Super Delicious Yummy Ham

I got this recipe from Rose- a lady on my mission. So I call it Rose's Ham. But you can call it whatever you want. It is super delicious and yummy. So feel free to call it that.

I tried to take pictures throughout but of course didn't get pictures at the beginning or the end...

First step is to bake ham frozen, with skin on at a low heat (about 150 to 200 degrees) "all day". My ham wasn't frozen so I was a little worried about cooking it all day. Plus my oven would only go as low as 170 degrees. So I put it in the oven before leaving for church and it was "done" when I got home- 3 hours later.

Take out of oven- remove skin and fat.

Now comes the delicious part.

Mix together:
2 cups brown sugar
1 Tablespoon dry mustard
3 or 4 shakes of soy sauce
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup or less ketchup

(my ham was pretty small so I halved the glaze recipe)

It will be pretty thick- paste the glaze onto the ham. Cover the ham as best you can and just pour in the rest of the glaze.

Return to the oven- but this time at 400 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes- basting it with the glaze a few times.
I tried to baste it about every 5 minutes. The glaze becomes very liquidy and easy to spoon over the ham.


I made this to take to my sisters for dinner. So I just put it in a container, poured over the glaze- it travelled perfectly.

Just before eating we sliced it, poured some glaze over the slices and dug in. Pretty sure my brother-in-law ate half of it.


My sister also made a plain ham (that was HUGE) so there were lots leftover. I took a few pieces, put them in my container with some glaze and enjoyed it the next day.


Try it. You will love it.

Mmmmmm.... Pie.

Over 3 years ago I said that I would share a recipe for the greatest pie EVER and never did! I am not a big pie fan but this one is delicious. It tastes like cookie dough/chocolate chip cookie. Mmmm. The first time I had it, I was in LOVE. I asked my friend for the recipe and he was kind enough to share it. I have made it 3 times since then (3 times in 3 years... there is something serwiously wrong with that) but for some reason it doesn't taste AS amazing as it did the first time. Maybe he is like the lady on my mission that would leave out an ingredient whenever she shared a recipe with someone so that theirs would never work out and hers would always be the best. Funny. But mean.

So anyways- it is really yummy. And I will just have to keep making it until it is as delightful as the original.

*Note: okay... so I did some research looking up other pictures and recipes online and it is indeed supposed to be gooey in the middle (like I remember). I am not sure why mine always turns out more like a cookie. I will do some experimenting and get back to you. But in the meantime- give this a try. It is still mighty tasty.




Kentucky Derby Pie


1 pie shell
2 eggs- beaten
1/2 cup butter- melted & cooled
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup pecans- chopped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix eggs & cooled butter.
Add sugar & flour, then vanilla , nuts and chocolate chips.

Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes.
(watch the crust & cover with foil if getting too dark)




I made little tart size for our family's monthly birthday celebration. What says Happy Birthday more than a sparkler in a tart?
Not much.
Not much.

J-E-L-L-O

I love Jell-O. I don't know if it is necessarily the taste of it. Or more of what you can do with it. (especially with the fabulous molds/jell-o cutters out there).

It is almost always a side dish for our Sunday family dinners. Some like it with fruit. Some like it without. So we have to have 2 different kinds to please everyone. The kids tend to eat more jell-0 than the "normal" food. But who can blame them?

Not me.

For our today's Sunday dinner I made everyone's name in Jell-O.

It was a special Sunday for 2 reasons.

1) It is Father's Day. (Hi Dad! I love you!!)

2) It is the second last time my family will be all together for 18 months. (my parents leave in 8 days for the Philippines -via the MTC of course!)

9 batches (or 18 boxes) of Jell-O later we were blessed with this:

plus one more table that I didn't get a photo of.

And me. I was actually short an S so I had to steal one from my sister Kristi for this photo.

Until I ate the evidence I was known as Helley.

(Please ignore the nasty hair and makeup. I was in a rush this morning- hence the waves and I bought new powder that apparently makes me look like more of a freak!)

To make jell-o Jigglers you need:

4 boxes of jell-o (the normal 4 serving size)

2 1/2 cups boiling water.

Mix and pour into 9x13 pan.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes (the longer you refrigerate, the more solid it gets)

In my adventures of making 9 batches of jell-0 I learned a few things.

