’s versatile!

**At this point I removed the shoulder from the pan and cut off the fat cap because A) it’s rather large and B) you don’t want all that in your meat anyway. Then put the meat back in the pan to pull apart. While pulling it apart remove fat.

All-Purpose Dry Rub

1/2 C dried parsley

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C Lawry’s Seasoned salt

1 1/2 Tbsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder

1 1/2 Tbsp onion powder

1 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano

1 1/2 Tbsp sweet paprika

1/2 Tbsp mild mustard powder

1/2 Tbsp celery salt

a pinch of cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl with a whisk. Make sure there are no clumps. Store any leftover rub in an airtight container in the cupboard for up to 6 months.

Memphis Blues Classic Barbecue Sauce

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp dark brown or demerara sugar

1 Tbsp molasses

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp ketchup

1 tsp yellow mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned salt

a dash of Louisiana-style hot sauce (Tabasco)

1/2 C water

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Whisk thoroughly or combine with a handheld blender to ensure that there are no lumps. Simmer over low heat while stirring frequently for 1 hour (this pasteurizes the sauce). Cool for at least 1 hour before transferring to an airtight container for storage. Store up to 1 month in the refrigerator.

And finally, to pull it all together -

Memphis Pulled Pork Sandwich

1 1/2 lb pulled pork

1 C Memphis Blues Classic Barbecue Sauce

1 C cream coleslaw

4 large white hamburger buns

Reheat the pulled pork in the oven, microwave, or on the stovetop. In a small saucepan, heat the barbecue sauce. Pile the coleslaw on the bottom half of the buns. Divide the warm meat into 4 portions and heap onto the slaw, then smother with as much sauce as you like. Now dig in! Try to just have one...

We did not use the coleslaw on the sandwiches but next time we're going to try it. :) We served them with corn on the cob and Fumi salad. Delish!

From the Memphis Blues Barbeque House: Bringin' Southern BBQ Home cookbook.