French Toast Casserole

This is another wonderful recipe that I found on Pinterest.  I made this French Toast Casserole last Sunday and it was a hit!  This is very easy to make and your family will just love it!

Recipe taken from:  http://sheldonrachel.blogspot.com/2009/03/french-toast-bake.html

Ingredients:

1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar
1 loaf Texas toast
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

 

1. Melt butter in microwave & add brown sugar, stir
2. Pour butter/sugar mix into bottom of 9 x 13 pan and coat the bottom of the pan
3. Beat eggs, milk, & vanilla
4. Lay single layer of Texas Toast in pan
5. Spoon 1/2 of egg mixture on bread layer
6. Add 2nd layer of Texas Toast
7. Spoon on remaining egg mixture
8. Cover & chill in fridge overnight
9. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes (covered for the first 30 minutes)
10. Sprinkle with powdered sugar
11. Serve with warm maple syrup, if desired. 

 

When serving, flip the french toast over so the brown sugar and butter are on top!  Enjoy!

Watermelon and Tomato Salad

My mom made this amazing recipe for our family reunion yesterday.  This was probably my most favorite dish.  The watermelon, onion, tomato, and vinegar just sent my taste buds over the edge!  This is a must make recipe for this summer!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Photo taken from myrecipe.com

Ingredients:

5 cups of diced and seeded watermelon
1.5 cups ripe cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
3 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 red onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Pepper and Salt, to taste
Romaine Lettuce

Directions:

Combine watermelon and tomatoes in a large bowl; sprinkle with sugar and salt, tossing to coat. Let stand 15 minutes.

Stir in onion, vinegar, and oil.

Cover and chill 2 hours. Serve chilled with lettuce leaves, if desired. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper to taste.

Recipe taken from myrecipe.com

Grape Salad

This is the most heavenly grape salad I have eaten! It is more like a desset than a salad!  I took this to our Vacation Bible School potluck picnic last night.  It was obviously a hit since there was none leftover.  I heard a few people asking for the recipe.  This is definately something you want to try!

Grape Salad

Ingredients:

8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip
3 lbs. red or green seedless grapes (it is more attractive if you use a combination of both)

TOPPING:

6 Butterfinger candy bars crushed (use freezer zip lock bag to put candy bars in then roll over them using a rolling pin)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Mix first 3 ingredients. Fold in cool whip and grapes.  Place in a serving bowl.  Mix the topping ingredients and crush.  Then sprinkle on top of salad. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.  Enjoy!  This recipe is becoming a family favorite!

Quick & Easy Lunch for the Kids- Hula Pizza

Need a quick, easy, and fairly healthy lunch for the kids?  Look no farther!  I got this recipe out of the Biggest Loser Cookbook and tweaked it a little bit. 

Hula Pizza Ingredients:

Tortillas
Crushed Pineapple
Mozzarella Cheese
Bacon Bits
BBQ Sauce

Layer the ingredients as follows:  Tortilla, Sauce, Cheese, Pineapple, Bacon Bits.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes for until done!  Enjoy!

Kale Chips

Kale Chips

These Kale Chips melt in your mouth!  I didn't think these would be that great, but to my surprise, they were excellent!

Ingredients:
Kale Chips
Seasoned Salt
2 Tbsp Oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Cut Kale off of the thick rib.  Slice into bit size pieces.  Place on a cookie sheet in a single layer.  Sprinkle oil over top and then lightly sprinkle with seasoned salt.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  If you bake any longer, they may get a burnt taste.  Enjoy!

Banana Bread Recipe from Simply Recipes

So happy that I stumbled upson this recipe yesterday.  I was searching and searching for my all time favorite Cuisine Magazine recipe, but could not locate the magazine that is was in, so I had to search the internet.  To my suprise, this recipe was wonderful!  I added chocolate chips, too!  Check it out!





Ingredients: 

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.  Makes 1 loaf!

Thanks Simply Recipes!

Cinnamon Baked French Toast

Since I got my bread maker for Christmas, I have continued to make sourdough bread a few times each week.  I got a started from a family friend and my mason jar will overflow if I don't do something with the starter.  I continue to search for things to do with my sourdough bread, since my family is getting tired of eating it!  I have made Sourdough French Toast the Cracker Barrel way, I have thought of making my own croutons, given loaves away, but last night I came across this wonderful recipe on Pioneer Woman for Cinnamon Baked French Toast. 

