Sugar Cookies (from Melissa Lee)

My friend, Melissa Lee, gave me this recipe and said this is the recipe she uses when she doesn't want the cookies to change their shapes and rise.

Cream
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Add
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract

Sift & add
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tartar

Cover the dough and chill for a couple of hours.  Roll the dough out on a floured counter 1/4 inch thick.  Cut cookies and bake 8-10 minutes at 375.  Everyone's oven is different so watch them.

Tips:
-Cream the butter and sugar REALLY well.  And then a little more!
-I took out the baking soda so that the cookies will keep their shape.
-It seems to work fine, but you have to remember not to roll the dough out too thin because it won't puff up when it cooks.  You don't want them super thick though either.

Layered Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch Spinach
1 head of romaine, torn
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 large cucumber, sliced and diced
2 tomatoes, sliced and diced
1 can sliced olives (I used a big can of olives & sliced them)
1 handful sunflower seeds
2 big handfuls frozen peas
1 bunch green onions
1/2 red onion
grated cheese (I used grated mozzarella)

Other items to consider adding in could be hard-boiled eggs, diced ham, shredded or sliced carrots, bacon bits, avocado chunks, sliced mushrooms, broccoli, small pasta, corn, etc.

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing Ingredients:
1 cup mayo (I used the mayo with olive oil as ingredient)
1/2 cup milk
1 lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons lime juice)
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (ignore directions on packet)
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 cup green salsa (I used Herdez brand)

For dressing, combine mayo, milk, lime juice and ranch packet in a blender and mix.  Add in cilantro and green salsa and blend thoroughly.  Put in fridge so it can thicken up a bit.

For salad, layer ingredients in a trifle type glass bowl.  If you don't like certain ingredients (or don't have them on-hand), then leave them out.  Pour dressing over top of the salad so that it is completely covered.  I didn't use all of the dressing so I saved some in a tupperware for later use.  Cover with plastic wrap and put the salad in the fridge until ready to serve.

P.S.  The salad picture is just a stock photo, not an actual picture of my salad.  But it give you the idea of what a layered salad should look like.

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:
1 cup mayo (I used the healthier mayo with olive oil as ingredient)
1/2 cup milk (I used non-fat)
1 lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons lime juice)
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (ignore directions on packet)
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro (remove the stems)
1/4 cup green salsa (I used Herdez brand)

Put mayo, milk, lime juice and ranch packet in blender and mix.  Add cilantro, garlic and salsa and blend more.  Refrigerate for a while before serving so that it thickens.  Not sure how long this dressing will last because it disappears quickly in our house!  This is a knock off of a dressing they use at Cafe Rio and is delicious on a Mexican salad or a Layered Salad (or any salad really!).

(Recipe from "Our Best Bites" cookbook)

Chocolate Waffles with Berry Sauce

I got this recipe from "Our Best Bites" and quadrupled it for my family. The quadrupled recipe made about 14-15 large waffles.  I will freeze all the leftovers for the boys to eat another day.  Next time I may try using wheat flour but it might wreck the light, fluffy texture. We'll see.

Here's the original recipe which would make 3-4 waffles.

2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt (I left that out)
1 cup milk (I used nonfat)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (I used real vanilla like always)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I left those out because I didn't want chocolate overload)

Berry Sauce and Topping
1/4 cup raspberry or strawberry jam
2 tablespoons hot water (I just used warm tap water)
3 cups berries,any combination, fresh or frozen
Powdered sugar to taste (I didn't add any)

To make the berry sauce...
In a saucepan I just combined jam (or was it jelly that I had on-hand?), water and some sliced strawberries that I had bought fresh a week or two ago and that were in the freezer. I warmed the mixture up on low while preparing the waffles.

To make the waffles...
Preheat the waffle iron. Whisk together all dry ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Let sit til the wet ingredients get a little frothy. Slowly add wet mixture to dry mixture and don't overmix. Add chocolate chips if desired. Batter will be thin. The recipe said not to grease the waffle iron but my first waffle stuck so I sprayed waffle iron with Pam before each waffle and it worked better. Use a ladle to put batter into the iron. Do not overfill or it will leak and you'll have a huge mess to clean up like I just did! Bake according to your waffle iron's instructions.

Serve with berry sauce on top and whipped cream if desired. My husband also tried putting peanut butter on his waffle which was also yummy. These waffles could also be used as a dessert if served with ice cream.

Huge hit with the kiddos!  Even my picky eater complimented the chef :)

Cinnamon Swirl Cake

My friend Tanya made this for us and it was delicious!

Cake Mixture:
1 Yellow Cake Mix (or white)
4 eggs
1/2 cup of oil
1/4 cup of water
8 oz. container of sour cream (1 cup)
1 small package of instant vanilla pudding (not made up)

Cinnamon Mixture:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 to 2 tsp cinnamon

Mix well. Grease and flour bunt pan. Pour half of cake mixture in. Take half of cinnamon mixture and sprinkle it over the layer of cake. Pour other half of cake mix in and then top with cinnamon mixture again. Take a knife and go almost all the way down and swirl it around so cinnamon mixes in (zig zag). Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool for around 10 minutes and then flip over on plate and serve warm with ice cream if desired. Tastes great the next day cold.

