Mummies Yummies

Crockpot Baked Potato Soup

2011-11-13T05:41:00.001-08:00

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest and we really enjoyed it. I printed it out, but can't find the reference to the website where it came from. Anyhow, it is easy and delicious and I hope your family enjoys it as well!

Ingredients:
5 lbs potatoes, washed put not peeled, then cubed
1 medium onion, diced
fresh garlic (to taste, I used 1 T of minced garlic from a jar)
8 C chicken stock (I used 8t low sodium better than chicken bullion & 8 C water)
1 T seasoned salt or all purpose seasoning
Add 15 min before serving: 16 oz cream cheese (I used all 1/3 less fat cream cheese/Neufchatel)
Garnishes (if desired): cheddar cheese, chives, bacon

Directions:
Add all ingredients, EXCEPT cream cheese, to crockpot.
Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
Remove and puree 1/3 soup with cream cheese (or use immersion blender, to blend to desired smoothness).
Let soup warm up for 15 more minutes.
Top with garnishes if desired and enjoy!

Serves: 10-12

Chicken Goodness

2011-11-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

This awesome recipe you might already know, but my dear friend Alecia made it for me after I had one of my children. It was an instant hit! That was over 4 years ago and I have no idea why this recipe hadn't made it on here yet! So, since I wanted to cook it tonight for dinner, I thought it was about time to post it too! Crazy enough, I had to call said Alecia for the recipe! Now it will forever be on the internet so I can always remember how to make it. Really it is easy enough that I should know it by heart. Maybe now I will! Thank you Alecia for many awesome recipes and for being a totally awesome friend!
Ingredients:
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
8 oz reduced fat sour cream
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) reduced fat cream of chicken soup (undiluted)
1/2 cup or less chicken broth (dependent on how thick you want the sauce)
1 sleeve ritz crackers (crushed)
1 stick butter (4 oz. - melted)
Serve with rice of choice (we use Texmati organic brown rice found at Costco)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook chicken breasts. I just boil mine until cooked through (no pink), then cube.
In a 2 quart casserole dish, spray bottom with non stick spray. Then mix sour cream, chicken soup, broth and toss in chicken pieces. Pour mixture directly into the bottom of the dish. Finally put crushed crackers on top and drizzle melted butter over crackers.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
While cooking, prepare rice, as it usually takes about 30 minutes for rice to cook on the stovetop.
Finally, ENJOY!!!

Playing with the design

2011-11-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

Please bear with me and feel free to give me your suggestions. I am playing with the design of the blog. I want something simple that is easy to read. I saw another design with a bunch of different colored forks, knives and spoons and I kind of liked that. Not sure what to do? Thanks for hanging on for the ride!

Baked Coconut Shrimp

2011-10-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

This recipe I made tonight, and I personally thought it was delicious! I couldn't get my two kids to try it, but that might have had something to do with the fact that they saw our neighbor behead the fresh shrimp!? Our awesome neighbor has gone out shrimping several times this season and has been kind enough to share his catch with us! So, Sunday night we tried "shrimp on the barbie"...just skewering up some shrimp, basting with a little butter and adding some seasoning. They were simple and great! Tonight, I thought I'd try something a little more adventurous! The original recipe came from girlwhoateeverything @ tablespoon.com. She served hers with a special jalapeno pineapple sauce. You can find her recipe here. I just microwaved some seedless raspberry jelly and dipped mine in that! I hope you enjoy this one too! *By the way...this photo is mine (I tried to get fancy :)). I am also aware that Chef Ramsey would not approve of the burnt edges...but hey, I'm just a mom who makes mistakes and I'm pretty sure it didn't look that dark in person or at least that is the story I am sticking to! ;)

Ingredients:
1 pound uncooked large shrimp peeled and deveined
2 egg whites (whipped to soft peaks)
2 T - 1/4 C cornstarch
2 C sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 C no sugar added raspberry jelly (microwaved and used for dipping) OPTIONAL
1/2 t horseradish (to mix with jelly for some extra spice) OPTIONAL

