YONR #23: Flat Bottom Fruit Pie

The dish I made for our Berry themed Recipe Swap Girls Night In was Flat Bottom Fruit Pie from Kraft.com  I made it mainly because it needed few ingredients and I had most of them on hand.  I baked the pie crust the night before and after it cooled, I wrapped it in aluminum foil and stuck it in the fridge.  I also made the pudding mixture the night before too. 

This was good, and I would make it again, but the crust didn't hold up.  It was crispy, but it broke into pieces really easily.  Someone suggested using snickerdoodle cookie as the base...that sounds good, so I would try this next time.

1 Ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 15-oz. pkg.)
1 tsp. Cinnamon sugar (3/4 tsp. sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon)
1-1/4 cups Half-and-half  (I used skim milk)
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding (I used french vanilla)
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
1 large fresh peach, sliced
1/2 cup Blueberries
1/2 cup Raspberries

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Unroll pie crust onto baking sheet; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake 8 to 10 min. or until lightly browned; cool completely.

Meanwhile, pour half-and-half into medium bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping; cover. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Spread pudding mixture over crust just before serving; top with fruit. Cut into slices. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

YONR #22 Luscious Slush Punch

We are doing a second round of "New Recipes Girls Night In" this week.  The theme for this month was "Berries."  I decided to make another punch recipe (since last month it went over really well!) and I found a recipe that uses STRAWBERRY jello in it.  So it sort of abided by the "berry" theme.  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Luscious-Slush-Punch/Detail.aspx

I really enjoyed this punch.  It didn't keep its "slushy" texture very long, but it was yummy.  I'd make this again!

This recipe makes a HUGE batch (serves 50!) so I definitely halved the recipe for our group of 11.  The recipe below is the halved version.

1 cups white sugar

3 cups water
1 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored gelatin mix
1/2 of a 46 fluid ounce can pineapple juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 c orange juice
1 (2 liter) bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage


Directions
1.In a large saucepan, combine sugar, water, and strawberry flavored gelatin. Boil for 3 minutes. Stir in pineapple juice, lemon juice, and orange juice. Freeze in a container or ziplock bag.


2.When ready to serve, place the frozen contents of one container in a punch bowl, and stir in 1 bottle of lemon-lime soda until slushy.

I found this review linked to the recipe, so I did this instead of just adding it completely frozen: 
Pull the bag out of the freezer 2 hours before the party and mash the bag before adding to the punch bowl.

YONR #21: Little League Tostadas

If you haven't checked out Becoming Betty's Blog yet, you are missing out!  She must be my kindered spirit and we must cook a lot of the same foods because everything she posts looks so fabulous to me!  I came across several tostada recipes lately and planned on making chicken tostadas but we have taco meat on hand so this one sparked my interest. 

I am the only one who at this this way...Brian and Allison just ate tostada shell w/meat and cheese.  These were FABULOUS!  YUM.  I had a little bit of everything left over so I'm taking this tomorrow for lunch too.  I won't be the cleanest eater though as these are a bit messy.  Doesn't matter though, they are worth the mess. I was leary of the cabbage on this but loved it way more that I do lettuce!!! 

1 lb. lean ground beef

taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
1 can green chilies
shredded cheese
tostada shells
shredded cabbage
cilantro
lime juice

Cook ground beef and add taco seasoning and a little water. (I also added some refried beans and picante sauce to our meat).  In a separate saucepan, heat up beans and add green chilies and a little milk. Combine shredded cabbage with chopped cilantro (as much as you like) and some lime juice to taste (I also added a little salt).  Layer on tostada shell: beans, meat, cheese, shredded cabbage mix. Top with favorite taco sauce. (I omitted) 

YONR #20: Sticky Chicken

I should have taken a picture of this still in the crockpot because then it still looked like an intact chicken.  When I took it out of the crockpot it completely fell off the bones...ALL of the bones.  This was the best shot I could get of it. 

I've never cooked a whole chicken in a crockpot before but some of my friends (ahem, Paula!) cooks 4 crockpots full of chickens at one time!  This was very easy!  And I don't love rotisserie chickens because I think they dry out, but this one was very moist.  I will definitely make this one again!! 

