More Yummy Treats!

White Chocolate Fudge


Ingredients:

3/4 cup of sweet condensed milk

2 boxes of white chocolate (6 oz each)

1/2 cup almonds (toast them first)

1/2 cup of craisins

Microwave the milk and chocolate for 1-2minutes in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until almost melted. Stir to completely melt. Don’t over-cook!

Add in the almonds and craisins.

Place in a 8x8 pan lined with foil. (Grease the foil and let it hang over the side.)

Refrigerate for 2 hours at least, then pull the foil up to release the fudge and cut into squares. Do not freeze.


Chocolate Pretzels

from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

24 circular pretzels

24 milk chocolate candy kisses (or Rolos, if you want caramel)

1 (1.69 oz) package mini candy-coated chocolates (M&Ms)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place pretzels on baking sheets. Unwrap candy kisses and place one in the center of each pretzel.
3. Place in preheated oven for 1 to 2 minutes, until kisses melt. Remove from oven and place one candy-coated chocolate in the center of each pretzel. Chill in refrigerator until set.



Peppermint Candy Cookies


Peppermint filling:

1/2 c. crushed pink peppermint candy
1 c. powdered sugar, divided
2 TBS (1 oz) cream cheese
1 tsp. milk
1 drop red food color

Dough:

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour

Directions:

For Dough: Cream butter, powdered sugar and vanilla together. Slowly add flour. Mix thoroughly. Refrigerate dough until a little less sticky. Shape chilled dough into balls using a rounded tsp. 1 ball ata time. Make a deep hole in the center of each ball and fill hole with 1/4 tsp of filling. Seal hole closed so that the filling cannot leak out.

Put on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes until set but not brown. While they are still warm roll in reserved sugar mixture. Let cool and roll again.

For filling: Crush peppermint candy (candy canes work great) in a food processor or something that will make it very finely crushed. Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Measure 3 TBS for use in filling and reserve the remainder for rolling cookies. Blend together cream cheese and milk until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 c. of powdered sugar, 3 TBS candy mixture and food coloring. Mix well.


Makes 2-3 dozen cookies

6 Layer Bars

1 1/2 cups crushed corn flakes
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 can sweetened condensed milk

In a medium bowl combine corn flakes, sugar and melted butter. Mix well. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Layer chocolate and butterscotch chips, coconut and nuts. Pour sweetened condensed milk over everything. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before cutting.

Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken

Okay, I am completely lame! I'm so sorry I haven't posted in forever. Here is a great chicken recipe that our family loves. It's yummy-numm-numm!

{Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken}

1 lb. potatoes cut into wedges

2 lbs. chicken cut into thick strips

6 medium carrots, sliced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp. honey

3 Tbsp. mustard

1 tsp. rosemary

2 heads garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a shallow pan, toss potatoes and carrots with oil, salt and pepper. Peel the garlic heads and remove the cloves, and nestle the garlic amongst the vegetables and scatter the rosemary on top. Arrange the chicken pieces among the vegetables and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Stir together the mustard and honey and spread over chicken. Stir vegetables, return chicken to pan, place back into oven and bake 10-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked and vegetables are tender.

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Yes, I received this from a girl in my ward and tried it tonight! Dave said cake isn't suppose to be microwaved, I thought the texture was a bit odd, but with some ice cream (which we didn't have) it is a quick, yummy, cholatey snack when you have a chocolate craving! I personally should NOT have tried it, I might make it more often than I should!

1 coffee (hot chocolate- (: ) mug
4 TBSP flour
4 TBSP Sugar
2 TBSP baking cocoa
1 egg
3 TBSP milk
3 TBSP oil
3 TBSP Choc. Chips (optional - Dave and I wanted more!)
small splash of vanilla

Add dry ingredients to mug mix well
Add the egg and mix thoroughly
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well (make sure to scrape bottom of the mug)
Add the Choc. Chips and vanilla and mix again
Put your mug in microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! ( this can serve 2 if you want to share)

Butternut Squash Soup with Ravioi

I saw this recipe and immediately thought of a dish just like it that I had at the "TRIO" restaurant. I wouldn't call it a soup, though I guess you could have it separately as such. I just used the "soup" as sauce...mmmm!

