Recipes, etc...

HAVE SOME RECIPES!

2011-02-08T06:54:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted on here for a while. But I've actually tried a ton of new recipes that I have loved and have wanted to share. My family's menu is growing and I think they really appreciate that. Now I'm just trying to organize everything. Lately I have been a slacker at cooking but once in a while I get in this mood to try new food and I love it when I do and realize just how much I enjoy cooking and seeing how my family loves it. Hopefully you enjoy some of the recipes too and maybe I can be better at being more consistent with cooking and posting what I cook.

The new recipes I posted below are as follows: Creamy Sausage and Tomato Dip, Oreo Cookie Balls, Banana Banana Bread, Creamy Tomato and Chicken Spaghetti, Crepes, Chicken Rice Casserole, Hamburger Rice Hot-Dish, Teandra's Pizza, and Taco Pie.

Enjoy!

Creamy Sausage and Tomato Dip

2011-02-08T06:49:00.000-08:00

This is just the right amount of spice for me. Very creamy and has a great flavor. A huge hit at our super bowl party.

Ingredients:
1lb Italian Sausage
1-8 oz package cream cheese
1-14/4 oz can tomatoes w/ green chilis. (I used Rotel)

Directions:
Brown sausage. Drain grease. Add cream cheese and can of tomatoes. It's up to you whether you want to drain can of tomatoes or not. We drained ours and it turned out great. Stir until cheese melts and well incorporated. Serve with tortilla chips. You can also put in small crockpot on warm. Yields about 2 cups of dip.

*I doubled it. I made it all in a skillet and then put in small crockpot to serve and keep warm.

Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!

Oreo Cookie Balls

2011-02-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

I made these for the super bowl party at my parent's house and they were gone by the end of the game. These are very delicious and rich and perfect for any get-together.

Ingredients:
1 regular pkg oreos (3 rows of cookies)
1-8oz pkg cream cheese
4 oz white almond bark or a bag of white chocolate chips (I used white chocolate chips and they turned out great. But make sure you get a high quality chocolate chip)

Directions:
Add oreos to food processor and blend until fine. Add cream cheese to oreo crumbs and blend until dough-like. Chill mixture for 15 minutes then roll into bite-size balls. Chill balls for 15 minutes. Melt almond bark or chocolate chips in microwave making sure not to burn it. I melted my chocolate chips in a glass bowl on 50% power in 40 second intervals until it was all creamy and melted. If you have almond bark it should have how to melt it on the package. Dip chilled balls in melted chocolate using fork or toothpick so chocolate can drip off. Set on wax paper and let set approx. 30 minutes. If using sprinkles do so right away before chocolate sets. Once set I put the balls in mini cupcake liners to serve. These are best when chilled.

*I had a hard time covering the whole ball in chocolate at first but it got better as I practiced.

Recipe from Just a Pinch

Banana Banana Bread

2011-02-08T06:31:00.000-08:00

I just think this recipe is delicious.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cup mashed overripe bananas (about 6 bananas)

Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake in preheated over for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack.

Recipe from allrecipes.com. All recipes I have gotten from there have been a success.

Creamy Tomato and Chicken Spaghetti

2011-02-08T06:18:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to get a good menu for our family. There have been several recipes that I have tried and they just haven't turned out very well. I consider myself a good cook. I follow directions and will try new things and improvise but for some reason some recipes just aren't good-at all. This one is very family friendly and again my daughter enjoyed it. The whole reason of wanting to expand our menu was my daughter. My husband and I could eat cereal every night and be happy with it. But I think he is grateful that I am trying new recipes. My husband is kind of picky too at times but he also really liked this one.

Ingredients:
1/2lb spaghetti, uncooked
2 cups frozen stir-fry veggies
1 TB oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 c zesty italian dressing (i used Kraft brand)
1/2 cup (1/2 of 8 oz box) cream cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package, adding stir-fry veggies to the boiling water for the last 3 min.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes and dressing; bring to boil. Simmer on medium heat 4 min., stirring occasionally. Add cream cheese spread; cook and stir until cream cheese is completely melted and mixture is well blended.

Drain spaghetti mixture; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Recipe from Kraft Foods. I love this place, it has great recipes and a recipe box where you can store your favorite ones.

Crepes

2011-02-08T06:10:00.000-08:00

My daughter LOVES these. I have to be careful because they are very addicting. I had never made crepes before and this was very easy and very good.

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1/4 c flour
1/4 c milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 stick of butter (the real stuff)
-these represent the approx. proportions, you can always experiement to taste and multiply for more servings, this is for about 3-4 crepes or 1-2 servings.

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together so that there are no clumps in the batter. A whisk helps. The batter should be the consistency of a thick beverage like egg nog. Heat a frying pan on the oven at medium heat and rub some butter on the bottom so the crepes don't stick. Remove excess butter in pan with a paper towel. Too much butter will ruin crepes. Put about 1/4 cup of batter in the pan and spread around by rotating the pan (crepes need to be very thin, don't put too much batter in or you will end up with pancakes). Wait approx. 30 seconds then flip carefully with a large spatula, wait another minute or so and you have made your first crepe. Spread on toppings: nutella, chocolate, cream, fruit, coconut, etc. Wrap up like a burrito and ENJOY!

Thank you to my friend Levi, my daughter really enjoys these!

Chicken Rice Casserole

2011-02-08T06:05:00.001-08:00

Another recipe from my friend Audra. And again we enjoyed this, including my 2 year old.

This recipe makes in a 9 x 13 casserole pan.

Ingredients:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 2/3 cups of water
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1/3 cups of shredded cheese (depending on how cheesy you want it.

Directions:
Mix everything in the baking dish except for the cheese and chicken. After that's mixed well, take the chicken and cut it up into bite size pieces and top the mix in the dish with the chicken. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. Once your chicken is cooked and your rice is tender pull it out and top it with the cheese (however much or little you want) and then put it back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and you are all done.

