Calico Beans

This recipe is something my Mom makes and has made for as long as I can remember. I LOVE these beans! They go perfect with a bbq.

Calico Beans

Brown together:
1/2-1 lb bacon - I cut the bacon into 1 inch slices and cook it separately from the beef and then add it to the beef and onion once the beef is all browned)
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion chopped

Add:
1 can pork and beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can navy lima beans
(This is a really loose recipe, I just pick whatever beans I think look fun and add them to my beans. I usually double {at least} this recipe and give myself a bigger variety of beans)

Sauce:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. ketchup (or more)
3 tsp. dry mustard
3 T. vinegar

Mix sauce ingredients together well. Add to the beans and meat mixture.

Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours or on low in crock pot all day. (if using a crock pot, slightly drain the beans (except the pork and beans).

This is a really loose recipe, buy any beans that look fun. I usually at least double this recipe and use all sorts of different beans Black beans, pinto beans, large and small kidney beans, etc. Just dump them all in. Canned corn is great in it and so are mushrooms (if you like those nasty things). Don't drain the beans. Leave the lid on for about an hour, then stir and take the lid off for the rest of the time. Bake until it bubbles and some of the water cooks off.

Potato Salad

Yummy! This Potato Salad came from Gary's Mom and I'm not sure where she got it from but it is certainly a family recipe. Gary always said that if the woman he chose to marry could not duplicate this recipe then she really wasn't the one. So, I'll that as a compliment, thank.you.very.much!

Potato Salad
2 1/2 c. cooked potatoes (boiled and then cooled)
4 eggs (I really like more eggs than this, so I add almost double)
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped sweet pickles (I use the vlasic sweet gherkins)
1/4 c. chopped green pepper

Dressing:
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. mustard
1/2 tsp.celery seed
1 c. salad dressing or miracle whip

Combine it all and if possible refrigerate it for a while before serving.

Cheese Garlic Bread {Pizza Dough}

This one here is a total keeper ladies. I came across this recipe on Pinterest and knew I HAD to try it out. I am a total lover of pizza but even more...BREAD STICKS! Yum! You will NOT be disappointed in this one. The Pizza Dough recipe was great too. Only one thing, if you have a big bosch, I would maybe try to double this recipe, there just wasn't enough dough to mix well enough. I had to take it out and transfer it to my smaller bosch.

Basic Pizza Dough:
Yield: 2-12 inch pizzas, approximately 1 lb. of dough

Ingredients:
1 C. warm water
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1 Tbs. honey {or sugar, but go for the honey if you have it}
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. olive or canola oil
3 C. bread flour {give or take 1/2 c. depending on heat, humidity, and altitude}

Directions:
In mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubble form and mixture starts to foam. Add salt, oil, and half of the flour and mix.

Once flour has been incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch ti it doesn't stick to your hands.

Once you reach this state, turn the mixer on high to knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on and walk away. Resist the temptation to stop earlier than 6 minutes. Once done mixing, the dough should be smooth and easy to work with and the bowl should be clean.

Lightly grease the bowl and the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with plastic wrap (or a clean towel) and let it rise 1-2 hours. Done!

We made our own version of Margarita Pizzas on the grill. Fabulous! I love the Classico Tomato and Basil Sauce, Mozzarella cheese and a little Parmesan because I love it so much, chicken pieces and some basil straight out of my beloved garden. Yummers. Oh yes, and we cook it on the grill which is so much better than the oven!

So, I used half the the dough to make two smaller pizzas and the other half to make some Cheesy Garlic Bread...keep reading.

Cheese Garlic Bread Sticks
Yield: 1-12 inch pizza

Ingredients:
1/2 recipe Pizza Dough (above)
2 Tbs. softened salted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (use the real stuff)
1/4 lb. grated mozzarella cheese
{salt and pepper, if desired}

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone inside. Mix butter and garlic in small bowl and set aside. Roll dough out into 12 inch circle. Spread butter and garlic mixture over dough and top with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Top with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired. Bake 9-10 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes before cutting. Serve hot with marinara.

{Recipe from www.laurenslatest.com}

Fabulous Zucchini Bread

Just in time for the harvest people. I came across this recipe the other day and with a few minor changes (simply because I didn't have the right ingredient) to the original recipe, this has been something I have made quite a few times and will yet make a few more times until I use up all that Zucchini in my fridge! :) It was wonderful...truly wonderful.