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper OR heavily coat a pan with non stick spray. In a small bowl beat eggs whites until soft peaks form. Place cornstarch and coconut on two separate plates. Hold shrimp by the tail (or stick 2 or 3 on a skewer, if de-tailed) and dip and coat with cornstarch. Next, dip the shrimp in the egg whites until coated and finally cover with coconut.
Place shrimp on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until coconut is golden brown. Make sure to turn them once, halfway through (around 8 minutes into cooking time) to make sure both sides are browned. While shrimp finish cooking, and if you choose to make a dipping sauce...you may scoop out the jelly into a microwave safe dish and heat until melted for 10-30 seconds (depending on the wattage of your microwave). Stir in horseradish if you want to add some spice to your sauce. Finally, serve hot out of the oven with raspberry dipping sauce.
ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip "Cookie" Dip

2011-10-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

Would you believe if I told you THIS (below), could turn into something that resembled cookie dough? Would you believe that both my 6 and 4 year old ate it and said they LOVED it?

Well, it's true! Thanks to Katie, at ChocolateCoveredKatie.com, I turned garbanzo bean, dates, raw cashews, oats, pure vanilla extract, salt, baking soda, almond milk and chocolate chips into a most wonderful treat!!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chickpeas (1 can, drained) (250g)
heaping 1/8 tsp salt
tiny bit over 1/8 tsp baking soda
1 T plus 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup nut butter (I used 1/4 cup whole raw cashews)
1 and 1/4 cup pitted dates (I used deglet b/c that's what I had, but any variety is fine)
1/2 cup water (for soaking dates night before preparing this recipe)
2 T oats (You can omit if you do not want to add milk, I added them)
nondairy milk as needed (depending on the consistency you want, I used 1/8 cup vanilla almond milk)
1/3 cup chocolate chips, mix in by hand (sugar-free chips if desired)

Directions:

In a bowl, cover the dates with 1/2 cup water. Let this sit for at least 8 hours. Then add all ingredients (including the dates’ soaking liquid), except chocolate chips, to a food processor or high powered blender and blend until very smooth. Chill and serve with Graham crackers, on top of ice cream or just eat with a spoon!

THANK YOU @Chocolate Covered Katie!!!

Raw Peach Pie

2011-09-09T15:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a "raw" peach pie, which simply means non of the ingredients were ever cooked in any way! Everyone that tasted this pie enjoyed it! I was truly surprised, as this whole "raw" thing is still very new to me. I would definitely make this again! It was terrific!!!

Crust:
1 3/4 cup raw almonds
pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
4-5 dried dates
2 T honey
1 T almond or canola oil

Filling:
4 peaches
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 T coconut flakes
4 dried dates
1 T honey

Directions:
Finely chop the almonds in a food processor or Vita-Mix.
Add the rest of the crust ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Spread the dough out evenly on the bottom of a pie dish.
Put 2 peaches in the food processor or Vita-Mix. When they are finely chopped, add the rest of the filling ingredients, EXCEPT for the last 2 peaches. Blend thoroughly, and remove from processor.
Slice the remaining 2 peaches and mix with filling mixture. Stir gently by hand.
Pour filling into pie dish.
Garnish with mint sprig if desired.

Recipe slightly adapted from: "Raw Food" by Erica Palmcrantz and Irmela Lilja

Surprise!