Hamburger Rice Hot-Dish

2011-02-08T05:56:00.001-08:00

I got this from a friend and it actually was a success with my 2 year old. I hold on to those recipes. I changed the recipe up a little. It wasn't a strict recipe to begin with. But it's a good dish for a family.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
dehydrated onion or 1/4-1/2 an onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c soy sauce
1 cup of rice
2 1/2 cups water
2-3 TB sour cream (optional-this is what I added for ours)

Directions:
Brown meat in large skillet. Season with a little salt and pepper and onion. Then add the can of cream of chicken soup. Add sour cream now if you wish. Next you add the rice and water. Then add the soy sauce and bring it all to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer and cover. Let it simmer until rice is tender. It's usually between 20-25 minutes. You can add more water if the rice needs it. You can also add or take away the soy sauce depending on how well your family likes it.

Thank you Audra for the recipe!

Teandra's Pizza

2011-02-08T05:34:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from my wonderful and talented sister-in-law Teandra. She is an amazing chef and this is a very very yummy recipe. The only thing you really need to get right on this is the dough. It's great because it doesn't have to rise.

Dough Ingredients:
1 c warm water
1 T yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/4 c olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 - 2 1/2 c flour

Dough Directions: Mix the water and yeast and sugar, let sit until frothy. Add the other ingredients and mix/knead a bit until smooth. Spread on the pizza pan and top as you wish. Bake 400-450 degrees in oven until browned on the bottom.

Thoughts from Teandra: When I start making the pizza dough, I will pre-heat the oven and put the stone/pan into the over to pre-heat as well. I then take the HOT stone/pan out and put the dough on it, careful not to burn myself. Pre-heating the stone/pan will make the bottom crispy and starts the cooking process.

I dice up an onion really fine, and take some minced garlic (jar from fridge generally) and sprinkle that directly on the dough, then I sprinkle some pizza spices on: basil and oregano. Then I put the sauce on (little can of tomato sauce). I like to put the spices on the bottom since I think it helps the flavor get captured better. Then I put the cheese on and top with any ingredients we want. Ingredient Ideas: crumbled bacon, sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, onions, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes and parmesan cheese.

My thoughts on this: Really you can put any ingredients you want on. Once we loaded it with veggies another time we kept it simple with cheese and pepperoni (our daughter likes it better that way usually). But what we LOVE is putting the chopped onion, garlic and spices on before the sauce. The dough truly does capture the flavor. As you make it you'll find what you like and what you don't. For example: we definitely use onion it every time but we never end up putting a whole onion on-usually because of my husband's taste buds. We love pizza on Friday or Saturday night and this has saved us a lot of money.

Taco Pie

2011-02-08T05:24:00.000-08:00

We made this recipe at a relief society activity because you can freeze it. It was pretty good and my husband enjoyed it. It could use some fresh tomatoes or avocados or sour cream once it comes out of the oven.

Ingredients:
1lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 package taco seasoning
1- 4oz can sliced black olives
1- 8oz can tomato sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 tube refrigerator crescent rolls
1 cup refried beans
1- 10 1/2 oz package corn chips, crushed
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
Brown ground beef with onion. Add taco seasoning, olives and tomato sauce. Flatten crescent roll dough and press onto bottom of foil baking pan. Heat refried beans and mix with 2 tablespoons of water to make spreadable. Spread over crust. Top with 1 cup of the cheese. Cover crust with half of the crushed corn chips. Spoon meat mixture over corn chips. Cover with sour cream. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Top with remaining corn chips. Cover with heavy foil. Label and freeze.

to serve: Thaw overnight. Bake uncovered 45 minutes at 375 degrees. If frozen bake 3 hours.

When we got this recipe they told us that it was for two meals. You could probably use it for one because when we made it, it was a little thin.

Apricot Nut Bread

2010-11-16T10:18:00.000-08:00

This is a "I need something sweet but don't want to feel guilty" kind of recipe. It's good for you and it's filling. And my daughter loves it! That's a rare thing. I have a book called The Green Diet and the author has a website: mygreendiet.com. The book and website have a variety of vegetarian/vegan recipes that taste wonderful. I can't tell you that I eat this way all the time but I do believe in the benefit this kind of diet has on your health. I wish I ate this way more often cause I can tell you from personal experience that I feel great when I do. Enjoy!

Apricot Nut Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup apple juice
½ cup all-fruit apricot spread or apricot jam
2/3 cup chopped dried apricots
½ cup oat bran
1/3 cup canola oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 Tbs honey
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Bring the apple juice to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add the apricot spread, apricots, and oat bran, let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the oil, bananas, and honey in a large mixing bowl; whisk well. Add apricot mixture. Add the dry ingredients to the banana-apricot mixture, stirring just until moist.

4. Spoon the batter into a greased loaf pan. Back for 55-65 minutes or until pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool and enjoy.

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-10-18T06:27:00.000-07:00

I love this recipe! My family loves it, it's fun to make around this time of year and it's just so easy.

1 large can of pumpkin (the stuff you buy for pumpkin pie)
2 boxes of spice cake mix
1-2 bags of chocolate chips (I like to use 2 bags and semi-sweet)

Combine all ingredients. Scoop into balls (as best you can) onto a lightly greased baking sheet. The dough is easier to make into balls when it's been in the refrigerator for a while. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-15 minutes (depending on your oven-just keep an eye on them). They are done when the bottoms of the cookie are a darker brown. This makes a lot, like 6 dozen or more.