The original recipe is for one loaf of bread baked in a 9-inch by 5-inch size loaf pan. However, I made multiple smaller loaves. I like to share the goodness around, you know. Plus, it makes it so that I can't eat as much. :)

Zucchini Bread

1 lb. Zucchini (about 1.5 cups zucchini once is has been shredded and wrung through a towel to rid of excess liquid.
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 c. vanilla yogurt (not fat free)
1 tbs. sour cream
6 tbs. butter, melted

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 375. Generously coat and flour bread pan(s)

Chop the ends off zucchini and finely shred zucchini, peel and all. Place shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel, wrap the towel and wring the ends to squeeze out all the excess water. You will need about 1 1/2 c. dry zucchini. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk the sugar, yogurt, eggs, sour cream and butter until combined.

Gently fold in the yogurt mixture and zucchini into flour mixture, using a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan(s). Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached, 45-55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then turn out onto wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour. Store well-covered for up to three days.

Notes: I used a couple different sizes of pans. A double batch will yield you 4- 5.75x3-inch pans cooked for about 30-32 minutes and 6-3.5x2.25-inch pans cooked for about 25 minutes.

I should also note that the original recipe came from My Kitchen Cafe.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

A few things to mention before I get into telling you how great these fajitas are. First, I don't know who started this lame trend but I read it in some article the other day that New Mexico and another State (can't remember the other one, but remind me to never consider moving there) primarily use Swamp Coolers as a means to cool their houses. BARF! Did you know a Swamp Cooler basically only cools your house 15 degrees? Yeah, do the math...it's been 95 degrees out there, which means, I still sweat inside my house too. With that being said, I am on an oven strike. I have not used my oven in almost two months and refuse to use it until October when it starts to cool down a bit. It is getting really hard to do you know. How many dinners can YOU make without an oven? I am not even making bread!!! ARGH!

This had lead me to the Internet and lots of attempted creativity. We were given a bbq a few weeks ago, which has allowed me to branch out in my non-oven cooking...or rather, allow GARY to do some cooking! The other night we made grilled pizza, something I am most likely going to be making again tonight as well. :) I'll have to post that one soon too. But last night, we had the missionaries and another member in the ward over for dinner and I attempted a new recipe (I like the missionaries to be my guinea pigs for new recipes) on the grill.

The other thing I ought to mention is this: I don't know where it started but without my permission, there has been some sort of 'reputation' started among the missionaries who serve in our ward. Every time a new one comes to dinner for the first time, he says something like this "Oh, Sister Fears, I've been looking forward to coming to your house for dinner, I've heard so many wonderful things about your cooking" - HUH?! Seriously? I guess it doesn't take much to please a 19 year old boy who is on his own to cook for himself right? But, its like this talk they have behind my back and so now I feel all this pressure every time they are coming over to make sure they get a yummy meal and that it meets their expectations for a good dinner! It is causing stress people! And without an oven?!?!

Anyhow, I decided to try fajitas out on the grill yesterday and boy did they turn out! I will NEVER be making fajitas on the stove again. Honestly! Now, quick...go start thawing some chicken and try this out, you'll LOVE it!

Here is what you need:

1 Onion (I used a red onion) sliced and then cut into 1-inch strips
1 Red Pepper sliced into 1-inch strips
1 Yellow Pepper sliced into 1-inch strips
1 Tbs. McCormick Grill Mates BARBECUE Seasoning (and more to season fajitas if desired)
Olive Oil
Italian Dressing to marinade chicken in - Our FAVORITE is Ken's LITE Northern Italian with Basil and Romano. YUM!
3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into thirds lengthwise
Flour Tortillas (Of course, the Costco kind you cook on the stove)

Toppings: Sour Cream, Shredded Lettuce, Tomatoes, Salsa, Avocados, Shredded Cheese, etc.

So, the night before or morning of, take your chicken strips (breasts sliced into thirds) and drop them in a zip lock back with enough Italian dressing to cover and marinade well. Let it sit in the fridge all day. Every time you open the fridge, just see that chicken and let your mouth water for the delicious meal you are going to make a few hours from then! :)

When the time comes to start dinner, preheat the grill on to HIGH for 10 minutes. Clean grill with wire brush. Using a soft cloth, coat grill grate litely with vegetable oil. Toss your peppers and onion slices with 1 Tbs. BBQ seasoning and 2 Tbs. olive oil. Pour into a disposable 9x13 inch foil pan. Cover pan tightly with foil, seal well. Reduce heat to MEDIUM. Place pan on grill; close lid.

