French Dip Sandwiches

Cassi - this is for you!  It's easy but sooooo good.... we've decided it's way better than any restaurant French Dip we've ever had.

1 roast (cheapest one at the store - don't buy a nice one)

2 loaves of day old bread from Jimmy Johns ($.40 here!)

2 packs of Au Jus gravy powder mix

butter

mozzarella cheese

Stir up 1 Au Jus packet with 1-2 cups of water (depending on the size of your crock pot) and place the roast in the crock pot with the water/ powder mix.  Add water until it's about half way up the pot.

Let the crock pot cook it on low all day.

When you get home from work, take a fork and shred up the meat (you can do this while it's still in the crock pot).  It should just pull apart really easily.

Heat up the second Au Jus packet according to the directions.

Cut the bread in half length-wise and then again width-wise so you have 4 pieces of bread for 2 sandwiches/ loaf.  Butter the inside of the bread and place it on a cookie sheet butter side up.  Add cheese if you want (I don't like it but Jared does) on top of one of the buttered sides.  

Broil the bread until it's toasted.

Put the shredded meat on the bread and make sandwiches then dip it in the Au Jus you heated up.

Sooooo good!

Skinny Tortilla Soup (the easy way)

Here's what we had for dinner tonight. I tried it this time in the Crock-Pot and it worked great! (Now I know it's not fancy- I'm so intimidated by all your fancy recipes, but hey, we liked it!)

SKINNY TORTILLA SOUP

1 (16 oz.) can refried beans
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth (or bouillon and water)
1 ½ C. frozen corn (we omitted this)
¾ C. chunky salsa
½ C. water
1 C. chicken breast (I used one large frozen chicken breast)
2 C. shredded cheese
tortilla chips

Combine beans, broth, corn (or you know, not), salsa, water and chicken in crock pot. Heat on high for 4 hours (or you could do low for longer). About 30 min before serving, shred chicken and add 1 C cheese.

Serve with remaining cheese sprinkled on top and tortilla chips. I also put flour tortillas filled with cheese in a pan of oil and made yummy cheese crisps.

Black bean salsa quesadillas

I just whipped up one of these quesadillas for lunch and thought I'd share the recipe with you since they turned out awesome!

1 can black beans, drain some of juice off
1/2 cup salsa
shredded cheddar cheese, the sharper the better
few leaves of cilantro, torn
reduced fat sour cream
tortillas, soft taco size, regular or whole-wheat

Using a vegetable processor, pour in 1/4 cup black beans, 1/4-1/2 cup salsa (too much salsa and the quesadilla might end up a bit messy!), and a few leaves of cilantro (torn). Process until chunky and well blended, about 45 seconds to 1 minute.

Butter sides of tortillas. Spread one tortilla with black bean/salsa mixture. Top with cheddar cheese. Place butter side down in pan and cover with other tortilla. Cook until light brown on bottom side, then flip. Cook until second side is browned as well.

Transfer to cutting board and divide into quarters with a pizza cutter. Top with sour cream and more salsa.

YUM :) These would be great for kiddos too--a sneaky way to get them to eat some veggies!

Stuffed Mushrooms

24 large mushrooms
2Tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1-8oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
4oz crabmeat
2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 Tbsp. bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. minced shallots
1 1/2 tsp. cognac
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
fresh parsley sprigs
lemon wedges

Remove mushroom stems;clean caps and set aside.  Discard stems.  In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except mushrooms, parsley and lemon wedges. Beat well. Fill each mushroom cap with enough of the mixture to form a dome.  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes.  To serve, place mushrroms on a platter and garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.

Salmon Marinade

Got this from my mom.  It's really good.

1/4 c soy sauce

2 cloves garlic minced

2 T olive oil

2 T fresh grated ginger (I just grate mine on the cheese grater)

1/3 c brown sugar

Mix the ingredients and then put them into a gallon ziplock.

Put as many salmon steaks in there as you want and then let it marinade for 1/2-1 hour (not any more according to my mom or they're gross)

Then just grill them up on the stove top or grill and they are fantastic.

I put them with rice and broccoli and it was very yummy!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

REALLY GOOD WITH FRENCH BREAD

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place garlic in a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins.
3. In an 8x8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.
4. Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.

