Granola

Jared is not a breakfast eater, but he's a snacker. This creates a problem because he eats horribly during the day when he gets hungry from his lack of morning food.

I was determined to fix this... and the solution was granola! I don't love store bought granola so I decided to use a few recipes to fashion one that was the perfect blend for us.

Here's what I came up with:

Ingredients:

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup craisins
• 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 
  

Preheat oven to 300°F. Spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray. Mix next 6 ingredients in large bowl. Combine oil, honey, and sugar in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour hot liquid over oat mixture; stir well. Using hands, toss mixture until thoroughly mixed.

Spread granola on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer sheet to rack; cool granola completely.

My granola doesn't clump... it stays loose like a cereal. That's how Jared eats it - with milk and a banana sliced up. So, if you'd rather it clump add some more honey and don't toss it during the baking.

Chili Crab

Tonight Jared and I discovered a great deal on crab meat at Byerly's. I just knew it was time for some Chili Crab!

Chili Crab is a dish introduced to us by my aunt and uncle. They lived in Singapore for a while and brought this yumminess back with them. It's a fascinating meal because it's served over french bread - owed to the influence of the french over the colony. It's usually made with whole crabs, but then eating it is a lot of work. I'm looking more for the shovel it into my mouth (it's THAT delicious) method so having just the meat from the store was ideal.

Here's the recipe:

1 lb. crab meat
4 T vegetable oil
4 T garlic, minced
3 T ginger, grated
1 egg
3 T siracha (adjust this depending on how hot you like it)
1 cup ketchup
2 T sugar
2 T soy sauce
2 T sesame oil
1 T cornstarch
1 cup water

In a small bowl combine the ketchup, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch and water.

Heat oil in wok, then add the garlic, ginger and siracha. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add contents of bowl and heat until boiling. Add crab meat and heat through. Beat egg in bowl then add to the wok. Heat through for 2-3 minutes

Serve with french bread.

Here are some pictures Jared took during the prep...

Grating ginger:


Our delicious crab:


Ginger, garlic and siracha:


Sauce added:


In goes the crab:


Then the egg:


Finished product!


Served up with some french bread:


And seriously, who could resist cannoli for desert?!?!?? (yes, I know cannoli and chili crab seem like an odd combination.. but two delicious things are always ok in my book)

Corn Dip

Not Healthy. AT ALL. But it's really, really, really good if you need another appetizer - particularly if you are making some Tex Mex food or something similar. I highly recommend it!

Ingredients:
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 16oz. bag of FROZEN corn
1 stick of butter
1 jar of jalapenos
Chips. I always use fritos, but all are good.

Directionss:
Using the microwave or the oven, melt the butter in a good size dish (I like to use my corningware.) Then, add the corn, jalapenos, and 1/2 of the jar of the jalapeno juice. You can add more or less, depending on how spicy you want it! Microwave or put in the oven until it's good and hot. You might have to stir and reheat so that it thoroughly heats. Serve! It's so good!

Fruit Salsa and Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Chips

Ok, Allison. I am putting this recipe up specifically with you in mind. You tirelessly provide me with food to feed my husband, so I owe you one great recipe at least!!! This is it. It's not hard AT ALL, but it's a pretty impressive little appetizer, and people RAVE about it!

Ingredients:
2 kiwis- peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 pound strawberries
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas (these are the really small ones!)
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar (you can make your own...like 1 or 2 tbsp cinnamon to every cup of sugar or such. Just mix til it looks right!)

Directions:
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.
Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. (I usually spray a tortilla, then lay another one on top and spray it, then another, until I reach about 4 or 5 layered tortillas. Then I cut with a pizza cutter. It saves time.) Sprinkle wedges thoroughly with cinnamon sugar, coating them as best as you can. Spray one more time with the butter cooking spray.

Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture. Great, great appetizer!

Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 stick unsalted butter melted
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
A large pinch of Italian seasoning (herb mix)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 lbs of skinless, boneless, chicken meat, cut into pieces no larger than 2x2 inches

Instructions:

1 Preheat oven to 450°F.
2 In a bowl, combine the minced garlic with the melted butter. In another bowl mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces into garlic butter, then into crumb mixture to coat.
3 Place coated chicken pieces on to a 9x13 baking dish. Try to leave a little room between each piece. Drizzle with remaining garlic butter and bake uncovered 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Note that the chicken will get much more browned on the bottom side than on the top.