Daughter rating= 5 (Loved it!)

long time

2010-09-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've updated this blog. I love new recipes but when I'm trying to find new ones and making them I tend to lose track of my health and weight and forget about eating healthy. Because of this I've once again started the 'eat to live' diet (also known as the Dr. Fuhrman diet). Last weekend we had a little bit of a scare with my blood pressure being WAY too high. I've always had this problem but it wasn't until I got pregnant with my daughter that I realized it was an issue. Since then I've struggled with it. If I don't eat healthy my blood pressure is high. It's as simple as that. I can no longer pretend to not be aware of this and need to make changes. I love food and love when it tastes good. So right now I'm in search of recipes that are vegetarian or vegan that taste good. I won't continue to eat healthy unless I find food that is enjoyable to eat. I have found that the eat to live diet is the quickest way for me to get my blood pressure down so this is one of the reasons for choosing it. I feel good about it though and have a better attitude this time around. So if anyone is reading this and has some recipes to share I would really appreciate it. When I find good recipes that are worth posting than I will share them also. Thanks!

Mmmm, mmmm good recipes etc.

2010-04-11T22:40:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry to those that check this blog. I haven't been very good at posting the new recipes I have been trying. But the 4 posts before this were 4 great new recipes that I loved and hope you will too! If you try them I would love to know what you think! I know there have been a couple of you that have sent me some recipes that I haven't tried yet. I haven't forgotten and I still want to try them. So keep them coming and send them to lindsey_pfeil@yahoo.com. I'm also starting to rate the recipe to how my daughter liked it. She's very picky and I'm trying to do new things. She's about 18 months old. We'll see how it goes. Here's how I'm going to rate them. They're not professional sounding at all, but describe my daughter's eating habits very well. She's a number 2 most of the time.

1-Didn't touch it
2- Tried a little but spit it out
3- Tried a little and swallowed a little
4- Liked it!
5- Loved it!

Cinnamon Apple French Toast Bake

2010-04-11T22:31:00.000-07:00

Having my husband wake up to the smell of this wonderful breakfast dish was such a treat for me. That is one of the reasons I enjoy cooking new things. This reminded me of a type of cobbler that can be cooked in a dutch oven or a breakfast you would have on Christmas or Easter morning. Mmmm, it was good.

Daughter rating: 4- Liked it!

Cinnamon Apple French Toast Bake

Ingredients:

1 loaf (1lb) Cinnamon Bread - cut into cubes (I used Apple Friter Bread I found at Walmart. Leave the bread out for a little while to dry before putting in the pan. It will soak up the egg mixture better)
1-21 oz. can Apple Pie Filling
4 oz. Cream Cheese - cut into cubes (I used about 6 oz.)
5 Eggs
1 ¼ cup Half&Half
2 T. Maple Syrup
½ t Cinnamon
Maple Syrup

Method:

Grease one 9-inch deep dish pie pan. (I used a large 9 x 9 baking dish and it worked great)

Divide cinnamon bread cubes in half. Place half of the cubes in the bottom of the pie pan.

Spread apple pie filling over bottom layer of bread cubes. (I ran a knife through the larger pieces of apple, while they were still in the can, so that the apple would be in small pieces in the dish)

Sprinkle cream cheese cubes over apple pie filling and top with remaining bread cubes.

In a small bowl mix eggs, half & half, maple syrup and cinnamon; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.

Remove covering and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes (until golden brown).

Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Slice, drizzle each serving with maple syrup and ENJOY! (my husband and I had it without syrup and it was still good.)

Again, thank you Studio 5 for the delicious recipe!

Hot Corn Dip

2010-04-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

My family loved this dip. This is a good one to serve at get togethers as well. It is the perfect blend of mild and spicy flavors and it's very filling. It could also be served up as a salad or maybe a main dish. Sorry, I never take pictures of the new food I make. They don't look that amazing but they always taste delicious!

Daughter rating: 1-Didn't touch it

(I made this dip twice. The second time I did it I used one large can of chicken and that tasted good as well)

Hot Corn Dip

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
3-4 ears of fresh corn on the cob (can use frozen if it is out of season. It's about 3-4 cups of frozen corn)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small can of white hominy (drained)
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup sour cream
1 pepper in adobe sauce, chopped
1 small can of olives, sliced
1 cup imitation crab pieces
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, rough chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
¼ cup mayonnaise

Method:

Slice the kernels off the cob. Drizzle olive oil in a large pan and fry the corn until golden brown. Add pepper, hominy, onions, garlic and sauté until onions are translucent. Season the vegetables with salt & pepper. In a large bowl mix, sour cream, mayonnaise, adobe pepper, olives, crab, cilantro and ½ of the cheese. Add vegetables to the sour cream mixture, pour in to baking dish, and top with rest of cheese. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to brown. Enjoy with tortilla chips.

Pantry-Friendly Mexican Cooking by LeAnn Bird
www.pantryfriendlycooking.com

Another great recipe from Studio 5. Thank you!

Bowtie Chicken Salad

2010-04-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

Another great recipe from Studio 5. This is a great get together salad.

Daughter rating: 2- Tried a little but spit it out

Bowtie Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

10oz. Bowtie pasta, boiled until tender
3 large chicken breasts, boiled till cooked, cut into bite size pieces.
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 cups water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
½ cup honey roasted peanuts
5-10oz. spinach (add spinach before serving)

Dressing
1/2cup oil
1/4 tsp salt
4 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Method:

Whisk all dressing ingredients together

Combine all ingredients except spinach. Place overnight in refrigerator in zip-lock bag.

Before serving: Mix together zip-lock bag ingredients and spinach...serve.

Avocado Egg Rolls with Dipping Sauce

2010-04-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

I've come to realize I really love trying new recipes. This is a great way of keeping track of all the new things I try and like or not like. These Avocado Egg Rolls I LOVED. My husband not so much. He's a much bigger fan of subtler tastes. I got this recipe from Studio 5 Recipes. Yummy!

Daughter rating: None. We ate this when she was in bed.

Avocado Egg Rolls with Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

2 large avocados, peeled, pitted, & diced
4 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
2 tablespoon minced red onion
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ t. salt
6 egg roll wraps

Method:

Gently stir together avocado, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and salt. Distribute filling evenly onto center of each egg roll wrapper. Position a wrapper so that a corner is pointing toward you; fold the bottom corner up over the filling.