Caramel Nut Brownies

These are GREAT

1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x13 inch baking dish.
Melt caramels and 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk over very low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth.
Combine cake mix, melted butter, the remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk, vanilla and nuts. Mix well and spread 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8 minutes.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the partially cooked brownies. Pour the melted caramel mixture over the top and with a teaspoon drop the remaining 1/2 of the batter evenly over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Let brownies cool in pan then cut into bars.

Roasted Pork Sandwiches with Rosemary Au Jus

Ingredients
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 (14-ounce) can less-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 (2-ounce) French bread rolls
Lettuce leaves (optional)


Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; add 1 teaspoon oil. Rub over pork. Let stand 15 minutes.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Let stand 5 minutes. Remove pork from pan; cut diagonally across grain into 12 slices.

Return pan to medium-high heat, and add broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add sherry and tomato paste; stir with a whisk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes.

Cut rolls in half horizontally. Place 2 slices pork on bottom half of each roll; top with lettuce leaf, if desired. Cover with roll tops. Serve with jus.

Raspberry Crumbles

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 8 inch square pan, and line with greased foil.
• 
  
• Combine brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats. Rub in the butter using your hands or a pastry blender to form a crumbly mixture. Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the jam to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top, and lightly press it into the jam.
• 
  
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

Hummus

I've been looking for a good hummus recipe for a while... this one is really great.

We serve it with naan or pita.

Ingredients

• 1  (16-oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/3  cup  olive oil
• 3  tablespoons  lemon juice
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 
  

Preparation

Process first 6 ingredients and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours or up to 3 days. 

Sesame-Crusted Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Pineapple, Mango, and Red Pepper Relish

Found this in Cooking Light and it was really good.

Ingredients

• RELISH:
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped pineapple
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped peeled mango
• 1/4  cup  finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1  tablespoon  fresh orange juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  grated orange rind
• 1/2  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 
  REMAINING INGREDIENTS:
• Cooking spray
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 4  (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks (about 1 inch thick)
• 4  teaspoons  black sesame seeds

Preparation

To prepare relish, combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl; set aside.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over steaks. Coat both sides of each steak with 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds, pressing gently to adhere. Add steaks to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with relish.

Ranch-y snack mix

Delicious to munch on at Christmas-time, this snack mix sells at Hy-Vee for 4 bucks for a tiny container...why not make your own?

I have a container of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix but you could use 1 packet instead of the same thing.

3 Tb ranch mix (equal to 1 packet of dressing mix sold at grocery store)
3 Tb vegetable oil
1-2 c. each chex cereal, oyster crackers, goldfish (or whales), pretzels

Pour all cereal/crackers into a big bag (paper or huge ziploc both work). Pour in vegetable oil, close bag, and shake like crazy. Open bag and pour in ranch mix. Close and shake like crazy again.

Pour into a tupperware to store and snack on for days to come! Enjoy!

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

I made these for our Thanksgiving dinner and they were a hit!

Start by making basic mashed potatoes:
6 medium potatoes
2 Tb butter
1/2 c. cream
dash of salt and pepper

Peel and cook potatoes until done. Drain and mash in large bowl. Add butter and cream (start with a little and work your way up, you may not need all of the 1/2 cup). Add salt and pepper.

To make them loaded:
1/2 c. milk
1 pkg cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp garlic salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used white cheddar but yellow is good too!)
1/2 lb bacon (I used one pkg of ready-cooked bacon from target)

In same large bowl that potatoes are in already, add milk, cream cheese, sour cream, parsley flakes and garlic salt and mix with hand mixer on medium speed until creamy.

Spread into greased 9x13 pan and smooth out top. Break up bacon pieces and sprinkle over top of potatoes. Sprinkle top with cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until warm inside.

YUM!

Peanut Butter Pie

I got this recipe from a friend, and it is SOOOOOOOO GOOD! I'll try to post more than just desserts, but I have a major sweets addiction. I highly recommend this, and I'm not even a pie person.

