Chicken taquitos

These are a family favorite. When I am in the mood to cook a make a bunch and put them in the freezer for quick meals. They are also great to take to families with kids so they can do the same. When my friends have babies I make them a batch to keep in there freezer for those nights that people need to eat and you simply can't get enough time, energy, or up off your feet long enough to cook.

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray


Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Dip 'em in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or this dressing.

Dinner rolls

I have looked forever for a roll recipe that is just what I like. And this is one of my favorite. I use it specifically for the cresent rolls since it is the best one for those. A lot of others I have tried just get to heavy.

Here is the link to the recipe you can print off!

HOW DOES SHE ROLLS RECIPE

Cookies and Cream Cupcake

OH MY GOSH SO STINKING GOOD!!!! I made these for my birthday and fell in love. They take a bit of work which is why I didn't make them for a kids birthday but for mine, I thought since I had to cook them they should be extra special! So worth it though!

INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes:
1 box Duncan Hines White Cake Mix
1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup water
3 eggs
24 whole Oreos
Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tins with liners. Place an Oreo in the bottom of each liner.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, melted butter, and water. Mix on low speed for one minute. Increase speed to high and beat for a minute more. Fill liners 2/3 full and bake for about 20 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.


While cupcakes are baking, make your filling.


Filling:
13 oz jar Marshmallow Creme
1 stick salted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
4 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar


In a large bowl, beat Marshmallow Creme, butter, heavy cream and vanilla on medium low until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and increase speed to medium high and beat for about a minute. Refrigerate filling until cupcakes are done baking and cooled.


Once cupcakes are cooled completely, remove filling from the refrigerator and fill the cupcakes. You can do this by cutting a small hole in the top of the cupcake and spooning the filling in, or putting the filling in a pastry bag with a bismarck tip and piping it in through the top of the cupcake.


Frosting:
4 sticks salted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
8 cups powdered sugar
15 Oreos, crushed VERY FINELY


In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter, cream, and vanilla on medium-low until smooth and well-combined. Slowly add powdered sugar. Once powdered sugar is barely mixed in, increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Fold in crushed Oreos.


Generously frost or pipe frosting on cupcakes and top with a mini Oreo if desired.


Store uneaten cupcakes in the refrigerator.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

We use this recipe a lot for our quick mexican dishes. We put the chicken in burritoes, on a green salad, in chicken enchiladas, or just eat it as the main dish. It isn't spicy so the kids like it a lot!

Ingredients

24-ounce jar medium salsa

Juice from one lime

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1.25-oz. package taco seasoning

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (optional)

6 boneless chicken breast halves, defrosted

Directions:

1. In a slow cooker, mix together the salsa, lime juice, cilantro, taco seasoning and jalapenos.

Add the chicken and coat with the salsa mixture. Allow the chicken to cook, covered, in the

slow cooker on Low setting for 6 hours. Serve chicken with salsa mixture spooned over top,

or shred and use as a taco filling.

Chocolate Chip Cookie n' Oreo Fudge Brownie BOMB

Me and the girls saw this one night and thought we had to try it out and give it a shot. OH MY GOSH talk about the worlds greatest sugar high and it is SO GOOD!!!! I think I ate a half a pan myself of course with trying to watch my sugar it took me about 2 weeks but still it was my fix everyday after working so hard at growing a small human! I thought it was a good reward!

Here is the recipe-

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 pkg Double Stuffed Oreos
1 Family Size (9×13) Brownie mix
1/4 cup hot fudge topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well to thoroughly combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt, then slowly incorporate into the mixer until the flour is just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish that’s been lined with wax paper and sprayed with cooking spray. Top with a layer of Oreos. Mix together brownie mix, adding an optional 1/4 cup of hot fudge topping to the mix. Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough and Oreos. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 15-25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting — brownies may still be gooey in the middle when still warm, but will set up perfectly once cooled. Enjoy!!
To half this recipe for an 8×8 brownie mix, simply half the chocolate chip cookie dough ingredients.