Serves 4-6. Got recipe here. I altered a few things a bit depending on what I had on hand, but it was still delicious!!

We served with Party Potatoes.

Spinach Topped Tomatoes

My Aunt Ellen served these last weekend... they were really wonderful!

Ingredients:

• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• Salt
• 3 large tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cup soft bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:

In a saucepan, cook spinach according to package directions with bouillon; drain well. Cool slightly; press out excess liquid.
Lightly salt tomato slices; place with cut side down on a paper towel for 15 minutes to absorb excess moisture.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine spinach with bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, onion, butter, egg, garlic, pepper and cayenne pepper. Mix well.
Place tomato slices in a shallow baking dish. Divide the spinach mixture over tomatoes. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese if desired. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes or until heated through.

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

1 box Oreo cookies
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
1/2 c. butter
8 oz. cool whip
1 can Kraft hot fudge topping

Crush 1 of box Oreos and mix half of them with 1/2 c. melted butter. Press into a 9x13 pan. Spread heated Kraft hot fudge topping on top of crust. Freeze until hardened. Layer on 1/2 gallon softened vanilla ice cream. Spread cool whip across the top and sprinkle as many oreos as you want. Easy and always good!

Chicken Ole

Got this recipe from my sister. Brandon loves it and it's super easy!

4-5 boneless chicken breasts
1 can condensed cream of chicken
3/4 cup chunky salsa or diced tomatoes with green chiles
4 cups corn chips
2 cups Monterey Jack or Mexican mixture cheese

Arrange chicken in 11x17 baking dish. Combine the soup with the salsa, pour over chicken breasts. Top with corn chips and shredded cheese. Cover and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until bubbly and chicken is completely cooked.

Mango Bean Salsa

19 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed

14 ounces corn kernels, rinsed and drained

1.5 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

1 mango, diced

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon siracha (adjust to make it as hot as you'd like)

1/8 teaspoon cumin

Combine all ingredients, except avocado, in a large bowl and mix well. Chill.

Just before serving, peel and chop avocado. Combine and mix well.

Chicken Enchiladas

Made this for Jared to eat this week... he said it was a hit

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 can jalapenos (chopped up)
• 2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast meat
• 3 cup shredded mexican blend cheese, divided
• 10 flour tortillas
• 1/4 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the onion until tender (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add jalapenos, cream of mushroom soup, taco seasoning and sour cream. Mix well. Reserve 1/2 of this sauce and set aside. To the remaining 1/4 of the sauce in the saucepan, add the chicken and 2 cups of shredded cheese. Stir together.
3. Fill each flour tortilla with the chicken mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
4. In a small bowl combine the reserved 3/4 of the sauce with the milk. Spoon this mixture over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Jambalaya

I found this on Real Simple. It's fantastic!

• 3/4 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille, sliced into rounds
• 1 large red pepper, diced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 scallions, sliced
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Sauté the sausage in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Add the red pepper to the Dutch oven; sauté 2 minutes. Add the celery, scallions, parsley, garlic, and thyme, stirring well. Cook another 3 minutes, then add the rice, still stirring. Add the chicken, combining well. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage, tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice is done. Stir in the shrimp and lemon juice and cook until the shrimp are just done, another 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Lasagna

I ripped this off of allrecipes.com


Ingredients:
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:
1.In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

3.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

4.To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

5.Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Easy Icecream Cake

1 (16 ounce) can chocolate syrup
3/4 cup peanut butter
19 ice cream sandwiches
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup salted peanuts


Pour the chocolate syrup into a medium microwave safe bowl and microwave 2 minutes on high. Do not allow to boil. Stir peanut butter into hot chocolate until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish with a layer of ice cream sandwiches. Spread half the whipped topping over the sandwiches. Spoon half the chocolate mixture over that. Top with half the peanuts. Repeat layers. Freeze until firm, 1 hour. Cut into squares to serve.