2011-08-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

Wondering what my deal has been? Where have all the recipes gone?
Well, I've been a little preoccupied!
Imagine this...the writer of the Mummies Yummies blog gains over 35 pounds?!
You might say, well no surprise there! She clearly likes to cook, therefore, she probably likes to eat! I mean there is even a picture of her shoving her face with food in the sidebar!!!
All of that is true, but would you believe it if I told you that I never struggled with weight in my life.
When I was in high school, I was always a healthy weight. Not toothpick skinny, but I could eat whatever I wanted to and never weighed more than 120 (and 5'6").
Then, as an adult I settled into weighing around 135-140. I was "fine" at that weight, but didn't feel super fit, but I also didn't gain weight even if I ate a bunch of junk. I must say, I didn't appreciate my weight and I didn't take care of myself, never thinking that one day it might not be so easy for me!
Well, that day came! It happened slowly. After I had my second child, I easily dropped all of my pregnancy weight and returned to my 130's! Little by little the weight starting creeping on and my energy level took a dive. Then as I found myself weighing 150, I wondered what on earth was going on. Well, it turned out I had a bit of a transient hypothyroid problem. Basically, that meant that something in pregnancy had brought on the condition causing my thyroid to quit doing it's job and it caused my weight to increase more easily than usual. But within less than 1 year, my levels went back to normal. I should have worked harder to drop the weight then (3 years ago), if I had only seen what was coming in the future! Now, I'm not saying that if I did anything differently that it would have changed my condition or kept it from coming back, but I might not have had to start out so far behind the game with my weight. So, as I just eluded to, the condition came back...and with a vengeance!
6 weeks ago I was again diagnosed with hypothyroid and Monday of this week it was confirmed that the cause is a condition called Hashimotos! Apparently what happened was somewhere along the line, my immune system decided to attack my thyroid, thus killing some of it off and now it's not doing it's job again!
So, with that, I re-launched a blog that I had private over 18 months ago and went public with my weight loss journey!
This has meant a new way of eating for me. Now I have to be very purposeful when putting food in my mouth. I need to make sure it is truly fueling my body. I don't want to be a slave to my thyroid and the various conditions (like high cholesterol and heart disease) that can come with it, so I am going to feed my body well. I'm not ok with putting on more pounds and just blaming it on my thyroid. I know that if I am not intentional about what I eat, the "bad" stuff will turn right into extra unwanted pounds! And with unwanted pounds, could come unwanted side effects...so as a mother of two young children, I am going to put my best foot forward and get healthy for my kids sake!
If you are interested in following this journey, click here: http://hopeplistohotplis.blogspot.com/
Then, please follow me! I'd love the support!
Thank you!

Homemade Granola

2011-07-21T17:43:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my dear friend Keli, I now have a wonderful recipe for homemade granola. I have tried many many recipes and haven't been to thrilled with any of them. A few of them were ok, but this one is absolutely awesome...so great that I'm not sure I will ever buy store bought granola again! I hope you enjoy it also!

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats (I used thick organic oats)

1 cup shredded or chipped coconut

1 cup nuts of choice, chopped coarse (I used walnuts)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup coconut oil or 1 stick butter (I used coconut oil)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To stir in AFTER baking:

1 cup dried fruits (cranberries, cherries, apricots, raisins, etc.) optional...(I did NOT use any)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, silpat or grease.

In a large bowl combine oats, coconut, nuts and salt

The directions call to melt butter or oil in saucepan and blend remaining ingredients into oil, then pour over dry ingredients, but I skipped this step and dumped everything into the large bowl by accident. Fortunately, it turned out great.

Spread onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes (min took about 40 minutes), stirring every 5 minutes until golden brown. Do not overbake!

When it comes out of the oven it will still seem soft, but as long as it is nicely golden brown in color it should crisp up nicely upon cooling.

Place baking sheet on wire rack to cool. Once the granola has completely cooled, stir in dried fruit if desired and store in airtight container or plastic bag. It will keep for several weeks.