Thanks to Andi for turning me on to this recipe!  http://www.cookingcache.com/crockpotroaststickychicken.shtml?rdid=rc1

4 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper (I used 1/2 tsp and that was plenty spicy for us...and that wasn't even eating any of the skin!)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp white pepper (I omitted)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large roasting chicken
1 cup chopped onion

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices. Remove giblets from chicken, clean the cavity well and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin. Place in a resealable plastic bag, seal and refrigerate overnight.  (Time saving tip: I first put this in a slow cook liner and then put in the ziplock bag over night.  Then in the morning, I just had to stick the liner in the crockpot....no morning mess!)

When ready to cook chicken put the onions into the cavity (I put mine in when I cleaned it), put the bird into the crockpot and do not add any liquid (I added 1/4 c water). As the cooking process goes on it will produce it's own juices. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours and it will be falling off the bone tender.

YONR #19: Crockpot Applesauce

On Labor Day we took the girls to Curtis Orchard to go apple picking.  Chloe has been enjoying eating apples all week, but Allison doesn't like apples, except for applesauce, so she requested that we make some.  So on this dreary, rainy Saturday that's exactly what we did. 

I've made applesauce with my students before and just used apples, and a little cinnamon and sugar and just let it cook all day at school in the crockpot.  Today I figured I'd try to find an actual recipe.  This is the one I found: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/applesauce/  This recipe though was intended for the stovetop, so I altered it a bit for us.  The recipe below is my variation of it.  Allison and I both gave this recipe 5 stars! We loved it!!!

Ingredients

3 to 4 lbs of peeled, cored, and quartered apples. (Make sure you use a good cooking apple like Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonathan, Mcintosh, or Gravenstein.)  We used a combo of Jonamac and Golden Delicious only b/c that's what we picked!
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks
1-2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/8 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of white sugar
3/4 cup of water
pinch of salt

Put all ingredients into a crockpot. Stir to combine.  Cover and cook for 6 hours on high.  Turn of crockpot and remove cinnamon sticks.  Mash with potato masher.

This can be served either hot or refrigerated. Freezes easily, lasts up to one year in a cold freezer.

YONR #18: Tangy BBQ Sandwiches

This recipe came from my Taste of Home Slow Cooker Favorites Cookbook.  In the picture in the cookbook, this is served on a hamburger bun, but we toasted our french bread and I think it was a good idea!  A hamburger bun would have ended up very soggy with this recipe. 

Brian and I both gave this 4+ stars....super easy and yummy!

I made this at my last freezer cooking day so freezer directions are at the very bottom.

3 cups chopped celery (we omitted)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup ketchup
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 to 4 pounds), trimmed and cut in half (mine was 2.5 lbs so I didn't cut in half)
14 to 18 hamburger buns, split  (Use toasted french bread instead!!)


Directions
In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 12 ingredients. Add roast. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low and cook 7-8 hours longer or until meat is tender.
Remove roast; cool. Shred meat and return to sauce; heat through. Using a slotted spoon, fill each bun with about 1/2 cup of meat mixture. Yield: 14-18 servings.

In a large ziplock bag I combine all of the ingredients except the roast and the hamburger buns (obviously!).  I squished and shook the bag to combine all of the ingredients.  Then I added the roast to the bag and froze.  I took it out of the freezer 2 days before serving and let it thaw in the fridge.  This morning I dumped the whole thing in the crockpot and cooked on low for 10 hours. 

YONR #17: Frosted Banana Bars

I have been dying to try this recipe ever since I saw it on Becoming Betty!

This was super easy and delicious (Have you noticed a trend in recipes I post?  I look for ease!!).

I made mine using 5 over ripe (previously frozen) bananas and I used half of the frosting.  The girls are taking this to Darla's for "breakfast" tomorrow, so I'm glad I halved the frosting because these are super sweet enough!