Chevy's Sweet Corn Tomalito

Ever eaten at Chevy's and had that yummy corn cake mushy scoop on the side of your order? It is called Sweet Corn Tomalito and I just made it! This side dish goes well with Mexican dishes or BBQ.

Ingredients:
4 cups frozen corn, thawed
1/3 cup butter, softened (about 2/3 stick)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup masa harina (corn flour like they use to make tamales)
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (I use salted butter so I didn't add the salt)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2) Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl using an electric mixer. Add milk and masa and mix well.
3) Use a blender to puree 2 cups of corn until smooth. Add pureed corn to butter/masa mixture and mix well. Add corn meal, baking power, salt and remaining corn and mix until combined. I didn't have masa harina so I just ground up popcorn kernels to make corn flour and it worked great.
4) Pour mixture into an ungreased 8x8 glass baking pan (I used a 7x10 pan because that is all I had). Cover with tin foil and place the pan into a 9x13 baking pan. Add hot water to the big pan until it is about 2/3 full.
5) Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes or until cake is firm in the center and not gooey. Remove from oven and let it sit on the counter covered for 10 minutes before serving. To serve, scoop out 1/2 cup portions with a large spoon. Makes about 8 large servings.

Chevy's Fresh Salsa

I got this basic recipe from a "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes" book that I bought at Kohl's for $5.00. The book had lots of great versions of recipes from restaurants that we like. My hubby goes nuts over the salsa at Chevy's so I decided to make this for him. He said it is the best salsa ever! Of course I always modify recipes, so here is my version below.

Ingredients:
5-6 medium tomatoes
2-3 jalapenos
1/4 of a red onion
1-2 cloves fresh garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid mesquite smoke

Directions:
Preheat your grill. Remove stems from tomatoes and rub some oil on them. Rub oil on jalapenos too. Place tomatoes on grill when it's hot. After about 10 minutes, add the jalapenos to the grill. About 10 minutes later turn the tomatoes and the jalapenos. Continue grilling until the jalapenos are charring black and tomatoes are partially black. When the skin starts to come off, they are done. Remove from grill and let them cool on a plate. When cooled, remove the black part of the skin. If you are impatient like me, I put them under some cold water to speed up the cooling process and to not burn my hands. Put the tomatoes and peppers in the blender (or food processor). Add remaining ingredients and mix for 5-10 seconds until the mixture has a good consistency. Place in covered container and chill for several hours or overnight to let flavors blend. Makes 2-3 cups.

IHOP Harvest Grain 'n Nut Pancakes

I found this recipe in a "Top Secret Restaurant Recipe" book and made these for my in-laws when they visited last weekend. We all loved them!

Mix in one bowl:
3/4 cup oats (measure then grind up in blender to make oat flour)
3/4 cup wheat flour (I ground up wheat kernels then measured)
1/3 cup flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt (I left this out because I don't like salt)

Mix in another bowl with an electric mixer:
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
2 eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons almonds
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
(I ground the nuts up in the blender to make them small, but not like flour)

Mix the bowl of dry ingredients and the bowl of wet ingredients together. Add the nuts last and mix by hand.

Spray the griddle with Pam, ladle batter onto hot skillet and cook as usual. They look more brown than usual pancakes do. Makes 12 or more pancakes.

Next time I make these I will probably try using eggs whites instead of whole eggs and replacing the white flour with wheat. Maybe I'll add some milled flax seed. I always love to alter recipes!

Oreo Brownies

Click HERE for the recipe that I found on-line.

All you need is…
a box of Brownie mix (and ing. to make)and Oreos.

Mix up the box of brownies just like the back tells you to. Then dip the Oreos in the brownie batter, being sure to completely coat the cookie.

Place your fudgy morsels into muffin tins that have been sprayed very well with non stick cooking spray.

Bake them in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 – 12 minutes until just barely set. Don’t overcook them! They’ll still look soft, that’s the Oreo, it’s turned into a gooey fudgy sinful thing … yum.

Remove from tins immediately and let cool slightly before you, your kids, your hubby, and your parents inhale them.

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

2 cubes butter, softened
1 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 T. milled flax seed
3 T. water
2 tsp. vanilla
4-4 1/2 cups white flour
1 cup oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I ground the white wheat into flour and then measure)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
white chocolate chips (add however much you'd like, I used about 1 1/2 to 2 cups)
pomegranite infused dried cranberries (add however much you'd like, I used about 1 cup)

Cream together butter, oil and sugars. Add eggs, egg whites, milled flax seed, water and vanilla and mix. Add dry ingredients and mix. Add chips and cranberries and mix by hand. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes.

Next time I will try eliminating some more of the white flour and using more wheat flour instead.

Lunches for the Picky Eaters

This is a typical lunch for my 6th grader.
-Fruits & veggies (this varies upon which produce is in season)
-Some sort of "non-sandwich" (this was made with wheat flatbread, then Laughing Cow cheese wedge spread on it and turkey breast). We also try things like soup, cold pizza, etc.
-Homemade Cookie (I bake these and stick them in the freezer as soon as they cool and pull out as needed each day)

My first grader is even pickier. He wants a protein bar in his lunch everyday and he likes to have "Fruitables" drinks (which have a variety of fruits and veggies, even sweet potato in there).

