Pumpkin Pie Spiced Baked Oatmeal

2 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (1/2 of 15 oz. can)
2 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup maple syrup or syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoon homemade pumpkin pie spice
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup wheat flour
4 cups quick cooking oats

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, applesauce, oil, canned pumpkin, milk, syrup and brown sugar until smooth.  Add in the pie spice, baking powder, salt, flour and oats. Beat on low until “loose” batter forms. (It will seem runny, that’s OK!)  Pour batter into the greased baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until cooked through in the center of the dish.
Let cool slightly before serving. Serve with milk, yogurt, Greek yogurt, or as is.  Note: If you prefer it a little sweeter, add a little brown sugar or maple syrup. Enjoy!

*I used regular oats and added a lot of cinnamon the batter.

(http://www.5dollardinners.com/pumpkin-spice-baked-oatmeal/)

Carrot Cake Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots, about 3 medium carrots

1 cup buttermilk

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp cinnamon 

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

2 Tbsp vegetable oil (applesauce would be a good low fat substitute)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 recipe Vanilla Cream Syrup or Cream Cheese Syrup, recipes follow

chopped pecans, for serving

Directions:

In a medium airtight container, whisk together grated carrots, buttermilk and granulated sugar. Cover container and refrigerate overnight.

The following morning, preheat a non-stick griddle to 300 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg, vegetable oil and vanilla extract.  Add egg mixture and carrot mixture to flour mixture and whisk just until combine. Pour about 1/4 cup - 1/3 cup batter onto a buttered if necessary, preheated griddle (if you want more pancakes do 1/4 cup) and gently spread batter out (just slightly, I do this so the centers aren't thicker than the edges) using the back of the measuring cup. Cook pancakes until bubbles begin to appear on the surface and bottom is golden brown then flip and cook opposite side until golden. Serve immediately with Vanilla Cream Syrup or Cream Cheese Syrup and garnish with chopped pecans.

Vanilla Cream Syrup
Yields about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
1/4 cup salted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 pinch salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in sugar, cream, buttermilk and salt.  Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to boil and sugar has dissolved.  Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla, whisk for about 10 seconds until frothy.  Serve warm.  Syrup can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 week and reheat before serving. 

Cream Cheese Syrup

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup buttermilk

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat. Stir in sugar, buttermilk and cream cheese. Cook mixture, whisking constantly until cream cheese has melted. Stir in baking soda and whisk for about 10 seconds until frothy. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve warm. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week and reheat before serving. 

*We liked the cream cheese syrup.  It tasted just like homemade buttermilk, but with a hint of cream cheese flavor.

(http://cookingclassy.blogspot.com/2012/08/carrot-cake-pancakes.html)

Creamy Bacon Carbonara

 2 eggs

1/4 cup Cream or Heavy Cream  (Whipping Cream)

1/3 cup Parmesan

Fresh diced Parsley or dried flakes

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes

Garlic powder

*(I doubled the Sauce recipe, and it was perfect)

1/2 lb. bacon

1 small onion, chopped (opt)

3 mushrooms sliced (opt)

1/2 lb. Pasta

Beat the eggs, cream, Parmesan, parsley, salt and the red pepper together in a bowl.  I just used a fork.  Fry the bacon until crisp, then crumble and set aside.  With 1 -2 Tbsp. bacon grease, saute the onion and the mushrooms until the onions are translucent and golden.  Drain the pasta and while still warm, add to the onions and mushrooms.  Pour cream mixture into the pasta, and stir over low heat for one to two minutes.   Sprinkle bacon and fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top.

(http://www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com/?p=2094) 

Crescent Dinner Rolls

1 1/2 cups of milk

3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 egg

1 Tablespoon salt

2 Tablespoons yeast

2 cups of warm water

about 9-10 cups of all purpose flour

at least 1 cup of butter

Scald 1 1/2 cups of milk, 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of butter, in a microwave safe bowl, for about 2 minutes. Cutting the butter into pieces helps it melt faster.

We are going to add yeast to this hot mixture, but it will be too hot to just dump the yeast straight in (it would kill it!). To cool it down stir in 1-2 cups of flour, then add 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of salt, and leave it to cool for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a measuring cup dissolve 2 Tablespoons of yeast in 2 cups of warm water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Let it sit for a couple of minutes until it is bubbly.

**Keep track of how much flour you are adding!!!

Make sure your milk mixture is just warm, not boiling and add the yeast mixture!

Using a fork or wooden spoon, gradually stir in 9-10 cups of flour (counting the flour you have already added to cool it earlier). I would recommend only adding 2 cups at time and stirring in between. These rolls turn out so much better when they are mixed by hand.