Read More http://www.kevinandamanda.com/whatsnew/new-recipes/ultimate-chocolate-chip-cookie-n-oreo-fudge-brownie-bar.html#ixzz1nQ0iAPAS

Oreo and Fudge Ice cream cake

This is one of our go to desserts in the summer/spring since it is SO GOOD and is super easy! We love Kraft recipes just for that reason!

What You Need

1/2

cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed

1

tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

1

pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding

8

OREO Cookies, chopped (about 1 cup)

12

vanilla ice cream sandwiches

Make It

POUR fudge topping into medium bowl. Whisk in 1 cup COOL WHIP. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. Stir in chopped cookies.
ARRANGE 4 ice cream sandwiches, side-by-side, on 24-inch-long sheet of foil; top with half the COOL WHIP mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sandwiches. Frost top and sides with remaining COOL WHIP. Bring up foil sides; double fold top and ends to loosely seal packet.
FREEZE 4 hours or until firm.

Loving Pinterest these days~

I don't know if anyone ever checks this blog anymore but I thought since I have been using pinterest so much lately and it seems that many of you have made your way there too I would post a few of our favorite recipes from there that we have tried and loved! It is fun to see that everyone in the family has been catching onto the site since I have been on there for over a year and thought I might be the only crazy one obsessed. Anyways I will be posting a bunch over the next few weeks that we try and like that way  you can hopefully sift through them a bit easier and know someone you know has already cooked them and found them to be willing of posting and sharing!

You are totally welcome to do the same!

Spinach Salad

1 to 2 bags of fresh spinach

1 large mandarin orange

1 large cartoon of fresh strawberries

½ cup sliced almonds or ½ cup honey roasted sunflower seeds

Dressing:

4 Tbsp heaping sugar

¼ tsp paprika

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce

Combine

1/8 tsp dry mustard

½ cup salad oil

¼ cup cider vinegar

1 tsp grated onion

2 Tbsp dry roasted sesame seeds (heated)

Baked French Toast

1 stick of melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
-Combine together and smooth over the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan

1 loaf bread (the recipe calls for texas toast, but I never have it so I just use regular bread)
-Put 2 layers of toast in the 9x13 pan on top of butter/sugar mixture

6 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt

Pour over bread. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-45 min or until it looks like French toast. Take out and flip over to see the brown sugar sauce-no syrup needed.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (can also use a rotisserie chicken)
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup canned black beans
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup chunky salsa
8 ounces corn tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

In a large pot over medium heat, saute the chicken in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and mix well. Then add the broth, corn, onion, chili powder, lemon juice and salsa. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes. Top with tortilla chips and cheese.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks

If you love good tasting food, and don't care one bit about calories, then please get this cookbook. Her food is amazing and she has some great recipes. I've been reading it cover to cover and I want to make everything! I figure I'll be able to find substitutes for any wine or alcohol, which means I really can try all of these recipes.

Just a suggestion. But I promise it's worth your money!

Baked Ziti coutesty of Martha Stewart

Serves 4

• FOR BAKED ZITI
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 8 ounces ziti rigate (ridged) or other short pasta
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
• 1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) best-quality tomato sauce (about 3 1/2 cups)
• FOR GARLIC BREAD
• 1/2 loaf Italian bread (5 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• FOR CRUNCHY ITALIAN SALAD
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 head Belgian endive, stem end trimmed, thinly sliced
• 2 bunches arugula (3 1/2 ounces total), thick stems removed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; drain and reserve.
2. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and half the mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.
3. In the bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole dish, spread half the tomato sauce. Top with ziti, then ricotta mixture and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Place casserole on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until top is browned and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare garlic bread: Make deep, even cuts into the bread, about 1/2 inch apart, without cutting through the bottom. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Brush garlic butter between cuts in bread. Wrap bread loosely in aluminum foil, and bake with ziti during last 10 minutes of baking.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper. Add endive and arugula, and toss to coat. Serve baked ziti with salad and garlic bread.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is healthy and has an excellent flavor. The whole family liked it since they could customize it with toppings they liked. (Healthy depending on which/how much toppings you use.)