We save our little side-dish containers from KFC, wash them in the dishwasher and then use them to package a cookie in the lunch. It keeps the cookie from getting crushed.

Stuffed Celery

1 cup light cream cheese, softened (not fat free)
4 Tbsp crumbled blue cheese
1-2 tsp garlic salt
10 ribs of celery cut into 4 inch pieces
Hot pepper sauce (optional)
Chives (optional)

In small bowl, mix cream cheese, blue cheese and garlic salt until well-blended. Spoon cheese mixture into each piece of celery (divide evenly between the 40 (4 inch) celery pieces.

Drizzle with hot pepper sauce (or buffalo sauce) or put pepper on the side and let guests add it as desired.

Sprinkle with chives as desired.

2 pieces of stuffed celery = 1 Weight Watchers PointsPlus point
Serves 20

No Bake Cookies

No Bake Cookies (Makes 3 dozen) By Michelle Walton


Ingredients
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
3 cups quick cooking oats

Directions
1.In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, cocoa, milk and margarine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, peanut butter and oats.
2.Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Allow cookies to cool for at least 1 hour. Store in an airtight container.

Glazed Lemon Scones

I ripped this recipe out of a Family Fun magazine and tried out the recipe. I'd never made scones before. These were DELICIOUS! Not healthy by any means, but a delightful indulgence. I won a prize when I brought them to the neighborhood bake-off too. Click the picture to enlarge it and view the recipe.

Spinach Smoothie

Banana (peeled and frozen are best; if using fresh bananas, add ice to smoothie)
Plain Almond Milk
Lots of fresh Spinach
Protein Powder (optional)

Throw all ingredients into a blender and blend well. I don't really measure my ingredients, but the ratios are roughly 1 banana to 2 cups almond milk to 3-4 cups of spinach.

I got this recipe from a friend at church and everyone in our family LOVES it!

Easy Broccoli Quiche

Over Jonah's Baptism weekend, I threw this together at home with ingredients I had on hand and my houseguests absolutely raved about it. It was very easy.

2 Tablespoons butter

1-2 teaspoons dehydrated onion (fresh onion would have bee nice, but I was out)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (fresh garlic would have been nice, but I was out)

2 cups fresh broccoli (steamed and chopped)

1 unbaked pie crust (I used the ones from Costco that come in a 6 pack)

1 1/2 cups grated cheese (I used the Costco cheese that is white and orange mixed)

4 eggs (well beaten)

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix broccoli, onion and garlic. Place in unbaked pie crust. Top evenly with grated cheese. Mix eggs, milk, salt, pepper and melted butter together. Pour egg mixture over broccoli and cheese.

Bake in preheated over for 30-45 minutes, or until center has set. It took quite a while for my quiches to set, but maybe that is because I cooked two of them.

Also, as usual, I didn't exactly measure the broccoli or cheese. I just did what felt right at the minute.

Wheat, Oat & Flax Seed Waffles

1.5 cups whole wheat flour (I ground whole white wheat in my Vitamix)
1.5 cups oat flour (I ground whole oats in my Vitamix as well)
1/2 teaspoon stevia (instead of sugar)
6 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
2 whole eggs
3 egg whites
1.5 cups plain almond milk
1.5 cups non-fat milk
12 tablespoons milled flax seed (instead of fat like butter or oil)

Grind the wheat and then measure. Grind the oats separately and then measure. Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cook in waffle iron as directed. I imagine you could use all non-fat milk or almond milk if you prefer one to the other, but I used half of each (just make sure it equals 3 cups total).

Pumpkin Cookies

Single Recipe:
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup pumpkin
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Nutmeg
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Tripled Recipe:
1 ½ cups butter
4 ½ cups sugar
3 cups pumpkin
7 ½ cups flour
3 tsp. Baking powder
3 tsp. Baking soda
3 tsp. Vanilla
3 tsp. Nutmeg
3 tsp. Cinnamon

Directions:
Mix softened butter and sugar together. Add canned pumpkin and mix. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla and spices and mix well. Batter tastes yummy and you can eat it without worrying about food poisoning because there are no eggs in this recipe. Spoon onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for at least 13-14 minutes. Make sure the cookies are done, not doughy. Cookies freeze very well.

Frosting:
¼ cup margarine (melted)
¼ cup milk
½ cup sugar
Powdered Sugar

Mix ingredients together and then add enough powdered sugar to make it the right consistency. You can drizzle over the cookies or for a real sugar rush, I dip the top of the cookie in the icing and then let the cookies sit on waxed paper while the icing hardens slightly.

Playdough

1/3 cup oil
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
2 Tbsp. Cream of Tartar
2 cups water and food coloring

Mix all ingredients together in a pan. Cook over low to medium heat until the dough no longer sticks to the pan. Knead. Store in Ziploc bag or airtight container. Makes 1 batch.