Parisian Chicken Curry Sandwiches

Jared and I had some DELICIOUS chicken curry sandwiches in Paris while on vacation. We have both craved them ever since. Here's as close as I've gotten to duplicating them:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
6 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
3 teaspoons red curry powder
1 tablespoon sriracha hot chilli sauce (omit if you don't want it hot)
3 cups finely diced chicken from 2 purchased roast chickens (1 pound total)
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 cups shredded hearts of romaine
1 tomato sliced
french bread

Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, curry powder and sriracha in medium bowl. Mix in chicken and green onions. Season chicken salad to taste with salt and pepper. Divide chicken salad, tomato slices and lettuce into 4 portions. Place the chicken mixture, tomato slices and romaine on french bread. DELICIOUS!

Caesar pasta salad with chicken and homemade ciabatta croutons

This is so delicous...just thought I'd share with you all.

Prep:
For chicken:
1-2 chicken breasts
1 egg, yolk broken
1/2 c. AP flour
salt, pepper to taste
olive oil/Enova/canola oil for cooking in pan

Defrost and slice one or two chicken breasts into 2 inch chunks (or smaller). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dip in egg and coat with AP flour.
Warm up oil over medium heat and place chicken pieces in one at a time. Cook on both sides until browned and cooked through. Remove to plate.

For croutons:
Cut into 1 inch chunks either ciabatta bread that has been thick sliced or ciabatta rolls (I used the Take N' Bake rolls from HyVee/Target).
Brush olive oil onto chunks generously and place on baking sheet.
Oven at 400, cook for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with a little garlic salt (or leave plain if you'd rather). Store in airtight container (trust me, these won't last long once you taste them...I was eating them plain all afternoon).

Cook farfalle pasta according to directions, drain and rinse with cold water.

Stop eating the croutons now or there won't be any left for the actual salad!

Assembly:
In large bowl, place cooked pasta, 1/2 cup Brianna's Asiago Caesar dressing (or your favorite kind), a couple spoonfuls of shredded parmesan (I got a little container at Hyvee pre-shredded) and chicken chunks. Stir to distribute dressing.

Cut up pieces of romaine lettuce and add to bowl. Cut croutons if they are too large and toss into bowl. Stir to combine. Sprinkle with extra cheese if you like and dig in!

Hope you like it!

PS: I made this just for me (Carter wouldn't eat this if I coated it in chocolate) since I'm by myself and ended up only using a few noodles, a half heart of romaine, 3 chunks of chicken, a teeny bit of cheese and a couple tablespoons of salad dressing. And tons of croutons. I'll just make up another salad with the leftover stuff tomorrow. You can do this for however many you like, just up the ingredient amounts for what you need.

Raspberry Limeade Cake

From Paula Dean - to a friend of my mom - to my mom

I made these up as cupcakes - delicious - but any way you make it would be great!

Not quick or easy.. but so worth it

3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar1 tablespoon lime zest
3/4 cup limeade concentrate
5 large eggs
3 -3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 -3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 - 1/2 cups whole buttermilk
raspberry filling (see below)
cream cheese icing (see below)
garnish of lime slices and whole raspberries


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray three 9 inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and lime zest at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the limeade concentrate, beating until combined (mixture will look curdled).Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl combine flour and baking powder. Gradually add to butter mixture, alternately with buttermilk,beginning and ending with flour mixture.Pour batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until wooden skewer comes out clean from center. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes once finished bakingand then remove cakes from pans. Allow to cool completely on wire racks. Once cooled, spread raspberry filling evenly between layers and ice with cream cheese frosting.Garnish as desired.

Raspberry Filling
1 (10 oz.) package of frozen raspberries
1/2 cup sugar2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup butter cut in pieces

Blend raspberries until smooth in a food processor. Strain mixture and discard solids. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add raspberry puree, egg yolks, and lemon juice, whisking to combine. Cook over medium heat whisking constantly for 7 to 8 minutes or until very thick. Remove from heat, whisk in butter gradually until melted. Cool mixture slightly then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Cream Cheese-Limeade Icing
1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cups butter, softened
3 tablespoons. limeade concentrate
1 tablespoon lime zest5 cup confectioners’ sugar

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add limeade concentrate and lime zest, beating at low speed until combined. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth.