Cook 10 minutes, shaking pan occaisionally. Remove from grill and set aside. Return grill heat to HIGH.

Lay chicken pieces on grill for about 2 minutes or until it has started to change color about 1/4 the way up from bottom. Turn over, and sear another 1-3 minutes. Turn chicken back over again. Reduce heat to MEDIUM and cook 12-15 minutes until internal temp. reaches 165 degrees. When chicken is getting close, put veggies back on the grill just to get them warm again.
Remove chicken from grill and chop into thin bite sized pieces. Remove veggies from grill and stir chicken into veggies.

Eat up!

Might I mention that last night was the first time in my entire life that I actually grilled dinner? Gary has always done it and he ended up having to work late and wouldn't be home in time. If I wasn't having company for dinner, I would have just waited. After a small panic attack, I decided to try my own hand at this and hope it didn't get ruined. I have to say, it all turned out quite nicely! :)

Oh, and if you have any other grilling recipes that are to die for, send them on my way. I will most definitely be using them in the next two and a half months!

Orange Rolls

This is totally not my recipe and although I do love a good orange roll, I have to admit that I have never made orange rolls before in my life. This recipe will absolutely be made many more times in the very near future! These were fabulous. AND, they were still really yummy and quite fresh tasting even two days later, which I am VERY picky about. Of course, nothing beats an orange roll right off the pan out of the oven, but just know that they store quite well for a few days.

Orange Sweet Rolls

*Makes 12 rolls/twists

Dough:

¾ cup buttermilk, warm (I pour the buttermilk in a glass liquid measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute on 50% power)

6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

3 large eggs

4 ¼ cups (21 ¼ ounces) flour

¼ cup (1 ¾ ounces) sugar

2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

Orange Filling:

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Grated orange rind/zest from two large oranges (reserving 1/2 teaspoon grated rind for the glaze below)

Orange Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice from about 1 orange

1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind/zest reserved from the filling above

For the dough, whisk the warmed buttermilk and butter together in a large liquid measuring cup. Combine 4 cups of flour, sugar, yeast and salt together in a standing mixer fitted with dough hook (or you can use a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or electric handheld mixer). With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and eggs and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. Increase the mixer to medium speed and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (knead for 15-18 minutes by hand). If after 5 minutes of kneading, the dough is still overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but has a slight tacky feel when pressed between your fingertips.

Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover the top tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, around 2 to 2 ½ hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

For the filling, combine all the filling ingredients (reserving 1/2 teaspoon orange zest for the glaze) in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter (I use my roul’pat for this step--ya'll need one of these babies!) and press it into about a 16 by 12-inch rectangle (if you have doubled the recipe, split the dough in half and roll out one half at a time). Gently brush the filling mixture over the rectangle, using an offset spatula or rubber spatula.

Lift the longest edge closest to you and begin rolling the dough into a tight log. Pinch the seam closed and roll the log so it is seam side down. Using dental floss, slice the log into 12 evenly sized rolls, more or less. You can slice them thinner or thicker as you like. For a traditional cinnamon-roll-look, arrange the rolls cut side down on a lined or lightly greased baking pan. If you want to try the twist method (see the pictures below), one at a time grab each sliced roll and holding on to either end simultaneously pull and twist the roll into a figure eight and place it on the prepared pan. Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Bake the rolls at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden on top and cooked through. While the rolls are baking, mix together the glaze ingredients. Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls. (I used a brush and brushed it over the entire roll instead of just drizzling it)

Grasping each side, gently stretch the roll…

…and twist it before placing on the baking sheet.
Place the rolls about an inch to two inches apart. Bake and devour!

Recipe Source: {My Kitchen Cafe}

Homemade Mint Oreo Ice Cream

Get excited everyone, this one was fabulous!!! Can I just have a proud moment and let you all know that I am the one that came up with this recipe? I mean, obviously, I started somewhere...but with about six different recipes. Needless to say, after tasting this, (and sharing it with a few friends who have all said it was the BEST homemade ice cream they have ever tasted) I am a bit proud of myself.


Sorry, no picture...but don't let that hinder your desires to make this beauty. Just know that the ice cream didn't last long enough to get a picture!