1 cube butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 ripe bananas

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

Mix butter and sugar. Add eggs, mashed bananas and vanilla. Mix well. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Spread onto a greased jelly roll pan (15x10x1) and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool before frosting.

Frosting:

1 cube butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 cups powdered sugar (1 box)

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

Mix really well and add a little milk if it's too thick. (I used roughly 2-3 tbsp milk in mine) Spread onto cooled bars.

September Freezer Cooking Day

Here is a picture of my most recent cooking day (minus the lasagna roll ups since they are currently flash freezing in the freezer).  This month I decided to try just using ziplock bags instead of my more expensive food saver bags.  We'll see if it makes any difference this month!

I intended to do my next cooking day on Monday (labor day) since we have off.  But I decided to squeeze the cooking into extra time I had on the weekend so that we could all do something fun on Monday instead.  So I cooked after the girls went to bed, and when they napped.  It took a little longer this time only because I couldn't really get into a groove, but I don't think I was as tired afterwards because I did it in little spurts.  My kitchen was cleaner too because I could keep running the dishwasher.  All in all, I think I spent about 6 1/2 hours cooking...and look at all of the meals I have ready to go now!

This month I tried multiple new recipes, so keep checking back as I'll post the new recipes after we try them!

So here is what I cooked and/or prepared this time:
1.  Chicken Nuggets and seasoned breading
2.  Bubble Up Casserole
3.  Easy Chicken Marinade
4.  French Dip Sandwiches
5.  Lasagna Roll Ups
6-8. Chimichanga's (3 meals worth)
9.  Chicken Enchilada Casserole
10.  Chicken for Cornflake Chicken Bake
11.  Sloppy Joe Casserole
12.  Crock pot Tangy BBQ Sandwiches
13.  Skillet Tacos
14- 15. Supper on a Bun (2 meals)
16. Deep Dish Pizza Casserole
17. Iowa State Fair Guinea Grinders
18.  Tex-Mex Chicken
19.  Rice Pie
20-22. Lasagna Roll Ups (3 meals worth)

Below is the menu for Sept and the beginning of Oct.  As you can see I don't have to cook again until October 11th...which is conveniently our next day off from school!

SEPTEMBER:

OCTOBER:

YONR #16: Ricotta Mini Cakes

This recipe is dedicated to my Auntie Mar...because these taste just like your Boo Boo's at Easter!  Every time I eat one, I think of her!

Technically these aren't cakes, they're cookies.  I don't care what they are, I think they are good!  I found this recipe in one of my Family Circle Magazines.  These did not disappoint!  These are supposed to look more elegant and served just dipped in the glaze/frosting.  Brian and I thought these looked more appealing with colored sprinkles on top.  Be warned though, this glaze does dry fairly quickly.  I dipped all mine and then tried to pour sprinkles on top and only the last 12 were still wet enough to hold the sprinkles. So I had to re-dip the others to get them "wet" again. 

Ingredients

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup ricotta
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons milk
Directions
1. Cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together; set aside.

2. Beat butter and granulated sugar together until blended. Add egg, ricotta and vanilla, beating until combined.

3. On low speed, add flour mixture and beat until blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 14 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Let cool on sheets 3 minutes, then remove to rack to cool completely.

4. Glaze: Beat confectioners sugar and milk together until well blended. Dip tops of cookies into glaze and set aside until glaze has hardened.

YONR #15: Gelatin Dessert Squares

Here is a pretty (yet small) picture of this dessert.  Mine isn't going to come out as perfect so I thought this might be more appealing and one you'd want to make!

Photo credit: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/gelatin-dessert-squares/Detail.aspx

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 (8 ounce) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 (3 ounce) packages raspberry gelatin

2 cups boiling water

2 cups cold water


Directions
1.In a bowl, combine the flour, pecans and brown sugar; stir in butter. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

2.In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth; fold in whipped topping. Spread over crust. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3.In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water; stir in cold water. Spoon over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares.

Here is a picture of the one I made....I told you it wasn't as pretty or perfect!