Melissa's Strawberry Crunchy Salad

Melissa’s Crunchy Strawberry Salad

1 package ramen noodles
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
8 cups torn romaine lettuce
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

Discard seasoning packet from ramen noodles. Break noodles into small pieces. In a skillet, saute noodles and walnuts in butter for 8-10 minutes or until golden; cool.

For dressing, in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce; shake well. Just before serving, combine the romaine, onion, strawberries and noodle mixture in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently.

Spicy Ginger Sweet Potatoes

3-4 large sweet potatoes (baked)

Slice the baked sweet potatoes after they have been cooled and peeled. Place them in a glass pan.

Mix in bowl:
1 TBS vegetable oil
2 TBS Butter
½ tsp Chili powder
¼ cup brown sugar
3 TBS fresh grated ginger
2/3 cup OJ
2 TBS Lime Juice

Pour mixture on top of sweet potatoes.

Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
Uncover and bake for a few more minutes.
Green onions to garnish.

How to Cook a Turkey

*Unwrap turkey & rinse
*Take out “gunk” from both cavities
*Rinse again
*Season inside and out
*Leave on counter for 2 hours
*Rub with Canola Oil all over
*Stuff with oranges, rosemary, lemons (quartered fruit)
*Fold wings
*Season more
*Put on a roasting rack to avoid sitting in juices
*Cook as directed
*Pull turkey out when temp in deepest part of thigh (not drum) is 185 degrees
*Breast should be at least 160 degrees when you take it out
*If breast is done and thigh is not, you can cut the top breast part off to begin carving and put all the dark meat (thigh, etc) back into the oven to cook longer
*Cover with foil and let it sit for another ½ hour to continue cooking on the counter from its own heat

Lexine's Yam Casserole

3c mashed cooked yams (big can of yams)
1 c sugar (if you use the canned yams in lite syrup don’t use the sugar)
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt

Mix all together and put in 7x11 pan. If 9x13, double recipe.

Topping
1 c. coconut
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter

Mix together and put on top of yam mixture.
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Green Bean Casserole

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
¾ cup milk
Pepper to taste
1 1/3 cups French Fried Onions
2 cans green beans (drained)

Mix soup and milk, then add pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions. Place in casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot. Stir. Top with remaining onions and bake 5 more minutes.

Doubled Recipe:
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 ½ cup milk
Pepper to taste
2 2/3 cups French Fried Onions
4 cans green beans (drained)

Chicken and Ziti Casserole

Chicken
Ziti Pasta (or any sort of “tunnel” pasta)
Spaghetti Sauce
Grated Cheese

Cook chicken and chop into small pieces. I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I boil the chicken and then chop it up.

Cook pasta and drain.

Mix chicken, pasta, spaghetti sauce and grated cheese. I don’t really measure. You just want to be sure to use enough sauce that it isn’t too dry.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees until heated through.

Top with cheese at the end and cook a few minutes more until the cheese is melted.

Color Popcorn

Pop 15 cups popcorn and place in large grocery bag
(either microwave or air popper popcorn is fine)

Combine in saucepan -
¼ cup light Karo Syrup
1 lg. Jello (use different flavors for different colors)
1 cube butter

Bring Karo and butter to boil and dissolve Jello.

Remove from heat and add
1 tsp. baking soda and stir until well blended.

Pour over popcorn in grocery bag. Roll top down and shake. Put in microwave for 1 minute on high. Remove, shake, turn upside down; return to microwave for 30 seconds. Remove, shake, and return bag to microwave for 1 more minute.

Pour onto wax paper to cool.

(This is great to use for Young Women activities in the “value colors” or you can do red and green for Christmas, green for St. Patrick’s Day, pink for Valentine’s day, school colors, etc.)

Fruit Swirl Cake

Cake
1 ¾ C. Sugar
½ lb. margarine or butter
4 eggs
3 cups sifter flour (must be sifted!)
1 tsp. salt
½ Tbsp. Baking Powder
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
2 cans pie filling (apple, cherry or any flavor)

Cream sugar and margarine. Add eggs and cream some more. Add rest of ingredients except pie filling. Beat until blended. Batter will be thick.

Spread 2/3 only of batter on jelly roll pan. Won’t spread easily – don’t worry. Spread pie filling over batter. Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls on top. Place in 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove and swirl top with spoon, spreading out batter your dropped on top. Now bake 30-40 minutes. Let cake cool.

Glaze
¼ cup margarine
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup milk
Powdered Sugar

Bring to boil. Remove, add enough powdered sugar to make a thin icing. Drizzle over cake. Add a dollop of cool whip or ice cream if desired.

You don’t have to use the glaze, but it makes it look pretty. This dessert freezes well and tastes yummy straight from the freezer as leftovers.

I got this recipe from Kathy Lynch in Antioch when we were making a fancy dessert for a Young Women’s event.

Cranberry Fluff

Cool Whip
Bag of Fresh Cranberries
Bag of Mini Marshmallows
6-8 Apples
½ - 1 cup Sugar

Wash cranberries and chop them up in the food processor. Peal the apples and cut into small pieces. Put the cranberries and apples in a bowl together and toss with sugar. Cover tightly. Right before serving, mix cranberry/apple mixture with the Cool Whip and as many mini marshmallows as you’d like. All amounts are approximate so make according to your taste.