Start to finish: 30 minutes

2 pounds butternut squash
2 14 ounce cans vegetable broth
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 TBSP butter or margarine
1 - 9 ounce package refrigerated cheese -filled Ravioli
1 TBSP molasses (WHAT? Who actually HAS molasses in their home... is this something I should have on hand? How long does it keep for these random recipes? I omitted it- which the recipe said you could do..."if you like")

1. Peel Squash. Halve lengthwise. Remove seeds and discard. Cut squash into 3/4 inch pieces.
2. In a large saucepan combine 1/2 cup water, squash, vegetable broth (I only had chicken broth which worked, but I wonder how it would taste with vegetable broth?), and red pepper. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 20 minutes or until squash is tender.
3. Transfer one -fourth of the squash mixture to a blender container or food processor bowl. cover and blend or process until smooth. Repeat with remaining portions, until all of the mixture is blended.
4. Return mixture to the saucepan. Bring just to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for 5 minute. Add butter; stir until just melted.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the ravioli according to package directions; drain. Ladle hot soup into bowls. Divide cooked ravioli among bowls. Drizzle with molasses.

Sugar Cookies ala Lion House

These are pretty easy and very yummy! ( I make with a white frosting which I will post on a different post)

3 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 1/4 cups or 2 1/2 squares of butter
4 eggs
4 TBSP Milk
2 tsp Vanilla
6 1/2 cups Flour
1 tsp Salt

Mix wet ingredients together in mixer -mix dry ingredients in separate bowl. Add Together. Cook at 400 degrees for 8- 10 minutes.

Yes, I am back with YUMMY TREATS!

I have been gone from this blog for a bit, but now I am back with vengence! I know this post will serve and the first of many and you probably won't get to the message until after you have seen all the other ones, but I have had fun cooking lately and the next few( I don't know how many I will get to tonight) recipes will show it. ENJOY!

Pumpkin Fluff

1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Mix all together and serve with cinnamon graham crackers. I have also made my own cinnamon chips to go with it to. Either work!

I make the cinnamon chips by cutting up flour tortilla, spraying them with cooking spray, and sprinkling cinnamon/sugar on them. Bake at 350 for about 9 minutes.

Butternut Squash Casserole

INGREDIENTS
1 butternut squash
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/4 cup margarine, melted

TOPPING1/2 (16 ounce) package vanilla wafers, crushed1/2 cup margarine, melted1 cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONSPreheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).Put butternut squash in the microwave and cook on high, until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Cut in half, scoop out seeds and cube. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add squash and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash.In a 9x13 inch casserole dish combine 3 cups mashed butternut squash, white sugar, milk, vanilla extract, salt, flour, eggs and 1/4 cup melted margarine.Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until set.In a medium bowl combine crushed vanilla wafers, 1/2 cup melted margarine and brown sugar. Crumble over top of cooked casserole and return to oven to brown.

Turkey Chili

Yet another thing I LOVE about Autumtime is making soups, stews and chili. I made this tonight and it was a big hit. Super easy and it really hits the spot on these cold days.

1 lb. ground turkey
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 (16 oz.) can pinto beans, undrained
1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, undrained
1 (28 oz.) can chopped stewed tomatoes
2 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. cumin powder
3/4 cup salsa
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
Pepper to taste

In a large pot, brown turkey with chopped onion. Add beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, pepper and salsa. Cook until hot. Top with cheese and sour cream and serve with cornbread or whatever else tickles your fancy. :)

Granola

I tried this the other night and thought it was SO good. Don't be fooled by it's healthy title. It is totally a dessert but it is a great one!

combine and blend:
1 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. lite corn syrup
1/2 c. butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla

stir in:
3 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. coconut
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. raisins (you can omit this if you want)
1/3 c. wheat germ (i never have this on hand, so i just add extra oats)
1 c. choc. chips

press mixture evenly into greased 9x13 pan. bake @ 350 for 15-20 min. until light golden color. cool completely before cutting into bars.