Mint Oreo Ice Cream
3 C. whole milk
3 C. skim milk
6 C. heavy whipping cream
3 C. sugar
1.5 tsp. salt
3 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tsp. peppermint extract
Oreo Cookies - I just estimated, but I would say I probably used between 30-40 cookies


**Note: I'm sure you could probably just use 6 cups of 2% milk. I don't buy 2% milk and so I used the combination of the milk that I do buy. It was wonderful, but I'm sure 2% would be wonderful too!


On stovetop, heat up the milk until it is warm (do not boil). Add sugar, salt, vanilla and peppermint and stir until the sugar has dissolved.


Pour into a bigger bowl and add the whipping cream. (You don't have to cook all the milk if you don't have a pot big enough. Just heat up enough that you can dissolve the sugar and then put it all in a bigger bowl and add the rest of the milk and whipping cream)


Put this in the fridge to cool. This makes quite a bit of ice cream (probably about 6 qts.) so if you need to make less, go ahead and split the recipe. If you have a small 1.5 qt. ice cream maker, you can just make it in batches as well and keep the rest in the fridge.


Mash oreo cookies with a potato masher in a bowl to the consistency you like and set aside until the VERY end of the ice cream making process.


Make ice cream according to the directions on your home made ice cream maker. When the ice cream is very close to being done, stop it and put the oreo cookies in. You want the ice cream to be quite thick at this point. If you do it too early, the cookies will just become mushy because the ice cream isn't frozen enough yet.


I really like to eat home made ice cream when it is soft and just finished in the maker. But if you like it harder, take it out when it is done and put it in smaller containers and freeze it for at least another couple hours to harden.


Yummers!


Another option instead of oreo is to use mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. Probably about 3 cups. And if you want to make it green, add 9 drops of green food coloring.

Ultimate Oatmeal

And yes it is ultimate indeed! It is a little more time consuming than just regular oatmeal but trust me, it is well worth it.

Ultimate Oatmeal

3 C. water

1 C. 1% milk (do not use skim milk here)

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 C. steel-cut oats

1/4 tsp. salt

1. Bring water and milk to a simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, then add the oats and toast, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. 

2. Stir the toasted oats into the simmering liquid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the mixture is very thick, about 20 minutes. 

3. Stir in the salt and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed and the oatmeal is creamy, about 10 minutes longer. Let the oatmeal stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Variations:

Ultimate oatmeal with cranberries and walnuts

Add 1/3 c. dried cranberries, 1/4 c. toasted walnuts, chopped, 1/4 c. packed light brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon with the salt.

Ultimate oatmeal with apple cinnamon and raisins

Use a sweet cooking apple here such as Fuji, Jonagold, Pink Lady, Jonathan, or Macoun.

Add 1 peeled and grated sweet apple, 1/3 c. raisins, 1/4 c. maple syrup, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon with the salt.

Ultimate oatmeal with bananas

Add 2 mashed bananas and 1/4 C. packed light brown sugar with the salt. 

Recipe Source {America's Test Kitchen}

Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil

Another America's Test Kitchen recipe. I make this to go with the Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Cutlets and they went together fabulously. Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil
Serves 4

1/3 C. extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium garlic cloves, pressed through garlic press
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional. I used half the amount)
Table Salt
1 pound spaghetti or linguine
1/4 C. minced fresh parsley leaves (optional. I actually sprinkled dry parsley on at the very end)
Ground Black Pepper

1. While preparing/cooking noodles according to directions on box, heat oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook stirring frequently, until garlic turns golden but not brown, about 5 minutes; remove pan from heat.
2. When draining pasta, reserve 1/4 C. cooking liquid, drain pasta and return to pot. Add garlic mixture, reserved pasta cooking liquid, and optional parsley; toss well to coat. Adjust seasoning with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Cutlets

In honor of Valentines day, allow me to share with you the menu tonight. Not sure if you've figured out that Jess and I are pretty much in love with America's Test Kitchen...but uh, we are. And my entire meal consisted of their recipes, including dessert. It was fabulous...so, enjoy! And next time you're standing in the checkout line at the grocery store and you see a magazine called "Cook's Illustrated" - it will be the best $8.00 you ever spent! :)
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Cutlets
Serves 4 (can easily be halved to serve two or doubled to serve 8...can I come?)