Ingredients:
1 graham cracker crust
1 cup Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 c chocolate chips
1 small instant chocolate pudding
1 1/2 c. milk
1 container of cool whip

Directions:
Mix peanut butter and sugar (it makes a weird but yummy crumble mixture). Pat crumbs on top of crust, saving some to sprinkle on top of the pie.
Whisk pudding and milk according to package (2 minutes) pour over top of crust.
Refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Add Cool Whip and peanut butter crumbles and sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Monster Cookies

This recipe makes A LOT of cookies, so they are perfect if you are giving baked goods away for the holidays and need large quantities. I also LOVE that they have M & M's in them...yummy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar PACKED
3 eggs
2 cups peanut butter
3/4 tsp. light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. vanilla
4 c minute oats
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup M&Ms
1 6oz. package semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Cream butter and add sugar to it. Then add in the eggs, corn syrup, peanut butter vanilla, salt & baking soda. Add oats & mix into batter. Stir in M&Ms & Chocolate chips. Roll into large balls and place on cookie sheet & press into circle. (Warning - the dough feels gooey-er than most cookie dough, and that's ok!)Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Watch them closely. My oven cooks faster than most, so I put it on 325 and took them out around 10-12 minutes. They are really good!

Pumpkin Bars

Guilty confession...David and I ate an entire pan of these ourselves last week. They are THAT good. :)

Pumpkin Bars
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined.
Spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 10x15 inch jellyroll pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven. (You can also use a 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.) Cool before frosting or the bars will get flattened (but if you can't wait and don't mind flat bars, this is okay!).
To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in vanilla. Add confectioners' sugar a little at a time, beating until mixture is smooth. Spread evenly on top of the cooled bars. Cut into squares and serve!

Banana Bars

We had frozen bananas coming out of our ears and you can only eat so much banana bread:

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1 (16 ounce) container cream cheese frosting

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting with the cream cheese frosting.

Italian Chicken Calzones

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 (14 ounce) can marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained, liquid reserved
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup white wine
2 tubes pre-made pizza dough
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
pizza sauce (for dipping)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven according to directions on pizza dough package.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken in oil and butter for 5 to 7 minutes per side; remove from skillet, and set aside.
Place artichoke hearts and mushrooms in the skillet, and saute until mushrooms are brown and tender. Return chicken to skillet, and pour in reserved artichoke liquid and wine. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
Roll out pizza dough and portion the dough into as many calzones as you want.
Place some of the chicken mixture into the center of the dough piece. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Seal the dough around the chicken mixture being careful to completely enclose the contents.
Place the calzones on a greased cookie sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown.

Dip the calzones in the pizza sauce if desired.

Macaroni and Cheese

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Muenster cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mild Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup (8 ounces) Velveeta , cut into small cubes
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2-quart casserole.

Bring the large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then the elbow macaroni, and cook until the macaroni is just tender, about 7 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well. Return to the cooking pot.

In a small saucepan, melt eight tablespoons of the butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheeses. To the macaroni, add the half-and-half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, the cubed Velveeta, and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and dot with the remaining one tablespoon of butter.

Bake until it's bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Chickpea and Potato Curry

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
One 14 1/2-ounce can fire-roasted or stewed tomatoes with chiles (If you can't find canned tomatoes with chiles you can add half a 4-ounce can of diced green anaheim chiles to a 14.5 ounce can of tomatoes.)
6 baby (new) Yukon Gold potatoes (about 12 ounces), quartered
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper


1 In a large pot, combine the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, potatoes, onion, butter, ginger, 1 teaspoon of salt, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Stir to mix and nestle the potatoes into the liquid.

2 Set the pot, uncovered, over medium heat. Simmer vigorously for about 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add more salt to taste. Serve the curry in bowls over Jasmine rice.

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

This is a yummy recipe from a friend. So I thought I'd share it! We love this meal

16oz. farfalle (bow tie pasta)
1 cup whipping cream
3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1/2 Tbsp. pepper
1/2 cup butter
1 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 12oz. bottle Lawry's mesquite with lime juice marinade
*2-3 cloves crushed garlic (optional)

Cook chicken in crock pot with marinade, 4-6 hours. Boil pasta. Melt butter; add whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, & bacon. Whisk together on low heat 5 min. In a large bowl add pasta and sauce, mix well. Cut up chicken into small cubes and add to mixture. Serve with garlic toast.

Also, I half the recipe because it makes a ton!

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

I made this for dinner last night and Brandon enjoyed it. It wasn't that spicy either which I like!

Prep Time:
20 min

Total Time:
10 hr 20 min

Makes:
10 servings

10 chicken thighs, skins removed (2-3/4 lb.)

1 jar (16 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. curry powder

1 cup BREAKSTONE'S FREE or KNUDSEN FREE Fat Free Sour Cream

PLACE chicken in slow cooker. Combine salsa, onions and curry powder; pour over chicken. Cover with lid.