Makes about 5 cups of Granola

NOTE: Recipe from http://www.cookingforseven.com

Same Mummie, Same Yummies, NEW LOOK

2011-06-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to take this blog in a more healthy direction, however the look of the blog did not reflect that at all! So, with the help of a super sweet gal...I have been working on a new look for the blog!
I will still be posting tried and true recipes that real people have fed to their families and enjoyed!
I just desire to offer you recipes that are made with fresh ingredients, that are healthy, and finally and most often more importantly for those busy families...SIMPLE!
So, maybe the new description should be just that... FRESH...HEALTHY...SIMPLE...and still Yummie! :)
You may see several different changes along the way. Feel free to comment on what you like or any ideas you may have! Thanks for hanging along for the ride! :)

Lentil Loaf

2011-06-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

I found and slightly modified this recipe from the Six O'Clock Scramble recipe book. It is really easy and delicious...even for non-bean eaters. It is very cheesy, so picky people even enjoy it!

Ingredients:
2 cups low fat cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked lentils (see below)
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t dried thyme
1 c whole wheat bread crumbs
1 whole egg (or 2 egg whites)
1 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 can tomato sauce (optional, used for topping)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8x8 pan or loaf pan with non stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except tomato sauce.
Spread mixture evenly in dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Serve sliced.
We enjoy a fresh side salad with this meal!

FREEZE OPTION:
If you choose to prepare this and then freeze, follow directions as listed, but do not cook until day you desire to eat it. On day of eating, put dish in oven BEFORE you turn the oven on, then turn oven to 350 and allow to cook for 1 hr or until heated throughout.

Sweet Milk Waffles

2011-06-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

I have searched high and low to find just the right waffle recipe. Some have tasted too eggy, some too dense, some too fluffy...Frankly, I was feeling much like Goldilocks! :) Until finally, I came upon this recipe from recipegirl.com! I adapted it a bit by subbing some whole wheat flour and adding some malted milk powder (which sounds weird, but really made a difference in the flavor to me!). My daughter loves to have waffles in the morning, but it isn't always feasible to whip up a batch before school. So, I make these and sometimes double the recipe and freeze the cooked waffles in a large ziploc. Then, on the days she wants a waffle, I just pop them in the toaster for a yummy and healthier breakfast! Best part for me (as always)...I know exactly what is in them!

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (sub ½ whole wheat flour)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

ADD: ¼ c Malted Milk Powder, Carnation makes some (Heather’s secret ingredient)

OPTIONAL: add ¼ cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat waffle iron.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add milk, oil and eggs and whisk together until smooth.

3. Spray waffle iron with nonstick spray. Pour batter into iron until it spreads within about 1-inch of the edges. Cover and bake until done (on my waffle iron, the light goes off when done).

4. Lift cover, loosen waffle with a fork and serve immediately.

Yield: About 5 waffles

Zucchini Bread

2011-06-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

This is an ever popular recipe that many of my family (mainly my sister), request on a regular basis. Sadly, my sister and I live all the way across the country from each other so it has been years since I have made it for her. However, she is a fabulous chef and baker, so I have no doubt she will be able to make this even better than me! :) I hope you enjoy it as well.

Ingredients:

1- ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 egg, beaten

1 cup sugar

1 cup finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini

¼ cup cooking oil

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and 12 inch up sides of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

2.In another medium bowl combine egg, sugar, shredded zucchini, and oil. Add zucchini mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

3.Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

Apple Bread: Prepare as above, except substitute 1-1/2 cups finely shredded, peeled apple for the shredded zucchini.

*This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens

Summer Squash Soup

2011-05-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I found this recipe at http://naturallyella.com. I had several yellow squash from our CSA and I didn't want to go the unhealthy (but sometimes yummy) squash casserole route and I was tired of the grilled or pan seared way too, so I figured I would give this a try. My husband and I enjoyed it very much! This would definitely be one that I make again! THANK YOU Erin for your post on naturallyella!