Fold side corners in and roll toward the top corner. Wet the edges of the top corner with a little water. Then fold top corner over and press to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers.

Continue by deep-frying the egg rolls in 375 degree oil for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Slice egg rolls diagonally across middle and serve with prepared dipping sauce.

Honey Cilantro Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

3-4 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup chopped cashews
2/3 cup fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves
2 green onions
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil

Method:

To make dipping sauce, use a blender or food processor to puree all listed ingredients except olive oil. Blend until well pureed. Then stream in olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to use.

My tip/addition: I added about 4 tablespoons of crumbled bacon to the egg roll mix and I loved it. I'm sure it would be awesome with even more.

Fortune Cookies

2010-02-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

I made homemade fortune cookies! Sometimes I see these new recipes or new craft projects and decide I want to try it. Then I get way in over my head. That's what happened with the fortune cookies. After I was finished I'm glad I did them but they were a longer process than I thought and not good to do on a Thursday night, wanting to have them ALL ready Friday morning. The pictures didn't turn out the greatest but you can get the idea. One day I'll put pictures up of each step, because I think that's useful when making these for the first time. I even put little fortunes in each of them, dipped them in chocolate, and put different sprinkles on them. They're not your average fortune cookies. They are sweeter and taste pretty good. They were fun though and Michael took them to work with him on Friday (to celebrate Valentines day since it was on a Sunday). They were a big hit there and I'm glad everyone enjoyed them.

Fortune Cookies

Ingredients:

2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 teaspoons water
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
½ cup granulated sugar
Optional: food coloring or chocolate
Pam spray

Method:

1. Write fortunes on pieces of paper that are 3 1/2 inches long and not more than ½" inch wide. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray two or three 9-X-13 inch baking sheets.

2. 2. In a mixing bowl, on medium speed beat the egg white, extracts, water and vegetable oil until frothy, but not stiff.

3. Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar into a separate bowl.

4. Add the flour into the egg white mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter. The batter should be thin enough so that it pours off of a spoon, but not too thick that it won't spread easily with the back of the spoon.

Optional: if you want to color the cookies, add the food coloring at this point, stirring it into the batter. Start with just a little bit, as it doesn't take much to change the color. You can also add a few tsps of melted semi-sweet chocolate at the point. Beat well. You can also divide the batter and try a few different things with it.

5. Place level tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Some recipes call for you to tilt the cookie sheet to spread the batter, but I like to use the back of a round Tablespoon to spread it out a bit.

6. Bake until the outer 1/2-inch of each cookie turns golden brown and they are easy to remove from the baking sheet with a spatula (14 - 15 minutes). If you take them out and they are not coming off easily you can put them back in the oven for a few minutes.

7. Working quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula and flip it over in your hand. Place a fortune in the middle of a cookie. To form the fortune cookie shape, fold the cookie in half, then gently pull the edges downward over the rim of a glass, wooden spoon or the edge of a muffin tin. Place the finished cookie in the cup of a muffin tin so that it keeps its shape. Continue with the rest of the cookies.

To begin with bake only one cookie, then move on to 2, 3 and 4. I don't like doing more than 4, as any more and by the time I get to them they have cooled down and will crack with folding.

These cookies will be hot when you take them out and handle them. Clean, white cotton gloves can be used to avoid injury.

What I did: I dipped mine in different kinds of chocolate when the fortune cookies all cooled off. Then right after dipping them I put sprinkles on them. I put the fortune cookies in the refrigerator to harden and cool.

Click here if you want a video on how to do them.Before being dipped in chocolateIn the refrigerator cooling

Different sprinkles

Lasagna

2010-01-20T11:47:00.001-08:00

So last night I made Lasagna for the first time. And I have to tell you it turned out really good and my husband and daughter loved it. Which is saying something because she has been so picky lately. Again I got this recipe from The Essential Mormon Cookbook.

Lasagna

Ingredients
1/2 lb lasagna noodles (9 noodles)
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (1-pound, 12-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (3 ounce) package spaghetti sauce mix
2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Directions
Cook lasagna noodles as directed on package. Pour off water. Place each noodle carefully on waxed paper to prevent sticking together. Brown ground beef. Add minced garlic and pepper to ground beef. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and spaghetti sauce mix. Simmer about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside 1 cup meat sauce and 1/2 cup grated mozzarella for later use.

Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan. Layer one cup meat sauce mixture on bottom of pan. Layer 3 noodles over meat sauce mixture to cover. Layer 1/2 cup cottage cheese, followed by 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese, over that. Repeat layers a total of three times, ending with the reserved 1 cup meat sauce and 1/2 cup reserved grated mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 10-12 servings.

My tips
I would have been more generous with the meat sauce, cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese. It still turned out good but next time I'll be adding a little more of everything so nothing dries out.

Mini-Cheesecakes

2010-01-20T11:39:00.000-08:00

I also made these for the same baby shower as I did the meltaway cookies. The cupcakes tins I used were even smaller so the recipe went even further. They turned out really good and went pretty fast at the shower. I also got this from The Essential Mormon Cookbook.

Mini-Cheesecakes

Ingredients
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs lemon juice (optional)
18 vanilla wafers
1 can cherry pie filling or rasberry pie filling/topping

Directions
In a large bowl beat together cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, sugar, and lemon juice. Put 18 paper baking cups into muffin tins. Place 1 vanilla wafer in bottom of each cup. Pour batter into muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. When cool, top with pie filling of your choice. Makes 18 mini-cheesecakes.

My tips
For the really mini-cheesecakes I used mini vanilla wafers.

Meltaway Cookies

2010-01-20T11:25:00.001-08:00

I made these for baby shower. They were perfect because they were so cute and small. The colors for the shower were pink and green so we decorated the tops of them with pink and green frosting. They are really rich but so good and they do kind of melt in your mouth. I got this recipe from the cookbook called The Essential Mormon Cookbook.