YONR #14: "Cali"-schetta

This is a recipe that was ripped out of a magazine and saved for a future use.  Unfortunately because of this, I'm not sure which magazine/publication this came from.  I can tell you though that this is a recipe from Patti Murphy, of Longwood, Floriday.  So thanks for the recipe Patti!  : )

This is a California version of bruschetta.  I figured it would be perfect to take to book club and I loved that it has fresh, summer ingredients.  This is SO good!!  It's more like a quacamole/salsa on toast, but it is good!  I think it would be really good just eaten with chips too!

½ baguette, cut into ½" slices on the diagonal
3 T. olive oil
1 lg. garlic clove, peeled, plus 1 clove, peeled and finely chopped
2 med. ripe tomatoes, seeds removed, chopped
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. chopped cilantro
2 T. lime juice
¼ t. salt
¼. t. black pepper

Heat oven to 350F.

Lightly brush both sides of bread with 2 T. of olive oil. Toast on baking sheet for about 4 minutes per side. Remove from oven and rub one side with the whole clove of garlic. Let cool.

In med bowl, mix together chopped garlic, tomato, avocado, onion, cheese, cilantro, lime juice and salt and pepper and remaining 1 T. olive oil. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Top each bread slice with a scant ¼ c. tomato mixture and serve.

YONR #13: Quick and Easy Chicken and Rice

I was looking for an easy chicken recipe to make for dinner and came across this one on All Recipes: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quick-and-Easy-Chicken-and-Rice/Detail.aspx

The worst part of this recipe is that the chicken and rice both need to be precooked...but if you buy a rotisserie chicken, that would make this recipe so much simpler.  I chose to poach some chicken tenders in chicken broth since I had extras in the freezer. 

I LOVED this recipe.  4+ stars from me!!  I sauteed the mushrooms separately since Brian is allergic to them and then just added them on top of mine.  YUM!  Allison took one look at it and quickly procliamed that it was "bisgusting."  After much coaxing she eventually did eat it.  She didn't love it, but she ate it.  Brian was very leary of trying this one too.  He thought it was going to have big chicken breasts/tenders on top instead of chopped up and mixed in.  He said he'd eat it again though, so that's positive. 
Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
3 chicken bouillon cubes, crumbled
2 cups milk
3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (we omitted)
3 cups cooked Texmati® White or Brown Rice (I used Basmati rice since it was much cheaper!)
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated


Directions:
Melt butter in medium saucepan. Blend in flour and chicken bouillon cubes. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken and mushrooms. Spread cooked Texmati Rice in buttered 9 x 13 inch baking dish; spoon chicken mixture over rice. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, covered at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes or until casserole is hot and bubbly.

YONR #12: Easy Chocolate Croissants

Once again, this recipe came from Real Simple Magazine!  http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/easy-chocolate-croissants-10000001728824/index.html

These are so easy because it only requires TWO ingredients!  I made these to take to share with my fellow early childhood teachers at a meeting this week.  I made a couple today to see if these can be eaten at room temperature the next day and still taste super yummy.  Hopefully these will transfer well!! 

These were a hit at our house...everyone loved them!!

Ingredients

1 8-count tube refrigerated crescent rolls
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate

Directions
1.Heat oven to 375° F.
2.Unroll the dough and separate it into 8 triangles. Place about 10 chocolate chips on the bottom third of each triangle and roll the dough up around the chocolate.
3.Transfer the croissants to a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper, if desired, for easier cleanup). Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

YONR #11: Cinnamon Sugar Waffle Fingers

This recipe can be summed up in two words: EASY and YUMMY

I found this recipe in my Real Simple Family Magazine and was not disapointed by how easy and good these turned out.  I'm letting them sit on the counter to completely cool and hope I can store these in a tin so Allison and Chloe can take them to school with them this week and share with their friends for breakfast.  (I'll let you know if it turns out that way!)

**These are definitely best the day you make them (w/in 12 hours of baking).  Putting in a ziplock bag made these soggy;  The fridge gave them a funky taste; I think a tin on the counter worked best, but again, eaten the day of was the best.**

Here is the link to the original recipe: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/cinnamon-sugar-waffle-fingers-00000000040118/

Serves 1:
Hands-On Time: 5m
Total Time: 5m

Ingredients
1 frozen waffle
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
1.Cut the frozen waffle into sticks (½ inch thick). Melt the butter with the sugar and cinnamon in a medium skillet over medium heat.