*halve the batch when making lots of different colors (so 2 boxes & 1 1/4 cups boiling water in a square pan)

*mixing the power and water in a separate bowl (or liquid measuring cup) and then pouring in your pan creates better jell-o. Not too sure why- but it does.

*the recipe says to place the bottom of pan in warm water for 15 seconds to aid in getting the goods out. I found the greasing the pan with a little cooking spray works much bigger wonders.

IFHRTCB Bars

I saw this recipe on the cooking blog- Sweet Sista' and knew right away that I HAD to make them.

She called them Pink Slip Bars because she made them for co-workers after finding out they were all being laid off.

I made these 2 months ago. But if I made them today I could name them:

I Just Got a REAL Job Bars.

Or I Forgot How Rude Teenagers Can Be Bars.

Or I Filled Up With Gas Before the Price Went Up Bars.

I the last one hasn't happened yet but hopefully it will tomorrow and then I may just have to celebrate with these bars.

They are perfect for any "celebration" in your life!

1 cup butter- softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla & mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt & soda & stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (I used a 10x 15, but maybe 13 x 18 would be better).

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter- softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

4 cups powdered sugar

5 tablespoons milk

food coloring (if desired)

Frosting: Combine butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined. Then add milk and food coloring mix until smooth and spreading consistency. I like to beat frosting for at least 5 minutes so it's light and fluffy.

I was told by a friend that this is the most amazing frosting she has ever had. She couldn't eat the bars but asked for a container of frosting instead!!

They are so delicious.

This is what the pan looked like the next morning. Pretty sure the rest were devoured shortly after this picture was taken.

I apologize for the large clump of words. I have tried several times to put spaces throughout but they disappear when I post. Can anybody help me?

I am in love...

with a cookie.

We had an opportunity to fall in love years ago. But I couldn't see past it's cakey texture and not so delicious taste (made from a different recipe).

But then yesterday, we had a couple very ripe bananas that were screaming to be baked into something delicious. So I went to my favorite website and typed in Bananas.

Amongst a ton of recipes was Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies. With 7 practically perfect ratings, I thought I would give our relationship one more shot. (fyi- it is only available on the Kraft Canada site. Hmmmmm... interesting).

It was love at first bite. And when it says crunchy peanut butter- it means crunchy peanut butter. The little chunks of peanut add a delightful contrast to the moist texture.


So next time you buy bananas grab an extra big bunch. Then you will just HAVE to bake some Peanut Butter Banana cookies with the ones you just couldn't eat before they got too ripe.

Peanut Butter & Banana Cookies
(Kraft)

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar-firmly packed
3/4 cup each: KRAFT Crunchy Peanut Butter
3/4 cup mashed bananas
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup wholewheat flour
2 teaspoon baking powder

Beat butter, sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in bananas
Combine flours and baking powder. Add to banana mixture, mixing well. Drop by tablespoon onto lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake at 35o◦ 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack


**Don't have too high expectations though. Just like going to a movie... (hopefully I am not the only one this happens to) when you expect something truly amazing you are prone to disapointment. So just expect something mildly tasty and you may end up being pleasantly surprised!!

Spaghetti Pie

It is so easy. And I love it.

Spaghetti.

There is just something about it.

When I was younger I would request it for my birthday meal. And still enjoy it today!

Fast. Cheap. And easy. What's not to love?

The other day when I got a hankering for spaghetti, I decided to do some investigating to find a recipe* for spaghetti with a twist. And this is what I found.

Spaghetti Pie
(Kraft)

1/2 pound lean ground beef-cooked & drained
1 cup pasta sauce
3 eggs
1 cup parmesan cheese
3 cups cooked spaghetti
1 cup mozzarella cheese- shredded


Mix meat and pasta sauce; set aside. Beat eggs and Parmesan cheese in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Add pasta; toss to coat.

Spread pasta mixture onto bottom and up side of lightly greased 9-inch deep-dish pie plate; top with meat mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350◦ for 20 minutes or until mozzarella cheese is melted.
Let stand 5 min. Cut into six wedges to serve.

I thought 3 eggs sounded a little much. So I only put in 2. It worked fine. But probably would have resulted in a more clean-cut-pie-slice-look if I had added the 3rd.



