Brownies

8 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate
3 sticks butter
4 cups sugar
6 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Spray 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Microwave butter and chocolate squares for 30 second intervals until they're melted together.
Mix other ingredients into chocolate mixture. Stir thoroughly.
Pour batter into pan/stone and bake for 35-40 minutes, or unitl toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.

Sweet potato casserole

2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
cooking spray
miniature marshmallows

Spray down pan/stone/crock with cooking spray.
Mix together the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and orange juice (and pecans, if you choose). Pour into baking pan/stone.
Top with marshmallows.
If you're using a crock, like I had to because my oven was otherwise occupied, wait until casserole is thoroughly cooked, then throw the marshmallows on top. When they start turning gooey, serve.

Jello poke cake

white cake mix
green jello
red jello
cooking spray

Make cake mix according to directions on back. Let cool completely.
Take a toothpick, or fork, and poke holes into each layer of the cake.
Mix jello with only the hot water and don't let it gel. You'll need to use it immediately.
Pour one color of jello on each cake layer, allowing it to soak in. DO NOT use all of the jello-just enough to color each layer.
Allow to set for about an hour.
Remove from pans.
Instead of icing, use whipped cream as the frosting. Sprinkle with holiday sprinkles. Keep refrigerated until time to serve.

NOTE: I have also done this in a 9x13 inch pan and still used both colors and it turned out just as well. Plus, you don't have the hassle of layering the cake.

Reindeer dust

5 cups oatmeal (use 1 cup per child you have)
glitter

Mix the two together in a large zip lock bag.
Sprinkle outside, (over snow is gorgeous!) to "guide Santa's reindeer" to the right house.

Sugar cookies

8 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups butter
2/3 cup shortening
4 eggs
3 cups sugar
1 tbsp vanilla

TOPPING:
colored sugar
sprinkles
icing

Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until all flour has mixed in very well. Put plastic wrap over bowl and set in fridge for 1 hour, to help dough stiffen up.
After an hour, turn dough out onto flour surface. Kneed and roll dough until it's thin enough to make your cookies. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on cookies sheets/pans/stones. Pour sprinkles or other toppings over each cookie.
Bake on 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until edges are very lightly browned.

Pizza crisps

This is so quick and easy, it's ridiculous. Whether you're on the run and need a quick meal, or want the kids to help out, it can work for many situations.

1 lb ground turkey
1 cup diced pepperoni
2 cans pizza sauce
4 cups shredded mozz cheese
sliced sourdough or french cocktail bread (sliced thin)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Brown turkey meat.
If you're like us, you need a meat mix and a cheese only mix. So divide up the ingredients, mixing 2 different bowls full of pizza toppings. Spoon mixes onto thinly sliced bread. Bake 10-15ish minutes, or until lightly browned.

Gingerbread house

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. molasses
7 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 c. water

Cream butter and sugar thoroughly with electric mixer. Beat in molasses. Blend all dry ingredients. Alternately add blended dry ingredients and water to the butter-sugar mixture. Dough will become stiff, so that the last dry addition may need to be blended by hand. Work dough until it is smooth in consistency. If dough sticks to your hands, lightly dust them with flour. Carefully though, too much flour makes dough dry and hard.
When dough is easy to work, you're ready to roll it out and make your gingerbread house pieces. If you're not going to make your gingerbread house right away, wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate (up to 1 week). Bring to room temperature before rolling (3 hours).
Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Patterns for gingerbread houses may be of your own design or found in Gingerbread kits. Be sure to cut two front-back pieces, two side walls and two roof pieces.
Gingerbread House Notes:
1. After baking the house pieces, place the pattern over each part while they are still warm and trim to pattern size any puffy or out of shape lines.
2. After baking, remove from cookie sheets and let dry overnight on oven racks in a 200 degree oven. You want all pieces to be solid and dry (like bricks).
3. Use stiff consistency icing to glue walls together and decorate with candies.

Mexican BBQ chicken

various chicken pieces (we used 5 boneless breasts, 2 boneless thighs, and 6 legs)
1/2 cup taco seasoning
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 cup lemon juice

Place chicken into crock pot. Mix all ingredients together. Pour over chicken. Crock on high for 6ish hours until done.

Lemon pecan squares

BARS:
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
6 eggs
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp grated lemon peel
3/4 cups pecans, chopped

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tbsp milk

Mix together all ingredients for bars until batter is smooth. Pour into large bar pan/stone. Bake on 375 degrees for 30ish minutes, or until edges are slightly browned. Remove from oven. Pour glaze over top. Serve.

Snickerdoodles

I'll have to post the ways I make soap later, when I have time to actually make some.

4 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 1/4 cups shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk (milk will do in a pinch)

TOPPING:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp cinnamon


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix together all dry ingredients in 1 bowl. Mix together all wet ingredients in another. Slowly combine the two until mixture is smooth. Mix together topping ingredients and set aside.
With a small scoop, put balls of cookie dough mixture onto pans/stones.
Press flat bottomed glass into topping mixture. (if it becomes too sticky, you can dip the glass into cooking oil, then the topping) Press on each cooking ball to flatten.
Bake 12-15 minutes. These are not supposed to brown, so keep a close eye on them!

GOING GREEN: Conserve energy in your bathroom!

Some simple suggestions:
*Turn the water off when you're brushing your teeth
*Take shorter showers
*Change your showerhead to a low flow
*Change lightbulbs to energy saver bulbs (after the others have burned out. It's just as wasteful to take them out with life still in them and throw them out to put in the energy saver ones)
*Put a brick (or a tall slim bottle full of pebbles) in the tank of your toilet. This reduces the amount of water you use at each flush.
*Use those plastic shopping bags as bathroom trash bags. And, make sure your trash is FULL before you throw it out!
*Use toilet paper and tissues that have been made with post consumer recycled materials. A great company for this is Marcal.
*WOMEN: There are GREAT eco-friendly feminine products for you to use. Sea sponge tampons and cloth pads save a TON of room in our landfills!
*Use natural cleaners in your bathroom. Vinegar and baking soda are a must if you want to stay natural!
*When you reach the end of a tube of toothpaste and you cannot squeeze out anymore, cut open the end and dip your toothbrush in! You can easily get 3-4 more brushes before having to throw the tube out.
*When your child gets sick, it's recommended that you throw their toothbrush out, to avoid the child getting sick again. If the toothbrush was at the end of it's 3 month life span, toss it. However, if it was fairly new, simply boil it for 2-3 minutes. Boiling kills the germs and saves you from needing a new toothbrush. (I would boil up to 2 months into the toothbrush's lifespan)
*Recycle those nifty little cardboard centers to your toilet paper rolls. If you have small children, they can be used in their crafts. Otherwise, recycle them with your regular paper cardboard. Also ,if you use a toothpaste that comes in a bottle (like Crest), peel off the label and rinse the bottle and recycle it with the rest of your plastics. And don't forget the cardboard boxes your soap comes in or plastic shampoo/conditioner/body wash/bubble bath bottles.
*Unplug things you don't use. Some electrical items pull just as much energy when they're just plugged in as they do when you're using them. So unplug that electric toothbrush and electric shaver, until they start dying. Recharge for a full day, and unplug again.
*DO NOT THROW OUT THOSE LITTLE BITS OF SOAP! Let them dry out and save them in a small plastic container. DO NOT mix different types of soaps. I will blog tomorrow (hopefully with pics) about what to do with those.

Tuna melts

sliced bread of your choice (I used sourdough)
cans of tuna, drained (we had to use 4 large cans)
spicy brown mustard
mayo
sliced swiss cheese
various veggies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Put heaping spoonfuls of drained tuna on 1 slice of bread. Top with some mustard, then a slice of the swiss cheese. Place in oven just until cheese has melted. Spread mayo on the other slice of bread and place on top of melted slice. Can also top with whatever veggie you'd like.

ALTERNATE: Basically follow the same directions, except mix tuna, mayo, and mustard. Scoop into pita pockets. Top with strips of swiss cheese. Melt in oven. Top with veggies.

Vanilla latte

Total rip off from Starbucks, but totally worth it. This recipe is for a total pot (10-12 cup) of coffee.