At the end the dough will be dense and sticky, and may be hard to stir, you can use your hands to incorporate the rest of the flour if needed. Be sure not to add too much flour. Then smooth the dough out and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave it in a warm place and let it raise.

Let the dough raise until it has doubled in size.  When your dough is close to raising completely, butter 2 cookie sheets and set them aside.

Cover your working space with flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Dump your dough out and divide it into 4 balls. Eyeball the sizes, then lift them up and feel the weight of each ball. Try to make them even, but they don’t have to be perfect.

Using one ball of dough at a time: roll the dough into a circle on a floured counter. Once it is rolled out spread the top with butter from edge to edge. You will use about 2 Tablespoons per circle of dough.

Cut the dough into quarters using a pizza cutter.  Then cut each quarter into 3 pieces. You should end up with 12 triangles from each circle of dough.

Roll the dough starting with the wide end of the triangle.  Tuck the tail of the triangle under the roll and place it on the buttered cookie sheet. You will make 3 rows, with 8 rolls per row. This will give you 24 rolls per pan. Two balls of dough will fill 1 pan. You will get a total of 48 rolls!

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pans of rolls in a warm place (on top of the oven if possible) to let them rise. Once they are touching and full in size, cook (one pan at a time) in the oven ’till they are golden brown. About 10 – 15 minutes, It may take longer depending on how hot your oven cooks. Keep a close eye on your first pan to get the right time for the second.

While they are still hot and fresh out of the oven run a stick of butter over the tops of the rolls for a delicious buttery glaze.

(http://www.howdoesshe.com/delicious-dinner-rolls/)

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.

4. Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

(http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/02/24/peanut-butter-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies/)

Blueberry Sauce/Syrup

1 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup strained fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups blueberries

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, and corn starch in a medium-sized heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and cook 1-2 minutes until thickened. Add the blueberries and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. You can either mash or blend the berries (like for syrup) or leave them whole (to use as a topping). Serve warm and refrigerate the leftover.

(From ourbestbites.com)

Monster Cookies

1 c. margarine
2 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
3 c. peanut butter

Cream until smooth.

Add 6 eggs, beating in 2 at a time.

Stir in 1 1/2 tsp. corn syrup

Mix in:
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. baking soda
9 c. oats

Stir in 1/2 lb M&Ms and 1/2 lb chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet and flatten with fork.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

California Rice

4 c. cooked rice

2 c. sour cream

1 c. cottage cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 c. shredded sharp cheese

7 oz diced green chilies

1/2 c. diced onion

Saute onion.  Mix other ingredients and put in 9x13 pan.  Bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

From Alaney

Cranberry Spinach Pasta

1 box penne pasta

Craisins

Handful fresh spinach

2-3 cooked chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces (we grilled ours and then cut it into strips)

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2-2 cups heavy whipping cream or milk

1/2 of a regular container of parmesan cheese

pepper, garlic powder and salt to taste

Boil penne pasta till aldente.  Heat whipping cream or milk, butter and cheese in a saucepan until cheese and butter are melted.  In a large bowl mix pasta, crasins, chicken, and sauce. When about ready to serve mix in spinach or serve with spinach on top of pasta.

From Julie

Baked Lemon Pasta

1 pound Thin Spaghetti
4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
2 cups Sour Cream
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
Extra Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.  In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.  Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.  Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)  When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end. 

(From http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/05/baked-lemon-pasta/)

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

3 lb pork roast
1 (16 oz) jar Salsa Verde
12 oz Dr. Pepper (Don't use Diet)
2 C brown sugar
1 Can green chiles
Water

Put roast in crockpot and add water about 1/2 way up. Cook on high for 5 hours and then remove roast. Drain all but one cup of liquid from the crockpot. Shred roast with a fork and put it back in the crockpot. If salsa is chunky puree it first and then add it to the crockpot. Add Dr. Pepper, brown sugar, and chiles and mix well. Cook on low for at least 3 more hours. I like to start the roast the night before and cook it all night. In the morning I shred it and add the other ingredients. Then I just turn the crockpot to low and cook it all day until we are ready to eat. 