This is a very simple recipe and you can even make it the night before. 

How to make:

1 Loaf Sourdough
8 Eggs
2 1/2 cups Whole Milk
3/4 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Vanilla

Cut or rip the bread and place into a 9 x13 greased dish.  Then in a bowl mix the eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla.  Pour over the bread.  If you want to add fresh fruit to the dish, this is the time to do it.  Then place plastic wrap over the dish and put in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Next you need to make the streusel topping.  You can make this the night before and store in the refrigerator or you can make right before it goes in the oven.  Mix the follwing ingredients together:

1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces

Place the mixed ingredients on top of the sourdough and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Scoup out individual servings and serve with butter, maple syrup, and sprinkled powder sugar!  Enjoy!

Easy and Quick Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is a super easy and simple Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe.  This is not the most extravagant I've had, but it sure it good on a busy night! 

How to make it:

3 chicken breasts, cut into tenders (or you can buy chicken tenders)
1 package Crescents
Swiss Cheese
Ham

Cook the chicken tender a skillet with 1 tbsp oil.  Cook until done.  Lay out the crescents and place cooked chicken tender, ham, cheese, and roll up the crescent.  Place a toothpick or two through it to hold everything in place. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes or until the crescents are golden brown.

If you do not want any chicken showing, press two crescents together and fold over the chicken, ham, and cheese! 

Enjoy!

Sides:  We had salad and mashed potatoes with this.

Garlic Parmesan Crusted Chicken

This Garlic Parmesan Crusted Chicken is such a delicious, unhealthy way to eat chicken.  Everyone in my crowd just loved this recipe!  I will definitely make it again!  I found this recipe on Plain Chicken blog.  I hope you enjoy!

How to make:

 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 3/4 inch thickness

 

Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup ranch dressing

3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp pepper

Ranch Spread
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup ranch dressing

Parmesan Crumb Topping
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoons garlic salt,
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan
2 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup shredded provolone

Combine ingredients for marinade and pour over chicken. Let marinate in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight. Grill or bake in oven, until chicken is done.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the ranch spread and Parmesan crumb topping.

For the ranch spread, mix 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan and 1/4 cup ranch dressing. Set aside.

For Parmesan crumb topping, mix bread crumbs, garlic salt, shredded Parmesan and butter. The crumbs should be evenly moistened.

Position rack in center of oven. Preheat broiler.

Transfer cooked chicken to oven-safe casserole dish. Spread 2 tablespoons ranch spread on each breast, then top with provolone and Parmesan crumb topping. Place chicken under broiler and cook until cheese melts and crumb topping begins to turn light brown. Serve immediately.  We ate steamed vegetables with this meal and cranberry sauce with this meal.

Cuisine Magazine Peachy Pork Chops

Check out Cuisine Magazine's website for this Peachy Pork Chops Recipes!  This will be going on my menu for next week!

Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg, lightly beaten plus 2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups flour (Add a bit more if dough seems too wet after first few minutes of kneading in the bread machine.)
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Filling (I doubled this since we like the filling):2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup brown sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Icing:1 teaspoon milk
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
4 tablespoons (or less) butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put the dough ingredients in the bread machine in the order listed and run on the dough cycle. After the dough cycle is finished, roll the dough into a large rectangle and spread it with 2 Tablespoons melted butter and 2/3 cup brown sugar mixed with 1 Tablespoon cinnamon. I do not own a rolling pin, so this was very difficult with a cup! 

Roll up and cut into 10-15 rolls and place in two greased round cake pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until browned. Spread the icing on as soon as they come out of the oven.

You can also cover the unbaked rolls with plastic wrap, stick them in the refrigerator overnight, and then bake in the morning.

Thanks to Money Saving Mom for the recipe!  This one is a keeper!

Plain Chicken's Cream Cheese White Chicken Chili

Photo taken from Plain Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it has to be the most fabulous, delicious, mouth watering white chicken chili I have ever eaten!  This will be a frequent menu item! 

I fixed this recipe this past Wednesday after my friend raved about it.  You will not be let down with this great recipe!

Ingredients:
1 can black beans
1 can corn, undrained
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 package ranch dressing mix (or onion soup mix to give it a different flavor)
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 8 oz package light cream cheese
2 chicken breasts

Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of pot, then pour out whole can of corn (undrained), rotel, and black beans.

Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

And don't forget to save some in a container to take to work!  After heating this up in the microwave, all your coworkers will be asking for the recipe!

 I took this recipe from Plain Chicken
Scroll to Top

Spicy Tuna Cakes



Photo taken from food.com

These tuna cakes are probably the best that I have ever made.  They don't even taste like tuna!  I know that frying tuna is not the most healthy way to eat it, but it sure was delicious! 

Ingredients: 

3 (6 ounce) cans tuna  (drained)

1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs

2 eggs (slightly beaten)

4 tablespoons mayo

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard  

2 tablespoons lemon juice 

1/2 cup onion (finely diced)

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon red curry powder

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic 

1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt

1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce

1 teaspoon black pepper

To prepare:

Mix all the ingredients, like you would for a meatloaf.  Pour oil into a pan and heat over medium to medium high heat.  Drop mixture by heaping tablespoon into pan and press to for cake with the back of your spoon.  Cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.  Place cakes on paper towel or brown bag to help drain the oil.  Serve with your favorite sauce!  We used Franks Red Hot! 

This recipe was taken from food.com

Leftover Vegetable Soup with Christmas Turkey

What do you do with your leftover vegetables?  My husband and I started saving all our leftover vegetables in a container in the freezer.  We have a 1 quart container that we add to anytime we have leftover vegetables and then make a soup out of it, once it is full.  I made a soup this week with leftover frozen vegetables, homemade chicken stock, and leftover Christmas turkey!  The soup was fabulous! 

2011 Best of Betty Crocker FREE Cookbook!

Here's a free ecookbook with theBest of Betty Crocker in 2011!  Enjoy your FREE ebook! 

There are lots of wonderful looking recipes in this book!  I want to try the Buffalo Chicken Chili on page 18!  That should warm my family up on a cold winter's day!  Remember that spicy foods (possibly the buffalo wing sauce) are healthy for you and that they make you eat slower, which means you won't eat as much! 

Sourdough Bread Recipe

This is my mom's sourdough bread recipe that she makes (or used to make when I was a child).  I remember her having a starter for this recipe and feeding it several times a week.  I recall as a child seeing her put potato flakes in the starter.  I posted this morning on facebook that I was going to attempt to make bread in my bread maker today. 

A few minutes after my post, my mom's friend messaged me and said she would give me some starter for sourdough.  I picked up the starter this morning!

So now I am going to try my best to hold onto this starter and feed it.  My mom's friend said that she had the same starter (that my mom gave her) for close to 10 years!  You can either bake this bread in the oven or use a bread machine.  I will share the two different recipes below:


Sour Dough in Oven by Judi

6 cups bread flour
1 package yeast
1 T salt
1/2 cup sugar

Add: 1 cups of the starter (lukewarm)
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup oil

Stir with wododen spoon until all the ingrediants form a soft dough.  Turn on a floured surface and knead.  Let the dough rise for several hours until it has doubled in size.  Knead it again, slightly.

Divide the dough into three loaves.  Place them into well greased pans and let rise until doubled.  Bake at 325 for 35 minutes.

Sourdough for the Breadmaker by Maureen

4 cups of bread flour
2 packages of yeast
3/4 T salt
1/4 cup of sugar
2/3 cup of warm starter
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup of oil

Mix as directed with your bread maker.  With mine, place all the liquid ingredients on the bottom, then add the dry.  Make a hole in the flour and place the yeast.  Bake.

Here is a recipe for a starter for sourdough bread.  Remember, you have to feed this just like a pet.  It eats 2x per week!

Starter Recipe from Allrecipe.com

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

2 cups warm water

2 cups all-purpose flour

In large non-metallic bowl, mix together dry yeast, 2 cups warm water, and 2 cups all purpose flour and cover loosely.  

Leave in a warm place to ferment, 4 to 8 days. Depending on temperature and humidity of kitchen, times may vary. Place on cookie sheet in case of overflow. Check on occasionally.               

When mixture is bubbly and has a pleasant sour smell, it is ready to use. If mixture has a pink, orange, or any other strange color tinge to it, THROW IT OUT! and start over. Keep it in the refrigerator, covered until ready to bake.               