We have this at most of our holiday dinners. I got the recipe from my friend Lori (Davis) Larson when I was at BYU. Her family also put chopped nuts in it.

Jonah's Sprinkle Cookies

3 ¾ cups flour
½ tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Cream of tartar
1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 tsp. Vanilla

Topping: Sprinkles

Mix margarine, sugar and eggs. Add milk and vanilla and mix. Add dry ingredients. Mix 3 Tbsp. Sugar and 1 tsp. Cinnamon in bowl for topping. With your hands, roll dough into walnut sized balls and then dip top in sprinkles. Put on cookies sheet, sprinkle side up. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

(Named after Jonah because he LOVES sprinkles!)

Pammy's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cubes butter, softened
1 cup oil
1 ½ cup white sugar
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. almond extract (optional)
5 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 lb. chocolate chips

Cream together butter, oil and sugars. Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Add dry ingredients and mix. Then add in chocolate chips and mix by hand. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes for a chewy cookie. Take cookies out of the oven when they don’t look quite done and leave them on the cookie sheet (out of the oven) for 10 more minutes. Best when under done and cooled a little while.

Tortilla Soup

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can tomato puree (14.5 oz.)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
10 corn tortillas

This soup is pretty hot & spicy. To make the soup less spicy, use less jalapeno and less cayenne pepper. In a food processor, puree the pepper and onion. Heat the oil in a 4 quart stock pot. Add the pepper and onion puree, and the minced garlic. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree, chicken broth, ground cumin, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil. Chop the tortillas into bite-sized pieces. Add to the soup. Turn heat to low and simmer, covered for 30 minutes until the corn tortillas have melted, stirring occasionally. Stir well and serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

When making this soup I usually will puree an extra amount of 1 jalapeno pepper and 1 onion. I put the extra portion in a ziplock bag to freeze for the next time I make the soup. You can add shredded chicken to the soup and sprinkle cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, guacamole, etc. on top to make it a hearty meal. If you want to cheat, you can substitute a can of red enchilada sauce instead of using the jalapeno, onion, oil, garlic, spices, and tomato puree. Just mix broth, enchilada sauce and tortillas.

Split Pea Soup

1 Bag of Green Split Peas (1 lb.)
8 cups of water
1-2 ham hocks or meaty ham bones
2 bay leaves
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & Pepper to taste

Wash, sort and drain the split peas. Combine all ingredients in a large pot with lid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered, approximately 1 hour or until cooked through; stir occasionally. Before serving, remove ham hock or bone. Dice meat and add back to soup if desired. To make soup thinner, you can add some water, chicken broth or undiluted evaporated milk at the end. This soup is high in protein, fiber and Iron.

I usually chop up extra celery, garlic and onion and put it in a ziplock bag in the freezer for the next time I make the soup. I also use Bishop’s Storehouse chopped carrots in all my soup recipes because it eliminates all the carrot chopping.

Tex-Mex Bean Soup

1 can refried beans (regular size can)
1 cup salsa/picante sauce
1 cup water
1 can cooked chicken breast chunks (in a big tuna-type can-¬-¬I buy it at Costo)
1 tsp.¬ ground cumin
1/2 tsp.¬ chili powder

Heat in a saucepan.¬ Serve with tortillas, cheese, sour cream, etc.

Taco Soup

Put all of these ingredients in the Vitamix and mix on high until blended:
2 ½ Cups Boiling Water
1 Roma Tomato
1 Carrot
1 Celery Rib
1 Green Onion
¼ Cup Cheddar Cheese
3 Tablespoons Popcorn Kernals
1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning
1 Bouillon Cube

Add chips and mix another 10 seconds:
Tortilla Chips

Add corn and mix on low for 10 seconds:
¼ Cup Corn

Top with:
Grated Cheese
Sour Cream

Strawberry Banana Muffins

Yields 12 muffins
Serve hot from the oven and be ready for compliments!
1 -1/4cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/8 teaspoon Stevia Extract Powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup mashed banana (1 large banana)
3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries

Oil the muffin cups. In a mixing bowl stir together flour, stevia, baking powder, and cinnamon. Make a depress ion to receive the liquid ingredients. Using a separate bowl, mix together egg, water, and oil. Add to the flour mixture and stir. Add banana and strawberries -and stir just until combined.

Spoon batter into the muffin cups. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden.

Sammy's Pink Cookies

1 1/2 c. shortening
1 1/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 (14 oz) bottle maraschino cherries chopped (save juice)

Cream sugar and shortening; add eggs and vanilla. Sift flour, salt, and soda together. Add sugar and shortening and egg mixture. Add chopped cherries. Bake at 350 for 8 - 10 minutes.

Frosting: Mix cherry juice, 2 tsp. vanilla and 1 cube butter add powdered sugar one cup at a time, until desired consistency.