On the menu for this week...

Killer-Diller Enchiladas
Fettuccine with Salmon, Spinach and Red peppers
Saucy Baked Pork Chops with potatoes and steamed broccoli
Salmon pesto and rice

I thought I'd do something a little bit different on this post. Sometimes we need a few ideas when planning out the weeks menu so I thought I'd share mine. What are you ladies cookin' up this week?

Roasted Red Pepper Lasagna

If you like roasted red peppers, you will love this recipe. I made it for dinner last night and it was a hit. It was super quick to make and tasted de-lish. If you want to cut down on the fat substitute low-fat cottage cheese for the ricotta.

1 jar Prego spaghetti sauce (I used chunky vegetable)
9 no-boil lasagna noodles
15 oz. ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 Tbsp. red wine
1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan
1 1/2 cups roasted red peppers, drained well and cut into strips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/2 cup of sauce over bottom of dish. Top with 3 lasagna noodles. In a small bowl stir together the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozarella and the red wine. Spoon half the mixture over the noodles in the dish. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. parmesan. Top with half of the red pepper strips. Spoon half of the remaining sauce on the pepper layer.

Top with 3 more noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, and remaining peppers. Add 3 more noodles and the remaining sauce. Top with some mozarella and parmesan. Cover with foil. Bake for 50 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 20 minutes before serving so the lasagna can set.

My Favorite Fruit Salad Ever!

1 can chunk pineapple
1 can mandarin oranges
1 can fruit cocktail
3 bananas (sliced)

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 9oz Cool Whip

Mix Cool Whip and pudding until well-blended. Drain chilled fruit extra well in a strainer. Stir fruit into pudding mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving slice bananas and add to the salad. To make it even better you can add Fudge-striped cookies crumbled up....makes it more like a dessert!

Sorry I haven't posted anything until now...I vow to do better!

Yvonne's Cream Cheese Dip

Since it's football season I thought I'd post one of my favorite dips. This recipe came from one of Taylor's mom's painting buddies. It is sooooooo yummy!

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 Tbsp. very finely chopped white onion
1 (8 oz.) can of crushed pineapple drained (drain and then squeeze the liquid out of it by hand to get it nice and dry)
1/2 tsp. Lawry's Seasoning Salt

Combine the ingredients, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use it. Spread on Wheat Thins or serve with veggies.

Pumpkin Soup

1 onion chopped
3 tbsp butter
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups pumpkin
1 cup milk
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp black pepper

Saute the chopped onion in the butter. Add 2 cups chicken broth and let simmer for 15 minutes. Puree in blender and place back in pot. To the onion/broth mixture add the pumpkin, 2 cups of chicken broth, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper. Let simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes. Mix the flour into the milk so that there are no clumps. Add the milk mixture into the soup after it is done simmering (don't let the soup boil).

I made homemade wheat croutons and added it to the soup, very tasty.

Garden Tomato Soup

I have tons of tomatoes growing in my garden so it was nice to be able to use some of them! This is really yummy. As Spencer said at dinner tonight..."I am never eating Campbells tomato soup again!"

4 cups chopped tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 onion chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

In a large pot bring to a boil tomatoes, chicken broth, onion, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Let boil for 20 minutes. Puree tomato mixture in blender and set aside. In the same pot melt butter and then add flour to make a roux. Once roux is a light brown add tomato mixture. Wisk together to make sure there are no lumps. Add salt and sugar and serve.

Eggplant Parmesan

We received 2 eggplants from the food co-op last Saturday so what better to use them for than Eggplant Parmesan? I pulled this recipe off of allrecipes.com but I altered it slightly. It turned out much better than I anticipated. Even if your not an eggplant fan, give it a try. You might like it!