Still delicious. And fun.

*The Kraft website is a WONDERFUL resource for recipes. You can type in a couple ingredients and it will bring up lots of recipes for you to choose from. Check it out: Canada USA (be careful when you click on the US site. I had my volume up and it almost scared me right out of my pajama pants!)

Most Talked About Recipe

A long time ago (12 years ago maybe), my sister Kristi introduced me to a recipe for Chicken Roll Ups. They were delightful. I would forget about them. But when I remembered them, I would eat them. And love them.

In college, my roommate Amanda made them. I don't remember what she called them but I do remember one thing she did differently.

Then I moved to Virginia. And my friend made them. But she called them Chicken Pillows. And made them a little differently.

When my sister Kim came to visit me in Virginia 1 1/2 years ago, I made them for her and her family. Apparently this was her first time partaking of them. And she ,too, loved them.

About a month ago, my sister Andrea was telling me about this recipe she was going to try, called Chicken Pillows. She told me about the recipe and they were very similar but had a few differences from my Chicken Roll Ups. I laughed as I thought everyone in my family had now been introduced to this recipe.

2 weeks ago I was visiting my friend Anitra in Virginia and she told me about a recipe for Chicken Pillows. Once again, the idea was the same, but had small differences.

Now I truly believe that the whole world has made/tried these. But apparently there are several variations out there. So I will share it for those few people who haven't yet experienced them, or want to try a different variation.

Chicken Roll Ups


2 cups cut up chicken
8 ounces cream cheese
2 sticks celery- chopped
1/2 cup onion- minced
1/4 cup silvered almonds
1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 cans crescent rolls or biscuits
4 Tablespoons melted margarine
2/3 cup Stovetop stuffing


Roll out rolls.
Put 1/2 cup of mixture on each roll.

Roll up, dip in margarine and roll in crumbs.
Place on cookie sheet.

Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.

Top with gravy- can of cream of chicken soup diluted with no more than 1/2 can of milk.

So delicious. And I think they make great leftovers. We found out that they even freeze well.

Here are the different versions I have heard of:


Amanda's- used bread crumbs instead of stuffing to roll them in. I usually don't have stove top or am too lazy (or hungry) to take the time to coat them so I just eat them plain. This time I made them, I used bread crumbs. There was a little too much coating for me. I preferred the plain.

I ran out of margarine and bread crumbs so 2 stayed plain. The plain ones cooked a little faster!

Martha's- put mushrooms rather than almonds and celery. I'm not a fan of mushrooms.


Andrea's- didn't call for almonds, celery or onions. And says to use cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken. Don't really understand that one...


Anitra's- says to put in parmesan cheese and green onions with the chicken and cream cheese. Interesting.
I had never even thought of adding cheese to the mixture. So I gave it a try. Can't say I noticed a huge difference. But "cheese makes everything better..."



I prefer using the biscuits rather than the crescent rolls. They are easier to stuff as with the crescent rolls you have to somehow wrap the small amount/oddly shaped dough around the filling. With biscuits you just fold in half and pinch the dough edges together.

Crescent rolls were much cheaper than the biscuits so we went with those this time.

Have you had/made this recipe before? How is yours different? The same?

Peanut Butter & Chocolate

I received my latest copy of Kraft's What Cooking and immediately had to check out the tasty recipes. This one caught my eye. Peanut Butter & Chocolate. A delightful combination. Usually.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Babies

1 package (450 g) brownie mix
3/4 of 250-g (8 ounces) Brick Cream Cheese- softened
1/4 cup smooth Peanut Butter
2 Tablespoon sugar
1 cup thawed Cool Whip
12 maraschino cherries

Heat oven to 350ºF. Prepare brownie batter as directed on package. Spoon into 12 paper-lined muffin cups.
Beat cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar with mixer until blended. Spoon 1 rounded Tablespoon into centre of batter in each cup, pressing down slightly into batter.
Bake 25 minutes or until centres are set. Cool.

Serve topped with Cool Whip and cherries.

The ones I made look nothing like their picture- of course. Even without the toppings. Why is that?