When you use starter to bake, always replace with equal amounts of a flour and water mixture with a pinch of sugar. So, if you remove 1 cup starter, replace with 1 cup water and 1 cup flour. Mix well and leave out on the counter until bubbly again, then refrigerate. If a clear to light brown liquid has accumulated on top, don't worry, this is an alcohol base liquid that occurs with fermentation. Just stir this back into the starter, the alcohol bakes off and that wonderful sourdough flavor remains! Sourdough starters improve with age, they used to be passed down generation to generation!               

This is the recipe I have to feed my starter:

3 T potato flakes

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup warm water

Shake the starter well and leave out on the counter for 8 hours.  Shake occasionally.  Leave the lid loose since it is a gas (you don't want your mason jar to explode!).

I hope you enjoy this sourdough bread as much as my family does!  It is delicious!

Bacon Wrapped, Stuffed Blue Cheese Dates

I know, it sounds delicious...and looks good, too!  I just got done preparing these for tomorrow evening.  All I have to do it place them in the oven to cook! 

I took this recipe from allrecipes.com.  My friends have made this recipe before and it was heavenly. 

Here is the recipe:

1 pound sliced bacon, cut in half

1 pound pitted dates

4 ounces blue cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).               

Slice dates in half, and open them up. Pinch off pieces of blue cheese, and firmly place them into the center of the dates. Close the halves of the dates, and wrap a half-slice of bacon around the outside. Secure each one with a toothpick. Arrange in a baking dish or on a baking sheet with sides to catch any grease.               

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bacon is crisp. Turn dates over after the first 20 minutes for even cooking.

As I said earlier, you can make these up a day ahead and place them uncooked in the refrigerator.  I will pop these in the oven a few minutes before our company arrives tomorrow night!               

Cookies, Cookies, and More Cookies

Did you know that Pillsbury now makes Peanut Butter Cookie Dough in a tube?  Well know you do!  I made the Peanut Butter/Hershey Kiss Cookies this week.  All I did was take a heaping teaspoon of the cookie dough, roll it into a ball, roll it in sugar, and place it on the cookie sheet.  I baked them and once they were done, I placed Hershey Kisses on the top!  Sandra Lee would be so proud of my semi homemade cookies!

I then had my husband bake these chocolate chip cookies shown below!  I had a coupon for $1.00 off two and Kroger has these big sizes of cookie dough for $2.50.  So I couldn't turn away these pre-made cookie dough tubes!

My coworkers and I made semi homemade cookies for some of the Departments of Social Services in our area.  The cookies I was in charge of making turned out great!  All I did was take two Sugar Cookie Doughs (in a tube) and mix with one bag of white chocolate chips and one bag of cranberries.  These cookies were so good and so easy!   

I hope that I am able to actually make some homemade cookies this weekend!  I do love Pillsbury, but nothing beats homemade stuff!

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

In the Crock pot:
1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)
1 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup water

Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar 1 TBS cornstarch
¼ cup balsamic vinegar ½ cup water
2 TBS soy sauce

Combine sage, salt, pepper & garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat & stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

I also made this glaze for a tenderloin my husband was grilling.  It turned out great too!

Easy Chicken Curry

I made this dish for dinner tonight and it was fabulous!  My family really enjoyed it. I have tried a few different chicken curry recipes and I think I have found the one!  My husband would like it more spicy, but he added hot sauce to his, so he was happy!



Easy Chicken Curry

1 tablespoon butter 

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1 small green apple, peeled, cored and finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon corn starch

1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder 

1/4 cup whole milk

1 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 cups cooked chicken

Melt butter in large skillet over medium low heat.  Cut chicken into 1/2" pieces and place in skillet.  Cook each side for just a few minutes.  Add the onion, apple and garlic and mix well, cook, covered over low heat until the onion is tender and translucent, about 12 minutes.  Then add the curry powder to the onion mixture and mix well.  Dissolve cornstarch in the milk and add it to the mixture.  Add the chicken broth and mix well.  Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened.  Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and mix well.

Serve over rice!  The recipe said you can also serve this with condiments such as chutney, raisins, diced bell peppers, cucumber, tomato, pineapple, papaya, mango, banana, kiwi, chopped scallions, hard-boiled eggs, peanuts or toasted almonds.  I didn't jazz it up at all!  We just ate steamed broccoli on the side!
Recipe taken from Food.com