(From Lyndi)

Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

1 packet of buttermilk ranch dressing

1 Cup mayo

1 cup buttermilk (the smallest carton is perfect)

1 bunch of cilantro

2 tomatillos husked

1 jalapeno (take the rib and seeds out)

Garlic powder (just a few shakes)

Juice from 1 lime

Blend mayo, dressing mix, buttermilk, and garlic in a blender until blended and smooth.  Dice up tomatillos, jalapeno, cilantro and place in the blender.  Juice up the lime and add that to the blender.  Blend up all ingredients until smooth and creamy.Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

(From http://tyandwhitneyulrich.blogspot.com/2011/05/creamy-tomatillo-dressing-cafe-rio.html)

Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice

2 Tablespoons butter 
pepper to taste
1 ¼ cup uncooked white rice
juice and zest 1 large or 2 small limes
2 ¼ cups chicken broth
2 Tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cumin

In a skillet melt butter with rice. Add the chicken broth and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. 

(From http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2008/10/missing-cafe-rio.html)

Chicken Rice Wraps

2 cups dry rice, cooked
1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded
2 c. salsa
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
8 lg. flour tortillas
shredded cheese

In a large bowl combine chicken, salsa, seasonings and rice.  Spoon over tortilla, sprinkle with cheese and wrap.

To freeze: place burritos on cookie sheet and flash freeze.  After hard, wrap in Saran Wrap and then put burritos in freezer bag.  To reheat, heat 2 minutes in microwave, flipping once.

(I found this recipe online, but can't remember where exactly I found it...)

Chocolate Frosting and Filling

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup milk
1 cup real butter, softened
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Optional: Additional cocoa powder as needed

Melt your chocolate chips if you haven’t already and set aside to cool.  You obviously don’t want it so cool that it hardens, but you can get it close to room temperature and still have it be soft and stir-able.

In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, and milk; bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Boil 1-3 minutes or until thickened like a thinned pudding.  Remove pan from heat and strain mixture into a small bowl. Cool completely in the refrigerator or freezer.

When chocolate flour mixture is cooled, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute.  Beat in the cooled chocolate mixture until well combined fluffy, about 1 minute.  Finally add in melted chocolate and beat again until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  If desired, add additional cocoa powder to taste, up to 4 tablespoons more.  Spread or pipe frosting on to cupcakes or cake.

Makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes.

(From ourbestbites.com)

Chocolate Waffles

2/3 C flour

1/3 C corn starch

1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1/8 t cinnamon

6 T granulated sugar

1 C milk

1/3 C vegetable oil

1 egg

1 1/2 t vanilla

1/2 C mini chocolate chips

Combine flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda, salt, and cinnamon. Use a whisk to combine.  In a separate bowl whisk together sugar, milk, oil, egg, and vanilla. Whisk for a minute so it gets a little frothy.  Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry a little at a time, whisking to combine. Just stir until they’re combined and don’t overmix. Stir in the chocolate chips. This is a pretty thin batter, so don’t be expecting something that looks like a pancake batter. It’s supposed to be thin.  Lightly butter waffle iron. I have one with non-stick finish and I actually don’t grease mine at all. You may not need to. Place batter in and cook according to your iron.

A tip:

Instead of pouring batter, use a ladle and spoon it in, making sure to stir the batter each time. Otherwise the chocolate chips won’t be distributed.  It’s a little harder to tell when chocolate waffles are done because you can’t go so much on color. Go by smell and touch and realize that they will crisp up after they come off the iron.

(From ourbestbites.com)

Lemon Zucchini Fettuccine

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 lemons
2 T Red Wine Vinegar
Olive Oil
1/2 lb Fettuccine (that’s just 1/2 of a normal box)
2 medium zucchini
1 C shredded parmesan cheese (about :)
5-6 cloves garlic
Fresh Basil (about 1/2 C)
Fresh Oregano (about 1/4 C) If you don’t have fresh oregano, just add a little dried.
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Prepare grill. You could also do this on the stove top in a skillet, or a grill pan.  Place chicken in a zip-lock bag with the juice of one lemon, a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and a couple tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Smoosh around and set bag aside while you get your other things ready. (If you’ve got time to spare, let the chicken marinade for 30 minutes, if you don’t, just take what you can get. I did mine for 15 min and it was great.)

Put the pot on the stove to boil water for the pasta. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, slice the zucchini in half length-wise. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Press, or finely mince garlic cloves. In a small sauce pan on the stove, place 1/4 C olive oil and add garlic. Turn burner onto low-med heat. It shouldn’t be popping and frying, it should just slowly warm, infusing the oil with the garlic and removing that zing fresh garlic has.  When water boils, add pasta and a spoonful of salt  Remove chicken from bag and salt and pepper both sides. Place chicken, and zucchini on grill.  While chicken and zuchs are grilling and pasta is boiling, chop herbs and get out cheese. Zest both lemons and juice the one that hasn’t been juiced.