COOK on LOW for 8 to 10 hours (or on HIGH for 5 hours).

REMOVE chicken to serving platter; cover to keep warm. Add sour cream to slow cooker; stir until well blended. Serve over the chicken.

Serving Suggestion

Serve over hot steamed vegetables. Or, spoon over 2/3-cup servings of hot cooked brown rice.

Cooking Know-How

Heat releases the fragrant flavorful oils in curry. For optimum flavor, measure the curry powder into a small microwaveable bowl and microwave on HIGH for 30 sec. before adding to the slow cooker.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

My cousin made this for our family reunion and it was a total hit! I made it and it was easy and delicious!
INGREDIENTS
1 Fuji apple - peeled, cored and diced
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
**You can really use whatever fruit you have laying around. We used apples, pears, peaches, raspberries and strawberries in ours. Honestly...use whatever fruit is in the fridge or whatever you think sounds yummy! Just be sure to cut everything small enough it will be easy to scoop up with the chips!

1 cup oil for frying OR cooking spray
6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix together Fuji apple, strawberries, kiwis, bananas, lime juice, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 20 minutes.
For fried tortillas:
Heat oil in a medium heavy saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Slice flour tortillas into triangles. Carefully place tortilla triangles into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Place white sugar and cinnamon in a large ziplock plastic bag. Drop fried tortilla triangles into the bag and shake to coat.
For baked tortillas:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut tortillas into triangles. Spray both sides with cooking spray and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over top. Bake until crispy(about 10-15minutes).

Serve the cinnamon chips warm (room temp is fine, too!) with the chilled fruit salsa.

Alex Streeter's Famous Pie

I had a craving - got the recipe from him - and now I'm posting it here so that I can't lose it

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 12-oz. container firm silken tofu
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 9-inch premade graham cracker crust
1/2 cup chopped chocolate-covered pretzels

DIRECTIONS

Place chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on high for 30 seconds.

Stir chocolate, and heat 30 seconds more. Repeat heating and stirring until chocolate is just melted. Set aside.

Combine tofu and maple syrup in food processor, and blend 3 minutes, or until smooth.

Add peanut butter, and process until smooth. Add melted chocolate, and process once more until smooth.

Pour peanut butter-chocolate mixture into pie crust, smoothing the top; refrigerate 20 minutes.

Sprinkle pretzels on top, and serve, or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Asparagus Roll-ups

1 bunch asapragus, cut to length of bread slice
8 oz. cream cheese
5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 bunch of green onions, sliced very thin
1 loaf of whole wheat bread
butter
freshly grated parmesan

Steam/ blanch asparagus. Do not overcook! Lay asparagus on a paper towel until it drys and is cool. Roll bread flat and cut off crust. Combine cream cheese, bacon and onion. Spread cheese mixture on bread slice. Place spear on bread. Roll up on angle. Place seam side down on baking sheet. Brush top with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake 10 -15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Creamy Spinach Lasagna

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/4 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
3 cups skim milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce, divided
Cooking spray
12 cooked whole wheat lasagna noodles, divided
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 10 minutes or until onion is browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and spinach. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 3 minutes or until spinach is tender. Set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, milk, salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a small saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add 2 cups milk mixture to spinach mixture. Cover remaining milk mixture, and set aside.

Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over sauce; top with half of spinach mixture. Top with 3 lasagna noodles, 1 cup marinara sauce, and 3/4 cup cheese. Layer 3 more lasagna noodles, remaining spinach mixture, and remaining 3 lasagna noodles. Top with remaining marinara sauce. Pour reserved milk mixture over the top, and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until lasagna is browned on top.

Pork Chops with Cinnamon Apples

1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon butter
4 cups (1/2-inch) slices peeled Granny Smith apples (about 4 medium)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of salt

Combine first 3 ingredients, and sprinkle over the pork. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add pork; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove the pork from pan. Cover and keep warm.

Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add apples and remaining ingredients, and cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Serve the apples with pork.

Cherry Nut Bread

I've been looking here periodically for a few months and love all the great recipe ideas, so I figured it was time to share one. Thanks Allison!

Cherry Nut Bread

2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup soft butter
2 eggs beaten
½ tsp. vanilla
1 13 ounce can evaporated milk

Mix all ingredients together. Lastly, add 1 10 ounce jar of cherries and juice to the above mixture, fold in 1 cup of chopped pecans.
Bake at 350 for one hour. Makes 2 loaves.

penne and italian sausage with cream sauce

I am in love with this dish so I wanted to share with you all!