2.Add the waffle sticks and cook, turning often, until caramelized and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.

YONR #10: New Ranch Dip

Photo credit: Kraft Foods
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/new-ranch-dip-52087.aspx

I couldn't eat enough of this one!!  I whipped this dip up literally in 5 minutes, and I had everything on hand to make it except the green onion.  This was super easy and you can really taste the bacon and the green onion, and the parmesan cheese gives it a nice taste and texture.  Delicious dip!!

1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream, any variety
1/2 cup KRAFT Ranch Dressing
1/4 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise or MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup OSCAR MAYER Bacon Pieces or Bits
2 Tbsp. sliced green onions

MIX all ingredients. Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.
SERVE with assorted cut-up vegetables, breadsticks or NABISCO Crackers.

YONR #9: Oatmeal Bars

I ripped this recipe out of my Family Circle Magazine and couldn't wait to try this one.  The recipe had 3 things I loved...oatmeal; chocolate; and all the ingredients on hand!

Allison and I gave these 2 thumbs up and we didn't even drizzle the chocolate over the top!  YUM!  You will love these if you like oatmeal because it is really prevelant in this recipe.  MMMMM........
Here is the link to the recipe: http://www.familycircle.com/recipe/bars/oatmeal-bars/

Makes: 16 bars

Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light-brown sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
2 cups quick oats
1-1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt together. In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter on medium-high speed until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and beat in milk, then flour mixture. Stir in oats and 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
3. Spread batter into prepared baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. Microwave remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips for 30 seconds; stir until smooth and drizzle over bars. Cut into squares.

YONR #8: Apple Punch

Don't judge the picture! It was either serve it in that (for the picture), plastic cups, or wine glasses. I thought the margarita glass looked the least ridiculous! To go along with our Apple Theme for my Recipe Swap Girls Night In, I also decided to make a punch recipe.  This one looked easy so I figured I'd give it a try.  I found this recipe at CDKitchen.com  (http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recipetemplate.php?scale=12&mid=9944)

MMM...it was good. I could easily drink the entire pitcher myself.  Although the LAST flavor I could taste was the apple juice.  The orange juice came out the strongest, followed by the cranberry juice.  This was a huge hit at my GNI.  I will definitely be making this one again....maybe with champagne though.  : )

Apple Punch
Serves 25:
32 ounces apple juice -- chilled
1 cup orange juice
12 ounces cranberry cocktail, frozen concentrate -- thawed
6 cups ginger ale or champagne -- chilled  (I used diet ginger ale)
1 apple -- whole (I omitted this since I was serving in a pitcher instead of a punch bowl)


In large punch bowl, combine apple juice, cranberry cocktail and orange juice. Stir to dissolve. Slowly add ginger ale or champagne. Vertically, slice apple to form thin whole apple slices. Float apple slices on top of punch.

YONR #7: Walnut-Apple Snack Cake

We spent the weekend at my in-laws and I was scouring all of my MIL's Country Woman magazines for new recipes.  This recipe was one I found.  I made it for an upcoming Recipe Swap Girls Night In I'm hosting at our house.  Of course I had to try it before I served it (although I would have served it regardless) and was not disappointed by this one!  http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Walnut-Apple-Snack-Cake

Personally I would make this next time with more heath bits and maybe just a tad less apples. The nutmeg in this dish is fabulous!! Mmmm...I could have eaten the "dough" raw. Yum!

2/3 cup butter, softened

1-3/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-1/4 cups chopped peeled tart apples
1/3 cup English toffee bits or almond brickle chips
1/3 cup chopped walnuts


In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.


Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in the apples, toffee bits and walnuts.


Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares. Serve with ice cream if desired. Yield: 18 servings.