So this wasn't my favorite recipe. But there could be several reasons for that.
like:
1) I used light cream cheese. Which doesn't usually make a difference but I tasted a little of the mixture and it wasn't very tasty.
2) I forgot to put sugar in the peanut butter mixture. So I just sprinkled some on top before baking. Could be why the mixture wasn't tasty.
3) The brownie mix I used was smaller than what the recipe called for... so it only made 9.
It was also a generic mix. Which I normally don't like. But my Mom had previously bought some. I guess you have to lower your standards a little when you live with your parents. Ha!
4) I also didn't do the whipped cream and cherry on top. But we did eat them with ice cream which makes anything taste better!

So if you give this recipe a try, let me know. I am sure yours will be tastier!

Fast, Cheap and Easy

and delicious.

I found this recipe while flipping through a magazine while the Kindergarten class I was subbing for was enjoying their nap time. It looked easy and yummy. And I have a bunch of broccoli left over from our Relief Society dinner.

It was so fast and easy.

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo
from http://www.campbellskitchen.com/

1/2 of a 1-pound package linguine or spaghetti

1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli flowerets

2 Tablespoons butter

1 pound chicken breast- cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Prepare the linguine according to package directions in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the broccoli during the last 4 minutes of cooking.

Drain the linguine mixture well in a colander.

Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it's well browned, stirring often. Stir the soup, milk, cheese, pepper and linguine mixture in the skillet. Cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling, stirring occasionally.

Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

I read some of the reviews from other people who have made it. They recommended adding a little garlic. I had a little bit of Herb & Garlic Cream Cheese so I put that in there. I am not sure what difference it made but it was tasty. But a little garlic would make it even more delightful.

I LOVE that you put the broccoli in with the pasta to cook it.

We ate it with a side of carrot sticks. And not just any carrot sticks. The BEST carrots in the world. Truly. They are Al's Carrots grown in St. Paul, Alberta. They are only available at Sobey's (to my knowledge). When I bought some last week the cashier said they will be gone in 3 weeks. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking some up!

Arrivederci Fettuccine

Here is another delightful recipe from Pillsbury.
Fettuccine with Chicken & Herbed Vegetables

12 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1 Tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 medium onion- chopped (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 pounds chicken- cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small green pepper- cut into bite sized strips
2 cloves garlic- finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 small zucchini- cut in half lengthwise- sliced
3 large tomatoes- seeded- chopped (3 cups)
3 Tablespoons chopped basil leaves
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese


Cook fettuccine. Drain; cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile in a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Stir in chicken, bell pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned. Stir in zucchini, tomatoes, basil and oregano. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender.

Place fettuccine on serving platter; spoon chicken mixture over top. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Why is it that the pictures in the recipe book (or online) look sooo much better than what it looks like when I make it?

My taste testers stated that it would be bland without the parmesan cheese (we just used grated instead of shredded). This could have been because I used dried basil and oregano instead of fresh. I don't know if that really makes a difference... I am spice challenged. But I do know it is delicious. And healthy!

On top of spaghetti. All covered in cheese.

I don't remember ever having spaghetti & meatballs growing up. But I always wanted to have them because they just look fun. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it.

To fulfill my childhood dream.

Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs & Spaghetti

from Pillsbury

4 mozzarella string cheese- cut into 18 (3/4 inch) cubes
1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1 jar (48 ounces) pasta sauce
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
2 Tablespoons onions- finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 egg
12 ounces cooked spaghetti
2/3 cup shredded fresh parmesan cheese

Place cheese cubes in small plastic zipper bag. Seal and freeze for at least 1 hour.
Heat oven to 375◦. Line 15x10x1 inch pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix bread crumbs and 3 Tablespoons of pasta sauce. Stir in beef, onion, salt, oregano and egg. Shape mixture into 18 inch balls. Press 1 cheese cube into center of each ball, sealing it inside. Gently place in pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour remaining pasta sauce into 5 quart pot. Cover; heat to simmering over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

Be cafeful when doing this step. See that little geyser at the top of the picture. It caused a lot of splattering. Unfortuntely my cookbook got the brunt of it.

Gently stir in meatballs; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are thoroughly cooked and no longer pink in center.