4 cups milk
6 cups water
6 tsp decaf coffee
3 tbsp sugar free vanilla syrup (Da Vinci brand)
1/2 cup Splenda or sugar

Put the coffee grounds in the filter. Pour everything else together into the coffee pot. You are going to percolate everything together so pour it all into the back of the coffee maker. When it's done, enjoy.........and believe me, you will!

CLEANING TIP: Since you are brewing milk in your coffee maker, each night you need to clean your coffee maker in a solution of 1 cup white distilled vinegar and 1 full pot of water. Once that has run through, run through another pot of plain water. You MUST do this nightly so that there won't be any build up to fight with later or, you don't ruin your coffee pot and need another.

PS- Coffee grounds are excellent to compost, so instead of trashing them, put them out in your flower beds!

GOING GREEN: Enviro-friendly gift wrap!

Environmentally-Friendly Gift-Wrap Options
by Farrah Parkes on Sep 10th 2007 7:00PM

The plastic grocery bag appears to be going the way of the dinosaur. If the trend continues, disposable gift wrap might not be far behind. Here are five alternatives you can turn to if the over-priced Hallmark gift bags disappear from the shelves:
Re-Purposed Paper: Of course, your basic uncoated wrapping paper is recyclable and probably not the biggest threat to the environment. But, if you prefer "re-use" over "recycle", then consider other paper options. Brown paper bags, magazine pages, your old Biology notes that you kept for no reason whatsoever... (oh, don't pretend you don't have those). But please, while those crazy Brits might think nothing of wrapping their fish and chips in newspaper, spare your friends and family the aggravation of newsprint all over their fingers and bright shiny gifts.
Gift Boxes from re-purposed cardboard: I'm loving these two tutorials for paper gift boxes. Only one calls specifically for re-using materials (they recommend cereal boxes) but both could easily be made out of any light cardboard you've got sitting in the recycling bin. You might also want to whip out the rubber stamps, paint, or whatever recyclable bling you've got, to make the cardboard a wee bit more festive.
Fabric gift bags: If you know your way around a sewing machine, you could try your hand at making your own fabric gift bags. If drawstring isn't your thing, McCall's has a free pattern for a gift bag with handles. (just skip the whole crazy quilting step and go to the last set of instructions).
Fabric CD Case: This also requires a little bit of sewing skill, but if you're up to it, the possibilities are endless. CDs might also be going the way of the dinosaur, but video games, DVDs and books could all get their own custom fabric case.
Fabric Wrap: If sewing just isn't going to happen for you, the Japanese government has instructions for wrapping gifts with fabric, instead of paper. Yes, the Japanese government provides its citizens with gift-wrapping instructions, got a problem with that? I can't say the directions are particularly clear, but it's worth a shot. In the spirit of re-using, you might want to save this option for your crafty pals who'll definitely make use of a random piece of fabric after they've opened their gift.

Creamy wild rice soup

This is a total rip off of Tastefully Simple. I just can't justify $8 for a box of soup that doesn't even serve my whole family, so I came up with this.

8 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 cups whipping cream (can use milk in a pinch)
4 boxes of Ricearoni's long grain and wild rice
leftover turkey or chicken

Pour everything into a stockpot, or a crockpot, including the seasoning packets with the rice. If you're using a crockpot, cook on low for 4ish hours. If it's in a stockpot, about 45 minutes.

Honey spiced chicken

chicken pieces
1 1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 cup honey
1 cup Worchestershire sauce
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin


Mix together all ingredients except the chicken. Pour over chicken and let marinate overnight. Grill, bake, or crockpot the chicken until done.

M&M cookie bars

1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp vanilla
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups m&ms

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Beat together all ingredients (except the m&ms) until smooth. Stir in candy. Spread into a 13x9 inch baking pan/stone. Bake 20-30 minutes, or until slightly browned around the edges.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wish you all a great, happy, and stress free Thanksgiving, full of laughter, love, and many memories. I find myself grateful for God, my country and those who fight for my freedoms, my hero- my husband, my awesome kids who inspire me to be a better mom, friends who love me despite my faults, my best friend-Sarah- who would do anything for me, and my family who helped to mold me into what I am today. Love to you all!

CRAFTS: Thankful tree

Construction paper: brown and assorted leaf colors
Tape
Low-temp glue gun
Twigs
Fine-point permanent markers in assorted colors

Instructions:Tape sheets of brown construction paper together. Draw and cut out tree shape.glue twigs to tree trunk.
Cut leaf shapes from assorted colors of construction paper. Write one thing you are thankful for on a leaf .Glue leaves onto the tree, adding a new leaf for each blessing.

Chicken broth

2-1/2 pounds boneless chicken pieces
2 celery ribs with leaves, cut into chunks
2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
2 medium onions, quartered
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
8 to 10 whole peppercorns
2 quarts cold water
Directions: Place all ingredients in a soup kettle or Dutch oven. Slowly bring to a boil; reduce heat. Skim foam. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Set chicken aside until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones. Discard bones; save meat for another use. Strain broth, discarding vegetables and seasonings. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Skim fat from surface.

HINT: 1 1/2 cups of this broth equals 1 can of commercial chicken broth.
HINT #2: Can be frozen.

Cider brined turkey(s)

2 up to 15lb turkeys, washed
turkey oven bags

BRINE:
10 cups apple cider
1 tbsp black peppercorns, crushed
1 tbsp ground allspice
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp whole cloves
4 bay leaves
4 oranges, sliced

AFTER THE BRINE:
8 garlic cloves
2 tbsp ground sage
1 tbsp ground thyme
2 tbsp parsley
2 cans chicken broth
1 tsp pepper

To prepare brine, combine first 8 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes. Cool completely.
Remove giblets and neck from turkey. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Stuff body cavity with orange slices. Place a turkey-sized oven bag inside a second bag to form a double thickness. Place bags in a large stockpot. Place turkey inside inner bag. Add cider mixture. Secure bags with several twist ties. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
Preheat oven to 500º.
Remove turkey from bags, and discard brine, orange quarters, and bags. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Place garlic, sage, thyme, parsley, and broth in the bottom of a baking pan. Arrange turkey, breast side down, in pan. Brush turkey back with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 500º for 30 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 375º.
Remove turkey from oven. Carefully turn turkey over (breast side up) using tongs. Brush turkey breast with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 375º until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 170º (make sure not to touch bone). (Shield the turkey with foil if it browns too quickly.) Remove turkey from oven.

Another way to do this is to follow the directions for brining all the way to adding the spices before baking. Put oven on 375 degrees and bake slowly, rotating turkeys every hour, until they are done.

And yes, for those who are curious, I really bake 2 turkeys every Thanksgiving. :-)

Stuffing/dressing

4 1/2 cups cornbread crumbs
1 16oz package of Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing mix
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans chicken broth
1 tbsp ground sage
4 tbsp butter, sliced

Stir all ingredients, except butter, into a large crockpot. Put butter slices on top. Cook on low for 4 hours until thoroughly cooked and set.

Pumpkin Pie

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated low-fat milk
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin (or you can use what you made after Halloween :)
Pie crust

Position oven rack to lowest position.
Preheat oven to 425°.
To prepare filling, combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add pumpkin, and stir with a whisk until smooth.
Pour pumpkin mixture into the crust. Place pie plate on a baking sheet. Place baking sheet on lowest oven rack. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove pie from oven); bake an additional 50 minutes or until almost set. Cool completely on wire rack.

Sweet potato pie

2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 medium)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Pie crust

Preheat oven to 375°.
Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly. Peel and discard skins. Place the pulp in a medium bowl, and mash. Add 3/4 cup brown sugar and the next 8 ingredients (through eggs) to pulp. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.
Pour sweet potato mixture into pie crust. Bake at 375° for 55 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool pie completely on a wire rack.

Pie crust

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 1/2 tbsp shortening
2 tsp lemon juice
6 tbsp ice water

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup; level with knife. Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine 3 tablespoons water and juice. Sprinkle surface of flour mixture with water mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time; toss with a fork until moist. Repeat. Gently press mixture into a 4-inch circle on plastic wrap; cover. Chill 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325°.
Unwrap and place chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough to an 11-inch circle. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Fold edges under; flute.

Frozen key lime pie

1 9 inch graham cracker crust
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 6oz can frozen limeade
2 cups whipping cream
green food coloring

In a medium bowl, mix together the condensed milk, limeade, and whipping cream. Add a few drops (I did 5) of green food coloring. Pour into pie crust and freeze until you're ready to serve.