YONR #7: Homemade Poptarts

I am so glad I found this recipe online this week!!  I came across these homemade poptarts on Once A Month Mom's website (http://onceamonthmom.com/freezable-recipe-homemade-pop-tarts/) and was eager to make them for Allison and Chloe to take as a breakfast treat for their friends at daycare.  I was thrilled that it only uses 2-4 ingredients, depending on if you want the frosting or not.  Personally, I loved them without the frosting but Allison liked them better with.

I happened to have an extra refrigerated pie crust in the fridge so we made them this morning and within minutes of coming out of the oven Allison, Chloe and I had eaten them ALL!  Chloe was even eating the crumbs off the floor.  Yes, it was a big hit in our house!

I made most of them with strawberry jelly (since we had that on hand), but I also made one with peanut butter and jelly and one with some cinnamon and a tbsp of brown sugar.  The brown sugar and cinnamon was my favorite!  Hands down, no contest, it was the best!!

Originally I planned to freeze these and see how they reheated (which they are supposed to do).  But we're piggies and have none to stick in the freezer.  : ) 
Here is the link again to the recipe: http://onceamonthmom.com/freezable-recipe-homemade-pop-tarts/
Author/Source: Tricia @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:
•1 box refrigerated pie crusts (2 per pkg)
•1 cups Jam/Jelly (any flavor)

Optional other fillings: Cinnamon and brown sugar, peanut butter, nutella
Glaze:
•2/3 cup powdered sugar
•2 Tablespoons milk
•optional sprinkles

Directions:
Using a pizza cutter trim the edges so that you have a square/rectangle to work with. Using the pizza cutter divide each rectangle into 4 squares. Place and spread 1-2 Tablespoons of jam/jelly on each square in the middle. Fold over the dough and seal edges with a fork. (With extra cut off dough, roll out and make 2 additional squares). Place on cookie sheet for baking. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes. After baking remove for cooling and prepare glaze by mixing in milk until desired consistency. Spread on top of pop tarts and allow to cool.

Freezing Directions:
Once cool, flash freeze. When partially frozen place in gallon freezer bag for storage. To serve: Thaw or heat in microwave for 1-2 minutes or heat in oven. If adding glaze DO NOT put in toaster.

Servings: 10

YONR #6: Crunchy Potato Chip Chicken

 

I am always looking for variations for chicken recipes.  I came across this one on the Betty Crocker website (http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/quick-n-crunchy-potato-chip-chicken/703fe479-0743-4db4-b1e9-c5d33ad8a1e2)

I wanted to make this healthier (how can you do that when it's coated in potato chips right?) so I baked it instead of frying it in oil.  I don't think it made much of a difference.  My family loved this!  Brian gave it 4 1/2 stars, I gave it 4 stars, Allison gave it 5 stars and Chloe gave it 2 front teeth and a tongue. ha ha! 

4 cups sour cream and onion-flavored potato chips, crushed (1 cup)

1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 large egg (next time I would use 2 egg whites instead.)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (if you are frying it)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)


1. In shallow bowl, mix crushed potato chips and parsley. In another shallow bowl, beat egg and Worcestershire sauce.
2. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then coat with potato chip mixture.
3. If frying: Cook chicken in oil 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown and juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F)
   If baking: Bake 25 minutes in a 370 degree oven (or until cooked all the way through)

YONR #5: Watermelon and Feta Salad

It looks odd right???  Yet a little intriguing??  That's what I thought too, so when I came across this recipe I knew I just had to try it.  I found this in my Family Fun magazine (http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/try-a-surprising-salad-907310/) and immediately ripped it out. 

It's weird.  But it's surprisingly very good.  I had it for breakfast and lunch, and I'll probably have it again for dinner!  I'd give this a low 4 stars.  I didn't have any fresh basil or mint so I just used a pinch of dried basil.  I think the fresh basil would definitely make it a lot better...and prettier!!

Ingredients:
8 cups cubed watermelon
2 to 4 ounces cubed or crumbled feta
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil or mint


Instructions
Mix the watermelon and feta. Toss with a dressing made from the lime juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with slivered fresh basil or mint. Serves 8.