Meanwhile, cook and drain spaghetti. Keep warm.
Serve meatballs and sauce over spaghetti. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

My meatballs didn't survive going from the pan to the pot. Or being stirred in the pot. Now I can see why my Mom never bothered making spaghetti and meatballs. I am not sure what would make them keep their shape...

*baking longer?

*making them bigger?

Even though it wasn't as meatbally as I had hoped, it was still fun and delicious. And I will for sure be making this recipe again!

yummy.

I have been trying new recipes. It's the blogging about them that is the hard part for me. I made this yummy recipe a couple weeks ago. There was a little bit left over and it was equally delightful for lunch the next day. It is so delightful, I suggested we have it for our Relief Society's March 17th party dinner. MMmmm. I hope there is lots leftover. Ha!

Cashew Chicken & Broccoli
from Pillsbury

1 cup uncooked rice
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil (if desired)
1 pound chicken breast- cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 green onions- sliced
1 cup salted roasted cashews

Cook rice.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix soy sauce, gingerroot, sugar and sesame oil. Stir in chicken until coated; let stand 15 minutes to marinate.

In a small bowl, stir 1/4 cup of the broth and the cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved; set aside.

In skillet, heat vegetable oil over high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and add to heated oil in skillet; reserve any remaining marinade. Cook chicken about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink in center.

Stir broccoli and remaining 1/2 cup broth into chicken in skillet; cover and cook 1 minute. Stir in onions and cashews.

Stir reserved marinade into cornstarch mixture. Stir into chicken mixture; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.

Serve over rice.

We like to put sesame seeds on our stir fries. Although in this picture it looks like I like a little stir fry with my sesame seeds!

The sauce didn't really thicken- it actually disappeared. So when I make this again I think I will double or at least 1 and a 1/2 the marinade.

Did you eat pancakes today?

I sure hope so! I wanted to try something new in addition to the traditional pancake. So I made

German Apple Pancakes from Martha Stewart

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (plus more for tin)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter-melted
5 Tablespoons granulated sugar (plus more for tin)
2 Granny Smith apples (about 1 pound)
1/4 cup light-brown sugar
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 450◦.
Butter inside each muffin cup of a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin; coat with granulated sugar.
Peel, core, and slice apples into 12 wedges, then cut wedges into 3 pieces.
In a medium bowl, toss apples with brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add apples and saute, turning occasionally, until caramelized (10 - 12 minutes). Remove pan from stove; let cool 5 minutes. Divide caramelized apples among prepared muffin cups. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, sugar, melted butter, eggs, and milk; process for 3 minutes.
Pour batter over apples.

Transfer tin to oven; reduce heat to 400◦.
Bake until pancakes puff up, about 15 minutes.

Remove tin from oven; invert onto a flat work surface.
Dust with confectioners' sugar; serve immediately.

Oh my. They are tasty. I highly recommend this recipe. They aren't too healthy though. You could maybe do whole wheat flour and less sugar. 5 Tablespoons seemed like a LOT of sugar. So I only put in 4. Try them. Today. mmmmm.

The other day I was in the grocery store with no real purpose (I had some time to kill during my lunch break). As I roamed the aisles I found some fun products that I had never seen before. One of which was-

Caramel spread*?!?! It says it is great on toast & hot rolls. Pancakes were not mentioned but I gave it a try.

All I can say is Be still my soul. I don't think I will put syrup on my pancakes again. So yummy. I don't know how different it is from the caramel you put on ice cream or dip apples in. But it is gooey. And delicious. And can be drizzled on the German Apple Pancakes. Hello!

*There are so many products out there that I have never discovered before. My goal is to try 2 new-fangled foods a month. And share my thoughts with you. Stay tuned to see what I try next!

Lasagna. Take dos.

I decided to try another lasagna.

A Lasagna with Mex-Appeal to be exact.

from Looneyspoons

2 cups chopped onions

2 cloves garlic- minced

1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper

1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes-undrained, cut up

1 cup salsa

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 can (19 ounces) black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can (19 ounces) red kidney beans, drained & rinsed

8 (7 inch) flour tortillas

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 small tomatoes- thinly sliced

Sour cream (optional)

Spray a large saucepan with non-stick spray. Add onions, garlic, and green pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, salsa and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in black beans and kidney beans. Remove from heat.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread 1/3 of the bean mixture over bottom. Cover with half the tortillas (overlapping as needed), and half the cheese. Spoon another 1/3 of bean mixture on top of cheese, followed by remaining tortillas, and last of bean mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with tomato slices and green onions. If desired, serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.