Easy Blender Salsa

2 cans (141/2 oz.) canned tomatoes (do not drain)
1 jalapeno (without seeds or can leave seeds in if you like it extra hot)
1/2 med. white onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 t. minced garlic (or garlic powder)
1/2 t. cumin
few squeezes lime juice
1/3 bunch green onions, finely chopped
1/3 bunch cilantro (pull leaves off stems, throw away stems and only use leaves)
salt and pepper to taste


1) Put tomatoes, jalapeno, white onion, garlic, cumin, and lime juice in blender
2) Blend until smooth.
3) Add in chopped green onions and cilantro leaves.
4) Blend again. You can blend longer to get a smooth salsa or a shorter time to leave the cilantro and green onions a little chunkier.
5) Add salt and pepper to taste.
6) Refrigerate after making.
7) Serve with tortilla chips.

Orange Julius

1 cup milk
1 cup water
¼ cup sugar or sweetener
1 tsp. vanilla
Ice cubes
1/3 can oj concentrate
Blend together and then serve

Mexican Skillet

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) Taco Seasoning Mix
2 cans (14 oz.) kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup Salsa (I used home made -recipe on blog)
1/2 cup water
4 flour tortillas (12 inch), cut into 1-1/2-inch squares
1 cup Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese
1/3 cup Sour Cream
1/3 cup chopped green onions (optional topping)
1 Roma tomato chopped (optional topping)

To make this:
BROWN meat in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat; drain.
ADD seasoning mix, beans, salsa and water; stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min.
STIR in tortillas; top with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and toppings.

Homemade Mac & Cheese

8 ounces macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Boil macaroni noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles and set aside. Melt butter, then add 4 tablespoons flour, stir well and cook for a few minutes. Add milk, salt and dry mustard. Cook for about 10 minutes, whisking occasionally. Add most of the cheese and stir. Combine sauce and macaroni and place in greased casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Miss Carrie's Chex Mix

From Jenna Meredith (Our friend from Antioch who we babysat for a year when her parents were getting a divorce. Her mom couldn’t pay us money to babysit, but she sure made us a lot of Chex Mix!)

6 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Suace
1 ½ teaspoons season salt
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
6 cups rice Chex cereal
6 cups corn Chex cereal
1 cup pretzels
1 cup garlic flavored bite size bagel chips
1 cups Cheese Its

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Melt butter in large roasting pan. In small cup, blend seasonings. Add cereals, pretzels, bagel chips and Cheese Its. Toss gently until evenly coated with butter, sprinkle with seasoning, then sprinkle with the Worchtershire Sauce. Toss until blended. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container. Enjoy!

Honey Dijon Pecan Salmon

6-8 oz chopped pecans
½ salmon
1 T honey
4 T Dijon
¼ stick butter
Fresh Parsley
Old Bay Seasoning
Italian Bread Crumbs

Rinse salmon both sides. Cut 18” wide tin foil to be 3-4 inches longer than salmon on both ends. Lay paper towels on foil. Pat salmon dry. Discard paper towels. Sprinkle generously with Old Bay on both sides. In Pyrex, melt butter, add Dijon and honey. Take fork and whisk until it turns into a sauce. Pour ½ on top and smear and then smear on the other side. Put pecans on top and sprinkle on bread crumbs. Pinch off parsley and chop finely. Sprinkle on top. Fold sides on foil up and over salmon. Put 3 holes in foil. Use full chimney, indirect on BBQ. After cooking 15 minutes unfold tin foil and let air out. Cook 10 more minutes with lid on. 25 minutes total cook time. Stick fork between salmon flakes to see if it is done. It gets too dry if you cook it too long. Use a cookie sheet and tongs to pull it off the grill.

From Uncle Mike Garrick, the master BBQ’er, May 2005

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 carton of chicken broth
16 oz. jar of Trader Joe's roasted garlic salsa
(or you can substitute green chili salsa or green enchilada sauce if needed)
2 cans of chunk chicken

Combine all ingredients except chicken and bring to a boil...reduce heat and simmer for an hour (refrigerates well over night). Add chicken and simmer for an additional 20-30 minutes. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, fresh chopped cilantro, avocado, and tortilla chips.

Butter Cookies

I use this to make my sugar cookies at Christmas.

2 cups butter (softened)
2 cups sugar
MIX
3 eggs
1 TBS vanilla
6 cups sifted flour
2 tsp Baking Powder

Do not over mix. Cannot use margarine, has to be butter.
Both of these recipes have to be refrigerated, if in a hurry put half in freezer for about 30 min.

BAKE AT 350 for about 10 or 15 min.

From Nee Nee (Anita Collins)

Sugar Cookies

1 1/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
BEAT WELL WITH MIXER
2 eggs
8 tsp milk
BEAT WELL
4 cups flour
3 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt

Be sure to sift dry ingredients. Do not overmix. I usually add the dry ingredients and mix by hand.

From Michelle's mom (Anita Collins)

Honey Cookies

From: Daniel Peck’s Great-Grandma Miller (we joke that it is “an old family recipe”… just not our family!)