1 batch of cooked penne pasta
1 pkg sweet italian sausage (turkey)
1 pint heavy whipping cream
dash of garlic powder
dash of black pepper

Cook pasta and drain. Squeeze sausage from casings. Cook sausage in hot pan until browned. Drain all grease from pan and dab meat with papertowels to get any extra off. Return to pan and pour in heavy cream. Sprinkle with seasonings. Bring to boil while stirring and continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes over a medium heat until sauce thickens some. It will still be pretty runny but will thicken more as it cools. Add pasta and toss. Serve with toast to soak up all the delicious sauce.

You can top this with parmesan cheese if you like. You could also add chopped scallions and mushrooms while cooking if you like them.

Extreme Bruschetta

INGREDIENTS
6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 French baguette
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese


DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Devil's Food Cake
2 eggs
1/2 C. oil
1 bag (I used a little less) chocolate chips

Mix ingredients together and drop in spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes.

So easy and yummy!!

The Most Fantastic Drink Ever: Frozen Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

6 half-ounce pieces of a variety of your favorite chocolates
2 teaspoons storebought hot chocolate mix
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups ice
Whipped cream
Chocolate shavings

Preparation:

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Add the cocoa and sugar, stirring constantly until thoroughly blended. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 cup of the milk and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
In a blender place the remaining cup of milk, the room temperature chocolate mixture, and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a giant goblet and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Enjoy with a spoon or a straw. . . .or both!

BEST Brownies Ever

Oh how I love these brownies!

3 Layers- Brownies, Marshmallows, Fudge... what could be better?

INGREDIENTS
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1 (16 ounce) package miniature marshmallows

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
2 (1 ounce) square unsweetened baking chocolate
2 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners' sugar


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the white sugar and cocoa. Mix in the melted butter until well blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Fold in walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and cover with an even layer of miniature marshmallows. Return to the oven for about 2 to 3 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan. Pop it in the fridge so it's ready for the next step.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, water and unsweetened chocolate. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Mix in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over the marshmallow layer. Allow frosting to set before cutting into bars.

Don't store these in the fridge, they become rocks! Keep them at room temperature. They are especially good if you microwave them for 30 seconds before eating! Also great with icecream ;)

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

2 cans Campbell Chicken and Wild Rice
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 box Rice-a-Roni Grain Wild Rice
2 Chicken Breasts- cooked and shredded (or you can use 2 of those Sams club Chicken Breast cans)
2 cups Chicken Broth (1 can)

1. Mix 2 cans Campbell Chicken and Wild Rice and 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup. Simmer.
2. In a different pan, mix Rice-a-Roni like directions on back of box say. After you bring to a boil, when you turn it down to simmer, add the Chicken Breast and Chicken Broth, and the Chicken and Wild Rice/Cream of Chicken mixture.
3. Simmer for about 30 min or so.
4. Enjoy!

Tuscan Soup

Jared really liked this one...

I cut the recipe in half and we still had more than enough

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, diced 1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 (13.75 ounce) cans chicken broth
6 potato, thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 bunch fresh spinach, tough stems removed

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain, leaving a few tablespoons of drippings with the bacon in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven with the bacon and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through. Mix the spinach into the soup just before serving.

Malaysian Chicken Pizza

Ingredients
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat, reduced-sodium Swiss cheese (such as Alpine Lace)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 pilsbury pizza crust
1/4 cup chopped green onions


Preparation
Preheat oven to whatever the pizza crust says.
Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl; stir well with a whisk.

Heat a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add chicken, and sauté 2 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.

Pour rice vinegar mixture into pan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook mixture 6 minutes or until slightly thickened. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until chicken is done. (Mixture will be consistency of thick syrup.)

Sprinkle cheeses over prepared crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border, and top with chicken mixture. Bake for 12-18 minutes on bottom rack in oven or until crust looks done. Sprinkle with green onions. Place pizza on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes.

Yield
6 servings

Balsamic Glazed Chicken

Cooking spray
1 1/4 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 chicken breasts
1 head of broccoli cut into florettes
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup diagonally sliced green onions


Preparation
Place a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Sprinkle pepper and salt over chicken. Place chicken in grill pan; cook until done. Remove from heat.
Combine broth, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Throw in broccoli at the end and heat through. Spoon glaze over chicken; top with green onions. We served this over rice

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 breast and 1 tablespoon glaze)

Asian BBQ Chicken

MMMM...another 2 person meal. I let Jared do it on the Foreman (I hate it- but it made him feel manly)

Ingredients
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 chicken breasts


Preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add chicken. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 4 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove chicken from bag.