Meltaway Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter
3/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup flour
1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

Directions
In a medium bowl cream butter until fluffy. Add cornstarch and sugar and blend well. Beat in flour until thoroughly mixed. Drop by small teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet and flatten out with the bottom of a glass. (Dip glass in powdered sugar to prevent sticking). Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire rack and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (3oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together. Color with food coloring if desired.

My tips
I melted the butter a little because it makes it so much easier to blend with the other ingredients.
I just used my hands to make teaspoon size balls and put those on the baking sheet.
I liked mine a little softer so I cooked them for about 9-10 minutes.
These cookies are pretty fragile.
I used a different cream cheese recipe. This one makes ALOT. I made three or four batches of cookies and still had leftover frosting.

My cream cheese frosting recipe (from my aunt Denise):

Cream Cheese Frosting
1- 8 oz. cream cheese;softened 1 cube margarine 1 tsp. vanilla approx. 1 lb. powdered sugar

Mix altogether.

Overnight Broccoli & Ham Strata

2010-01-20T11:14:00.000-08:00

This recipe is a family tradition on Michael's side of the family. They have it on Christmas morning. When Michael described it to me it sounded interesting but good. It seemed more of a casserole than a breakfast. But I wanted to make it for him because he was away from his family for Christmas and I thought this would bring back a lot of memories. Well I'm so glad I did. It was sooo good. Michael enjoyed it so much and it lasted several days because it makes so much and is so filling. That is of course with only two people and a 14 month old. Thanks Mom Pfeil for the recipe!

Overnight Broccoli & Ham Strata

Ingredients 12 slices (firm textured ) white bread 1 bag (1 lb) frozen chopped broccoli – defrosted 1 lb (sharp or mild) cheddar cheese – shredded 2 cups (abt 12 oz) diced cooked ham 6 eggs 3 ½ cups milk 1 tsp. Dry mustard 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 Tbs. Instant minced onion ½ tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp. Pepper

Directions Using a 3 inch doughnut cutter, cut a ring from each bread slice, set aside. Cut the trimmings into cubes. Spread out the broccoli on paper towels to drain thoroughly. In a 9 by 13 inch baking dish, arrange in layers the bread cubes, ¾ of cheese, the broccoli, ham and bread rounds. Top with remaining cheese. Beat together eggs, milk, mustard, worchestershire, minced onion, garlic powder and pepper until well blended. Pour evenly over casserole making sure all bread round s are saturated. Cover and refrigerate 12 hours or overnight. Bake casserole uncovered in 350 degree oven about 1 hr or until center appear set. Cool at least 15 min before cutting into squares to serve. Serves 12.

Classic Apple Pie

2010-01-20T11:06:00.000-08:00

For Michael's Christmas pie he chose apple. I had never made it before but it was pretty easy. Of course I took the easy way out and bought apple pie filling. But it's what I recommend if you don't have a ton of time and it's really good.

Classic Apple Pie

Ingredients
Double crust for a 9'' pie (homemade or purchased)
2 cans (21 0z) Apple Pie Filling or Topping

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 9'' pie pan with pie crust. Pour apple filling evenly into crust. Place vented or lattice crust over filling or create decorative top crust using cookie cutters to make shapes. Lay directly on fruit filling. Crimp edges to seal. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake an additional 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serves 6 to 8.

My tips
I made slits on the top crust because mine did not come with it. It worked great.

Egg Nog Pumpkin Pie

2010-01-20T10:54:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe I think in the summer of 2009. I was watching Emeril and he had a Military Contest. It's actually called Stacey's "I don't have any evaporated milk!" Pumpkin Pie. She was a chef for the military and didn't have any evaporated milk so instead she used egg nog. I love pumpkin pie but this is one of the best recipes I've tasted. It's so moist and has such an amazing flavor. I made this for Thanskgiving and also for Christmas. Michael's mom growing up had all the kids choose a pie to have on Christmas. I thought this was a great tradition and so this is the pie I chose. I can't get enough of pumpkin pie and apparently neither could my husband or daughter. :).

Eggnog Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients
-1 pre-made pie crust
-1 small can pumpkin puree
-1 1/2 cups egg nog, storebought or homemade
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put the pumpkin, egg nog, eggs, and both sugars into a mixing bowl and mix on low until incorporated. Add salt, vanilla and cinnamon until just incorporated. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell and bake in preheated over for 45 minutes.

My tips:
I had to cook mine for about an hour. When it gets a brown spot on the top is when I knew it was done.
I recommend getting a deep dish pie crust because there is a lot of filling.
Stick a knife in middle, when it comes out clean it's ready.

it's been a while

2010-01-20T10:49:00.001-08:00

I really don't know who looks at this blog. Especially since I have been so bad at updating it. If you do look at it I'm sorry for being absent for a while. While I make no promises I will try to be better at posting my new recipes. I've started up the eating plan on the eat to live diet again. I do plan on doing better this time around. But I still enjoy trying new recipes and I love to see my husband's face when he tries it and loves it. My daughter is also in the very picky stage so hopefully she'll benefit from these new recipes as well. So my goal is to try 2-3 new recipes a month. I'm hoping to do better than that but I figure if I put the goal low than I won't be disappointed. Anyway. Have a great day!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2009-10-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

This was the second recipe of the week that I made. It's very chocolatey but so yummy.

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 c. oil
2 1/4 c. sugar
2 c. peeled and grated zucchini
3 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. sifted flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 (8oz) bag mini chocolate chips (large ones sink to bottom of loaf)

Mix eggs, oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla in bowl. Sift and measure flour add to zucchini mixture. Add and mix remaining ingredients. This bread comes out of pan better if you line bottom with wax paper. Grease pan whether or not you use wax paper. Makes 2 bread size loaves. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. It may need longer time depending on your oven. Check middle with toothpick.

Banana Bread

2009-10-02T08:24:00.001-07:00

I've been baking a lot this week. I love to bake. The only problem is I eat these sweet treats along the way. Baking what I have been this week reminds me of fall and of the holidays and makes home smell so good. This was the first recipe that I made.