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

SO good

INGREDIENTS

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
  
• 1T Poultry seasoning
• 2t Cumin
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, each biscuit cut into 6 pieces
• optional - frozen vegetables:  corn, peas, carrots

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, cumin, poultry seasoning and onion in a crock pot, and fill with enough water to cover.
2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High (or all day on low). About 45-60 minutes before serving, shread the chicken and return it to the crock pot.   Place the biscuit dough pieces in the crock pot(if the crock pot isn't on high, put it on high for this portion).  If you are adding vegetables add them at this point.  Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Outback Alice's Spring Chicken Recipe

I got this from Kristen, but my wanted to put it online here! We half the recipe.

Honey Mustard Marinade:
1/2 cup Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Chicken:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms (10-12 mushrooms)- we leave this out
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper
paprika
8 slices bacon, cooked
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Using an electric mixer, combine mustard, honey, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and lemon juice in small bowl. Whip mixture for about 30 seconds. Pour about 2/3 of marinade over the chicken breasts and marinate them (covered) in the refrigerator, for about 2 hours. Chill remaining marinade until later.

2. After the chicken has marinated, preheat oven to 375°F and heat up an ovenproof frying pan (large enough to hold all four breasts) with 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat. If you don't have an ovenproof skillet, transfer the chicken to a baking dish for the baking. Sear chicken in pan for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove the pan from heat, but keep the chicken in the pan. As the chicken is cooking, saute the sliced mushrooms in butter in a small frying pan.

3. Brush each seared chicken breast with a little of the reserved honey mustard marinade (not the portion the chicken marinated in), being sure to save a little extra to serve as a side.

4. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and a dash of paprika. Stack two pieces of cooked bacon, crosswise, on each chicken breast. Spoon the sauteed mushrooms on the bacon, being sure to coat each breast evenly. Spread 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese onto each breast, followed by 1/4 cup of Cheddar.

5. Bake the pan of chicken for 7-10 minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted and starting to bubble.

6. Sprinkle each chicken breast with teaspoon parsley before serving. Place extra marinade in small bowl to serve on the side.

Delish! You can serve with cheesy mashed potatoes.

Chicken Satay

We made this tonight on the grill and it was delicious!

6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 pack chicken tenders (or breasts....I just love the tenders)


In a mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, curry powder, garlic and hot pepper sauce. Place the chicken breasts in the marinade and refrigerate. Let the chicken marinate at least 2 hours (or 1.5 hours on the counter:) .

Preheat a grill to high heat.

Grill chicken for 5 minutes per side, until done.

Chocolate Almond Cake with Raspberry Sauce

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted

8 oz. almond paste (not marzipan - that has sugar added)

¼ c. butter

2/3 c. sugar

3 eggs

1 Tbsp. brandy

1/3 c. flour

½ tsp. baking powder

Cream together almond paste, butter, and sugar. Add cooled chocolate, eggs, and brandy. Stir in flour and baking powder just till mixed. Spread batter in an 8-inch round cake pan that has been lined with 2 sheets of parchment paper. (Do not grease the pan.) Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out fairly clean. Cool completely. Cut around the cake with a knife and turn onto serving plate. Serve with raspberry sauce, garnish with fresh raspberries and mint if desired.

Raspberry Sauce: Blend together a thawed 12-ounce bag of frozen raspberries (no sugar added) and 2 tablespoons sugar. Push mixture through a sieve with a rubber scraper to remove most of the seeds. If you have fresh berries, use 2 cups berries and 2 Tbsp. sugar.

-Terri Narr

Key Lime Sorbet

If you love tart... you will love this!


Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup key lime preserves
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 lime, zested and juiced
4 cups lime flavored club soda or seltzer
Kosher salt


Directions
Combine sugar, preserves and 1 cup of the soda in a medium saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar and preserves are melted. Add citrus juice and zest. Stir in the remaining soda, move to a clean, lidded container and chill thoroughly, 2 to 3 hours.

Turn mixture in ice cream maker per maker's instructions or until mixture reaches the consistency of a firm slush. Return mixture to lidded container and harden in freezer 1 hour before serving.

If sorbet is to be held frozen for longer than 2 hours, move from freezer to refrigerator for about half an hour before serving. If you'd like a more assertive sorbet, double the amount of citrus zest.

Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Berries

Jared's Favorite

For meringue:
1 cup superfine granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 large egg whites at room temperature 30 minutes
3 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

For filling:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 fresh lemon juice
1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 cup heavy cream
4 cups mixed berries

Make meringue:

Preheat oven to 300°F with rack in middle. Trace an approximately 7-inch circle on a sheet of parchment paper. Turn parchment over and put on a baking sheet.
Whisk together superfine sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
Beat whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Add water (whites will loosen) and beat until whites again hold soft peaks.
Increase speed to medium-high and beat in sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. After all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute more.
Add vinegar and beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes (longer if using hand-held mixer).
Gently spread meringue inside circle on parchment, making edge of meringue slightly higher than center (the "crater" is for curd and fruit). Bake until meringue is pale golden and has a crust, about 45 minutes (inside will still be marshmallow-like).
Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringue in oven 1 hour.


Make Lemon curd while meringue bakes:

Stir together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2-qt heavy saucepan, then add lemon juice and butter. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking, then continue to simmer, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Lightly beat yolks in a small bowl and whisk in 1/4 cup lemon mixture, then whisk into remaining lemon mixture in saucepan. Reduce heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until curd is thickened, about 2 minutes (do not let boil). Transfer to a bowl and stir in zest. Chill, surface covered with parchment, until cool, about 1 1/2 hours.


Assemble Pavlova:

Beat heavy cream until it just holds stiff peaks, then fold 1/4 cup beaten cream into curd to lighten. Spoon lemon curd into meringue and mound berries on top. Serve remaining whipped cream on the side.

World's Best Potatoes au Gratin

This was my very favorite dish this Easter.. I will make it often now!

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup shredded Gruyere
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish or similar sized casserole dish.
Arrange the sliced potatoes in the prepared dish. In a medium saucepan, saute the minced garlic in butter over medium heat until softened and fragrant. Stir in flour and cook for 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the cream until smooth and thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheeses. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour cheese sauce over the potatoes in the dish. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes until browned.

Tangerine-Glazed Easter Ham with Baby Carrots

Ingredients
1 (8 to 10-pound) smoked ham, bone-in, skin on
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut in chunks
2 tangerines, sliced thin, seeds removed
2 cups tangerine juice
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
11/2 pounds carrots, peeled

Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Put the ham in a large roasting pan, fat-side up. Using a sharp knife, score the ham with cuts across the skin, about 2-inches apart and 1/2-inch deep. Cut diagonally down the slashes to form a diamond pattern; season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Chop about 8 of the sage leaves and put it in a bowl; mix with the oil to make a paste. Rub the sage-oil all over the ham, being sure to get the flavor into all the slits. Bake the ham for 2 hours. Now there is plenty of time to bang-out the tangerine glaze.

For the glaze: Place a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chunks of butter, tangerines, tangerine juice, brown sugar, water, and spices. Slowly cook the liquid down to a syrupy glaze; this should take about 30 to 40 minutes.

After the ham has being going for a couple of hours, pour the tangerine glaze all over it, with the pieces of fruit and all. Scatter the remaining sage leaves on top and stick the ham back in the oven and continue to cook for 11/2 hours, basting with the juices every 30 minutes.

Scatter the carrots around the ham and coat in the tangerine glaze. Stick the ham once again back in the oven and cook for a final 30 minutes, until the carrots are tender, the ham is dark and crispy, and the whole thing is glistening with a sugary glaze.

Set the ham on a cutting board to rest before carving. Serve the carrots and tangerine glaze on the side.

Honey Bun Cake

A friend of mine from college got this off of AllRecipes.com, and then she blogged about it. So then I made it, and now I am blogging about it. It is good! It is also relatively healthy because of the applesauce and egg whites. (Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1 piece) equals 185 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 198 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.)

I have to confess that I made this last night, and I DID NOT have the applesauce, so I substituted unhealthy oil for it. haha Oh well. So, I put 1/3 c of canola oil. Also, after already not using the healthy fat, I went ahead and put 3 eggs instead of the 4 egg whites. SOOOOOO mine wasn't healthy. But either way, it is GOOD! :)

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow or whitecake mix
4 egg whites
1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

For Filling:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For Glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*By the way, I used a bundt pan. I think this is the kind of cake that is perfect in that pan, but I'm sure you can use whatever.