-2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed, breasts trimmed of excess fat and halved horizontally (see note)
-Table Salt & Black Pepper
-1/4 C. plus 1 Tbs. flour
-1/4 C. Parmesan cheese, grated (I used the powder stuff you get at the grocery store, or you could grate some fresh stuff on a mircoplane rasp grater. Either way, it needs to be very small)
-3 large egg whites
-2 Tbs. minced fresh chives (optional. I did not use this tonight)
-2 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded (buy a block and grate it like you would cheese on the largest holes of the grater. )
-4 teaspoons olive oil
-1 lemon, cut into wedges

Note: chicken breasts are easier to slice into cutlets if you freeze them for 15-20 minutes until firm but not fully frozen. To slice in half, place one hand on top of the breast to secure it, hold a chef's knife parallel to the cutting board, and slice through the middle of the breast horizontally.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 200 degrees.
2. Set a oven safe cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk together 1/4 c. flour with 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese in a pie plate. In medium bowl, whisk egg whites and chives (if using) together until slightly foamy. Pour into a pie plate. In third pie plate, combine shredded Parmesan and remaining Tbs. of flour.
3. Using tongs and working with one cutlet at a time, coat chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Transfer chicken to egg-white mixture; coat evenly and let excess run off. Coat chicken with shredded Parmesan mixture, pressing gently so that cheese adheres. Place on wire rack. Continue with the rest of chicken cutlets.
4. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place 2 cutlets in skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook until cheese is pale golden brown, about 3 minutes (I actually cooked 4 minutes on each side). Carefully flip cutlets and continue to cook until cheese is pale golden brown on second side and meat is no longer pink in center, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Wipe out skillet with paper towel and return to medium heat. Add remaining 2 teaspoon oil and cook remaining 2 cutlets. Serving immediately with lemon wedges.


I served this with Spagheti with Garlic and Olive Oil. - I'll post this quick fix too.
For Dessert we had the recipe that Jessica posted today. Fallen Chocolate Cake. Oh heavenly.

Classic Italian Lasagna

In a way I see it kind of pointless to copy a recipe from another recipe blog just to put on my own recipe blog. What do you girls think? Well, The only reason I'm going to do it here is because next time I'm going to do a few things differently (and there WILL be a next time) I make this. It was fabulous and I thank Mel from mykitchencafe for posting this recipe from wherever she got it from. Here it is...make it. I don't even really love Lasagna but this was fabulous! I made two 8x8 pans and froze one and we had one for dinner two nights in a row...can't wait for the frozen one!

Classic Italian Lasagna

Red Sauce:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
4 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
8 oz. mushrooms, chopped (omitted these, thanks but no thanks)
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tsp. Italian seasoning (or a mix of dried oregano and basil)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

White Sauce:
3 cups milk (not skim)
5 Tbs. flour
4 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

9 lasagna noodles, boiled for half the time on the box. - I used the no-boil noodles (Barilla Brand) obviously don't boil these...skip the boiling step.
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded (I would use a little less cheese next time, there was plenty of cheese)
8 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan and set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the turkey. When cooked through, drain. (I like to put it in a strainer and run hot water over it to get as much grease off as possible) Set aside.

In a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat, add 2 Tbs olive oil and 1 Tbs butter. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. When oil/butter is hot, add the garlic, stirring constantly. When garlic is lightly browned, but NOT burned, add the onion and mushrooms. Continue cooking on medium-high heat until the vegetables are soft and browned and the fluid has mostly cooked out. Remove from heat and blend vegetables into a paste-like mixture - because I did not use mushrooms in this recipe, I opted to NOT blend my onions. Return the pot to the heat (pour the pureed vegetables back in pot) and add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Then add the diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir. Cover and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Right before using the red sauce in the lasagna, stir in the reserved ground turkey. - NEXT time I make this I think I'll 1.5 this red sauce and meat part of the recipe. I could have used just a little more of this when I made (and ate) my lasagna.

While the red sauce simmers, boil your noodles if you need to. Once cooked (for half the amount of time on box) drain but do not rinse. Add a dab of olive oil to keep them from sticking together. If you are using no-boil noodles, you can skip this step.

Also, while the red sauce is cooking, melt the four Tbs. butter and when melted, add the flour, stirring constantly to combine and letting the mixture cook, while stirring, for a minute or two. Gradually add in the milk, whisking constantly. Add the salt and pepper. Slowly whisk he shite sauce, ensuring it doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan, while cooking it over medium heat. Continue slowing stirring or whisking while the white sauce cooks and thickens quite a bit, about 5-7 minutes. Add a pinch of mozzarella for good luck, if you wish! (Oh yes I wish!)