Banana Bread

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. shortening or butter
2 eggs, beaten
2 c. flur
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. nuts (optional)
3 or 4 very ripe bananas
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar, shortening, and eggs together. Add dry ingredients and nuts. Add bananas and vanilla. Makes 2 loaves. Bake at 350 degrees. Check after 45 minutes.

Oven Chicken Fingers

2009-10-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

Since I've been trying to eat healthier I haven't been cooking a lot of different or new recipes. But last night my mom made this recipe for a family in the ward and we made extra for the rest of our family. It's really good and great for kids. We didn't make the sauces for it but I'm sure they are delicious with it.

Oven Chicken Fingers

1 c. Italian bread crumbs
2 T. grated parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c. vegetable oil
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Honey Mustard Sauce
2 T. cornstarch
1 c. water, divided
1/2 c honey
1/4 c prepared mustard

Cranberry Orange Sauce
1/4 c. sugar
3 t. cornstarch
1/2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 c orange juice
1/4 c. water

Directions:
In a plastic bag, mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, set aside. In a small bowl, combine garlic and oil. Flatten the chicken to 1/2 -in. thickness: cut into 1-inch wide strips. Dip strips in oil: coat with crumb mixture. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Directions for sauces:
Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add cranberries, orange juice and water; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring contantly. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes more, crushing the berries while stirring. For honey mustard sauce, dissolve cornstarch in 1 T. water in a saucepan. Add honey, mustard and remaining water; bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve with chicken for dipping. Makes 6 servings.

SUMMER FRUIT PIE

2009-08-05T20:36:00.001-07:00

I LOVE this recipe. It's from Dr. Fuhrman's website. It's his diet plan that I am following. It really satisfies my sweet tooth and is so refreshing. Me and my family have made it the last couple of nights because it is so good.

I would love it if anyone has any other vegetarian recipes that they would like to share. You can email me at lindsey_pfeil@yahoo.com or comment on this post. Thanks!

SUMMER FRUIT PIE

Ingredients:

Pie shell:
1 cup almonds
1 cup dates, pitted (medjool are preferred)

Pie Filling:
3 bananas, sliced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 kiwis, sliced
1 quart organic strawberries, sliced
1 pint blueberries
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
1/2 bag frozen strawberries or 1 pint fresh organic strawberries
2 dates

Instructions:
Make pie shell by placing almonds in a food processor and processing until very fine. Add dates and process until chopped and mixed well. Press mixture in a pie plate to form shell.

To make the filling spread bananas on the crust, pressing down slightly. Sprinkle lemon juice over the bananas. Place kiwis, strawberries and blueberries over the bananas. Place the soy milk, frozen strawberries and dates in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour blended mixture over the fruit. Decorate with fruit as desired. Cover and freeze for at least two hours before serving.

BUTTER BEAN SOUP

2009-08-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

I really like this recipe. I had never tasted a butter bean until this soup. It's really filling and has a lot of veggies in it. Soup goes a long way and helps me to feel full and pretty much everything in it is good for you.

BUTTER BEAN SOUP

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups celery, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, finely chopped
3/4 cup onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups of water
1 can of vegeatable broth
2 cans (16 oz) Bush's Butter Beans, drained (Large, baby, or speckled)
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon basil

In large pan, cook celery, carrots and onion in oil until soft. Add flour; cook and stir for 1 minute. Gradually add water, stirring until smooth. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 20-25 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

My new way of eating and BEAN ENCHILADAS

2009-08-03T12:59:00.001-07:00

I know it's been over a month since I posted a recipe. Noelle has kept me pretty busy lately. I've also started a new diet I guess you could say. So everything I'm eating for now is almost all vegetarian. More like vegan. Almost everything I'm eating is all natural. It's all about loading up on fruits, veggies, and beans with a couple extras on the side such as some low calorie dressing, nuts, bran flakes, soy milk, and whole weat breads and rice. I'm not saying that I will never have sugar or meat again. Heck no! But I'm learning a lot about food and health and I'm feeling pretty good as well.

So the recipes I'm going to post are going to be mostly vegetarian. I'll try to find new recipes for Michael but not as much, for now anyway. Don't worry. Michael is okay with that. He helps me to resist the food that, for now, I don't want. Here is a recipe that we made last week. Keep in mind there is not a lot of salt in these recipes. So if you like salt you have to add it to your liking. I love this recipe because it gives me variety when sometimes all I eat is salads.

BEAN ENCHILADAS

Ingredients:
1 large can of enchilada sauce
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 c sliced onion
1 c salsa
2 c canned cooked beans
1 c corn (frozen)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chopped cilantro
6-8 corn tortillas
1-2 Avacados, chopped

Heat enchilada sauce in pan on stove, on low-medium heat. Saute green pepper and onion in a skillet with 2 tbsp of salsa, until tender. Stir in beans, corn and seasonings. Dip tortilla in hot enchilada sauce, spoon about 1/4 c - 1/2 c of bean mixture on each and roll up. Place in baking dish. Pour extra enchilada sauce and bean mixture over the top of enchiladas. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 min. Place chopped avacodos in a bowl to serve over enchiladas.

coming soon...

2009-06-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, I'm still alive. We have had a busy couple of weeks and are getting things ready to move so I haven't really tried anything new. We've tried to make things as easy as possible as we have both been super tired and now Michael is sick as well. No fun. I have a lot of new recipes that I am dying to try. (Is that how you spell 'dying'?) So coming soon...more yummy recipes.

CRISPY RANCH CHICKEN

2009-06-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is probably one of the quickest, easiest, and yummiest things I have made. I got this recipe from Utah's Fox news channel. They always have the best recipes and they are always different and interesting. For Utah's Fox 13 recipe archive go here . This recipe is from June 5th. Hope you like it!