GOING GREEN: Recycle those packing peanuts!

Besides the obvious choice of reusing packing peanuts in packages you will mail out, there is another alternative!
Too many packing peanuts?
Recycle them with The Peanut Hotline!
Call 800-828-2214 for the nearest recycling location. Your purchases often arrive protected by packing peanuts. You keep some for future packing needs but eventually have too many.
Don't throw them away, recycle them!
The Peanut Hotline (800-828-2214) is a 24- hour, toll-free service that directs callers to the nearest location that accepts plastic loosefill (packing peanuts) for reuse. The drop-off locations are convenient pack-and-ship stores or gift shops in your community. These stores reuse the loosefill you return and often will accept and reuse your boxes.
If your community doesn't have a Peanut Hotline location, you may check with local packaging stores, gift or craft shops, artist galleries or school art programs to find somewhere that can reuse packing peanuts.
For more information about the Peanut Hotline, go to the Plastic Loosefill Council's website at www.loosefillpackaging.com.

Natural finger paints

I suggest thick construction paper for both of these paints. They are thick and goopy (and yes, that IS a word, in my head)

3 cups water
1 cup cornstarch
food coloring

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in a separate bowl with water. Remove boiling water from heat and add cornstarch mixture. Return to heat, stirring constantly. Boil until the mixture is clear and thick (about 1 minute). Remove from heat.
As the mixture is cooling, divide into separate bowls and add food coloring. Let the children carefully mix in the coloring.

____________________________________
2 cups flour
2 cups cold water
food coloring

Put water into a large bowl. Slowly add the flour, while the children are stirring. Once it's all mixed together, divide into smaller bowls and add food coloring.


Or, you can do it my way: follow the directions, but make a new pot for each color. I have just that many kids to use that much at once. Though this paint doesn't generally stain (go light on the food color), I have my kids take off at least their shirts. Store any leftovers in airtight containers until the next day you're brave :-)

Chicken and rice casserole

2 lbs cooked and shredded chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups water
1 can corn
3 cups uncooked rice

Place everything in the crockpot. Cook on low for about 4-5 hours.

Hawaiian chicken

6-8 pieces of chicken (boneless is easiest)
1 jar of BBQ sauce
2 cups pineapple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tbsp dry mustard
1 1/2 tbsp ginger
1 tsp pepper

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Mix together all ingredients for sauce. Pour over chicken. Bake on low 6ish hours. Serve over rice.

Orange chip muffins

6 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups orange juice
4 eggs
2 15oz cans of mandarin oranges, chopped
1 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together all ingredients. Spoon batter into cups of a greased muffin pan/stone. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes 48 muffins

Applesauce

I don't usually make my own applesauce, but if we have a large enough batch of apples that the kids haven't eaten and need to be used, I'll throw this together. Then, of course, my kids love to eat it warm, just because I made it.

About 3lbs. of apples (we had Granny Smiths and Galas)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup lemon juice
About 8 cups apple juice

Core and peel apples. Put them in a pot with lemon and apple juices (this prevents so much discoloration of the apples and prevents having to put in sugar at the end). Boil until very tender. Drain and put apple chunks in large bowl. You can either mash or mix apples to desired consistency. Add cinnamon. Pressure can whatever the kids don't devour.

Cracker Jack cookies

3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soa
1 tsp salt
2 cups butter, melted
2 cup brown sugar
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
4 cups oatmeal
4 cups Rice Krispies

Mix together everyting down to the Rice Crispies. After mixture is smooth, hand stir in the cereal. Drop into heaping spoonfuls on baking pan/stone. Bake on 350 degrees until they are evenly browned. Cool.

NOTES: 1-This dough is very thick.
2-These cookies are to be chewy, so when you start to remove them from a hot pan, they bunch together. Let them cool for a few minutes, then try to remove them.

Makes 13 dozen

Salsa chicken

chicken pieces (we used 3 breasts, 4 thighs, and 6 legs)
2 cups salsa
1/2 cup taco seasoning
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream

Place rinsed chicken in crockpot. Mix together rest of ingredients. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until done.

Chicken Alfredo

chicken pieces (We did 2 boneless breasts, 4 boneless thighs, and 6 legs)
salt
flour
olive oil or cooking spray
1 bag of egg noodles

SAUCE:
3 tsp garlic, minced
3 tbsp onion, minced
4 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 tsp pepper

Rinse chicken; salt; coat in flour. Fry chicken in olive oil or cooking spray until mostly done. In a saucepan, combine ingredients for alfredo sauce. Simmer over medium heat, whisking the whole time to prevent lumps. Remove chicken from heat, placing it in a 9x13 inch baking pan. Pour alfredo sauce over chicken. Bake on 350 degrees for about an hour, until done. While chicken is baking, boil the pasta; set aside.
Remove chicken from oven. Place chicken pieces on plate; pour sauce over pasta.

Edible playdough

My kids LOVE this stuff. They play and play, but you have the assurance that when they eat some (and all kids inevitably do), they're not eating chemicals and poisons. AND, what's better than all of that? It's easy to make, easy to clean up!

8 cups smooth peanut butter
8 cups powdered milk
1 cup honey

Mix together in a large bowl. If the mixture is still sticky, simply add small amounts of powdered milk until it's not. Store in an airtight container. Whatever's leftover that your kiddies don't eat, the dog can have :)

Honey oatmeal bread

2 cups honey
2 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups applesauce
2 cups oats
2 eggs
2 cups raisins (optional)
2 cups walnuts, chopped (optional)

Mix together all ingredients, except the raisins and walnuts. After everything has mixed well, stir in the raisins and nuts. Bake on 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until toothpick/fork stuck in the middle comes out clean.

Makes 2 loaves.

Peach muffins

6 cups flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups peaches, chopped (we pureed ours)
2 cups applesauce (if you only coarsely chop your peaches)

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour by the large scoopful into greased muffin cups. Bake on 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until fork inserted in middle comes out clean.

Makes 36 muffins

GOING GREEN: Fabric softener alternatives

First, let me say that I like fabric softener. I know it's not environmentally friendly and maybe one day, I'll take the plunge. Right now, I enjoy my lavender scented Gain. Personally, we use vinegar in my son's laundry, due to his severe eczema, since he's sensitive to harsh chemicals and scents.

1-vinegar. That's right. Plain white distilled vinegar. Add 1 cup to the cycle and wash through. How can you get cheaper and simpler? You can't. (NOTE: If you use bleach, DO NOT mix vinegar with it!)

2-Stick to natural fabrics, like cotton. Synthetics are prone to static.

3-Dry your laundry on a clothes line or indoor clothes dryer.

4-Dryer balls. They're loud, but reusable. (Google, or shop at www.gaiam.com to find some) Some also swear by a plain old tennis ball.

A few other little tips: Using less detergent (I use half of what's recommended) also helps with static, not to mention making your detergent stretch to double it's normal life. Drying clothes outside can make whites the whitest they've been since purchase. I have used cloth diapers and I am proud to say that not one of them has a single stain. They were always sunned and are bright white. On that same thought though, the sun is a natural bleacher. This means your dark clothes can fade. The simple solution for this is turning them inside out to dry them outside.

BBQ pork chops

pork chops (this makes 18 for us)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp chili powder
1 bottle BBq sauce (we use Kraft original)

Rinse meat, place in containers. Mix together ingredients for sauce. Pour over meat and marinate overnight. Grill, bake, or crockpot until done.

Donuts

2 cans refrigerated biscuits (we used Grands!)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Pull biscuits from can. Use a small round cookie cutter to cut holes in the middle of each biscuit. Roll biscuit in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on baking pan/stone. Bake on 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until they're flaky. Serve warm.

Monkey Bread

Another repeat, but for the exact same reason as the last one!

Ingredients:
Frozen bread dough-cut into bite sizes(we use Rhodes frozen roll dough, cut in half)
Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Sprinkles:
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Mix together sugar and cinnamon for dipping dough balls into. Dip each dough ball, covering generously. Place in bundt pan no more than 2 layers deep. Mix together all ingredients for sauce in pan. Heat on medium until smooth. Pour over dough.Place in warm spot in your kitchen, letting dough double in size over the next 30 minutes. Bake on 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until browned.Loosen immediately and invert over plate.