1 ½ cup canola oil (or similar)
2 cups sugar
½ cup honey
2 large eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
4 ½ cup flour
4 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Salt (I leave this out)
2 tsp. Cinnamon

Combine oil, sugar, honey, eggs and vanilla and beat well. I use the same 1/2 cup measuring cup for the oil and honey, using it for the oil first and then the honey.  That way the honey doesn't stick to the cup.  Gradually beat in dry ingredients. Form into walnut sized balls and roll in sugar. Bake for 7-9 minutes at 350 degrees.  Do not overbake unless you want them to be a little crunchy.  Take the cookie sheets out of the oven when they look like the cookies are not quite done and let them "rest" on the cookie sheet for a while longer.  These can be frozen.  Makes around 90 cookies.

Banana Bread

From: Karen Jarvis’ Grandma

½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2-3 ripe bananas
2 cups flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Salt

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Makes 1 loaf. I like to make several mini loaves instead or one big one (bake for less time then).

Cocoa Brownies

From: Becky Huggins (Pam’s friend from BYU dorms)

1 cup butter, softened
5 Tbsp. Cocoa
2 cups sugar
4 beaten eggs
2 cups flour

Mix butter and cocoa. Add sugar and eggs and beat. Add flour and mix well. Spread into 9x12 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for around 20-30 minutes. If you double the recipe, which is what I always do, you can bake it on a jelly-roll pan (bake that one for around 25-30 minutes). Just stick a fork or knife in the middle to check for doneness. Don't over bake. These freeze really well too.

Poo Cookies

1 cube butter
½ cup milk (I used non-fat)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 Tbsp. Cocoa powder
2/3 cup peanut butter
3 cups oats

Melt butter. Add milk, sugar and vanilla and continue to boil. Add cocoa and simmer. Add peanut butter. Add oats and remove from heat. Spoon mixture onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Put in fridge until chilled. 

If you are in a hurry or in a lazy mood, just melt the butter and dump everything else in except the oats.  Mix together and bring it to a boil and let it boil for 1-2 minutes then add the oats and mix well.  Then continue as outlined above.

From Nicole McBeth (mom’s childhood friend and then roommate at BYU)

These cookies are almost the same as Michelle's "No Bake Cookies."

Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
4 cups flour
5 cups oatmeal “powder”
2 tsp. Baking powder
2 tsp. Baking soda
2 bags of Chocolate Chips (or white chocolate chips or toffee pieces or whatever)

Cream together butter and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs. Make oatmeal powder by placing small amounts of oatmeal into a blender until it turns to powder (measure the oats before blending). Add oatmeal, flour and other dry ingredients. Mix well. Add chips. For golf ball sized cookies and bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Or better yet, roll into balls and freeze.

Snickerdoodles

3 ¾ cups flour
½ tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Cream of tartar
1 cup butter (tastes better than margarine)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 tsp. real vanilla (tastes better than imitation vanilla)

Topping:
3 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Soften the butter and leave the eggs on the counter for a little while to warm to room temperature if possible. Mix butter, sugar and eggs. Add milk and vanilla and mix. Add dry ingredients. Mix 3 Tbsp. Sugar and 1 tsp. Cinnamon in bowl for topping. With your hands, roll dough into balls and then roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Be sure to take the cookies out BEFORE they look completely done if you want that soft texture.

Oatmeal Cookies

5 sticks of butter, softened
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking soda
3 cups flour
6 ½ cups oats

Cream together butter, sugars, eggs & vanilla. Add baking soda and mix well. Add flour and mix. Add oats little by little and mix. Bake for approximately 10 minutes at 350 degrees on ungreased cookie sheet.

Chipotle's Corn Salsa

Thawed Frozen Corn
½ Diced Red Onion
1 Diced Jalapenos
1/3 Cup Chopped Cilantro
Juice of 1 Lime
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Prepare:
Mix together and let flavors mingle in the fridge. Add a little sugar if corn isn’t sweet enough.

Chicken Enchiladas

(original recipe from my dear friend Raquel Larsen who I hope will one day be in our lives again)

Flour Tortillas
Large can of Enchilada Sauce (red or green)
Small can of Green Chilies
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese

I never measure amounts on this recipe. I simply add whatever quantities I feel like at the time. Cook chicken and shred. I like to boil the chicken so that it is really moist and shreds easily. Mix chicken, some enchilada sauce, green chilies, grated cheese and sour cream to taste (should be fairly thick, not too runny). Pour a little sauce to coat the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan. Put mixture into tortillas and roll. Place formed enchiladas into glass pan and line them up tightly. Pour more enchilada sauce on top and then sprinkle cheese on top. Cover with foil and heat at 350 degrees until heated through (usually around 35-45 minutes).

Low-fat Bran Muffins

1 cup flour (you can try part wheat flour for more fiber)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups 100% bran cereal
1 ¼ cups milk (I use nonfat milk)
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
½ cup applesauce

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in large bowl. Mix cereal, milk and sugar in another bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in egg and applesauce. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. (Batter will be lumpy). Spoon batter into muffin pan sprayed with no stick cooking spray, filling each cup 2/3 full.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Makes 12.