To begin layering the lasagna, keep in mind that you'll have three layers of noodles as well as three layers of the sauces and cheese - so plan on splitting all the sauces and cheese into thirds so you don't run out at the end! On the bottom of your lightly greased baking pan, layer three pre-boiled noodles or four no boil noodles, slightly overlapping the no-boil noodles. Layer the red sauce, white sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, spreading all to the edges and top with another layer of noodles. Again, layer the red sauce, white sauce Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and top with the final layer of noodles. Layer the sauces and cheeses again.

Cover the lasagna with a greased layer of aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Removes the foil and let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Enjoy!!

Tomato Basil Soup with Orzo

Imagine standing in line at Zupas waiting to order your favorite soup - Tomato Basil. Oh wait, you no longer have to go wait in line for soup at Zupas (although, if I was ever in town, I still would because that's a fun place to eat) because you can make it in your very own home!!! You heard me folks! I made this today for dinner and Gary said "Put it on the docket" - that always means he likes and wants to have it again really soon. In this case, it will most likely be this week because I had leftovers! Yeah!! Or maybe I'll freeze it for another meal another day. I served it with yummy buns I made but next time I think I'll put a little grilled cheese on the griddle as well! Enjoy! (You can thank me later!)

Tomato Basil Soup with Orzo

1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 C. apple juice
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped **see notes at the bottom
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 4 because I love garlic)
1/2 C. diced red bell pepper
4 C. chopped fresh or canned tomatoes. (I used 42 oz. - a 28 oz. can and a 14.5 oz. can of whole tomatoes)
1 C. vegetable stock (I used chicken broth)
1/3 C. Orzo pasta - (because I love this and used more tomatoes than it called for, I used more Orzo too)
1/4 C. chopped fresh basil - (If you have it totally use it. NOTHING replaces fresh basil, but in my case, I didn't have it and didn't want to run to the store for one thing...so I used a small amount of dried. Can't wait to make it with fresh though)
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/4 C. butter

In soup pot, heat oil and apple juice over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic and red pepper 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is soft but not brown. Add small amounts of water if mixture becomes dry). Remove from heat. Add tomatoes and broth. Stir. Puree in blender and return to the pot. Add Orzo pasta; cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add butter and cream. Stir. Simmer 15 minutes stirring as often as possible. DO NOT BOIL. Add basil and serve immediately.

**yes, I use my Vidalia chopper EVERY.SINGLE.DAY and if you don't have one, go buy one right now! They are only like $19.00 and it will be the best $19.00 you ever spent in your whole entire life! :) I like to buy a big bag of onions at costco and then chop them up and freeze them, one onion at a time, in small sandwich freezer bags. It's AWESOME! I do this because 99.9% of the time I need a yellow onion, it is going to be cooked and put into something and I don't need it fresh. So, to save time and make my life just a little more simpler, I chop and freeze. Plus, I LOVE my Vidalia chopper and try to get as much use out of it as possible because it makes me happy! (and yes I used it on the red pepper too)

Recipe Sourse: I googled it because I wanted that Zupas soup and found this on a website about family cookbooks. Random...but thank them very much!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

I have been cooking...lots actually. I just forget to take pictures (and partly on purpose because I can't take nice pictures like Jessica) and then figure why post a recipe for something yummy without a picture? No one will even be tempted to make it because, let's be honest...we all love pictures of good food, right? Well, sorry to say. No picture here. But Ryan (brother) was visiting us for a few days and I made this recipe and he said to me "This is really good. Is this on the food blog?" - Uh, he KNOWS about the food blog? Yeah, because his wife is the one that mostly posts on this blog. So, I decided to post it on the food blog. Just for him...and for his wife, if she ever wants to make them. Make them...they were yummy. And it's a little bit of New Mexico right in your home! :)

Filling:
1 Rotisserie Chicken, skinned, and chopped...or about 3-ish cups chopped chicken
2-4 oz. cans of diced green chiles
1-8 oz. package of softened cream cheese, cut up into cubes
1 can black beans
1 cup corn (I use costco corn and just run tap water over it to thaw it out a little bit)

Sauce:
2 T. Butter
1/2 C. chopped onion*
2 Tbs. Flour
1/3 C. chicken broth
1/4 C. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1-10 oz. can green chile enchilada sauce
1/2 C. sour cream