Pot roast

This is a repeat, but it's one of those recipes I know I will make for the rest of my life and one day pass down to my kids. It's THAT good.

2 rump roasts
2 cups onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worchestershire sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 cups beef broth

Place thawed roasts in large crock pot. Mix together all other ingredients. Pour over roasts and cook on high for 6ish hours, or until meat is falling apart.

Pumpkin guts!

Want not, waste not! What to do with the piles of pumpkin guts you have after carving many pumpkins (we carved 10!) These are fairly easy and leave very little to be waste or compost.

Pumpkin seeds

Do not rinse! Simply place the seeds on a greased baking pan/stone, salt, and bake on 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Pumpkin guts

Put into baking pans, or you can microwave. For oven-place guts on pan, bake at 350 degrees for about 30ish minutes. Puree. Freeze whatever you won't immediately use.
For microwave-place some plastic wrap over each half and cook on high in the microwave for about 7 minutes per side. Puree and freeze.

Blueberry crumb cake

cooking spray
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 2/3 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup milk (or buttermilk)
2 cups blueberries
TOPPING:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
4 tbsp butter
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°.
Coat a 9x9 inch square pan with cooking spray.
Beat sugar and margarine at medium speed of a mixer until blended (about 5 minutes). Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with milk/buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in blueberries.
Pour into prepared pan. Combine topping sugar and remaining ingredients in a bowl; stir until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle sugar mixture over batter. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Creamed cornbread

1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 milk (or buttermilk)
1 egg
2 tbsp oil
1 small can of creamed corn

Combine ingredients until well blended. Grease cast iron skillet and place in a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove and spoon batter in. Bake on 450 degrees for 25ish minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Banana bread oatmeal

6 cups water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 cups oatmeal
4 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/3 cup sugar

Pour everything together in a large pot. Stir over medium heat until oatmeal thickens. Can serve with sliced bananas or vanilla yogurt on top.

Ice cream bread

So easy, so yummy (and that's a quote from the kids)

3 cups flour
4 cups vanilla ice cream (you can try other flavors. Vanilla was all I had)
assorted ice cream toppings

Mix together ice cream and flour. Place in loaf pan and bake on 350 degrees for 45ish minutes, until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean. Slice and serve with drizzled toppings.

Candy corn popcorn balls

8 cups popped popcorn
1 cup candy corn
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (10-ounce) bag marshmallows
Cooking spray



Combine popcorn and candy corn in a large bowl.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; stir in salt and bag marshmallows. Reduce heat to low; cook until the marshmallows melt and the mixture is smooth, stirring frequently.
Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn mixture, stirring to coat well. Lightly coat hands with cooking spray; shape popcorn mixture into 20 (2-inch) balls.

Pizza cups

3-4 cans of refrigerated biscuits

1 lb. of ground turkey, beef, pepperoni, chopped

15 oz can of pizza or pasta sauce

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

any other pizza toppings you enjoy

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix all pizza ingredients (including sauce).

Open cans of biscuits and press one into each section of a muffin pan-firmly pressing in the bottom and up the sides. (Making a bowl)

Scoop 1 tbsp pizza topping mixture into each bowl.

Bake 20-25 minutes, or until dough is cooked.

Citrus chicken and rice

One word: YUM!

10-12 pieces of chicken
5 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orange juice
3 cups rice, uncooked
lemon pepper
olive oil or cooking spray

In a large skillet, sear chicken on each side in the olive oil or spray, after applying a liberal amount of lemon pepper. When both sides are lightly browned, place chicken in 9x13 inch baking stone or pan. Pour small amount of orange juice over chicken, then bake 45 minutes to an hour, or until chicken is done.

About 30 minutes later: In large sauce pan, combine chicken broth, orange juice, and rice. Place on medium heat until it boils, then cover and reduce heat to low until rice is done.

When chicken is done, remove from oven. Serve over bed of rice. Can top with orange slices and chopped parsley.

Cherry coffee cake

1 cup butter, melted
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 can cherry pie filling

Mix together all ingredients down to the pie filling. Dough will be thick. Fold pie filling into dough. Scoop into 9x9 inch baking stone. Bake 45 minutes to an hour, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Detoxing Yoga

I'm a huge fan of yoga and the calming, yet strengthening, qualities it brings to those who practice it. A few months ago, I got an email from Gaiam with the header "Yoga for detox" and couldn't resist trying it out. Since then, the week before my period, I do this ritual. It's definitely worth the read and worth trying out if you have heavy, long, painful periods like I do.

From reading the celebrity rags, you may think that detox is something you do by either checking into a cushy rehabilitation facility or consuming nothing but liquids for 21 days. It seems either overly arduous or something only the rich and idle have time to do. But your body is designed to engage in detoxification every day.

How Detoxification Works
There are three main systems of the body that play a crucial role in the elimination of wastes—circulatory, digestive and lymph. The circulatory system pumps blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen to and carrying waste products away from cells. The digestive system processes the food we eat, separating nutrients from waste and eliminating anything the body doesn’t need. And the lymphatic system collects intracellular fluid from throughout the body and transports it to the lymph nodes where anything harmful (such as bacteria or other contaminants) can be removed before the lymphatic fluid is returned to the bloodstream. It’s a robust system that works well on its own. But in order to help your body keep up with the heavy demands our stressful lives and nutrient-poor modern diet place on these systems, the trick is to give your body an assist so it can perform its natural detoxing function. And yoga is an ideal companion.

How Yoga Facilitates Detox
Most forms of vigorous exercise stimulate all three systems of elimination to some extent, thereby helping the body in its quest to detox. But yoga, with its focus on systematically stretching and compressing every part of the body, is particularly well-suited to keeping the waste-removal departments of the body functioning well. “In a well-rounded yoga practice, every part of the body is pushed, pulled, twisted, turned and upended. This facilitates the removal of waste products such as carbon dioxide, lactic acid and lymphatic fluid from the deep tissues and extremities of the body that a jog or a bike ride just don’t reach,” explains New York City yoga teacher Witold Fitz-Simon, founder of the yogaartandscience.com blog.
Yogic breathing also plays an important role in promoting detoxification. “We have as many bad habits in breathing as we do in every other area of our lives,” Fitz-Simon explains. Sitting with poor posture impedes the lungs from inflating fully, and our chronic state of low-grade stress often leads to a clenched diaphragm—the parachute-shaped muscle at the bottom of the rib cage that assists in breathing. As a result, we don’t take in as much life-sustaining oxygen when we inhale, or expel as much of the potentially hazardous carbon dioxide when we exhale. “Yogic breathing helps clear out carbon dioxide from the lung tissue, stimulates the organs of digestion and can, over time, retrain the diaphragm to move freely,” Fitz-Simon says. And when the diaphragm moves with its natural fluidity, the abdominal organs are massaged and the lungs are fully emptied with every breath—not just the ones you take on the yoga mat.

Clear Mind, Clear Body
In addition to its physical benefits, yoga aids in mental detox as well. “When we’re in a state of stress, fear or depression, that attitude creates a sensation in the body,” explains Patricia Moreno, founder of the intenSati workout. “Yoga helps purge toxic thoughts by teaching you to move your awareness away from the chaos of the mind and back to the present moment. That practice is not a basic component of other fitness pursuits.” As a result, a regular yoga practice helps you eliminate the tangible and intangible toxins that could otherwise keep you from feeling your best. Here are three poses that are particularly suited to aiding detoxification.

Yoga Poses for Detox

Marichiyasana 3
Detox benefits: Squeezes the abdominal organs and stimulates digestion and elimination.
Sit up tall with your legs straight. Bend your right knee and bring the sole of your right foot to the floor just in front of your right sitting bone. Rest your right hand on the floor behind your back for support.
Reach your left hand up so strongly that your ribcage lifts up. Rotate your torso to the right and bring your left elbow to the outside of your right knee. Stay for 5 deep breaths, gradually and gently using the sensation of your left elbow pressing into to your right leg to encourage your torso to twist further to the right.
Either look behind you, over your right shoulder or straight ahead, depending on what feels best to your neck. Repeat on the other side.

Downward-Facing Dog
Detox benefits: Getting the heart higher than the head reverses the pull of gravity and aids in the circulation of blood and lymph. Also gently tones the abdomen, which stimulates digestion.
Start on your hands and knees with the entire surface of your palms pressing into the floor and your toes tucked under. Slowly lift the knees and straighten the legs. Press equally into the hands and feet and lift your sitting bones up as you move the thighs back. Allow the head to hang. Stay for 5–10 deep breaths.