1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
1 Tsp Salt
1 Green Bell Pepper or Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 Tsp Cumin Powder
1 32 oz Box Chicken Broth
1 Bay Leaf
1 1/2 Cups Frozen Corn Kernels
1 15 oz Can Tomato, diced (used fire roasted tomatoes)
1 Lb Chicken Breast, boneless and skinless
Juice of 1 Lime
Crushed Tortilla Chips

Accompaniments: Shredded Monterey Jack, Mexican Cheese Blend, Avocado, Sour Cream, Cilantro, Green Onion, diced

1. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and sauté the onions and salt for 3 minutes.

2. Add the bell peppers, garlic clove and cumin and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.

3. Add the broth and remaining ingredients (except for the lime juice & tortilla chips). Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.

4. After 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken breasts) remove the chicken from the pot and shred, using a fork. Place the shredded chicken back into the pot with the lime juice and simmer for another 3-4 minutes or until chicken is heated though.

5. Remove bay leaf, pour soup into bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips for everyone to stir in on their own. Serve with desired toppings on the side.

Notes:
- added black beans when returned shredded chicken to pot
- made pico de gallo, excellent topping
- some kids preferred adding tortilla chips a bit at a time to keep them crunchy
- I threw an extra chicken breast in to boil. Then shredded. Now I have delicious seasoned chicken ready to go for a lunch or quesadillas.

Fruit Pizza

I've never made fruit pizza before - this was a first.
(It was Simon's Family Night treat so he got to hold it for the pic.)

It was really good, and very easy. I used a boxed sugar cookie mix - I'm sure it would be good from scratch, but take more time.

Ingredients:
1 box sugar cookie mix
4oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
4oz frozen lite whipped topping, thawed
1 TBS confectioner's sugar
Assorted fruit

Prepare cookie mix for "rolled sugar cookies" according to package directions (my mix required flour). Roll into shape of pizza, about 1/4" thick - if too sticky chill for 30 minutes before rolling. Bake until golden brown and set. I did 375 for about 10 minutes. Cool.

Combine cream cheese and sugar. Fold in whipped topping til combined. Spread on top of cooled pizza. Top with your choice of fruit.

The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1.     In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

2.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3.     Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Oatmeal cookies

Softest Ever Oatmeal Cookies

Marilee’s friend Kristi Clews

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs (5 if doubled)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

2 cups quick oats

2 cups flour

Directions:

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs. In a separate bowl mix vanilla, soda, salt and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture. Mix flour and oats together. Mix with creamed mixture. Stir in chips of your choice. Bake at 350⁰ for 8-10 minutes. 

Aunt Michele's Rolls

I absolutely love this recipe and once again I use my kitchen aid to knead and it comes out perfect. I also use the exact amount of flour instead of adding more, I know it is a bit sticky but it comes out perfect I swear!

Marilee's Aunt Michele’s Basic roll and Bread dough 

Small batch-

1 pkg dry yeast

¼ cup warm water

1 cup hot milk

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup shortening

1 tsp salt

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 egg

Large Batch-

4 pkgs dry yeast

1 cup warm water

4 cups hot milk

1 ¼ cup sugar

1 cup shortening

4 tsp salt

14 cups all purpose flour

4 eggs

First—

Add yeast to warm water  with 1 Tbsp sugar in bowl and set aside.

Combine Milk, sugar, shortening, salt, and then slowly add flour while mixing with hands. Add egg and yeast and mix into a soft dough. Cover and let rise one hour. Punch it down and form into rolls or loaf. Place in greased bread pan or sup cake pans or cookie sheet until about double in size. Bake at 375 until deep golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes then put in plastic to prevent drying.