2 eggplant, thinly sliced (1/4" - 1/2" thick)
2 eggs beaten
2 2/3 cup italian bread crumbs (I just used plain and added some italian seasoning)
4 cups spaghetti sauce
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 + 1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 tsp. dried basil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread crumbs and 1/4 cup parmesan in a gallon size plastic bag. Dip eggplant in egg and then place in the bag. Once you have coated all the eggplant with egg toss them all together in the ziploc bag. (This makes for easy cleanup.) Place on a baking sheet lined with foil and cook for 7 minutes. Turn slices over and bake for an additional 7 minutes.

Cover bottom of 9 x 13" pan with spaghetti sauce, just enough to cover. Place eggplant slices on top of sauce then top with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Bake in oven for 35 minutes. Serve on top of angel hair pasta.

(The original recipe calls for you to layer the eggplant on top of each other, alternating with sauce and cheese. I didn't think that was necessary so I just layered sauce, eggplant, sauce, cheese. I froze the other half of the breaded eggplant for a later time.)

Pork of Love

After not wanting to BBQ Pork, but needing dinner fast, I found this recipe in the Favorite Brand Name All- new Best-Loved Recipes of all Time cookbook! Dave and I both LOVED it! I don't usually like hot fruit, like in pies, but I acutally LOVED the apples! Here it is...

4 Pork chops, 1/2 inch thick (ours might have been thicker and they were fine)

1 TBSP Oil (I used olive oil)

2 medium Apples Cored and Cut in eight wedges (I used our apple slicer and it was perfect)

1 Cup Apple Juice

2 cups Cornbread Stuffing ( I didn't know if I should cook it before adding or not, so I did... when you try it don't, just add the dry stuffing in at the end. --Soggy stuffing was okay, but could have been better.)

1/4 cup chopped Pecans ( I didn't add these, but I am sure it would be good)

SPRINKLE chops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chops and apples; cook until chops are browned on both sides.

STIR in apple juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 8 minutes or until chops are cooked through. Remove chops from skillet.

STIR stuffing mix and pecans into skillet. Return chops to skillet; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes

(Makes 4 servings)

Zucchini Citris Bread

I found this recipe the other day on allrecipes.com and it was amazing. The little touch of lemon was so tastey in the bread. I am posting this mostly for my own reference so I can come back and find it when I need it more quickly!!

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups grated zucchini
3/4 teaspoon lemon extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
In a large bowl, beat eggs with sugar for 10 minutes. Gradually add oil and beat for two more minutes. Mix in lemon extract and zucchini. Fold in flour mixture until evenly moistened; do not overmix. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

Kinnersley's Famous Bean Dip

Okay I will try to start to post here more often.  Here is one of my favorite recipes.... I usually just throw things in, taste and add what I think in needs,  so these sizes are approximate, so start with a little less and then see how you like it. 

Bean Dip

1 Small can of Refried Beans (Rosarita Refried are the best, but you can get any kind and add more spices)

2 TBSP of brown sugar ( I like more to make it sweeter, my mom does left)

2 TBSP of Ketchup

1 to 1.5 Tsp of minced onion (or a couple of shakes of onion salt)

1 cup of cheese

Melt together in pan on Medium heat

Serve with tortillia chips, tortillias and cheese or 7 layer dip (see below)

7 layer dip

1st layer - Bean Dip

2nd layer - Sour cream

3rd layer - Gaucamole made from 2 avacados and a packet of Gauc mix

4th layer-  Shredded cheese

5th layer - Olives and diced tomatoes

Bahama-Mama Pork Chop Dinner

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com but I changed it up a bit. We had it for dinner tonight and it was so yummy! Here is the recipe with my alterations:

1 large can pineapple chunks, reserve juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup chili sauce
1/3 cup craisins
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 pork chops, cubed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 small green peppers chopped
1/2 of large red onion chopped

In a medium bowl, blend reserved pineapple juice with cornstarch; stir in pineapple, chili sauce, craisins, brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

In large skillet lightly brown pork chop cubes in oil and drain. Add green pepper and red onion and saute until onion has just barely started to clear. Pour pineapple mixture over chops. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until pork is cooked throughout.