Directions:1. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, egg whites, sour cream and applesauce. Beat on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium for 2 minutes.2. Pour HALF into a greased 9 x 13 or bundt pan. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Cover with remaining batter; cut through with a knife to swirl. Bake at 325 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (If using bundt pan, bake for 40-45 minutes). Cool on a wire rack. Flip over onto serving dish.3. For glaze, combine confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth; drizzle over warm cake. Store at room temperature.

Best Ever Potato Soup

I know that we are kind of getting out of the "soup weather," so that's why I haven't posted this. But then this morning as I felt the cold wind blowing, I thought, "There is still time." So here it is:

Ingredients:
10 bacon strips, diced
3 cups cubed peeled potatoes
1 can (14 ½ oz) chicken broth
1 small carrot, grated (we don’t put this in)
½ cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
½ teaspoon each celery seed, salt and pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
8 oz Velveeta cheese cubed (or you can use 8 oz of cheddar)
2 green onions, thinly sliced

In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp; drain. Remove about half of bacon to put on top of soup. Add potatoes, broth, carrot, onion, parsley, celery seed, salt & pepper. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).

Combine flour and milk until smooth; add to soup. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add cheese; stir until cheese is melted and the soup is heated through. Garnish with green onions and reserved bacon.

*You can add an extra potato or two and then mash some of the potatoes to help with the thickening. Also, it's not a bad idea to double the recipe because it goes fast!

Asian Salad

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon (generous) Asian sesame oil
1 navel orange
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach leaves
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set dressing aside.
Cut off peel and white pith from orange. Cut orange into 1/3-inch rounds; cut rounds crosswise in half. Add spinach to dressing; toss to coat. Add avocado and orange; toss gently.

Dinner in a Jar - homemade caramel sauce

I found this whilst blog hopping the other day and decided I should share it with all of you after telling Kristen about it earlier!

Here goes:

1/3 c. heavy whipping cream
1/3 c. butter (5-1/3 Tb), cut into chunks
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 Tb light Karo syrup

Combine all ingredients into a pot and cook and stir over Medium heat until it begins to boil. Remove from heat. You can serve right away or store in a tupperware in the refrigerator. When you are ready to have some, take out of fridge and microwave approximately 20 seconds (less if you've already eaten some of course) and caramel will thin down a bit for you.

This really is the best caramel sauce I've tasted and I am so glad I found this recipe! I ate almost half of the batch I made just with a spoon, no ice cream, cookies, sundaes or desserts involved. It is delicious!

recipe found at www.armellejewelry.blogspot.com

Crockpot turkey breast, mmm!

This is absolutely delicious and about the easiest way I've ever made a turkey breast.

You'll need:
Large crockpot (big enough to hold a turkey breast plus some liquid)
1 turkey breast
1 medium yellow onion, chopped in BIG chunks
1 can chicken broth (or 2 cups white wine)
1 stick butter in chunks
salt and pepper to taste (no salt if using chkn broth that isn't low sodium)

Refrigerate turkey breast for 1-1/2 to 2 days in refridgerator.

Remove turkey from netting and wrapper and more netting (if you have one like mine). Put pouch of gravy on plate and store in fridge for later. Wash turkey in sink with water and then pat dry with paper towels. Place in bottom of crock pot. Wash hands.

Chop up onion in big chunks and place all around and on top of turkey breast. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Drop in chunks of butter. Pour can of chicken broth all over turkey.

Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours. I cooked mine (still partially frozen after 1 day in fridge, eek!) on Hi for 5.5 hours then checked temperature and it was 190+ and already done. I left it on Stay Warm for the remaining 2 hours til dinner and it was perfect!

I served mine with:
Cornbread stuffing and Green Bean Casserole


Toasted cornbread stuffing:

For the stuffing, I just made a box mix because they're easy and I like them! After it was cooked, I put it in a casserole and put in the oven for about 5-10 minutes with the green bean casserole at 350.