Bread – 40 minutes

Rolls—15 minutes

Cinnamon Rolls—15 minutes

Cinnamon Rolls

These are the best and simply the EASIEST rolls ever. I just put all the ingredients in my kitchen aid (after raising the yeast of course) attach the dough hook and let it knead for about 5 to 7 minutes. Then roll, rise once, bake, frost, and sit and get fat with goodness!

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups bread flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
•  
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
•  
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons milk

Directions

1.     In the pan of your bread machine, combine water, melted butter, vanilla pudding, warm milk, egg, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, bread flour and yeast. Set machine to Dough cycle; press Start.

2.     When Dough cycle has finished, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 17x10 inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over dough.

3.     Roll up dough, beginning with long side. Slice into 16 one inch slices and place in 9x13 buttered pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

4.     Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. While rolls bake, stir together cream cheese, softened butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and milk. Remove rolls from oven and top with frosting.

Stacey's Fall Fun Recipes!

I'm just going to post the links since I have a lot that I have tried lately. They are AMAZING though!

• Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin Bread (I have made 10 loaves in the last 2 weeks. It's that good!)
• Pumpkin Oreo Cheesecakes (Don't put the chocolate on top and then they aren't for Halloween)
• Dark Magic Chocolate Cookies (Now my new favorite cookie. I didn't use the dark cocoa powder and they still turned out amazing!)
• Easy Chicken Pot Pie (Takes basically NO time. I usually add more chicken.)

Okay, I found these recipes today and I'm going to try them next. They look really good.

• Cranberry Pie
• Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins
  
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I really like Tasty Kitchen which is hosted by The Pioneer Woman (another site that I would recommend because she has her own cooking blog).
Have fun! Maybe next time I'll put up less sweet recipes and more dinner ones :)

Stacey

UPDATE: The Cranberry Pie is A-MAZ-ING! If you love cranberries then you will most certainly love this, plus it is really easy to make. The Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins were pretty good, I think I needed to cook them just a little longer because they were too soft in the middle.

Pumpkin Pancakes

I've tried a couple of pumpkin pancake recipes lately. This one is the best so far.


Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 Tbs brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 Tbs veg. oil

2 Tbs vinegar


Directions:

1. In a bowl mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. In separate bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just combined.

2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approx. 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides.


Makes about 12 pancakes.


Notes:

- Batter will be thick; don't thin with extra liquid or will dilute the pumpkin/spice flavor.

- Cook slowly on low-med heat (4) to insure insides fully cooked without overcooking outsides. Pancakes will be dark.

- Batter does not taste good - but pancakes do.

- I didn't have allspice so I used 1 tsp cinnamon + 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars

Ok this isn't a "real" recipe but it was surprisingly good so I'm passing it on.

Ingredients:
1 box Peanut Butter cookie mix (I used Krusteaz)
1 cup chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate)

Prepare cookie mix as directed.
Press dough into lightly sprayed 2 qt baking dish (9x9 or 8x11, etc.)
Top with chocolate chips - press lightly into cookie dough.

Bake 350 degrees for 22-28 minutes.

So easy...so addictive. Only cost about $2 since the cookie mix was on sale.

Chicken Cheese Enchiladas

This is a "makeover" recipe I found from Healthy Eating magazine. Nutrition information is included at the end. (Original recipe was a scary 1000 calories per serving! - crazy)

It was a HUGE hit with my family, and very easy to prepare, so I thought I'd share.

6 ServingsPrep: 25 min. Bake: 45 min.

Ingredients
• 1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream (used about 1 cup)
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies (used frozen jalapeño)
• 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
• 4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast (used 2 breasts)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese blend, divided
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
• 12 fat-free flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions
• In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, soup, chilies and olives.
• Set aside 1-1/2 cups for topping. Add the chicken, 1/2 cup Monterey
• Jack cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese to remaining soup mixture.
•
• Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla;
• roll up tightly. Place seam side down in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking
• dish coated with cooking spray. Top with reserved soup mixture.
•
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining
• cheeses; top with onions. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese
• is melted. Yield: 6 servings.
•
Nutrition Facts: 2 enchiladas equals 508 calories, 18 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 123 mg cholesterol, 1,164 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 46 g protein.