Serve over hot brown rice.

Make about 6 servings. Hope you girls like it!

Pancakes Please!

1 1/2 cups of flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/3 milk
1 egg
3 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
(occasionally I add some pumpkin pie spice (1 to 2 tsp))

Mix dry ingredients first and then add the wet ingredients. Makes about 16-20 pancakes. Really yummy!

Souvlaki

We made this for dinner the other night and it was de-lish! It was so simple. I got it off of allrecipes.com but changed it up a little. Here is the recipe as I made it here...

Juice of 1 whole lemon

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 lbs. pork tenderloin, cut into 1" cubes

1 medium onion, cut into 1" pieces

1 red pepper, cut into 1" pieces

1 yellow pepper, cut into 1" pieces

skewers

In a large glass bowl, mix together lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, oregano and garlic. Add pork, onions, and peppers and stir to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Thread pork, peppers and onions onto skewers. Grill for about 15-17 minutes or to desired doneness, turning skewers frequently.

Enjoy!

Dinner tonight

I thought I'd just post what I made for dinner tonight. I just made my own meatloaf and it turned out so good I thought I'd share my recipe with you girls. The other sides I cooked were not created by me but they are fabulous recipes as well. I also bought a ton of fresh fruit yesterday so I decided to whip up a fruit cobbler. So good!

Meatloaf- a la Melanie

1 and 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 and 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs
1 whole egg and 1 egg white
1 and 1/2 tablespoon's Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

Combine all ingredients, except tomato sauce, using your hands to make sure it gets mixed together really well. Press into a loaf pan and spread tomato sauce on top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 25 minutes.


Crispy Potato Wedges

1 potato per person
olive oil
"Season All" seasoning or any other blended seasoning you have

Peel potatoes and cut into halves three times (ending with about 8 slices per potato). Arrange slices on baking sheet and lightly brush each slice with olive oil. Lightly dust all potatoes with seasoning. Bake for 45-55 minutes at 425 degrees. Watch for the edges of the potatoes to start browning and getting crispy.


Perfect Roasted Carrots

4 large carrots
Kosher Salt
freshly ground pepper
olive oil

Peel carrots and cut in 1/2 thick diagonal wedges. Toss together with olive oil. Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper to your taste.


Easy Batter Fruit Cobbler

2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
2 cups of fresh fruit (I used blueberries and strawberries)
1 Tbsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter in an 8" square pan; set in oven to melt. When butter has melted, remove pan from oven. Whisk flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Add milk; whisk to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into pan, then scatter fruit over batter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp. of sugar. Bake until batter browns and fruit bubbles, about 50-55 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp. with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Almond Joy Cake

This may be the best cake I have ever tasted. It is soooo divine. The recipe calls for whole almonds but I used sliced almonds and it was fabulous. I also only used a tablespoon of butter instead of 1/4 cup. I would recommend some vanilla ice cream or a large glass of ice cold milk to accompany it. Enjoy!

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 and 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
25 large marshmallows
1 (14 oz.) bag shredded coconut
1/4 cup butter
1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips
1 cup toasted almonds

Bake the cake mix according to box directions and poke holes in it with the end of a large wooden spoon. In a large saucepan, combine 1 cup evaporated milk and sugar. Bring to a boil and stir in marshmallows until melted. Add coconut and pour mixture over cake while both are hot.

Melt together remaining evaporated milk (1/2 cup), butter and chocolate chips. Stir until melted and then add the almonds. Spread on top of cake.