Baked Rice

2 cups rice, uncooked
¼ cup margarine
4 tsp. Parsley flakes
2 Tbsp. dehydrated onion
6 bouillon cubes (chicken or beef)
4 cups water

Melt margarine in 9x13 baking dish. Add parsley, onion, bouillon, and water. Mix well. Add rice. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Anita's Super Salad

1 bunch of Spinach (or ½ Costco bag)
½ of a small red cabbage, chopped in slices
1 head of romaine, torn
1-2 carrots, shredded
2 red or yellow peppers, chopped
1 can kidney beans, drained
½ small red onion, sliced thin
1 large English cucumber, sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped on top to garnish
1 small can olives
1 handful of sunflower seeds
2 big handfuls frozen peas
Feta cheese on the side
Croutons on the side
Top with Ranch Dressing

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

If you like cranberry sauce with your turkey at Thanksgiving, homemade is awesome!

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour sauce into a bowl, cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time. Makes 2 ¼ cups.

Restaurant Salsa

I got this recipe from my childhood friend's sister-in-law's husband's dental patient who owns a Mexican Restaurant. So it is a true restaurant salsa! Best salsa ever!

1 can whole tomatoes (28 oz can)
¼ t. cumin
½ t. white pepper
½ t. granulated garlic
Salt to taste (I use ½ teaspoon)
6-7 TOMATOES, diced
1 pc. celery
1 red onion, diced
1 can 100% tomato juice (11 oz can or two 6 oz cans)
1 T. white vinegar
cilantro (to taste, cut off the stems first)
Canned jalapenos to taste (or use fresh if you can’t find canned)

In blender, mix whole peeled tomatoes with spices (cumin, white pepper and salt)
then pour into bowl. Add diced tomatoes and onions, set aside. In blender add ½ of the tomato juice, celery stalk, and vinegar. Blend and add to bowl. With other ½ of tomato juice, blend jalapenos first then add cilantro and pulsate so you leave small pieces. Add to bowl. Stir well.

*If it is too spicy, add more chopped tomatoes. If it is too bland, put some of the salsa back in the blender and add blend in another spoonful of jalapenos!

Dilly Casserole Bread Recipe

1 pkg. yeast softened in 1/4 c. water.

Combine in mixing bowl:
1c. creamed cottage cheese
2 Tb. sugar
2 Tb.minced onion
1 Tb. butter
2 tsp. dill seed
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. soda
1 unbeaten egg

Add 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 C. flour to form a stiff dough, beating well after each addition.

Cover and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size. ( 50 - 60 min.)

Stir down dough and turn into well greased 8 in. round casserole. Let rise in warm place until light 30-40 min. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 -50 min. until golden brown. Brush with soft butter and sprinkle with salt. Makes 1 round loaf.

From Lorretta Derr

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake

Yield: Makes 15 servings

An average-size carrot has about 30 calories and contains enough beta carotene to supply your body with more than 4 times the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin A!

Ingredients:

¼ cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

1 whole egg

3 egg whites

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

¾ cup buttermilk

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

¼ cup vegetable oil

3 teaspoons vanilla, divided

2 cups grated peeled carrots

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice, drained

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon fat-free (skim) milk

1 tablespoon water

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13X9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Toast walnuts 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside. Do not turn off oven.

2. Sift both flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in large bowl; set aside. Lightly beat egg and egg whites in another large bowl. Add granulated sugar, buttermilk, applesauce, oil and 2 teaspoons vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour mixture, carrots, pineapple and walnuts.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

4. Combine powdered sugar, milk, water and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla in medium bowl. Stir until smooth. Spread glaze over cooled cake.

Easter Scripture Cake

Easter Scripture Cake

4 cups I Kings 4:22 (flour) 1 ½ cups Judges 5:25 (butter)

2 cups Jeremiah 6:20 (sugar) 2 cups Nahum 3:12 (figs)

2 cups 1 Samuel 25:18 (raisins) 6 Jeremiah 17:11 (eggs)

1 pinch Leviticus 2:13 (salt) ½ cup Judges 4:19 (milk)

2 teaspoons Amos 4:5 (baking powder)

Season to taste with II Chronicles (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves).

Mix as for any other cake and beat well. If you’ve never made a cake before without help from your fiends Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines, just try it. Bake in a moderate oven at 350 degrees. This will make a large cake. Bake 45 to 50 minutes.

Subway's Raspberry Cheesecake cookies...a recipe!

Subway's Raspberry Cheesecake cookies...a recipe!

Makes 2 dozen

8 Tbsps unsalted butter (1 stick) softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt plus an extra 1/8 tsp
3 Tbsps cornstarch
1 1/3 cups flour
4-5 ounces white chocolate, cut into chunks
1/2 cup (more or less) fresh raspberries, washed and dried

1. Preheat oven to 375F

2. Cream butter and both sugars with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs, vanilla and cream, then beat in baking soda, salt and cornstarch. Add flour and stir just until blended. Stir in nuts and white chocolate. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

3. Carefully slice raspberries into halves or quarters - this will vary, depending on how much raspberry you want in your cookies and how large your raspberries are. Gently press pieces of raspberry in cookie dough rounds.

4. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

My notes...

I used 1/2 bag of white chocolate chips instead of the white baking chocolate.

1 used frozen raspberries (no fresh available). I drained them and then gently folded them into the dough. It does make the dough a reddish/purple color but tasted just fine. When I can get some fresh raspberries I will try this again with them and add as directed in recipe.