Ingredients:
2 cups semi crushed rice krispies
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
2 eggs, beaten
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs or 5-6 chicken breasts
1/4 c melted butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine rice krispies, parmesan cheese and ranch dressing in a large bowl. Stir together. Dip chicken into beaten eggs and then coat evenly in cereal mixture. Arrange chicken pieces on a well greased baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cereal mixture on top. Drizzle melted butter over chicken and bake until golden brown for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve hot.

A few of my favorite (food) things

2009-06-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing
I love this dressing. I use it in stir-fry all the time and on rice. It's really good on salads too. And it's pretty low in fat.

Not the best tasting stuff but it gives me energy and as far as I know helps with keeping the cold away. And it's safe to take when you're pregnant. Thanks to a friend I take one of these packets almost every day.This is just one of my favorite snacks and it gives me my sweet fix. I love the apple turnover flavor.

Thank you people of Chile for giving me this amazing food at almost every meal. Yes I even would eat it for breakfast on toast, and sometimes still do. Avocado rocks!

More to come later.

What are your favorite food things?

GROUND BEEF WELLINGTON

2009-06-03T10:08:00.001-07:00

This recipe was given to me by my friend Brittany. She got it from allrecipes.com. I was also pleasantly surprised by this recipe. It turned out really good and was pretty easy. My husband didn't think he would like it but ended up loving it. I've added my variation and tips at the end of the recipe. I didn't follow this exactly. I like that I can actually feel comfortable doing my own thing with a recipe. Good feeling.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 Tablespoon and 1 1/2 teaspoon butter
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper- divided
3/4 cup half and half or cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 egg yolk
3 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound ground beef
1 1/2 packages of crescent rolls or pastry roll
1 1/2 t dried parsley flakes

Directions:
In a saucepan, saute mushrooms in butter until softened. Stir in flour and 1/8 teaspoon pepper until blended. Gradually add the cream or soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove and set aside. In a bowl, combine egg yolk, onion, 2 Tablespoons of the mushroom sauce, salt and remaining pepper. Crumble beef into mixture and mix well. Roll meat mixture up into the pastry roll or crescent rolls. Should make approximately 4 small loaves. Bake at 350 degrees for 24-28 minutes. They should turn a slightly dark,golden brown. I cut them in half to make sure the meat was finished cooking. Warm remaining mushroom sauce and add parsley flakes. Serve sauce over Wellington's.

My variation/tips:
*I used a 1 full cup of mushrooms.
*I used a whole can of cream of mushroom soup and it was super thick. I added about 1/2 can of water. You could probably use milk also.
*I used a full pound of ground beef.
*I used 2 egg yolks.
*I used 2 teaspoons of dried parsley flakes.
*For the dough I used Pillsbury recipe creations (crescent). It comes in a skinny can and is a full sheet of dough. I used two of these. I split the beef mixture in half and spooned it on the sheet and rolled it up. I cut that in half and pinched both ends to make sure it was sealed tightly. After doing this with both dough sheets I had 4 loaves.
*After they were done I cut all 4 loaves in half and served that way.

MUFFIN ROLLS

2009-06-01T22:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I don't really know the name of these rolls. Some friends in our ward invited us over for dinner and had these and said they were so easy and fast to make. They are also pretty good. I call them muffin rolls because I cooked them in a muffin pan. I guess you could cook them on a normal cookie sheet. They are very soft and I love that. They also have a muffiny texture to them. So if you don't want to take time to let dough rise and want a different kind of roll, this is the recipe you want.

Ingredients:
2 C self-rising flour
2 T sugar
1 C milk
4 heaping T mayo

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12 count muffin pan, set aside. Combine all ingredients together, mixing well. Dough will be sticky. Spoon dough in muffin pan, filling each one 1/2 - 3/4 of the way full. Bake in oven for about 8 minutes or until bottom half of muffin is a light brown. I actually poked a toothpick in the middle to see if the dough was all the way done. You can brush butter on the top to keep them moist. These rolls should be pretty soft when finished.

* I did not have self-rising flour. But here is how you can make your own self rising flour:

For every cup of self-rising flour the recipe calls for, use:

1 C All purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

2009-06-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

This recipe was given to me by my sister-in-law Nina. She got it from her friend Jill. Thanks Nina and Jill because this is so good. It's really not that hard and just takes time. I'm sure after a while a person could get really fast at this. It is messy to make but very worth it.

Ingredients:
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
white flour
4-5 eggs (may need more if you want to use more chicken)
any kind of cooking oil

Sauce Ingredients:
1 C sugar
1/2 C white vinegar
4 T ketchup
2 T soy sauce
2 tsp salt (it calls for this but I suggest not using it, soy sauce has PLENTY of salt)

Directions:

Mix the sauce beforehand and put to the side. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In two separate bowls, put flour and eggs. I usually start out with three eggs in a bowl and then add more as I need them. Whisk the eggs and put the bowls to the side. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Put oil in frying pan and put on the burner at a little higher than medium heat. Wait until pan heats up. Grab a handful of chicken pieces and put them in the flour. Make sure the chicken is completely coated, then put it in the egg. Carefully put the pieces in the pan, the oil will splatter more if you drop it in. Using the not eggy hand, turn and cook the chicken pieces until golden brown. Put in a glass baking pan and keep doing that until all the chicken is browned. Now mix the sauce again because the sugar will have settled and pour over the chicken. Bake, uncovered, in the oven for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through baking. Serve with rice and vegetables.

* I used 5 chicken breasts and used a 9 x 13 glass baking pan. It was the perfect size.

thanks

2009-06-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say thank you Brittany for your email. That's exactly what I wanted. I'm looking forward to trying the stuffed chicken breasts and ground beef wellington and I'll post them here soon.

please...

2009-05-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

If you guys try these recipes let me know what you think, if you have any suggestions, or anything else. Thanks! Oh and PLEASE email me recipes that you like! I really need help.