When everything is done cookin’ you can throw it together! Keep an eye on that garlic. You DON’T want it to get brown and crispy. It should still look nice and white. Give it a stir. If it starts really cooking, just take it off the heat and set aside.  When zuch and chicken are done take them off the grill and chop ‘em up.  Reserve about 1/2 C pasta water. Drain pasta and immediately place in a big bowl. Place chopped zuch and chicken on top. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, cheese, herbs, and garlic-olive oil mixture.  Now take some tongs and give everything a big toss. If you feel it needs more moisture, add a little of the pasta water, or a little more olive oil. This will make 4 generous servings.  Garnish with a little more Parmesan on top and another squeeze of lemon if you have any left. 

(From ourbestbites.com)

Caramel Toffee Fruit Dip

1 8-oz. package cream cheese (you can use light cream cheese)

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla (you can add more to taste)

Toffee bits (look by the chocolate chips and try and find the chocolate covered ones if you can! Your dip won’t be pretty, but it will sure taste good!)

Allow cream cheese to reach room temperature. With an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla. When ready to serve, stir in about 1/2 a bag of toffee bits. Serve with fruit.

Marshmallow Popcorn

1 package microwave popcorn popped (we used 2 bags for 1 recipe of sauce)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup or honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
12 large marshmallows

Pop popcorn until done, remove any unpopped kernels.  Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Add brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and marshmallows.  Turn heat to medium and stir until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over popcorn and stir in until popcorn is evenly coated.  Store in an airtight container.

(From http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/05/caramel-marshmallow-popcorn/)

Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

2 cups (8 oz.) dry penne pasta
8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated milk
2 cups (8-oz. pkg.) shredded Italian-style four-cheese blend
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Prepare pasta according to package directions, adding sun-dried tomatoes to boiling pasta water for last two minutes of cooking time; drain. 

Meanwhile, combine evaporated milk, cheese, basil, garlic powder and pepper in medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat. 

Add pasta and sun-dried tomatoes to cheese sauce; stir until combined.

(From http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/143190/Penne-Pasta-with-Sun-dried-Tomato-Cream-Sauce/detail.aspx)

Chicken Gyros

For the tzatziki:
16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat, if possible)
1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1¼ lbs. chicken pieces (I use boneless, skinless chicken breast halves)

To assemble:
Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

DIRECTIONS

To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible.  Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.  

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.  Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. (I butterflied the chicken breasts and then cooked them under the broiler.) Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips.  Heat pitas (I sprayed with some spray oil and then popped them in the toaster oven for a few minutes). Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.  

(From http://www.annies-eats.com/2009/06/02/chicken-gyros)

Peanut Butter Eclair

1 box chocolate graham crackers (there will be a few graham crackers left over)
2 (3 1/4-ounce) boxes vanilla instant pudding
1 cup peanut butter
3 1/2 cups milk
1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
1 can chocolate frosting

Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with whole graham crackers. In bowl of an electric mixer, mix pudding with milk and peanut butter; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Pour half the pudding mixture over graham crackers. Place another layer of whole graham crackers on top of pudding layer. Pour over remaining half of pudding mixture and cover with another layer of graham crackers.

Heat the container of prepared frosting, uncovered in the microwave for 1 minute. Pour over the top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving.

(From http://www.plainchicken.com/2011/08/peanut-butter-eclair-cake.html)

Fudgy Brownies with Glaze

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
•  
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.  In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.  
• 
  
• To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm.  *I had to add milk to the frosting as it was really dry.*

*Double for 9x13

(From allrecipes.com)

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

12 chicken tenders (ya know, more or less…)
1-2 eggs (start with one and crack another if it runs out)
1/2 C flour
1 C sweetened coconut flakes
1 C panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (you can leave this out if you want to skip the spice for the kiddos)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Give coconut a rough chop so it’s about the same size as the panko pieces.  Combine it with Panko and spices in a shallow dish. Mix well to distribute all of the spices. Place the flour in another shallow dish, and the egg in another. Give the egg a quick beating. Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge in flour and then dip in egg, and then finally coat in the coconut Panko mixture. Press in with your fingers to make sure the entire thing is well coated.  Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean up!) that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. I give mine a teeny drizzle of olive oil on top to help them crisp nicely, but it’s optional.  Bake in your 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear. Try not to overcook them because chicken tenders go from perfect to overcooked really fast! If your tenders are on the small side, they could even be done in about 15 minutes so keep an eye on them. If they’re big they can take more like 25. The coconut will be nice and golden and the panko crisp, but light in color still.

Freezer Instructions: Prepare chicken fingers through coating them in the panko/coconut mixture. Place in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and freeze for several hours. Remove from freezer and transfer to a gallon-sized Ziploc bag or a freezer safe container. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear.