Ingredients:

2 cups summer squash (I used yellow squash, Erin from naturallyella used patty pan)
1/2 cup yellow onion
1/4 cup carrot finely diced
1 clove garlic
1 cup pototoes, diced into cubes (I used russett)
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups broth (veggie or chicken)
1/4 teaspoon each: corriander, tumeric, and paprika (I didn't have any corriander, so I left it out)
1/8 teaspoon cumin, mustard powder, and cinnamon
pinch cayenne pepper (if desired)
1/4 cup coconut milk (plus 2 T for finishing)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium low heat. Add in garlic and onions, sauteing until onions begin to soften and garlic becomes fragrant. Add in squash, carrot, and potatoes- continuing to cook until squash and potatoes being to soften, about five minutes. (I added a splash of water, as my veggies were cooking too quickly) During this time, begin to add spices. Once vegetables begin to soften, add in white white to deglaze the pan. Finally, pour in vegetable (or chicken) broth, bring to a boil, and reduce then to a simmer. Let simmer until potatoes and squash are soft, 20-25 minutes. (taste a couple times during this to adjust spices to your liking)
Once potatoes are done, use an immersion blender or a regular blender to create a smooth texture in your soup. Return soup back to stove top, stir in coconut milk, and heat again until soup is hot. When ready to serve, place soup in a bowl, spoon 1 tablespoon each onto top of soup, and sprinkle a little paprika on top of each.

*NOTE: picture above is mine! :) I wish I were a better food photographer!

Crusty Wheat/White Bread

2011-05-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes directly from the King Arthur flour website. The only change I personally make is substituting King Arthur's 100% Whole Wheat flour for half of the white flour. It is the best bread! And you can make it in a loaf pan as well (without adding water to a pan in the oven), to make soft slice able sandwich bread! I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

The most basic of all no-knead loaves, this is a wonderful way to get into yeast-bread baking. The easy stir-together dough rests in your refrigerator, developing flavor all the time, till you're ready to bake. About 90 minutes before you want to serve bread, grab a handful of dough, shape it, let it rise, then bake for 30 minutes. The result? Incredible, crusty artisan-style bread. If you're a first-time bread-baker, you'll never believe this bread came out of your own oven. if you're a seasoned yeastie, you'll love this recipe's simplicity.

Our thanks to Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, whose wonderful book, "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day," is the inspiration for this recipe.

Read our blog about this bread, with additional photos, at Bakers' Banter.

3 cups lukewarm water
6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour* (I sub half 100% Whole Wheat flour)
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast

Directions

*The flour/liquid ratio is important in this recipe. If you measure flour by sprinkling it into your measuring cup, then gently sweeping off the excess, use 7 1/2 cups. If you measure flour by dipping your cup into the canister, then sweeping off the excess, use 6 1/2 cups. Most accurate of all, and guaranteed to give you the best results, if you measure flour by weight, use 32 ounces.

1) Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, or a large (6-quart), food-safe plastic bucket. For first-timers, "lukewarm" means about 105°F, but don't stress over getting the temperatures exact here. Comfortably warm is fine; "OUCH, that's hot!" is not. Yeast is a living thing; treat it nicely.

2) Mix and stir everything together to make a very sticky, rough dough. If you have a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with the beater blade for 30 to 60 seconds. If you don't have a mixer, just stir-stir-stir with a big spoon or dough whisk till everything is combined.

3) Next, you're going to let the dough rise. If you've made the dough in a plastic bucket, you're all set — just let it stay there, covering the bucket with a lid or plastic wrap; a shower cap actually works well here. If you've made the dough in a bowl that's not at least 6-quart capacity, transfer it to a large bowl; it's going to rise a lot. There's no need to grease the bowl, though you can if you like; it makes it a bit easier to get the dough out when it's time to bake bread.

4) Cover the bowl or bucket, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or for up to about 7 days. (If you're pressed for time, skip the room-temperature rise, and stick it right into the fridge). The longer you keep it in the fridge, the tangier it'll get; if you chill it for 7 days, it will taste like sourdough. Over the course of the first day or so, it'll rise, then fall. That's OK; that's what it's supposed to do.