The Community CO-OP of Utah

This is the food co-op we get food from every month. I know some of you wanted the info so here it is. First, here is the web address www.foodco-op.org. The food comes from here in Utah and its amazing how much you get for paying so little. You know in advance the kind of meat you are getting but not the fruits and veggies. We have been buying this food for about a year and have been impressed with what we have gotten. You only get it once a month and you have to go pick it during certain times on the last Saturday of the month (usually). You need to pay a one time membership fee of $5 and then you can order every month fee free. The best part about it is that once your order the standard share, you can add more onto your order. With food prices going up it is so nice to be able to buy groceries for such a small amount!

For instance I paid $26.75 and here is what I got...

1 loaf of wheat bread
1 bag of lentils
1 lb groudn beef
4 pork chops
4 chicken breasts
4 beef steaks
3 apples
4 peaches
4 plums
1 eggplant
3 corn
2 avacodos
1 bunch of radishes
1 bag of carrots
5 Colosimo's brauts
1 package of bacon

Quick and Easy Salsa

2 cans of tomatoes
1 can of Rotel
1 can of jalapenos (sometimes I only use 1/2 of the can)
cilantro (I usually use 1/2 a bunch)
1 red or yellow onion chopped
green onion
garlic salt

Combine tomatoes, Rotel, and jalapenos and blend. Add in onion and cilantro, blend until desired consistency. Add garlic salt to taste and garnish with green onions.

I have used this to marinade meat in or cook chicken in for tacos. I really like how easy it is and it tastes a lot better then store bought salsa.

5-Minute Southwestern Salad

1 head of romaine lettuce
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 cup cheddar cheese
crushed tortilla chips

Chop up lettuce and place in bowl. Toss with remaining ingredients and serve.

We had this for dinner last night. I found this recipe a few months ago and it has been a regular in our house ever since. It is super fast and tastes really yummy. I would recommend putting the chips on each individual serving if you are going to have any leftovers because after an hour or two the chips get soggy if mixed in with the salad.

Strawberry Whipped Sensation

I got this recipe out of a Kraft recipe book I got in the mail. It's pretty yummy but after making it I decided to change a few things. Here is the recipe from the book:

Strawberry Whipped Sensation

4 cups fresh strawberries, divided
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tub (8 oz.) cool whip, thawed
8 oreo's

Shape foil onto outside of a large loaf pan. Line inside of pan with shaped foil, with ends extending over sides of pan.

Mash 2 cups of the strawberries in large bowl. Stir in condensed milk and juice.

Stir 2 cups of whipped topping into strawberry mixture. Pour into prepared pan.

Finely chop oreo cookies and gently press into whipped topping mixture. Cover with the ends of foil and freeze for 6 hours or until firm.

Invert dessert onto serving plate when ready to serve. Spread remaining whipped topping onto top and sides of dessert.

Slice remaining 2 cups strawberries; arrange on dessert.

This dessert is very refreshing and perfect for a hot summer night. But I thought the oreos and strawberries tasted a little wierd together. Next time I'm going to use vanilla wafers and strawberries. Or oreos mixed in the whipped topping instead of strawberries. You can pretty much use anything you want. Enjoy!

Leslie's Banana Bread Recipe

I was in the process of making banana bread today when I realized I didn't have enough sugar. Aubrey was napping so I improvised and substituted vanilla instant pudding for some of the sugar. Wow, this bread tastes really good. Enjoy!

Leslie's Banana Bread Recipe

3 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 small package of instant vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour

In a mixing bowl, beat bananas, vanilla instant pudding, eggs, and sugar until smooth. Add the shortening and mix well. Add flour, salt, and baking soda.

Muffins... cook at 325 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes
loaf pan...cook at 300 degrees for about 50 minutes to an hour

Ginger Almond Chicken and Asian Salad

I love Asian Chicken Salad so tonight I decided to make it into a meal. Instead of adding the chicken to the salad, I made the chicken breast with ginger and almond and added it onto the salad.