Place chicken on grill until done in the center.

Sesame Orange Shrimp

I'm trying to do better by cooking a little more healthy and in smaller portions. So. this made 2 medium sized portions...

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons peanut butter (I use crunchy for the texture)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons fresh garlic
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
1 cup instant rice (or noodles)
1 cup sugar snap peas (you can also add whatever veggies you have here.. broccoli, carrots etc)
1/2 pounds shrimp (chicken or beef would also be really good!)
1 tablespoon sesame oil


Preparation
Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl.
Cook rice according to package directions (I always throw out the package: for minute rice it's 1 cup rice 1 cup water covered in the microwave for 5 minutes.)

Brush shrimp with 1 T sesame oil, and saute until cooked. Add the sugar snap peas to heat through

Mix the shrimp and peas with the rice and add the sauce mixture until it is flavorful enough for you. I didn't need all of the sauce but Jared added more to his so see how you like it.

BLT Dip

Mix equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream. Spread over a serving dish. Top with lettuce, diced tomatoes, and bacon pieces. Serve with bagel chips (or another cracker/chip/bread of your choosing).

Very easy and yummy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I feel bad that I haven't posted on here in awhile but to tell you the truth, I haven't done a whole lot of cooking or baking in the past couple of months. I haven't made this recipe yet (I am going to this weekend!) but I got it from someone in our bible study who makes them and they are very good and soft!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 cups unsifted flour
2 cups oats, quick or old-fashioned, uncooked
2 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
1 t salt
1 ½ cups butter or margarine, softened
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 can solid pack pumpkin
1 cup (but I use the whole package, thus 2 cups instead) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, oats, soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. Cream butter; gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Alternate additions of dry ingredients with pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Stir in choc chips.

For each cookie, drop ¼ cup dough onto lightly greased cookie sheet (don’t use airbake). Flatten a little. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes (closer to 20 in my oven, even a little less) until firm and lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on rack.

Makes about 45, using the largest Pampered Chef cookie/muffin scoop (which is the fastest way to do this).

Enjoy!

These freeze nicely and also keep for a few days, if they don’t get eaten the first day.

White Chili

White Chili

You will need:
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced green onions
4 oz. can of chopped green chilis, drained
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
2 15 oz cans of navy beans (or if you're like me and want to cut down on sodium buy one 15 ounce bag of navy beans and cook them--this increases cooking time by a lot)
10 oz. cream of chicken soup
10 oz can of chicken broth (or save the water you boiled your chicken in when you cooked it--again cuts down on sodium intake)
1 1/2 cut water
4 chicken breasts, chopped and cooked in boiling water
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup of Monterey Cheese (or really whatever cheese you want)

Cook the chopped chicken. Saute the garlic in the olive oil for one minute. Add green onions, green chilis, oregano, and cumin. Saute for four minutes. Put the ingredients in a large pot. Add chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, chicken, beans, water, and cayenne pepper. Boil for one minute. Add cilantro and cheese and simmer with the lid on for 15-20 minutes.

It's good with tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, etc. Brandon loves it! Enjoy!

Special K Bars

A Classic....


1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon salt
8 cups Special K Cereal or Rice Krispies
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine syrup, sugar and butter in pan. Boil one minute.

Remove from heat and add peanut butter, and salt. Pour over cereal and mix.

Press into 13x2-inch pan.

Melt chips and spread over cereal.

Cool and cut into bars.

Pumpkin Muffins

Just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas, here is a delicious recipe for pumpkin muffins. I just made these for today and they turned out perfectly!

1 pkg cake mix (white or yellow)
1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin
1 Tb. cinnamon
1 Tb. pumpkin pie spice
1/3 c. water
chocolate chips (optional)

Mix cake all ingredients (minus chocolate chips) with electric mixer until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips as desired. Spoon into well-greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes (for mini muffin tin, 16-18 minutes) until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Enjoy!

Shrimpy Toast

VERY Yummy appetizer!