8 oz. monterey jack cheese, shredded (I've used mozzarella but it just wasn't quite the same)
Flour Tortillas (I use the Costco ones....love them!)
Fresh Cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combing cream cheese, and green chiles. Mix together well. Add the chicken, black beans, and corn. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and begins turning translucent, this will take about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions as you stir. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until it begins to bubble and has thickened (about 3-4 minutes). Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Spread about 1/4 C. of the green sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 dish. (Or, if you have a smaller family, like me. Use a 8x8 pan and a tin 8x8 pan and freeze one of them for another quick dinner in the future. This freezes well!) Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 C. of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple Tbs. for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 C. cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full.

Pour the green/white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.


*Go buy a Vidalia Chopper right now if you don't already have one. Jess, do you like yours? I LOVE LOVE LOVE mine. Honestly, if there was a fire in my house, it would be the second thing I'd grab second only to my child! :) I buy a big bag of onions at Costco and chop about half of them up right away and freeze them (about one onion per freezer bag) and it makes it SO nice when I'm cooking something with onion, which I do often. I just pull out an already chopped, frozen bag of onion. If I know I'm going to use it early enough, sometimes I'll pull it out and let it thaw, but it really doesn't matter.

I adapted this recipe from my kitchen cafe

Corn Chowder

OK, so it's sort of getting to be beyond soup season, but I wanted to post this anyhow. This is a recipe that I tweeked and really really liked! So...if you have a cold spring day...make this! You'll love it. Well, if you like corn.

1/3 C. Bacon Pieces (I just buy that large bag from Costco) - Or you could just bake and chop some regular bacon.

2-4 Tbs. Oil

6 C. corn kernals (again, frozen from Costco)

1.5 C. cubed red potatoes (about 1/2 inch in size)

3 C. chicken broth

1/2 C. heavy cream

1/2 C. sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

3 Tbs. sugar (optional)

1/4. tsp. cayenne pepper (optional if you want a little kick. I did it once with and once without)

Cook your bacon pieces and oil on medium high heat for a few minutes. Obviously, this is already cooked stuff...but I just crisp it up a bit and get the bacon taste in the oil/drippings/pot. Remove all or most of the bacon from the pan leaving the oil and set aside. Add corn and potatoes to pot with oil. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and simmer uncovered over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer 3 cups soup to blender. Puree until smooth. (Be careful to not let blender splash or spill this. It's hot!) Return puree to soup in pot. Stir in cream, cheese, and bacon...(and sugar and/or cayenne if using this). Bring chowder to simmer, thinning with more broth if too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy this bad boy! I LOVED it. Sorry there is no picture. You'll have to just imagine it. It's fabulous!

Bagels

OK, you might just want to stop what you're doing right now and go make these! Seriously! I've always been a little intimidated at the thought of 'making bagels' but when I came across a recipe I thought I might be able to handle, I decided I'd take the challenge. I even changed the recipe around a bit and they still turned out fabulous! No, seriously. Go make them and then tell me how you liked them!

Ingredients:

1 1/8 C. warm water (110 degrees)

1.5 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. sugar

3 C. bread flour

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 Quarts boiling water

3 Tbs. sugar

1 Tbs cornmeal

2 Tbs. melted butter (or 1 egg white)

1/3 C. sugar

1 Tbs + 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Combine warm water, yeast and 2 Tbs. sugar in mixer and let sit for about five minutes. Add flour, cinnamon, and salt and mix until good dough consistancy.

Turn dough out onto a roul'pat if you have one-if you don't...you NEED one! (or floured surface). Divide dough into eight equal parts (yes, I have a scale because I'm ocd so I got them pretty equal, but it doesn't really matter). Roll each piece into a small ball. Flatten the balls and poke a hole in the middle and twirl the dough around your finger to enlarge the hole. Cover bagels with a clean cloth and let sit for about 30 minutes.

While bagels are sitting, bring the 3 quarts water to boil. Stir in 3 Tbs. sugar and prepare your pan.

I baked my bagles on a silpat and perforated baking sheet (without cornmeal). If you have these items, use them! If you don't, then sprinkle cornmeal on an ungreased baking sheet. Transfer bagels to boiling water. Boil for 1 minute on each side. Drain breafly on a clean towl. Arrange boiled bagels on baking sheet. With baking brush, brush the tops of each bagel and top with preffered topping. I used cinnamon sugar. I actually coated with butter and then dropped each bagel in the cinnamon sugar mixture to cover completely.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until well browned.