5) When you're ready to make bread, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour; this will make it easier to grab a hunk. Grease your hands, and pull off about 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough — a 14-ounce to 19-ounce piece, if you have a scale. It'll be about the size of a softball, or a large grapefruit.

6) Plop the sticky dough onto a floured work surface, and round it into a ball, or a longer log. Don't fuss around trying to make it perfect; just do the best you can.

7) Place the dough on a piece of parchment (if you're going to use a baking stone); or onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Sift a light coating of flour over the top; this will help keep the dough moist as it rests before baking.

8) Let the dough rise for about 45 to 60 minutes. It won't appear to rise upwards that much; rather, it'll seem to settle and expand. Preheat your oven (and baking stone, if you're using one) to 450°F while the dough rests. Place a shallow metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex, or ceramic) on the lowest oven rack, and have 1 cup of hot water ready to go.

9) When you're ready to bake, take a sharp knife and slash the bread 2 or 3 times, making a cut about 1/2" deep. The bread may deflate a bit; that's OK, it'll pick right up in the hot oven.

10) Place the bread in the oven, and carefully pour the 1 cup hot water into the shallow pan on the rack beneath. It'll bubble and steam; close the oven door quickly.

11) Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown.

12) Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. Store leftover bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.

13) Yield: 3 or 4 loaves, depending on size.

Crusty White/Wheat Bread

2011-05-12T06:54:00.000-07:00

This recipe is directly from the King Arthur flour website.

I do half the recipe sometimes, which turns out just fine. Also, I sub half of the white flour for King Arthur's 100% whole wheat flour!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

The most basic of all no-knead loaves, this is a wonderful way to get into yeast-bread baking. The easy stir-together dough rests in your refrigerator, developing flavor all the time, till you're ready to bake. About 90 minutes before you want to serve bread, grab a handful of dough, shape it, let it rise, then bake for 30 minutes. The result? Incredible, crusty artisan-style bread. If you're a first-time bread-baker, you'll never believe this bread came out of your own oven. if you're a seasoned yeastie, you'll love this recipe's simplicity.

Our thanks to Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, whose wonderful book, "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day," is the inspiration for this recipe.

Read King Arthurs's blog about this bread, with additional photos, at Bakers' Banter.

3 cups lukewarm water

6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour* (I sub 1/2 100% whole wheat flour)

1 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast

Directions

6) Plop the sticky dough onto a floured work surface, and round it into a ball, or a longer log. Don't fuss around trying to make it perfect; just do the best you can.

9) When you're ready to bake, take a sharp knife and slash the bread 2 or 3 times, making a cut about 1/2" deep. The bread may deflate a bit; that's OK, it'll pick right up in the hot oven.

10) Place the bread in the oven, and carefully pour the 1 cup hot water into the shallow pan on the rack beneath. It'll bubble and steam; close the oven door quickly.

11) Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown.

12) Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. Store leftover bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.

13) Yield: 3 or 4 loaves, depending on size.

Baked Kale Chips

2011-04-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

We are part of a CSA this spring, so we get lots of different fruits and vegetables that we wouldn't normally eat. Therefore, I am trying lots of new things! This was a fun recipe that we all enjoyed!

Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale
olive oil (I prefer EVOO)
sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut leaves from hard stem.
Rinse and dry throughly. This is best done with a salad spinner.
Tear leaves to bite sized pieces and toss in olive oil or drizzle with oil after kale is placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Salt to taste.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until edges are lightly brown, not burnt.

NOTE: Picture provided from allrecipes.com

Perfect Pizza Dough

2011-04-21T03:40:00.000-07:00

We've been using this recipe for so long that I forgot where it originally came from. It is by far my favorite pizza dough recipe and I've tried a lot!!! Plus, it is super simple!
Every Sunday night we have family pizza movie night, where I make the dough and roll it out for each family member to have their own personal pizza. Each of us top our pizza with whatever we want and we joke that if you don't like it, it is your own fault (since you made it). Fortunately, we all love it so much it has become a tradition in our house that the kids have become quite attached to! One Sunday we were going to go out to dinner with my grandparents and both kids had meltdowns because they said that we could NOT miss family pizza movie night! Oh, so after the pizzas cook, we lay a plastic table cloth on the floor and eat picnic style while watching a family movie together! It is a lot of fun!