YONR #4: 10 Minute Banana Bread

Photo courtesy of http://www.thedeliciouslife.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/bananabread_loafpan.jpg

I sure am ahead of the game with new recipes so far.  My goal was one new recipe a week and this week I'm already up to 4!  (Maybe I'm just banking recipes for the future).

Allison and I made some Chocolate Chip Banana Bread for her to take to her new friends at her new daycare today.  I had 2 ripe bananas and a reason to use them up and not eat it myself, so this was a perfect excuse to bake and send away.

I found this banana bread recipe at a blog called The Fresh Loaf: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/bananabread

I liked that I only needed 2 bananas and the words "10 minutes" in the title.  We decided to add in some chocolate chips to make this more appealing to the day care kids...who loved it by the way!  This was a very good recipe and I will definitely make it again.

Makes 1 full-sized loaf or 2 small loaves

Preheat the oven to 350.

In one bowl, combine:
1/2 stick (4-5 tablespoons) butter, softened
2 eggs
2 or 3 very ripe bananas
2/3 cup sugar
Use a potato masher, fork, or spoon to squish the banana and mix the ingredients together. It is alright for there to be small (1 centimeter) chunks of banana in the batter, but you want most of the banana to be reduced to mush.

In another bowl, combine:
1 1/3 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional) (We used it!)

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until the ingredients are blended together.

If you like, stir in additional ingredients here, such as chopped walnuts or pecans, dried cherries or apricots, or chocolate chips. A handful (about a half a cup) is about right.

Pour the dough into greased baking pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Small loaves take around 30 minutes, a normal-sized loaf takes around 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven. This bread is great warm, but it is excellent cold too. After they have cooled for 5 or 10 minutes the loaves can be removed from the pan to cool. Once they are cool they can be individually wrapped and frozen.

#3: Cake Balls

I found this recipe in Parents Magazine.  It was easy and I had almost all of the ingredients on hand.  I had VERY high hopes for this recipe, but I was not impressed.  : (   However, I accidentally used a bit too much frosting in the mixture so I'm hoping that's why it was so gooey!  I will try to make this again eventually, but next time will only use 1/2 can of frosting (instead of more like 3/4 like I did this time) and maybe try cream cheese frosting instead.  So dissapointed with the way these turned out.

Bake your favorite cake mix as directed.  When cool, crumble cake into a large bowl and add 1/2 can of vanilla frosting.  Use your hands to mush together, adding more frosting if it seems dry.  Roll into 25 walnut size balls and put on a wax paper covered cookie sheet. 

For the icing mix together 2 cups powdered sugar and 4 tbsp water until smooth (add more water if needed).  Dip each ball in icing and place on wax paper.  Coat with sprinkles and let set. 

#2: Mini Pizza Cups

I made these Mini Pizza Cups for book club tomorrow night.  It's a recipe that I clipped out of a magazine (Taste of Home) and have been hoping to make for some sort of gathering.  Ideally, I probably should make these when I'm serving them so I can serve them still warm.  We'll see how they reheat tomorrow. 


The original recipe called for refrigerated dinner rolls.  I had refrigerated buttermilk biscuits so I used those instead.  I think they turned out just fine with the substitution. 


Here is the link to the recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Mini-Pizza-Cups


1 tube (11.3 ounces) refrigerated dinner rolls
1 can (8 ounces) pizza sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 ounces sliced turkey pepperoni, chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese


Separate dough into eight rolls; cut each into quarters. Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

Spoon pizza sauce into each cup. Sprinkle with onion, green pepper, pepperoni and cheese. Bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes or until crusts are browned and cheese is melted. Yield: 32 appetizers

A year of new recipes...my newest "plan"

I got inspired by two things...my love of cooking and wanting to try new recipes and the movie Julie and Julia.  As I thought about the hundred of recipes I have book marked online, saved in files, cut out of magazines, and book marked in cookbooks, I realized that I want to start trying as many new recipes as possible and then either saving or tossing the ones I've collected.  My first plan was to make 1 new recipe every day for the next year just like Julie in the movie.  But I don't have the funds to do that.