2 bags frozen salad shrimp (the super tiny ones)
equal parts
mayo
shredded Parmesan cheese (NOT grated)
1 loaf french bread

Cut the french bread into slices and preheat the oven to 350. Put the thawed salad shrimp in a large bowl and start with a large scoop of mayo and the same amount of Parmesan cheese. Mix it up and add more until you get a consistency that stays together in a blob but not runny. Mound the mixture on top of the french bread slices and place them on a foil covered cookie sheet. Bake them at 350 for about 20-30 minutes or until the top just starts to get golden brown.

Fudge Cracker Bars

Got this recipe from my mom- very tasty (I know it doesn't sound good but give it a try!)

2 sticks butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups crushed graham crackers (about 24)
1 box keebler club crackers (leave whole, you will use about 2/3 of the box)

Frosting
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
2/3 cup peanut butter

Spray 9x13 baking dish with PAM.
Line with one layer of whole club crackers and set aside.
In medium size pan, mix butter, milk, sugars, and graham crackers.
Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
Pour half the filling over the club crackers and spread evenly.
Add another layer ofclub crackers and top with remaining filling.
Top with a third layer of crackers and set aside.

In microwave, melt chips (chocolate and butterscotch) and peanut butter, stirring until smooth.
Gently spread over top of filling.
After this has cooled, cut into bars and serve.
Can be stored in the frig.

Shrimp in Tomato Cream Sauce

This is so yummy and very easy to make. I did not have some of the ingredients on hand so I substituted and it still turned out really well. You can also substitute the shrimp with chicken (cooked beforehand) if you like.

1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots, minced or 1/2 cup minced sweet onion
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup sweet red wine (Apple juice or chicken broth also work great)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped (I used a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound large raw shrimp
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil (I used dried basil)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
12 0z Angel hair pasta, cooked al dente (really, any kind of pasta will work)

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and saute shallots or sweet onions for 2 minutes.
Add garlic and saute another minute. Carefully pour in red wine and cook another minute, stirring constantly. Add chopped tomatoes, oregano, and basil, stirring to combine. Simmer about 5 minutes for flavors to blend.

Add heavy cream to tomato mixture. Continue cooking until reduced and somewhat thickened. Add shrimp and basil to tomato cream sauce and simmer, turning often, only until pink and opaque. (Do not overcook or the shrimp will become tough.) Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve immediately over cooked angel hair pasta.

Best ever sesame soy chicken

This is honestly the best thing I have eaten in awhile...and it is extremely fast to make!

Prep: 10 min -- Total: 25 min

8 oz angel hair pasta

2 cups broccoli florets (I used a bag of frozen)

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

2 Tb. soy sauce

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

Cook pasta as directed on box. Add broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 minutes of pasta cooking time. *since angel hair pasta only takes 3-4 min to cook, I tossed in pasta and then broccoli right afterwards*

Meanwhile, spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on med-high. Add chicken; cook 6 to 8 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta mixture; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Sprinkle with peanuts after dishing up.

Chicken Azteca

1 15 oz can black beans (I like this kind that has ground cumin in it too)
Garlic Powder shakes
1/4 tsp+ Ground Cumin (or some shakes)
1 c. chunky salsa
2 Chicken Breasts
1 8 oz. package cream cheese

Cooked Rice
Shredded Cheese

1. Combine beans, garlic, cumin, and half cup salsa in crock pot.
2. Arrange chicken on top. Pour other half cup salsa on top of chicken.
3. Cover with lid. Cook on high 2-3 hours high or low 4-6 hours.
4. Remove chicken and place on plate. Cut cream cheese block into little squares to melt while you shred chicken into smaller pieces. Add chicken back to crock pot.
5. Stir and cover again and heat thoroughly so cream cheese melts. (I usually make rice now since it takes about 20 min. for rice to make and by that time the crock pot is ready).
6. Spoon over rice and top with cheese.
7. Enjoy! This is like Nick's favorite meal.

Magic Bars

Servings: Makes 2 to 3 dozen bars Serving Size: 1/36 of a recipe	Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted 1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk) 2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut 1 cup chopped nuts	Instructions Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for glass dish). In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13X9-inch baking pan. Pour EAGLE BRAND® evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store leftovers covered at room temperature.

Side note: (You don't have to use Eagle Brand)
Other side note: Make sure you do step 1 or else it doesn't turn out as good! Also, I use only about a cup of coconut and maybe only a 1/4 cup chopped pecans- just sprinkle until it looks good!