Notes from me: I've done this twice now. Here are my personal preferences:
- 12 oz sour cream is way too much. I used 8 oz and still had some soup/sour cream mix leftover when I filled/topped 17 tortillas. Course my tortillas were kind of small.
- 2 full cups of cheese is also a bit much. I used one cup in the soup/sour cream mix as called for. Then I just eyeballed the top but used less than a cup. The top cheese is really good if it gets all crispy and toasty.

Peach Cobbler Dump Cake

2 (16 0z) cans sliced peaches - best if in natural juice or lite syrup, partially drain liquid
1 (18.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, sliced
1/2 tsp. cinnamon, or to taste
1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven 375 degrees.
In 9x13 dish: pour partially drained peaches into bottom. Pour dry cake mix on top and press down firmly. Sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar over cake mix. Completely cover top with butter slices (use more or less if necessary). Sprinkle top with additional cinnamon if desired.

Bake 45 minutes till top is golden and crunchy.

Fruit Salad

Yes, this is a no-brainer...but I didn't discover it until my clever sister-in-law showed me.

Any fruit, chopped (can use canned or fresh)
Any flavor yogurt

I usually use:
apples
oranges
bananas
strawberry yogurt

Chop fruit to bite sized pieces. Combine in bowl. Cover with desired amount of yogurt. Mix and chill.

My kids wouldn't eat fruit salad 'cause, "All the fruit is touching - and the taste is all mixed". Even though they would eat the same fruit separately. Once the yogurt is added they love it - plus the fruit doesn't look brown.

Dump Cake

We have a new "favorite" dessert. Yummy and soooo easy to make.

1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling

1 (15 oz) can crushed pineapple - do not drain

1 (18.25 oz) package yellow cake mix

1 cup butter or marg.

Lightly grease 9x13 pan.

Pour pie filling into bottom of pan. Pour pineapple on top of filling. Pour dry cake mix on top of pineapple. Thinly slice butter or marg. and arrange to cover cake mix. - I didn't use quite the whole cup.

Bake 325 degree oven for 35-45 min. til top is golden and crunchy. (Mine took a bit longer)

Serve warm (best) or cold.

Dump cake turns out more like a cobbler than a cake.

This smells divine while baking. It brought back memories of ward potlucks from my childhood the first time I lived in Sedalia, MO. Someone always brought this delicious cherry "cobbler" that I wished I knew how to make. As I was assembling the ingredients, my brain went, "A-ha! That's it!" And it was. Yea!

Grilled Zucchini & Squash

This is probably a no-brainer, but thought I'd include it for those who haven't tried it before.

Slice zucchini and squash lengthwise into med-thin slices.
(Usually in half for small squash or 4 times for thicker squash.)

Spray both sides of slices with no-stick cooking oil. - Canola and Olive taste good.
Add salt if desired. (I don't)

Grill each side until tender.

Note:
Can do the same thing with potatoes. I add salt to those.

Grilled French Bread

Tis the season to Grill!!!

We love this.

Slice loaf of french bread lengthwise.
Butter each half.
Top with garlic.
Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese
Top with fresh chopped herbs of choice (not all of these at once, just listing some ideas)
- garlic chives
- onion chives
- parsley
- cilantro

Put loaf together and wrap in foil. Grill on low heat until bread is desired level of crunchy and cheese is melted.

Easy Grilled Chicken

Chicken - favorite cut
(Boneless-skinless, thighs, breasts, etc)
Favorite salad dressing

Place frozen or thawed chicken pieces into Ziploc bag. Add favorite flavor salad dressing. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.

Grill on BBQ until done.

Serve however you like:
- With salad for a grilled chicken salad
- With grilled veggies and grilled cheesy french bread
- Boneless-skinless on a bun for a grilled chicken sandwich

Sausage Lasagna

Our favorite Lasagna recipe!

