Chocolate Covered Coconut Balls

Here is another Christmas favorite.

What you will need: 5 oz sweetened condensed milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 14 oz flaked coconut, 24 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Blend milk and vanilla.  Add the sugar a little at a time, mixing until smooth. It will become very thick. Stir in coconut. Roll into small balls and chill on wax paper until firm.  In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips.  Using a toothpick, dip each ball into the chocolate and place on wax paper.  Cool for several hours.

Ginger Snaps

Ginger snaps are probably one of my favorite kind of cookie. The best ginger snap is soft and chewy.  Try this recipe. You'll love it!

What you will need: 2/3 cup margarine, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 4 Tbsp molasses, 2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tsp soda, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Beat the margarine and sugar.  Then add the egg and molasses and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix.  The dough will be sticky; add a little flour if you feel it's too sticky.  I usually refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes then roll the dough into balls about the size of a walnut.  Roll them in sugar and space them on a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Makes 3 dozen.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I remember having a family dinner at our priest's home as a child and he served us brussel sprouts. To be polite my brother and I tried them, but didn't like them.  As an adult they are becoming one of my go-to vegetables. They are so easy to roast and my husband likes them as much as I do!

What you will need:
Brussel Sprouts, olive oil, salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the sprouts and cut in half.  Tear off any leaves that are wilted or brown.  Toss the sprouts in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Throw them on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes.  Serve warm.

Cheesy Potato and Ham Bake

What you will need: 28 oz frozen hash browns, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 8 oz. sour cream, 1 1/4 cup milk, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 cup cubed ham, 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

Mix all ingredients together. Place in a 9x13 pan. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for one hour.

You may also freeze. Thaw before baking.

You could also add in onion and green pepper.

Blueberry Muffins or Chocolate Chip Muffins

I'm expecting a baby in 20 days!  I've decided to stock the freezer and am starting with muffins. A quick breakfast we can pull out the night before.  This basic recipe can be used for many different kinds of muffins-just mix in what you like. I've tried blueberries and chocolate chips. If you don't have wheat flour, use 3 cups white. If you don't have Greek yogurt, use regular or even sour cream.

What you will need: 2 cups flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt, 2 large eggs, 1 stick butter (melted and cooled), 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen) or 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and yogurt.  Fold the eggs and yogurt into the dry mixture.  Then fold in butter. Then fold in your mix in (blueberries, chips, banana, etc). Use an ice cream scoop to place batter in muffin tins lined with paper liners or greased. I sprinkled raw sugar on the top as well. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.

Oatmeal Banana Muffins

Don't let the word 'muffin' throw you off here. With no flour in this recipe, it really doesn't produce a muffin.  I felt they were more like a bowl of oatmeal with banana and chocolate chip mixed in, but in a handy muffin shape.  Great for on the go breakfast.

What you will need: 3 ripe mashed bananas,1 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1 tbsp baking powder, 3 cups oats, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips together; let sit while you prepare the muffin pans. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray or line with cupcake liners. Stir the chocolate chips into the oatmeal mixture.  Fill the cups to the tops and bake 20-30 minutes.  I have been storing these in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.

Experiment and add in other favorites like walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, or whatever else you like.

Cheesy Quinoa Bites

This is a perfect recipe for a summer day.  You have to start the oven, but they go well with a salad and you have a meal.

What you will need: 2 cups cooked quinoa, 2 large eggs, 1 cup shredded carrot, 1 cup shredded zucchini, 2 stalks green onion, 2 cloves garlic, minced , 1/2 cup grated cheddar, 2 Tbs all-purpose flour , 1/2 tsp seasoning salt , 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together quinoa, carrot, egg, green onion, garlic, zucchini, cheese, flour, salt and pepper.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each).
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Before baking.

Notice the carrot and zucchini were in big shreds. I used my food processor. Next time I will use a grater so they are smaller.



We dipped these in ranch dressing, but I'm sure they'd be good with almost any summer time dip. This is a perfect compliment to a salad as you get your protein from the quinoa.

Chicken Tacos

These were super easy and delicious!

What you will need: 4-6 chicken breast, 1 cup salsa, 1 can fiesta cheese soup, one envelope of taco seasoning.

Get out your slow cooker!  Put the chicken breast in the slow cooker. I threw mine in frozen.  Pour the salsa, soup, and seasoning on top. Stir it together. Set on low for 6 hours.  Serve with your favorite taco toppings.

I also use my own taco seasoning, which is 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp paprika, 1tsp garlic, 1tsp salt.  I usually add a little extra cumin because I like it so much.

Pork Chop and Potato Bake

I apologize for not posting recently. Here is a recipe from one of those old time church cook books.  An easy one dish meal. Who doesn't love that?

What you need: 6 pork chops (I used 4), seasoning salt, vegetable oil, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 package (24oz) hash brown potatoes-thawed, 1 can Frenches fried onions, 1 can cream of celery soup, 1 cup shredded cheddar, salt and pepper.

Heat a little amount of oil in a skillet and brown the chops.  Sprinkle with seasoning salt and set aside.  Combine milk, sour cream, soup, salt and pepper.  Stir in the potatoes, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 can of french fried onions. Place mixutre into a 9x13 baking dish. Arrange the pork chops on top. Bake, covered, at 350 for 45 minutes or until chops are done.  Top with remaining cheese and onions; bake uncovered for 5 minutes.