MOM'S MEATBALLS

2009-05-24T22:35:00.001-07:00

This is a tangy meatball recipe from my mom. I grew up with it and love it!

Meatball ingredients:
*You can use precooked/frozen meatballs if you don't want to make them from scratch.

1 lb hamburger
1 c bread crumbs (I substituted this with a cup of oatmeal)
1 c finely chopped onions
1/2 c milk
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. pepper
* I didn't have nutmeg and they still turned out really good.

Meatball sauce ingredients:
3/4 c water
1/4 c white vinegar
1 c ketchup
2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 heaping tsp. chili powder
3 TB sugar
1/3 c finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
Thaw hamburger. Mix all hamburger ingredients together in a medium bowl. Use a plastic spoon or your clean hands. Set aside. If you use frozen/already cooked meatballs just thaw in refrigerator or microwave. In a crock pot combine all meatball sauce ingredients. Stir well. Put on warm or low setting. Cover with lid. Stirring occasionally. Start forming meatball mixture into golf ball sized balls. Place 8-12 meatballs on a microwave safe plate. Place in microwave for about 4 1/2 minutes or until cooked all the way through. As the meatballs are finished put in crock pot with the sauce. Once all meatballs are finished leave in crock pot to heat. Stirring occasionally. We like to eat it with rice or baked potatoes.

EASY WHITE BREAD

2009-05-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

My mom got this recipe from a lady in her ward who taught it to the young women. It's easy and pretty good. This was technically the first bread recipe I tried on my own. Yeah, I'm still learning and proud of it :).

This recipe makes two loaves.

Ingredients:

5 3/4 C all purpose flour
2 TBSP yeast (about three packets)
2 tsp sugar
2 TBSP sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 C oil
Warm water

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c warm water and about 2 tsp sugar. Combine 2 c of flour, 2 TBSP sugar and salt in large bowl. Add 1 3/4 c warm water, yeast, mixture and cooking oil. Beat with hand mixer until well blended. If you don't have a hand mixer just use a fork or wire whisk to mix. Stir in 3 1/2 c flour, reserving 1/4 c for flouring kneading surface. Mix with wooden spoon until well mixed. Turn dough on floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (approx. 5-10 min). Grease bowl and put dough back in to it. Let it rise until it's doubled in size. Divide in half and put in floured and greased bread pans, let double in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes, until outside is light, golden brown.

Tips:

* If you want the crust to be soft, lightly brush butter on the top of the bread right after you take it out of the oven.
* The bread will rise faster if it is near a warm area. I'll turn on the oven and leave it slightly open and place bread near it. To double in size it takes between 30 minutes to 1 hour.
* Do not use wheat flour unless it is all purpose. It comes out dry and stale and does not rise properly. I would suggest getting a completely different recipe to make wheat bread.

BOWTIE SALAD

2009-05-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite salad EVER. It's so good and addicting. The taste is a little strong at times but it's delicious. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 Box (lb) bowtie pasta (mini)
6 0z spinach
1 small can sliced olives
1 can artichoke hearts (not marinated)
4 oz of feta cheese that is already cut up/crumbled
1 Avocado
1 small pkg or about 2 cups of grape tomatoes
1 purple onion
1 bottle Girard's Romano Cheese dressing

Directions:

The night before you serve salad- Cook pasta and cool. Put salad in a large bowl. Add 1/2 of the bottle of dressing, stir well. Cover and refrigerate over night.

The day of serving salad- Drain olives. Drain and chop artichoke hearts. Cut up avocado in small pieces. Chop purple onion. Add these ingredients along with the spinach, cheese, tomatoes and the rest of the dressing to the pasta. Add ingredients right before serving to keep the ingredients from becoming too soft or mushy.

Important to know:
* The Girard's Romano Cheese dressing is hard to find sometimes. My mom and I have found it at Smith's and Harmon's. We literally drove around to like 5 different stores trying to find it. We haven't used another dressing with it because this stuff is sooo good. If you try it with another dressing and you like it, let me know which kind it was.
* After a day or so the avocado will start getting dark and mushy.
* If you double the recipe still only use 1 purple onion, unless you want it REALLY strong.
* The salad can taste stronger or weaker depending on the particular onion.

Enjoy!

COFFEE CAKE

2009-05-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Here's the first recipe post. It turned out much better than I thought. It's really good and easy to make and made our home smell like cinnamon.

COFFEE CAKE

Ingredients:

Topping:
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
* 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cake:
* 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg, beaten
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/3 cup melted butter
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:
Topping: In small mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients. Blend with fork until crumbly. Set aside.

Sift 1 1/2 cups sifted flour with baking powder and salt into a bowl. In a medium bowl, beat together beaten egg and 3/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and mix well.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square or 9-inch layer-cake pan. Sprinkle topping crumb mixture evenly over batter. Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake tests done. Partially cool in pan on wire rack. Cut coffee cake into squares while still warm.

I just doubled the recipe for a 9 x 13 pan.

Here it goes

2009-05-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

I am a new mother, and still I guess a new wife. I always thought that I didn't mind cleaning or cooking. Before getting married I was pretty good at cleaning up and keeping things somewhat organized. Over the last year I have found out that I do not like cleaning, at all. I hate doing the dishes, and desperately wish I had a dish washer. I am a clutter queen and I'm really embarrassed that I have to say that. I have gotten better and am working on not being hard on myself for not being good at this.

Cooking is not something I enjoy. I am NOT a natural at this, in any way. I mostly refer to cooking dinner. However I do enjoy baking. Maybe because I like the end result better. I can follow a recipe but really struggle with wanting to cook for my family. However when there is a recipe that is new, sounds good and I know tastes good, it gives me more of an incentive to try it. That is why I decided to create a new blog. As I am not a great organizer I decided to make this my place to organize my favorite recipes and any other random thing that is on my mind, hence the "etc" in the title. If any of you have a recipe (or anything else) that you love PLEASE share it with me. Any advice you have, I need it, so please share :). And so, here it goes...