Other alternative toppings:

Honey Wheat: Use honey instead of sugar (omit the cinnamon), and use 2 c. whole wheat flour and 1 C. all purpose flour. Top with Oats.

Poppyseeds

Dry Onions

Add 1/2 C. cheese (Agiago, or Parm, or other) to dough and then sprinkle on top as well.

Baked Potato Soup

I got this from my sister in-law and have made it a few times already. We really like it! It makes quite a bit, so I usually take dinner to someone when I make it to share some. I LOVE coming home from work to dinner all ready to eat!!!

6 large russet potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
3-14 oz. cans chicken broth
1/4 c. butter
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. pepper
1 C. whipping cream
1 c. (4 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 Tbs. chopped fresh chives (I omit these)
1-8 oz. container sour cream
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (or be lazy like me and use the fresh bacon bits)
shredded cheddar cheese

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a 5 qt. slow cooker
2. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours or until potatoes are tender
3. Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped/mashed and soup is slightly thickened; stir in cream, cheese, and chives.

Top with sour cream, bacon, and cheese
If desired, serve with half sandwiches

Caramel Marshmallow Popcorn

I seriously never have the desire to make the true real sticky caramel popcorn ever again. This just totally did it for me! It's divine! Of course, I don't have a picture of this either, but I'm eating it RIGHT NOW! :)

2 cubes butter
3/4 C. brown sugar
4 C. marshmallows
2 pkgs. microwave popcorn (any flavor, I like "natural") - remove all the seeds if possible.

Melt butter and sugar on stove. Add marshmallows and remove from heat. Stir until melted (I had to put it back on the stove for about 45 more seconds, but try to have it on as little as possible or you'll make your goods harden when it cools, we want it to be STICKY!) - Add to popcorn and start eating immediately. You won't be able to stop until it's gone!

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Well, I just finished the last one and totally told myself I was going to take a picture before I started eating it. I just totally forgot and snarfed it down...it's good!

1 1/2 - 2 C. cooked rice (I use brown rice), warm or at room temp.
1 C. cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 red or green pepper, diced (I used a little of each)
1/4 C. fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
3/4 C. corn, cooked
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
2 C. shredded cheese
sour cream (optional)
Flour Tortillas (of course, I only use the costco ones!)

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for the cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas then dot sour cream down center. Arrange chicken mixture down center. Roll stuffed tortillas. Arrange wraps seam side down on skillet (med-high heat) and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Recipe adapted from mykitchencafe

Cereal Candy

OK, I can't find the blog I found this recipe from, but I wanted to give credit where credit was due (and use her picture too!) But I can't...I think it might be bookmarked on my other computer and I'm too lazy to go switch. But this turned out AMAZING.

Cereal Candy
5 C. Cheerios
5 C. Rice Chex
6 C. Speicial K

measure those into a large bowl. Then, in a large sauce pan put:

2 C. sugar
3/4 C. white corn syrup
1/2 C. butter (the real stuff please)
1 dash salt

Stir constantly and bring to a boil. Then add:

1 C. whipping cream

Now, use your candy thermometer and cook to soft ball stage, stirring constantly. (Let me add something here, she actually says that she cooks hers to 230, which is cooler than softball stage according to the thermometer. We did it to about 232 and it was yummy, but once it all cooled, it got pretty hard so I would stick with the 230 or maybe a tiny bit earlier than that even) Once at soft ball stage, remove immediately from the heat and add:

1 tsp. vanilla

Stir in vanilla and pour over your cereal. Gently toss anc coat the cereal. Once all coated, pour out on a large cookie sheet to cool. Then enjoy!

Snickers Cookies

I tried this recipe from HERE and they were FABULOUS! So, I'm posting them here for you all to crave and enjoy. You really should consider making these beauties.

Snickers Cookies
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C. butter, room temperature
1/2 C. creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 C. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
30 mini sized Snickers candy bars. (one bag)


In large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, butter, and peanut butter. Add vanilla and egg. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and add to peanut mixture. Shape dough smoothly around each candy bar, making sure the bar is completely covered, without haveing a lot of excess dough. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bakt at 350 and check at 12 minutes, and take out when they are slightly golden. Cool a minute or so and remove from cookie sheets. They are FABULOUS when they are warm and just as good after they've cooled.