Legs Up the Wall
Detox benefits: Encourages circulation of blood and lymph from the feet and legs. Bathes the abdomen in fresh blood, stimulating the digestive organs. Soothes the nervous system, allowing your body to shift its attention from warding off stress to daily bodily functions, including detox.
Sit in front of a wall with your right hip and shoulder touching the wall. Bend your knees and roll onto your left side, so your feet and seat are touching the wall. Roll onto your back and extend your legs so that they rest on the wall. Either rest your hands on your belly or let your arms lie on the floor, palms up. Stay for at least 10 deep breaths.

GOING GREEN: Cleaning paste

For those areas in your kitchen and bathroom that are covered in lime scale and soap scum, or even hard water stains, try this.
To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.
Wipe clean.

Peanut butter cookies

I have been searching and searching for the perfect recipe for peanut butter cookies for what seems like an eternity. I do believe, tonight, that I finally found it. Chewy, sweet, yummy! Disclaimer, though: not in any shape, form, or fashion low fat.

4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, melted
6 eggs
2 cups peanut butter
1 tbsp vanilla

Mix ingredients together very well in a large mixing bowl. Scoop onto baking pans/stones/sheets. Use a fork dipped in flour to make the criss cross shape on top of each cookie. Bake on 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until edges are very slightly browned.
YIELD:10 dozen

GOING GREEN: Window Cleaner

Those that are new to me or this site, should know that I'm a big supporter of using natural products whenever I can. AND, if it saves me money, all the better!

1/4 cup vinegar
2 cups water
1 tsp detergent (optional; I don't use it)
3-4 drops of your favorite essential oils

What I use is everything except the detergent. I use lavender oil as the essential oil. Sometimes, I might use eucalyptus oil, if we've all been sick and need to unstuff our heads. Simply mix ingredients in a spray bottle, shake well, and use.
The detergent is supposed to help for surfaces with major caked on grime. I can honestly say my house has never been bad enough to need it. I've found that vinegar is pretty effective for anything that might be "caked on". If you need something stronger, I suggest straight vinegar before you try the detergent.

S'more ice cream treats

graham crackers, halved

hot fudge sauce

mini marshmallows

chocolate ice cream



Place crackers in bottom of pan. Pour hot fudge sauce over crackers. Sprinkle with marshmallows. Cover with a thick layer of ice cream. Drizzle more hot fudge sauce over ice cream layer. Freeze overnight.

Applesauce cookies

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together. Place dough in heaping spoonfuls on baking pan/stone.
Bake 12ish minutes, until cookies are SLIGHTLY browned at the edges.

Honey BBQ Chicken

Various chicken pieces (we prefer boneless breasts)
SAUCE:
2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup lemon juice

Mix ingredients together for sauce. Wash chicken, place in baking pan, crockpot, or dish for grilling. Pour sauce over meat. We like to let the meat marinate in it over night. This sauce is runny, so it's best used in the crockpot or baking dish.

Sausage and cheddar corn muffins

You can also substitute bacon. Great as a cool morning treat!



3 cups flour

1 cup cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 cups milk

2 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp butter, melted

2 eggs

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 roll of sauage, browned and drained



Mix together all ingredients. Spray muffin pan/stone liberally. Fill cups 3/4 full. Bake on 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until muffins are golden browned.

Pork chops with mushroom sauce

This isn't homemade, but it's awesome anyway.


1 pack of pork chops (we use boneless, 9 in each pack)
3 cans cream of mushroom soup

Rinse pork chops and place them in a crockpot. Open and pour soups over top. Cook on high for 4ish hours, or until pork chops are falling apart. (This is my reason for using boneless)

Red Velvet Cake

I know it's not Christmas time yet, but this was requested. Enjoy!

1 2/3 cup sugar
4 tbsp shortening
1 egg white
1 egg
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 oz bottle of red food coloring
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
2 tubs of cream cheese frosting, mixed with 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat 2 9 inch cake pans in cooking spray.
Beat the sugar and shortening at medium speed of a mixer 5 minutes or until well-blended. Add egg white and egg; beat well. Combine cocoa and food coloring in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add to sugar mixture; mix well.
Lightly spoon 2 1/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine with salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add vanilla; mix well. Combine vinegar and baking soda in a small bowl; add to batter, mixing well.
Pour batter into prepared pans. Sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.
Ice with cream cheese frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutter butter pie

1 bag of Nutter Butter minis (set aside about 6-8)
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 cups milk
1 large box chocolate pudding
1 banana, sliced
2 cups whip cream


Place cookies in food processor; process until finely crushed. Add butter; process until well blended. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate.
POUR milk into medium bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.) Spoon 2 cups of the pudding mixture into crust; top with bananas. Gently stir whipped topping into remaining pudding mixture; spread over bananas.
Put set aside cookies on top, in any pattern you desire, as decoration.
Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Peanut butter oatmeal cookies

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, soft
2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
5 cups oatmeal
1 package peanut butter chips

Heat oven to 350°F.
Beat butter, brown sugar and sugar in bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in oats, and peanut butter chips (batter will be stiff). Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cereal bars

1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
7 cups cereal (can use any kind, including oatmeal)
1/2 cup of fruit preserves (or dried fruit, raisins, chocolate chips-whatever flavor you want your bars to be)

Combine sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved. Turn to low heat and add peanut butter, vanilla, and preserves; mix well. (if adding dried fruit, raisins, or chocolate chips, wait until pan is removed from heat. Add them at the same time you mix in the cereal).
Pour mixture into waiting cereal, mixing until all cereal is moist.
Press into greased 12x9 inch pan with wet hands. Let cool on counter or in fridge.
Cut into bars and store in airtight container.

Chicken Scallopini

4-8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or can use skinless thighs
6 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
Cooking spray/olive oil
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Brush chicken with juice, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in breadcrumbs.
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray or olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook on each side or until chicken is done. Add broth and wine to pan, and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Serve with rice.

Pineapple ice cream sandwiches

This was sent to me this morning from my stepmom and it sounded so good, we made it this afternoon. Simple, great way to get the kids to help out and easy ingredients to have on hand pretty much all the time. We made a double batch and used 1 1/2 boxes of graham crackers. Great thing to make ahead for summer snack times!

1- 16 oz container whipped topping, thawed
1- 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1- 3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding
36 graham cracker squares

In a large bowl, beat together the thawed whipped topping, crushed pineapple and vanilla pudding mix for 2 minutes. Spread pineapple mixture 1/2 inch think between two graham crackers. Wrap gently in plastic and freeze for 2 hours.

French Toast

3/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
9 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp vanilla
3 tbsp sugar
french bread, cut into medium thick slices

Mix all ingredients, except for the french bread, very well in large bowl. Dip sliced bread into mixture, then place on hot griddle or hot pan, coated with cooking spray. Cook until browned on both sides. HELPFUL HINT: between cooking each phase, mix egg mixture well, to prevent cinnamon and nutmeg from collecting on top.

Peanut butter surprises

1 cup butter, soft
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup peanut butter cups, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream all ingredients together, saving peanut butter cups for last. Stir those in with a scraper. Drop by spoonful on baking sheets. Bake for 15ish minutes, or until LIGHTLY browned.

Strawberry preserves

8 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar

Place strawberries in crockpot. Pour lemon juice and sugar over top. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, stirring occassionally. Can immediately.

Apple butter

about 30ish apples, cored, peeled, and sliced thin
5 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup honey
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cloves

Throw everything in a crockpot on low for 24 hours. (Can't get any easier than that!) If the liquid needs it, add a little more water (keeping in mind most of it will need to boil out). If there's too much liquid, uncover and continue cooking on low for the last 4 hours.
Can immediately.

Pear coffeecake

2 1/2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
4 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
2 1/2 cups diced pears
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl; beat at low speed of a mixer until well-blended. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through cloves); stir well. Gradually add flour mixture to brown sugar mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in pears.
Pour batter into a 9x13-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Breakfast casserole

I am guesstimating on these ingredients, because I just throw it all together.


bag of hash browns
about 2 cups ham, chopped (can be any meat and can use more than one kind)
1 cup sour cream
10 eggs, beaten
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 cups cheese, shredded (any kind)

Place hash browns in bottom of 9x13 in. baking pan. In a large bowl, mix together sour cream, eggs, salt and pepper. In a seperate large bowl, mix together chopped meats and cheese.
Pour egg mixture over hash browns. Top with cheese and meat mixture. Bake on 400 for about 30-45 minutes. (Until eggs are done)

This is a great way to use up leftover ham or eggs that are about to go out of date.