It was pretty tasty. But next time I think I would make a few changes.

Like replace one of the cans of beans with chicken. It was a little too beany for me.

And it makes alot. So unless you are feeding a lot of people- you might want to half it. I think 3 of us had it for 3 meals and still ended up throwing the last bit out as we had had enough.

Cookies for Breakfast??!!

yup. That is right. Cookies for Breakfast.

I was babysitting my niece & nephews the other night... and while they were sleeping I perused the Disney Magic Kitchen Cookbook they got from the library.

Of course the

Don't Forget Breakfast Cookies caught my eye.

1/2 cup butter-softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour (I didn't have WHITE whole wheat flour... so I used 1 1/4 cups of whole wheat and 1/2 cup white flour).

3 cups multigrain cereal flakes with blueberries (I couldn't find just blueberries, but I did find this. And it worked perfectly!)

Beat butter for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and baking soda.

Beat until mixed. Add eggs. Add flour and beat until mixed.

Stir in cereal.

Place 1/4 cup of dough on greased cookie sheet. (Or a fabulous Silpat!)

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Let sit on pan for 1 minute.

Remove and cool on cooling rack.

Makes 12 cookies (I only got 9??)

Delicious AND Nutritious AND so easy. Well I don't know how nutritous. But they have cereal in them, so they have to be healthy. Right?

Yummo... well sorta.

I tried my first Rachel Ray recipe. She said it was the perfect American meal- a combo of Cheeseburgers, Chili and Mac & Cheese. It was super easy. Not as amazing as I was hoping- but still yummy.

Cheeseburger Chili Mac and Cheese

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1 to 2 cups beef stock (depending on how liquid-y you want it)
1 pound whole wheat elbow macaroni
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar (the sharper the better!)



Preheat broiler. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat for the pasta.

Place a medium pot over medium-high heat with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the meat to the pan and cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes.

Add the onion and chili powder to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is tender, 4-5 minutes. Add the ketchup, mustard and beef stock to the pot, bring up to a bubble and simmer until slightly thickened, 4-5 minutes.
While the chili is working, salt the boiling water and drop the pasta in. Cook to al dente according to package directions then drain thoroughly and return it to the pot.

Add the chili to the pot with the pasta and give everything a good toss. Transfer to a casserole dish and top with the shredded cheese. Place the casserole under the broiler to melt and brown the cheese. Serve with a simple salad alongside.



And that is what we did.


(we didn't have any macaroni so I used penne noodles. Wouldn't recommend it- they were a little too large.)

We had something else with our meal... which was truly the highlight of the meal.

A-maize-ing Cornbread

(From Looneyspoons)

1 1/4 cups flour

1 cup cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg- lightly beaten

1/2 cup cottage cheese

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons butter-melted

1 can (4 1/2 ounces) diced green chilies- drained (didn't have- so didn't use)

1 cup whole kernal corn (thaw first if frozen)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.

In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, egg, cottage cheese, honey, butter, chilies, and corn. Beat with a whisk until well blended.

Add corn mixture to flour mixture and stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into an 8x8 inch baking pan (I used a round pan) that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cut into 9 squares and serve warm.

The cottage cheese sounded a little strange. But it totally cooks out so you don't know it is there. It helps make the corn bread moist- because there isn't anything much worse than dry cornbread.

Veggie Lasagna

I have a LOT of recipe books. And I always want to try new recipes. So my personal challenge this year is to make 2 new recipes a week.

And share them with you!

So here we go-

"Not Nearly as Complicated as it Looks" Veggie Lasagna

from Looneyspoons cookbook

(Great recipe. Will for sure make it again. See notes at bottom.)

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic-minced

2 cups sliced mushrooms*

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup chopped sweet red peppers

1 cup thinly sliced zucchini

1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes- undrained- cut up

1 cup "Italian-style" tomato sauce

1 can (5 1/2 ounces) tomato paste

1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles- uncooked

2 cups low-fat (1%) cottage cheese

1 egg white

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach- thawed, squeezed dry & chopped**

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Spray a large saucepan with non-stick spray. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms, carrots, red pepper and zucchini. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are softened, about 7-8 minutes.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, soy sauce, basil, oregano, brown sugar, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare lasagna noodles according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain well.