1 lb ground sausage
2 cup (30 oz jar) spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cup water
1 3/4 cup (15 oz) Ricotta cheese
2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz uncooked lasagna noodles

Heat oven 350 degrees.

In a 3 qt. saucepan, brown meat and drain. Add spaghetti sauce and water; simmer about 10 minutes.

In bowl, stir together Ricotta cheese, Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, and salt.

Assembly:
Pour 1 cup sauce on bottom of 13x9 baking pan. Arrange 3 uncooked lasagna noodles lengthwise over sauce; cover with 1 cup sauce. Spread 1/2 cheese mix over sauce. Repeat layers of noodles, sauce and cheese mix. top with a layer of noodles and remaining sauce; sprinkle top with remaining Mozzarella.

Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 15 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Brilliant Brownies in a Bag

I often make this when I have last minute guests and no time to run to the store.
It makes a more cake like brownie. To fancy it up I either spread it with frosting and crushed cookies or mix in some chocolate chips.
- of course all embellishments only add more sugar/calories :)

Recipe Yields: 2 dozen

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups white sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup chopped pecans (if desired)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Mix all above ingredients together in a 1 quart zipper bag. If desired you may shake bag to mix all ingredients together.

2. Empty brownie mix into large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add 3/4 cup of butter or margarine and 4 slightly beaten eggs. Mix until completely blended. Spread batter into a lightly greased or sprayed 9 x 13 inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pan. Cut into 2 inch squares.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

This is my favorite recipe for banana muffins.

Make with or without the chocolate chips.

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cup flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup (6oz) chocolate chips (I like dark - but only use 1/2 cup)

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs, banana and vanilla.
Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture just until combined.
Stir in walnuts and choco chips.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups half full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire racks.

Yield: 2 dozen.

Southwest Eggrolls

I requested this recipe from Christina. She makes a large batch of the filling (double or more), rolls it in the tortillas, puts it in the freezer and then just takes out what she wants for dinner that night. She also BAKES the eggrolls (or broils in oven), not deep frying them. The are very good.

Also, for ease we just dip them in ranch dressing or whatever favorite flavor dip you want.

The original recipe is a bit complex - simplify it however you like.


Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls Recipe
Tex Mex Appetizer
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast fillet
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced green onion
1/3 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons diced, canned jalapeno peppers
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon saltdash cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
five 7-inch flour tortillas

Avocado-ranch dipping sauce:
1/4 cup smashed, fresh avocado (about half of an avocado)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
dash dried dill weed
dash garlic powder
dash pepper

Garnish:
2 tablespoons chopped tomato
1 tablespoon chopped onion


Directions:
1. Preheat barbecue grill to high heat.
2. Rub the chicken breast with some vegetable oil then grill it on the barbecue for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done. Lightly salt and pepper each side of the chicken while it cooks. Set chicken aside until it cools down enough to handle.
3. Preheat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add the red pepper and onion to the pan and sauti for a couple minutes until tender.
5. Dice the cooked chicken into small cubes and add it to the pan. Add the corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper to the pan. Cook for another 4 minutes. Stir well so that the spinach separates and is incorporated into the mixture.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.
7. Wrap the tortillas in a moist cloth and microwave on high temperature for 1 1/2 minutes or until hot.
8. Spoon approximately one-fifth of the mixture into the center of a tortilla. Fold in the ends and then roll the tortilla over the mixture. Roll the tortilla very tight, then pierce with a toothpick to hold together. Repeat with the remaining ingredients until you have five eggrolls. Arrange the eggrolls on a plate, cover the plate with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best.

9. While the eggrolls freeze prepare the avocado-ranch dipping sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
10. Preheat 4-6 cups of oil to 375 degrees.
11. Deep fry the eggrolls in the hot oil for 12-15 minutes and remove to paper towels or a rack to drain for about 2 minutes.
12. Slice each eggroll diagonally lengthwise and arrange on a plate around a small bowl of the dipping sauce.