Pasta sauce

This recipe is very open to interpretation. It's very easy to tweak to your family's specific needs/wants and is very easy to make. Also, please keep in mind my family size and that I often make too much, so I can freeze some. Some of these ingredients may also be estimates, since I never use the same amounts each time.

About 30 tomatoes (I fill my largest crockpot about 3/4 full)
(These tomatoes can be chopped, crushed, stewed, however you wish. )
1 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp garlic (can be crushed, minced, also however you wish)
2 tsp basil
2 tsp oregano
4 cans tomato paste
2 tsp pepper
2 medium onions, chopped
3 lbs. ground turkey

All of these are optional:
Can stewed tomatoes
green bell pepper, chopped
fresh mushrooms, chopped

Fix tomatoes however you wish. Place them in crockpot. Add other ingredients. Cook on low in crockpot for 8 hours, or until pasta sauce is nice and thick.

Cinnamon Rolls

ROLLS:
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup butter
7 cups flour
2 tsp salt

FILLING:
1 cup brown sugar
4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup chopped nuts

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Blend in sugar, eggs, sour cream, and butter. Mix flour and salt in seperate large bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour wet mixture into center of well. Slowly work mixtures together into a large dough ball with your hands.
Mix together all ingredients for filling.
Roll dough into large rectangle. You CAN brush melted butter onto the rectangle, but we opted not to. Pour filling mixture onto rectangle, using your hands to gently push filling slightly into dough.
Roll dough up like a jelly roll. Slice into 2 dozen rolls. Place on baking sheets, cover with plastic wrap and hand towel. Let rise for about half an hour.
Bake on 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until SLIGHTLY browned.

Puffed Apple Pancake

This turned out so well, the boys have requested it again this week!

1 cup milk
4 eggs
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup flour
2 tbsp butter
2 peeled, cored, and thinly sliced apples
3 tbsp brown sugar
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl until well blended. Add flour and whisk until batter is smooth. Place butter in 9-inch round baking stone/pan. Place dish in oven until butter melts, about 5 minutes. Remove dish from oven. Place apple slices in overlapping rows atop melted butter in baking dish. Return to oven and bake until apples begin to soften slightly and butter is bubbling and beginning to brown around edges of dish, about 10 minutes.
Pour batter over apples in dish and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake pancake until puffed and brown, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve warm.

Cinnamon nut crescent rolls

Rolls:
2 packages (.25 oz.) of active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
4 cups flour

Filling:
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped nuts (your choice)
1/4 cup raisins (optional)

Dissolve yeast in warm water.
Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, shorteinings, and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in remaining flour until smooth. Knead dough, then cover it and let it rise in warm place until it doubles in size.
Punch down dough. Divide in half. Roll each half into rectangle. Cut into triangle wedges.
Mix together ingredients for filling.
Spoon 1 tbsp of filling onto the wider side of each triangle. Roll towards narrow side, forming crescent roll.
After all rolls have been done, bake on 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned. Serve warm.

Strawberry whipped sensation

This is a Cool Whip brand recipe. For once, I didn't have to change a whole lot. I did, however, substitute fat free versions of the ingredients.

2 cups strawberries, chopped
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 8oz tub whipped cream
10 chocolate cookies, chopped

Line loaf pan with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to where it's hanging generously over the sides. (You'll later need it to help cover the top)
Mix together whipped cream, condensed milk, chopped strawberries, and lemon juice.
Pour into waiting pan.
In a large zip top bag, crush cookies until they are finely crumbled. Sprinkle on top of panned mixture. Take ends of plastic wrap or aluminum foil and cover the top, lightly pressing cookies into whipped mixture.
Freeze overnight, or at least 4 hours.
To serve, invert over plate. Remove paper. Can cover outside with layer of whipped cream, but we opted not to. Also, can top with sliced strawberries.
Store leftovers in freezer.

Lemon herb crockpot chicken

6-8 chicken breasts
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp thyme
3/4 tsp paprika

Rinse chicken. Place in crockpot. Pour lemon juice and onion over chicken. Sprinkle spices over chicken. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

Apple coffee cake

Can you guys tell I'm trying to find recipes for fruit, before it goes bad?
PS- I LOVE hearing from people who have tried the recipes I post. It helps me to know that I'm helping someone. I also take requests! If you haven't posted a comment yet, please feel free to! I enjoy hearing from you!

Cake:
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups apples, chopped (I used red delicious apples)
cooking spray

Streusel:
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp chilled butter

Preheat oven to 350.
To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, melted butter, vanilla, and egg, stirring with a whisk; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in apple. Pour batter into an 9x13-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray.
To prepare streusel, combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack before serving. Serve warm.

Creamy macaroni and cheese

I have tried many (and I stress the word MANY) macaroni and cheese recipes, but this one is the keeper. It's simple and yummy!

2 cups elbow macaroni, boiled and drained
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cups milk
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded or chunked small

Boil pasta according to directions. Place strained pasta in baking pan.
In medium saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour. Gradually add remaining ingredients, stirring constantly, until thickened. Pour mixture onto waiting pasta.
Bake 20 minutes until slightly browned and bubbly.

Strawberries and cream muffins

1/4 cup oil
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
8 oz block cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375. Spray muffin pan liberally.
In large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together, saving strawberries for last. Spoon mixture into muffin pan, filling cups about half full.
Bake 25 minutes, or until muffins spring back from touch. Cool.

Pineapple nut bread

3/4 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup crushed pineapple
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup walnuts, chopped
2 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together very well. Pour dough mixture in well greased baking pan/stone. Bake about 1 hour.

Peach Cobbler

FILLING:
4 cups sliced peaches
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla

BATTER:
4 tbsp butter
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.
FILLING: combine 4 ingredients in medium bowl, set aside/
BATTER: Mix all ingredients together until well mixed. Spoon batter into 9x13inch baking dish. Spoon peach mixture on top, spreading evenly, but DO NOT STIR.
Bake for 40 minutes.

Dirt pudding

2 cups sugar
1 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup flour
4 cups water
1 1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 tbsp vanilla
chocolate sandwich cookies
gummy worms

In a saucepan, mix sugar, flour, and cocoa. Add water and milk, stirring until smooth. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Cook until it thickens. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool completely.
Crush sandwich cookies. Once pudding is cool, pour 3/4 of cookie mixture into pudding. Pour into serving bowls. Top with crushed cookies and gummy worms.
While I prefer to make my own pudding, you can also use boxed and it comes out just as well.

Banana pancakes

Ingredients
4 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3 teaspoons baking soda
6 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
6 cups milk
6 ripe bananas, mashed

Preparation
1. In a bowl, mix all-purpose flour,, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
2. In another bowl, whisk to blend eggs, buttermilk, and 3 tablespoons butter. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until batter is evenly moistened.
3. Ladle batter, 1/4 cup at a time, onto a lightly buttered medium-hot (350°) griddle or lightly buttered 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan (or use 2 pans at the same time) over medium heat. Sc

Lemon Oregano Grilled Chicken

2 cups lemon juice
2 tbsp oregano
6-8 pieces of chicken

Mix together juice and oregano. Pour over chicken. Marinate overnight. Grill until done.

Peanut butter pie

1 cup powdered sugar
8oz block cream cheese
14oz can sweetened condensed milk
12 oz whipped cream
9oz graham cracker crust
chocolate syrup

Mix together sugar, cream cheese, condensed milk, and whipped cream really well, until completely smooth. Pour into pie crust. Chill. Right before serving, top with drizzle chocolate syrup.

Lemon Bars

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
4 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preparation
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Beat until mixture forms a smooth dough. Press mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking pan.
Bake at 350° for 20 to 22 minutes or until lightly browned.
Whisk together remaining 1/4 cup flour, granulated sugar, and next 6 ingredients; pour over baked crust.
Bake at 350° for 28 to 30 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on wire rack. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, and cut into bars. Garnish, if desired.