In a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg white, Parmesan cheese, and spinach. Set aside. In a separate bowl, toss mozzarella and cheddar cheeses together until well mixed.

To assemble lasagna spray DEEP**** 9x13 inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of pan. Layer 3 noodles over top. Spread 2 cups sauce over noodles, followed by 1/2 of the cottage cheese/ spinach mixture, and 1/3 of the cheese.*** Top with 3 more noodles, 2 cups of sauce, 1/2 of the cottage cheese/ spinach mixture and 1/3 of the cheese.*** Layer final 3 noodles on top, followed by 2 cups of sauce (you should be left with 1/3 of the cheese).

Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return to oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Let lasagna cool for 10 minutes before slicing. (Be patient. It will hold together much better if you wait!)



Makes 8 servings. (34 calories & 8.6 g fat per serving)



I think it took me longer to type that up than it did to make it!

Changes I did or will make:
*I (nor any of my family members) don't like mushrooms. So I didn't want to put them in. But I felt like 2 cups was a significant amount of an ingredient to just leave out. We had some leftover chicken so I cut it up and added it instead.
** This was a little too much spinach. It wasn't bad- but just a lot. So unless you have a great love for spinach, I would put a little less next time.
***So I have a problem. I just skim recipes before making them. And then will realize I missed a step when it is a little too late. I didn't realize there was supposed to be cheese layered throughout until I was at the 2nd cheese layer. I decided to just put lots of cheese on top. It ended up tasty. But oh my- it would be even more tasty with cheese throughout. So ALWAYS read your recipe thoroughly before making it!
****I did not use a deep pan. And had to put a cookie sheet on the rack below to catch the drippings that were surely (and did) going to happen. It doesn't necessarily be a big pan, but just not a shallow glass one!!

Strawberries.

I went to the grocery store last week and they had strawberries on sale for $1.25. I really like strawberries. So I put a couple in my cart. There was a limit of 8. So as I thought about it, I decided why not just buy 8. So I did.

I washed and cut up 5 of them and froze them for future use. But the others I needed to use right away to make something delicious! My friend invited me over for dinner so I told her I would only come if I could bring dessert. So I made this:Double Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake
I forgot to sprinkle it with Icing (Powdered) sugar. But it was still tasty.

Then I decided to make a special treat for FHE and made this:
Strawberry Freeze
Unfortunately I didn't have time to let it set as long as it was supposed to so it was more like Strawberry Freeze Soup. But a tasty soup. And I forgot to put strawberries on top. Oops.

My roommate is visit taught by the 2 girls that I visit teach so we decided to have a little visiting teaching dinner with the four of us and my companion. This is what I made for dessert:
Strawberry Cheesecake Cups
These were probably my favorite. I learned from the last recipe and made them at school so they would have time to set. (there are benefits to having access to 6 kitchens & equipment).

Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of any of them... so thanks to Kraft for making them look so pretty. And delicious. So go buy some strawberries. Mmmm. I actually went to the store again for something else and couldn't walk past the cheap strawberries without putting 3 more in my cart! I have a problem.

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

This was made pre- Kitchen Aid days. But I plan to make it again... real soon. It's delicious. My friend from school gives me all her Cooking Light magazines. I have found tons-o-recipes that I want to try and this had the privilege of being the first one. I am kind of a Banana bread snob. It can't have nuts, must have chocolate chips and pretty much needs to be MY recipe. But I decided to give this one a try. I wasn't totally sold on the lime glaze but after half the loaf I realized I really liked it. The lime glaze was made possible by this amazing product (sorry, the picture is REALLY big). I NEVER have lime juice when recipes call for it, so when I saw this I snatched it up. It is powdered lime... you just add it to your drink or recipes. LOVE IT! Enough yip yapping- here is the recipe!

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 tablespoons dark rum (I used Orange juice... I couldn't think of anything else and I had it!!)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk to combine.

Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, rum, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring with a whisk; drizzle over

warm bread. Cool bread completely on wire rack.

Yield

1 loaf, 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)