Garnish the dipping sauce with the chopped tomato and onion.Serves 3-4

Faux Fudge - White & Chocolate

(We call these fudgies)

This is a great recipe for a quick, cheap, fudge-like candy.

It is very versatile - I'll put some variations after the recipe.

1 11-12oz bag vanilla baking chips

1 can vanilla frosting

crushed candy canes

peppermint extract (optional)

red food coloring

Prepare 8x8 pan by lining with waxed paper and using cooking spray or butter to coat wax paper.

Melt vanilla chips and frosting in pan on low heat; stirring to keep from scorching.

When melted, stir in crushed candy canes and extract - if desired.

Pour into 8x8 pan.

Put few drops of red food coloring on top and swirl - can sprinkle more crushed candy canes if desired.

Refrigerate 2 hours or til set. Keep cool. Pop waxed paper out of pan.

Cut into bite sized pieces to serve.

Variations:

#1 -

White chips

cream cheese frosting

stir in craisens and optional orange zest

#2 (Chocolate variety)

milk chocolate chips

fudge frosting

leave plain or stir in nuts or mint extract or anything you like

Our FAVORITE version:

1 bag milk chocolate chips

1 can fudge frosting

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Melt above ingredients together.

Pour into 8x8 pan.

Dollop additional peanut butter on top and swirl.

Chill.

Takes about 5 minutes to prep. My kids could do it alone. Very easy.

Tip: melting chips with frosting mellows the frosting flavor - makes them taste better.

Cherry Cheese Delight

Made this tonight for Allen's birthday treat...yummmm. Everyone loved it.

See after recipe for alterations I made.

12-15 Servings Prep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min. Chill: 2 hours.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
FILLING:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling

Directions
In a bowl, combine flour, pecans and brown sugar. With a fork, stir
in butter until crumbly. Lightly pat into an ungreased 13-in. x
9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until
golden brown. Cool completely.

For filling, in a bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar
and vanilla until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Carefully spread
over crust. Top with pie filling. Cover and refrigerate for at least
2 hours. Yield: 12-15 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 slice) equals 344 calories, 21 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 33 mg cholesterol, 117 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

MY ALTERATIONS:

I made the dessert using:

- only 1/2 cup chopped pecans in crust

- 2-80z packages of reduced fat cream cheese

- only 1-21oz can cherry pie filling (didn't pick up two) - it was plenty. Also threw a few frozen blueberries on top to make up for lack of pie filling. Was good but not necessary.

Triple-Layer Mud Pie recipe at Kraftfoods.com

We are trying this recipe out so I will let you know it goes. But it looks SO GOOD!!!!

Triple-Layer Mud Pie recipe at Kraftfoods.com

Chicken and Corn Chili - slow cooker

Made this for first time...it was sooo good; especially on a cold night.

I didn't have all ingredients on hand so I made changes. I'll include original recipe first, then note the changes I made at the end.


Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 16 oz jar salsa

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

salt & black pepper to taste

1-11oz can Mexican-style corn

1-15 oz can pinto beans


Directions:

1 - Place chicken and salsa in slow cooker. Add spices. Cook 6-8 hours on low setting.

2 - About 3-4 hours before serving, shred chicken with 2 forks and add corn and pinto beans.

3 - Simmer until ready to serve.

4 - Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, chives, whatever you like


Notes:

- I put chicken in while still frozen

- used 3 large breasts, was more than enough meat

- cooked from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. - chicken got a little dry.

- substituted 12oz enchilada sauce + 1/2 cup salsa for salsa (was amost out of salsa); added some chopped fresh tomatoes.

- added fresh jalapeno peppers

- added pinto and black beans

- shredded chicken and added corn and beans about an hour before serving.


This turned out so good. All 6 of my kids ate it, even the picky ones.

The chili turns out really thick. I gave my children the option of eating it as chili or rolling it in a flour tortilla. Very versatile recipe - sub veg or beans of choice. Add spices or fresh herbs.

Personally, I liked rolling it in a tortilla and topping with a bit of cheese and fresh cilantro. Yum.