(From ourbestbites.com)

Grape Salad

2 lbs. red and/or green grapes

1 (8oz.) pkg. of cream cheese

1 (8oz.) container of sour cream

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

chopped walnuts/pecans {optional}

brown sugar {optional}

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla, & sugar in a large bowl and beat together with mixer. Wash your grapes and remove from the stems.  Fold into the cream cheese mix until well coated.  Chill before eating.

(From http://pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com/2011/04/salad-thats-not-on-your-diet.html)

Creamy Tomato Soup

1 T reserved oil from sun-dried tomatoes, or olive oil 

1 C chopped onion
¾ C shredded carrot
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar

1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbs dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2/3 C sliced sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14oz) can chicken broth
3 oz reduced fat cream cheese
Optional: 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Optional: Parmesan cheese and fresh basil for garnish

Place oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion,  carrot, and garlic, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring often.  Add sun-dried tomatoes, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, sugar, salt, pepper, oregano and basil.(If you’re adding red pepper flakes, add them now)  Bring soup to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer.  Cover pan and simmer for 30  minutes.  Remove from heat. Place soup in a blender (do this in 2 batches if necessary). Add cream cheese. Remove center piece of blender lid to allow steam to escape, but place a paper towel over opening in blender lid to avoid spills. Process for a few minutes until smooth.  You could also add cream cheese directly to the pot and use an immersion blender to combine.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste and then divide soup among bowls.  Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese and a fresh basil leaf if desired.

(From ourbestbites.com)

Grilled Cheese Pizza Sandwiches

2 slices bread

2 slices mozzarella cheese (we used shredded cheese)

2 tablespoons pizza sauce

Pepperoni slices

2 teaspoons butter

Spread butter on one slice of bread.  Place butter side down in a pre-heated, non-stick skillet and spread one tablespoon of the pizza sauce on the bread.  Layer the slices of cheese on top of the pizza sauce and add pepperoni.  Spread the other tablespoon of pizza sauce on the bread, place on top the cheese and butter the top side of the bread.  Grill on each side until golden brown.

Breakfast Burritos

9 small potatoes, cut in small cubes
3 lbs sausage (they turned out pretty meaty so you could use a lot less)
40 eggs, beaten (I beat them in a blender with the milk and it saved a TON of time!)
Milk
Chopped green chilies, to taste
Seasoning salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
Shredded cheese
Tortillas

Brown sausage.  In a separate pan, cook potatoes in a small amount of oil until softened and brown.  Pour eggs into 2 large pans greased with leftover grease from sausage.  Add chilies and seasoning.  Cook eggs until are halfway done, then add the potatoes and sausage.  Stir constantly until eggs are cook through.

On each tortilla place a large spoonful of egg mixture, then sprinkle cheese on top and roll up burrito.  Place burritos, seam side down, on a cookie sheet close to each other, but not touching.  Flash freeze on cookie sheet in freezer for 1-2 hours.  After burritos are frozen, wrap in saran wrap, then place burritos in a gallon bag.

To reheat, unwrap burrito and microwave for 2 minutes.

This made 36 really big burritos (too big for one meal for me).  They heat up really well and taste great!

Orange Sesame Chicken

Batter-
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1 inch cubes)
½ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg (beaten)
½ cup water (or as much as needed to make batter smooth)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Sauce-
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup honey
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil (I just used olive oil)
the juice of ½ orange
1 teaspoon orange zest
sprinkle of garlic powder
sesame seeds


Heat oil in a deep fryer to 325 degrees. In large bowl combine all of the batter ingredients and mix thoroughly. The batter should be thick enough to coat the chicken but thin enough to flow around the pieces. Set aside.  Dip chicken pieces  into the batter to coat evenly (one by one). Deep fry the chicken in batches in your deep fryer for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. (or you can fry in hot oil at about 325 degrees in your wok for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown).  In a bowl whisk together ketchup, honey, sugar, water, vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil, orange juice, orange zest, and sesame seeds. Pour into a wok and cook until the sauce is thickened and bubbly. Mix in a bowl with the fried chicken pieces.  Serve over rice.


(From http://blogchef.net/how-to-cook-chinese-food/)

Busy Day Casserole

1/2 lb. ground beef
3 c. macaroni, cooked according to package
1 32 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz shredded pizza cheese blend
Parmesan cheese, grated
Pepperoni, diced
Black olives, chopped

Brown and drain ground beef.  Combine ground beef, cooked macaroni, and spaghetti sauce.  Place in casserole dish and top with cheeses, pepperoni, and black olives.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

(From Worldwide Ward Cookbook)