My next plan was do make 3 new recipes a week (I could probably afford that since most of the things I make are far from gourmet), but let's be honest, who's going to eat these new meals/snacks/treats?  ME.  And we all know that I don't need to be eating extra calories. 

So to do what I want and be realistic about it, I've decided to embark on 1 new recipe a week for the next year.  This could be a total bust and fizzle out after the first month.  I hope it doesn't come to that.  And with 2 book clubs that I'm in each month I could easily make/bring one of the recipes to each of those. 

This is making me very excited...I hope this works and continues for the next 52 weeks. 

So here is my first recipe:
Cherry Chocolate Chip Walnut Cake Cookies

1 box devils food cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c apple sauce
1/4 c chopped maraschino cherries
1/3 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients and drop by rounded spoonful on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake 375 degrees for 9 minutes.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute before transfering to a wire rack. 

My verdict:  YUM.  I Loved them.  I made these for Allison to give to her teachers at daycare on her last day and quite a few (okay close to a dozen) didn't make it on the plate.  This combined 3 of my favorite things...chocolate, cherries and walnuts.  I will definitely make these again!

Freezer Cooking Day!

So I did my first "official" freezer cooking day today.  I've done mini ones in the past, but today I cooked with a specific menu in mind.  Here you can see our August menu.  The meals in blue are ones that we already had on hand (non-perishable like spaghetti, or already frozen meals like Meat Loaf Muffins).  You can also see that I left a couple of days blank so I can try out some new recipes on days I have extra time.  The rest, I made/prepared today.  It only took me 4 hours from start to finish...and that includes loading and running the dishwasher!  Not bad for my first time if I say so myself.  When I was done Brian asked if I regretted it...ABSOLUTELY NOT!  This is totally my thing!  I love doing this; I wish it could be a full time job!  I'd love to come over and grocery shop and cook for others.  : )  As you can see my meals are in no way "gourmet."  It's just meals that are quick and easy to prepare/reheat and get on the table after a long day at work.

I hope to do this again over Labor Day weekend.  Maybe I can get September's meals prepared that time and maybe add in a few more lunch ideas as well.

Here is my to-do list (for anyone interested).  I broke down all of the things I would need to do so I had a game plan to follow.  I ended up going slightly out of order but it all worked out in the end. 
1. Brown turkey breakfast sausage for phyllo rolls. Add minced onion and freeze.

2. Cook 3 Italian sausage, casings removed
3. Brown 5 lb ground turkey
1+ c for lasagna, 2 c mexi pasta, 2 c moms hamb helper, 1 ¼ c for pizza burgers, 1-2 lb stuffed peppers (x2?), <2 c cooked for bubble up, 2 c for enchilada filling + extra for girls)
4. Cook 2 c rice (stuffed peppers x 2, enchilada filling)
5. Chop onions (1/8 c stuffed peppers, ½ c for hamburger helper, 1/8 c for bubble up)
6. Cut pepperoni into bite size pieces (1.5 oz for pizza burgers, some for pizza pockets)
7. Chop 1/3 c parsley
8. Marinade for Ziploc chicken
9. Mix meat and sauce/seasoning for bubble up
10. Make filling for pizza pockets w/cooked Italian sausage (1/2c pizza sauce, sausage, pepperoni)
11. Put 2 lasagna’s together
12. Put together Mexican pasta skillet (cool before adding macaroni)
13. Put together hamburger helper
14. Put pizza burgers together
15. Brown 1 lb ground chicken (sloppy Joes x 2)
16. Make sloppy joe filling (1 c ketchup, 1 can diet coke, s/p, minced garlic)
17. Make enchilada filling (taco seasoning, refried beans, rice, cheese, purple puree)
18. Put enchiladas together (+ little extra meat for tacos for girls)
19. Put together stuffed peppers (1 or 2)
20. Freeze chicken for chicken and rice meal
21. Bag chicken for slow cook chicken dinner (4 breasts, halved)
22. Freeze sausage for grilled turkey Italian sausage
23. Add macaroni to Mexican pasta skillet