Green Bean Casserole

2 cans French cut green beans, drained
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1/2 can of milk
Couple shakes of pepper and a shake of cayenne paper
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I'd have used more but I ran out! Try 1/2 cup in yours)
french fried onions

Stir all ingredients together in medium bowl, then transfer to a glass casserole. Top with fried onions and bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes or until warm through and bubbly.

Cafe Rio Chicken, Lime Rice, and Beans

[ CAFE-RIO CHICKEN ]

1/2 bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
3 cloves garlic minced
2 chicken breasts (frozen)

Place all ingredients into crock-pot for 4 hours on high. Shred and Cook an additional hour.
(I didn't go the full hour, I just let it cook while I made the rice and beans)

[ LIME-CILANTRO RICE ]

1 Tbsp. oil
2 c. long grain rice (3 c. water)
cilantro, finely chopped
juice of a lime
1 tsp. crushed garlic

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add rice, cilantro, and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water and lime juice and bring to boil. Then reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed by the rice (about 20 minutes).

[ BLACK BEANS ]

1 Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 cup tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

(I've made it that way too but last night I just added some Cumin and Minced Garlic to the can of beans and heated)

[ TORTILLAS ]

Take a pan of heated oil, place a flour tortilla in for a few seconds until it starts bubbling up, then flip over and do same thing.

Or, I've also made the following homemade tortillas, which never seem to turn out quite in the shape of tortillas, but maybe you'll have better luck!

Homemade tortillas:
3 C. flour
1/2 C. veggie or olive oil
1 1/8 C. luke warm water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Mix all ingredients and knead. If too hard to knead, add a little water but if too sticky add a little more flour. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Makes about 12 small balls. Flatten each by rolling them out and then cook them in a frying pan

[ INSTRUCTIONS ]

Place Rice, Beans, Chicken, (Cheese optional) all on the tortilla! You can wrap as burrito or eat taco style. Enjoy!

Asian Pork and Mushroom Burgers

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 ounces sliced mushrooms 
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided
• 1 3/4 ground pork
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)
• redpepper, carrot, cilantro and lettuce for burger toppings if desired

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add  garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add mushrooms. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt; sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; cool in skillet.  Once they are cool, roughly chop up the mixture.

Place pork in large bowl. Mix in 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, cracked pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, then fold in mushroom mixture. Shape into patties.

Whisk hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, chili sauce, and remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 teaspoons sesame oil in small bowl for sauce. DO AHEAD: Burgers and sauce can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover separately; chill.

Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat ). Grill burgers until cooked through. Place burgers on buns and top with sauce, pepper, lettuce, carrot and cilantro however you like it! 

Ham and Swiss Party Sandwiches

I got this recipe a couple of years ago, and everytime I make them they are such a hit!!! Don't underestimate the name. They are SO good and SO good for parties or large crowds. I have already been getting email requests from Chris' classmates wanting this recipe, so I thought I would post it for you all too.....

What You Need:

2 packages of Dinnner Rolls (I bought some soft ones I found at Target..not sure the name....!!)
Swiss Cheese slices
Deli Ham
3 tbsp. mustard
3 tbsp. poppy seeds
2 tsp minced onion
2 tsp. worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 sticks butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Slice both packages of rolls horizontally and place on pan or cookie sheet. Melt the butter/margarine in the microwave. Add poppy seeds, mustard, onion, & worchestershire to butter. Whisk together. Brush mustard mixture evenly and liberally on both sides of rolls. On the bottom top the mustard mixture with a layer of ham and then a layer of swiss. Cover with foil and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Chicken Ranch Pizza

Jared was a big fan of this one...

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 package chicken breast tenders
• flour for dusting
• 1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust
• 1/2 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 4 strips of bacon, cooked

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to according to the package directions on the pizza dough.
2. Dust the chicken with flour
3. Place chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil. Cook until no longer pink, and juices run clear. Cool, then either shred or chop into small pieces.
4. Unroll dough, and press into the prepared pizza pan or baking sheet. Bake for a few minutes to let crust set up then take out.
5. Spread ranch dressing over partially baked crust. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese. Place tomatoes, green onion, chicken and bacon on top of mozzarella cheese, then top with Cheddar cheese. Return to the oven for the remaining time according to crust directions, or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.

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!