Yield
Makes 2 dozen

Chicken Salad Pitas

This is one of our favorite recipes in the summer time. Goes great with fresh fruit, pasta salad, or just by themselves.

Pita bread, sliced in half
6-7 chicken breasts, boiled and chunked
3/4 cup Miracle Whip
1/4 cup mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp basil, dried
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix together really well the night before you plan to eat this for dinner. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with cucumber slices, tomato slices, and lettuce stuffed inside pita halves.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Whole chicken
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 garlic bunch

Wash chicken; place in deep baking dish. Place slices of lemon and peeled cloves into chicken. Bake on 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Banana Bread

1 1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter, soft
8oz block cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cup mashed banana


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together ingredients-making an exception to only use 3/4 cup pecans in the batter. Pour into greased loaf or bundt pan. Pour remaining pecans over top. Bake for an our or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cinnamon crumb cake

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chilled stick margarine or butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Cooking spray


Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl, and cut in margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Reserve 1/2 cup flour mixture for topping, and set aside.

Combine remaining flour mixture, baking powder, and baking soda, and add the buttermilk, vanilla, and egg. Beat at medium speed of a mixer until blended. Spoon batter into an 9x13 in. pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle reserved 1/2 cup flour mixture over batter. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool on a wire rack.

Touchdown Taco Dip

1 can refried beans
1 cup sour cream
1 block cream cheese
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup taco seasoning
shredded cheese

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Pour into small baking dish;cover with shredded cheese. Bake on 350 until thoroughly warmed. Serve warm with tortilla chips and salsa.

Chocolate chip peanut butter bars

Bottom layer (standard chocolate chip cookie recipe)
2 1/4 cup flour
1 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
12 oz package chocolate chips

Top layer:
2 cups peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Mix together ingredients for chocolate chip cookies, saving the chips for last. Spoon about half the mixture into bottom of lightly greased 9x13 in pan. Spread evenly.
Mix together ingredients for top layer. Spoon over bottom layer of cookie dough, spreading evenly.
Bake on 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until browned and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 30 minutes. Slice into squares.

Lasagna

This is, by no means, low fat. But it is the best lasagna I've ever made.

2 lbs ground turkey
2 cans Del Monte pasta sauce
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
Italian seasoning
3 lbs cottage cheese
Lasagna pasta
1 lb Mozzarella cheese

Brown meat, adding in Italian herbs while browning. When browned, pour in pasta sauce. Set aside.
In large bowl, mix together parsley, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and eggs really well.
In 2 9x13 in baking pans, layer lasagna pasta, pasta sauce, Mozzarella cheese, and cottage cheese mixes until about 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hour or until pasta is well done.

Overnight baked french toast

French bread, cut into thick slices
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp syrup
2 tsp vanilla


Arrange bread 1 slice deep in baking dish. Whisk together all other ingredients. Pour over bread. Chill for 8ish hours.
Remove slices from baking dish and place on lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until lightly browned.

BBQ Pork Chops

Large pack of pork chops (we use a 9 pack of boneless from Sam's)
1 bottle BBQ sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp paprika

Mix all together, pour over pork chops the night before you plan to cook them, allowing them to marinate overnight. You can grill, bake, or crockpot these.

Fruit Dips

What's better than fresh fruit? Fruit with creamy dips!

Creamy fruit dip
1 cup marshmallow fluff
1 block cream cheese
1 small container of yogurt-any flavor

Brown Sugar Fruit Dip
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 block cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whipped cream

Lemon Fruit Dip
1 cup sour cream
1 block cream cheese
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions for all 3:
Simply mix all ingredients really well. Serve with your choice of fresh fruit. Refrigerate after making.

Italian Meatloaf

Ingredients
3 pounds 92% lean ground beef (I use ground turkey instead)
2 cup pasta sauce, divided
1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine beef/turkey, 1 cup pasta sauce, and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl. Shape beef mixture into a loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush remaining 1 cup pasta sauce over top of meat loaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

BBQ beef sandwiches

Again, I remind anyone reading this to remember my family size. Most recipes I post, can be divided for smaller (normal) sized families.

3/4 cup dark brown sugar
4 (1-pound) flank steaks (I actually use cheap cuts of roast beef)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups tomato paste
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons ground cumin

I put the roasts in the crock for 1 full day, until they're falling apart, first. Mix all other ingredients together and after pulling the meat apart and discarding the fat, pour over the meat in the crock again (or a new crock if you're like me and have several). Cook 2-3ish hours on high. Serve with rolls and fixings.

Fast fruit tarts

6 tablespoons apricot preserves
Fat free, sugar free vanilla pudding
6 mini graham cracker pie crusts
2 cups of your favorite fruits, sliced


Preparation
Place preserves in a small microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on high for 1 minute or until melted.
Fill each graham crust about 3/4 full of pudding; top each serving with fruit. Spoon 1 tablespoon preserves over each tart.
Refrigerate until served.

Garlic Chicken

So, the ingredients sound odd together, but this turned out VERY well.

Ingredients
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley


Preparation
Combine yogurt, juice, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal and marinate in refrigerator overnight, turning bag occasionally.
Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade; pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine reserved marinade and chicken broth.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add half of chicken to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken. Return chicken to pan; pour broth mixture over chicken. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until chicken is done. Place chicken on a serving platter; discard liquid in pan. Sprinkle chicken evenly with parsley.

Easy Schnitzel

Ingredients:
7-8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons spicy brown mustard (could also use dijon mustard)
2 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups dry Italian breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 garlic clove, minced
8 lemon wedges (optional)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Combine mustard, egg, and garlic in a shallow dish. Combine breadcrumbs, flour, and cheese, in a large ziplock bag. Dip chicken in egg mixture; shake in breadcrumb mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken.

Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Cinnamon Buttons

Ingredients
Cooking spray
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 (11-ounce) cans refrigerated soft breadstick dough


Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.
Lightly coat muffin pan with cooking spray.

Pour melted butter into a shallow dish. Combine sugar and cinnamon in another shallow dish.

Unroll dough; separate into breadsticks. Cut each breadstick into 3 equal portions; shape each portion into a ball. Working with one ball at a time, dip into melted butter; gently roll in sugar mixture. Place 6 balls in each muffin cup.

Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Remove rolls from the pan. Serve warm.

A 2fer-Baked Glazed Ham and Easter Egg Hunt Pie

Ham:
Ingredients
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 (8-pound) smoked fully cooked ham half, trimmed
1 (12-ounce) can cola soft drink
1 (8-ounce) jar plum or apricot preserves
1/3 cup orange juice


Preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients. Score fat on ham in a diamond pattern. Sprinkle ham with sugar mixture, and place in a lightly greased shallow roasting pan. Pour cola into pan.
Bake, covered, at 325° for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes.

Stir together preserves and orange juice. Spoon 3/4 cup glaze over ham, and bake 15 more minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 140°. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining glaze.

Pie:
1 (6 oz.) Keebler ReadyCrust Graham Cracker Crust
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz.) Eagle Sweetened Condensed Milk (Not
evaporated Milk)
3/4 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (4-serving size) instant vanilla flavor pudding
and pie filling
1-1/2 cups non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
16 mini chocolate eggs or other holiday candy

In large bowl beat Cream Cheese until fluffy.

Gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth.

Add milk, whipped cream, and pudding mix; beat on low speed until
smooth.

Spoon half of filling into crust.

Place chocolate eggs evenly over filling. Top with
remaining filling.

Chill 3 hours

Pepperoni Pizza Twist

1 package (3.5 ounces) pepperoni slices, diced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning Mix
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
pizza sauce
pizza dough


Make pizza dough, form into dough logs. Cut lengthwise, roll almost flat, creating a long "bowl" to place pizza mixings in. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together pepperoni, parsley, cheeses, flour, and seasoning. Spoon into split pizza dough. Top with pizza sauce. Pinch together dough to form seams. Can form pizza logs into designs, or leave as is. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Slice and serve.

Carolina Pulled Pork

A few disclaimers: I have not made this one yet, just because it's been snowing here non-stop and not exactly the best time to grill. However, I plan to make it in the next week or so. Even if you can't grill it, I'm sure you can "tweak" the recipe a bit, and throw it in the crockpot. I'll add those changes at the bottom, under the official recipe. Hope this helps you Heather! If not, I'll search some more in my saved recipes!