Quinoa Broccoli Casserole

When I was in college the cafeteria served a dish called Chicken Divan Casserole.  It had chicken, rice, and broccoli.  Later, once I was married, I found a similar recipe in an old church cookbook.  Sometime along the road I lost that cookbook or got rid of it and never pursued trying to find the recipe again.  Then it happened, one day I saw something on Pinterest that caught my eye.  It looked like Chicken Divan Casserole, but not quite.
This recipe calls for quinoa instead of rice.  Brilliant!  There is no chicken, however, if you wanted to make this a dish with meat, you could definitely add chunks of chicken or serve a grilled chicken breast on top.
I thought this was a delightful way to serve up quinoa in a casserole.  Give it a try and see if you like it.

http://eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/blast-from-the-past-with-a-new-twist/

Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta

My husband has been making a creamy pasta dish for a couple of years now. I think he originally got the recipe online and has adapted it over the years.  Tonight I wanted to make a creamy tomato dish, but I didn't have his recipe so I googled and found one from The Pioneer Woman.  It called for shrimp, I had chicken.  So naturally I altered it a bit. Here is what I came up with.

What you need: 2 chicken breast halves (cooked and diced), 2 cups dry pasta, 2 tbsp butter, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 8 oz tomato sauce, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tbsp parsley, 2 tsp basil, salt and pepper to taste, shredded cheese

First dice you onion and mince your garlic. Get a pot of salted water going for your pasta.  I used rotini because that's what I had on hand. Penne would be great too.  While the pasta is boiling, melt the butter in a large skillet and cook onion and garlic until soft.  Add the chicken broth.  Let this simmer for a few minutes and then add the tomato sauce.  Next, add the heavy cream. I didn't have any on hand so I used 1/3 cup butter and 3/4 cup milk. Stir to combine. Add the parsley and basil along with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the chicken and let this simmer.  Once your pasta is tender, drained and rinsed add it to the mixture.  Stir well to combine.  You can stop here and serve, but I threw in a couple handfuls of shredded mozzarella and cheddar.

My husband spices his up with red pepper flakes.

You can also add a can of diced tomatoes to this.

Green Chili with Shoe String Fries

This is a recipe I found a few years back in a Rachael Ray magazine. It an easy alternative to regular chili and I love the addition of fries. Yum-o as Rachael would say.  I copy and pasted the recipe I found on the web. I only used one pound of ground turkey.  And you must use beer instead of chicken broth; the flavor is much better.

 

Ingredients:

• One 28-ounce package frozen shoestring potato fries
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns of the pan
• 2 pounds ground turkey breast
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin (a palmful)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• One 15-ounce can white kidney or cannellini beans, drained
• 3/4 cup beer (one-half a 12-ounce bottle) or 3/4 cup chicken broth (eyeball it)
• 2 cups store-bought tomatillo (green) salsa
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 pinches of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Arrange the fries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing halfway through, until browned, 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil smokes, add the turkey and cook, breaking up the meat. Season with salt and pepper, the poultry seasoning and cumin; brown and crumble the meat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the beans and stir to heat through. Add the beer and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the salsa and simmer the chili over low heat. When the fries finish baking, stir the cilantro into the chili. Transfer the chili to a medium casserole (it should be filled to the rim) and top with the scallions.

Bubbling on the stove

1. Mix a teaspoon of salt with the chili powder and cayenne. Remove the fries from the oven and top with the seasoned salt. Pile the fries on top of the casserole, evenly covering the green chili, and serve.

Topped with fries and ready to serve.

Strawberry Fruit Dip

Here is an easy fruit dip that you can make with things that might already be in your kitchen.

What you need: 1 small container of strawberry yogurt, 2 tablespoons strawberry jam, 1 cup of whipped topping

Mix these three ingredients together. Add more whipped topping if you like. Serve with pears, apples, bananas, strawberries, grapes.

Cheesy Cauliflower

I love cauliflower. It's one of my favorite veggies.  My children, are another story.  First off, it's doesn't really have an appetizing smell and it can be a bit spicy.  So the other night while I was preparing dinner I thought I have to do something to this cauliflower so the boys will eat it.  I wanted to do some kind of creamy cheese sauce and then it came to me.  I would use the same sauce I do for my Au gratin potatoes.  I must be honest with you, I didn't measure any ingredients for the sauce so these are my guesstimates.  Use with caution.

What you will need: One head of cauliflower (washed and cut into little bunches), 2 tablespoons butter, 2+ tablespoons flour, 1 cup milk, salt and pepper, cheddar cheese

Put about an inch of water and a pinch of salt in a pot. Bring to a boil.  Place the cauliflower inside and put the lid on.  Let this steam for about 8 minutes. I check it periodically by sticking a piece of cauliflower with a knife to check the tenderness.  Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, melt the butter over a low heat.  Add the flour and whisk until it thickens. Add the milk and increase the heat.  The mixture should thicken quickly. If you feel it's too thick, add more milk.  Reduce heat to low. Add salt and pepper to taste and then throw in a handful of cheese.  The more cheese you use the cheesier it will be:)
Drain your cauliflower and place in a bowl. Pour the sauce over top and serve.

If you're wondering about the kids. No, they did not eat the cauliflower. Oh well, at least I tried.

The other items on the plate are salmon, the rub is posted in February 2011(A birthday meal) and the stuffing from stuffed peppers posted on April 2011.

Biscuits and Gravy

Here's a recipe you can use for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

What you will need: 1 pound sausage, 4 cups milk, 4-8 tablespoons flour, biscuits/biscuit recipe

Start by browning your sausage in a skillet.  Once it's cooked through, place it in a bowl and set aside.  Add a tablespoon at a time to the skillet and grease, letting each tablespoon brown before adding another. Stir constantly.  Once you have enough gravy to make a thick base, add in the milk and stir with a whisk.  As the mixture cooks, it will thicken.  You want to have a slight bubble to it. When it reaches the desired thickness add the sausage and stir.  Serve over your biscuits.

Note: I didn't supply you with a biscuit recipe because I haven't found one that I love.  You can find recipes in any cookbook, use a baking mix, or the canned refrigerated biscuits.