Asian Salad
1 package (16 oz) of coleslaw mix
1 package of ramen noodles (crushed)
1/2 cup sliced green onion
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 chicken flavor ramen noodle seasoning
1/2 package of silvered almonds
Mix together green onions, sesame seeds, vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, seasoning, and almonds. Pour over coleslaw mix and crushed ramen noodles. Let sit in refrigerator for a few hours before serving.
Ginger Almond Chicken
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup flour
1/2 package of silvered almonds
2 tsp ground ginger
2-3 chicken breasts cut in half or quartered
Dip chicken pieces in flour mixture (flour and ginger), then into the egg, followed by the crushed almonds. Cook chicken in skillet for 4 minutes on each side and then put into the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Best frosting ever

For Easter I made a recipe that I saw on tv this week. I used an angel food cake but I am sure it would be super good on any white or yellow cake.

Key Lime Frosting

1 can (14 oz) sweet and condensed milk
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tsp lime zest
1 container of Cool Whip (I used the light stuff and it was still so good)

Mix the milk, lime juice, and zest together and then add the container of Cool Whip.

I am going to try this recipe but I am going to just lemon juice and zest on put them on lemon cupcakes...doesn't that sound so good!

My Favorite Cookie Recipe

This is my absolute favorite recipe ever. It actually started as a chocolate chip cookie recipe that I found online and then my neighbor and I got talking and we decided to change it a little.

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter (you can put a little less in if you would like)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1 package of ANY flavor instant pudding
chocolate chips, crasins, nuts, or whatever goes with the pudding you choose

Cream together butter and the sugars. Mix in the INSTANT pudding mix. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour and baking soda. Add whatever mix in you chose (chocolate chips, crasins, etc)

Bake for 10-11 minutes at 350 degrees.

The classic recipe is made with vanilla instant pudding and chocolate chips. Some of my favorite combinations are banana pudding/chocolate chips, white chocolate pudding/chocolates chips AND dried cherries, and thanks to my friend Jenny butterscotch and butterscotch chips. WOW!

Meatloaf -OH MY!

So this recipe isn't mine, it comes from the greatest website ever, allrecipes.com. I made it tonight and I am not usually a fan of meatloaf but this meatloaf creates its own sauce when it is done!

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp ginger (DON"T FORGET THIS INGREDIENT)
3/4 cup crushed saltine cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9 by 5 loaf pan (lightly greased) press the brown sugar in the bottom of the pan. On top of that place the ketchup. Then in a mixing bowl combine the rest of the ingredients and press into loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour.

I am never making meatloaf like I used to! Plus, the saltine crackers instead of bread crumbs in genius! Happy eating...

Celery Meatballs with Veggie Pasta

Celery Meatballs
1 lb hamburger
1 egg
1/2 can of cream of celery soup
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
italian seasoning
garlic powder

Mix together egg, cream of celery soup, bread crumbs, and seasoning. Crumble in hamburger. Mix in chopped onion. Form into meatballs and bake at 350 for 30-35 mintues.

Pasta Sauce
1 can italian seasoned chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 can of cream of celery soup
1/2 cup of milk
cut up vegetables (I used green peppers and spinach)

Combine all the pasta sauce ingredients in a saucepan until hot. Serve with meatballs over pasta. If you boil the pasta in chicken broth (or any kind of broth) it makes it taste better.

Spinach Chicken

I had some leftover spinach in the fridge last night, so I cooked it up and made this...

SPINACH CHICKEN

3 cups spinach
1 can cream of chicken soup (10.5 oz)
1 cup milk
1 tsp garlic powder
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and italian seasoning together. Coat chicken breasts with the mixture. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish.

In a saucepan cook the spinach and then drain the water. Add to the cooked spinach the cream of chicken soup, milk, and the remainder of the parmesan mixture. Heat until the sauce is slightly warm. Poor over chicken and bake for 1 hour.

Serve chicken over rice or pasta.