Ingredients
Pork:
8 hickory wood chunks (about 4 pounds)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (5-pound) bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt)
1 cup cider vinegar
2 1/4 cups water, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon canola oil
Cooking spray

Sauce:
1 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper


Preparation
To prepare pork, soak wood chunks in water about 16 hours; drain.
Combine sugar and next 4 ingredients (through ground red pepper); reserve 2 tablespoons sugar mixture. Rub half of the remaining sugar mixture onto pork. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and refrigerate pork overnight.

Remove pork from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Rub remaining half of sugar mixture onto pork.

Combine reserved 2 tablespoons sugar mixture, 1 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, and oil in a small saucepan; cook over low heat 10 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

Remove grill rack; set aside. Prepare grill for indirect grilling, heating one side to medium-low and leaving one side with no heat. Maintain temperature at 225°. Pierce bottom of a disposable aluminum foil pan several times with the tip of a knife. Place pan on heated side of grill; add half of wood chunks to pan. Place another disposable aluminum foil pan (do not pierce pan) on unheated side of grill. Pour remaining 2 cups water in pan. Coat grill rack with cooking spray; place on grill.

Place pork on grill rack over foil pan on the unheated side. Close lid, and cook for 4 1/2 hours or until a thermometer registers 170°, gently brushing pork with vinegar mixture every hour (avoid brushing off sugar mixture). Add additional wood chunks halfway during cooking time. Discard any remaining vinegar mixture.

Preheat oven to 250°.

Remove pork from grill. Wrap pork in several layers of aluminum foil, and place in a baking pan. Bake at 250° for 2 hours or until a thermometer registers 195°. Remove from oven. Let stand, still wrapped, for 1 hour or until pork easily pulls apart. Unwrap pork; trim and discard fat. Shred pork with 2 forks.

To prepare sauce, combine 1 cup vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1 1/4 cups (about 5 minutes). Serve sauce warm or at room temperature with pork.


For the Crockpot:
Basically follow the general directions, rubbing the meat down as the original recipe calls for. Also, do marinate it overnight. Instead of grilling, place it in the crock for 8-10 hours on low. While you won't get the smoky flavor I'm sure this recipe will produce, it will cut down on your cooking time and be easier. I think I would also combine everything for the sauce, and add it over the roast for the last 2hours or so, so the roast absorbs some of the flavor of the sauce.

Pot Roast

Ingredients
1 (4-pound) rump roast roast
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
2 cups low-salt beef broth
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation
Put roast in crock pot. Mix all other ingredients together in mixing bowl. Pour over roast. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, until very tender.

Breakfast casserole

Cooking spray
32 oz. bag frozen hash brown potatoes
1 lb. cooked ham, cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
12 eggs
2 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Mix everything together really well in crock. Cook on low for 8ish hours, until eggs are set and done.
I cooked mine overnight-placing it in the crock about 10pm and getting up about 7:30am. Everything was completely done and AWESOME!

Cordon Bleu Melts

Ingredients:
French Bread, sliced
2 8oz blocks of fat free cream cheese
1 block swiss cheese, shredded
3 small packages Carl Budding ham, chopped
1 tbsp spicy mustard

Mix everything together, except the bread. Spread over bread slices. Bake on 350 degrees for 10ish minutes, until melted. Serve.

Lemony Fruit Dip

Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 large egg
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed

Preparation
Combine 2 tablespoons sugar, egg, and lemon juice in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, water, and cornstarch in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 30 seconds or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Slowly pour beaten egg mixture into water mixture, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool completely. Fold in whipped topping.

Yield
14 servings (serving size: about 2 tablespoons)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 39(28% from fat); FAT 1.2g (sat 1g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 0.5g; CHOLESTEROL 15mg; CALCIUM 2mg; SODIUM 7mg; FIBER 0.0g; IRON 0.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6g

Chicken with lime sauce

Ingredients
6-8(6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoon brown sugar
6 tablespoons lime juice, divided
4 teaspoons spicy mustard
4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter

Preparation
Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan; keep warm.
Add chicken broth, sugar, 2 tablespoons juice, and mustard to pan; cook over medium heat, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; stir well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 1 minute or until sauce thickens slightly. Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and butter, stirring until butter melts. Return chicken to pan; simmer 2 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly heated.


Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 2 tablespoons sauce)


Nutritional Information
CALORIES 260(26% from fat); FAT 7.5g (sat 2.7g,mono 3.1g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 40.7g; CHOLESTEROL 106mg; CALCIUM 32mg; SODIUM 382mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 5.4g

Banana coffee cake

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Stir together 1/4 cup sugar, pecans, and cinnamon; sprinkle half of mixture in a well-greased 12-cup Bundt pan. Set remaining mixture aside.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add remaining 1 cup sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Add banana, sour cream, and vanilla, beating at low speed just until blended.
Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; fold into butter mixture. Pour half of batter into prepared pan; sprinkle with remaining pecan mixture. Top with remaining batter.
Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan, and cool on wire rack.

Cinnamon Buttons

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup butter plus 1/4 cup butter, melted and divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in center of dry ingredients.
2. Combine eggs, milk, and 1/3 cup melted butter in a small bowl. Pour mixture into well of dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. (Batter may be lumpy.) Spoon into lightly greased muffin cups, filling three-fourths full.
3. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small, shallow bowl. Let muffins cool just enough to handle; dip tops of hot muffins into remaining 1/4 cup melted butter, then into sugar mixture until coated. Serve warm.

Yield: 12 muffins

The perfect pizza dough!

Olive Oil Pizza Dough
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1 package active dry yeast
2 -1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
extra flour as needed
To proof the yeast: In the large bowl of an electric mixer, dissolve sugar in water. Stir in the yeast and allow to stand for 5 minutes, or until yeast starts to foam. To make the dough, add flour, salt and oil, and beat for 2 minutes. Continue beating with the dough hook for 5 minutes. If the dough is sticky of tacky, knead in a little flour, a tablespoon at a time. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat completely. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel, and allow to stand in a warm place (75-80ºF) until dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch dough down.
To shape the dough, place dough on a floured surface and lightly flour the top. With floured hands, shape the dough into a circle or rectangle. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4" thickness. With your palms, press in 1/2" of the rim to form a small lip around the edge. Sprinkle a pizza pan with cornmeal and place dough on top. Dough is now ready for filling and baking.
To make flatbreads instead, can use this same dough. Follow directions above. After placing dough in a 12" pan, brush it with a little oil, sprinkle and lightly press into the dough either garlic powder, parmesan cheese, poppy seeds, onion flakes, chives, green onions, herbs, etc. Bake at 350 - 375ºF for 15 minutes for chewy bread or 20 minutes for a very crisp one.

Cinnamon Apple Cake

1 3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fat free cream cheese, soft
1/2 cup butter, soft
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups chopped apples (I use Granny Smiths)
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together all ingredients. Bake for about an hour, or until cake pulls away from sides of pan. Cool completely. Can top with powdered sugar, or leave plain.

Hummingbird Cake

Description:
This cake was SO freakin good! I also lowered the fat in it by using egg beaters instead of the eggs, applesauce instead of the oil, and leaving the nuts out altogether.
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup oil
3 eggs
2 bananas
1 1/2 cup crushed pineapple (undrained)
1/2 cup coconut1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
Directions:
Mix everything together. Pour into 3 9 inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool completely. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

Swiss Pork Chops

Description:
Easy baked pork chops (or you can throw them in the crock pot)

Ingredients:
pork chops
2 onions, quartered
2 cups beef broth
2 6 oz cans tomato paste
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp italian seasoning
4 bay leaves

Directions:
Layer pork chops in bottom of 9x13 pan. Mix everything else. Pour over pork. Cook 1 hour, 15 minutes, or until done.

Monkey Bread

One of our favorites for Sunday breakfast!

Ingredients:
Frozen bread dough-cut into bite sizes
Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon
Sprinkles:
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
Mix together sugar and cinnamon for dipping dough balls into. Dip each dough ball, covering generously. Place in bundt pan no more than 2 layers deep.Mix together all ingredients for sauce in pan. Heat on medium until smooth. Pour over dough.Place in warm spot in your kitchen, letting dough double in size over the next 30 minutes. Bake on 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until browned.Loosen immediately and invert over plate.