Ingredients:
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp italian seasoning (crushed in hand)
2 1/2 - 3 C flour (King Arthur is my absolute fav... I use 1 c whole wheat and 2 c unbleached white)
2 T EVOO
1 .25oz pkt yeast or 2 1/4 t jarred bread yeast
1 T sugar
1 C warm water (110 degrees)

For a softer crust:
Mix all ingredients in Kitchenaid or by hand (making sure to knead throughly).

For a crisper crust:
Mix water, sugar and yeast in a separate bowl and allow to proof (get foamy). This should take less than 5 minutes.

Once ingredients are fully combined and formed into a smooth doughball, place in a lightly greased bowl, lightly covered. Let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Use a rolling pin to roll dough into pizza shape.
Makes 2 large or 4 small crusts.
Top with your choice of toppings.
Bake at 425 degrees for about 8 minutes, or until done to your liking (depends on how crispy you like your crust)
We find our best success preheating the oven with the pizza stone inside.
Have fun and ENJOY!!

Fruits and Veggies

2011-04-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

As a mom of 2, I am constantly trying to get my kids to eat more fruits and vegetables. They actually do a pretty good job, but it never seems like enough. It is recommended that we eat 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. So, we have tried making smoothies and sneaking in some veggies. That is great, but sometimes the kids wouldn't like it or wouldn't drink the whole thing. It was never wasted, because my husband or I would finish their leftovers, but it can get expensive.
So, a few weeks ago I met a mom who introduced me to Juice Plus+®!
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Baked Banana Oatmeal

2011-04-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

My friend Keli emailed me this recipe and I find it to be absolutely delicious! I really enjoy baked oatmeal, but most recipes have butter or oil., so I loved the fact that this one is fat free!
NOTE: Original recipe adapted from the website "Kath Eats Real Food"

Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (I used organic raw oats)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt (or 1/8 tsp. table salt)
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 to 3 T. light brown sugar, divided
2 ripe bananas, sliced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, milk, egg, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar. Add the oats to the milk mixture and stir to combine.
Spread half of the sliced bananas in a single layer in the baking dish.

Pour the oat mixture over the bananas and top with the remaining sliced bananas.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the oatmeal from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar over the top. (You can add more or less to taste.)
Turn the broiler on and place the oatmeal back in the oven. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the brown sugar melts. (Keep a close eye on it because the sugar can turn black if left under the broiler too long.)

Remove the oatmeal from the oven and cut into four pieces. Serve hot.

Hidden Hamburgs

2011-03-04T10:01:00.000-08:00

Hidden Hamburgs

These are fun hidden hamburgs – ground beef and cheese (so cheeseburgs, actually) – tucked in a homemade bun. I was inspired by the recipe for Cheeseburger Buns in “Mom’s Best Meals” in an old Taste of Home (12/3/2007) but didn’t have shortening and knew my children wouldn’t like all the ingredients, so, I adapted a hamburg roll recipe from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Hamburger-Buns/Detail.aspx and just made my own cheeseburger part. The hamburg buns were really nice and soft and made the house smell so good too. So here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

2 cups warm milk (110 degrees F)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
2 (.25 ounce) packages instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed

1 pound ground beef, cooked
Any kind of cheese you want to use
I just used the beef and cheese, but you could add whatever other seasonings you usually add to hamburgs, e.g. Worcestershire sauce or whatever. I’ll do that next time.

Directions

1. In a pot, warm the milk, butter, and water.
2. Pour into a bowl and add sugar and yeast. Let stand for about 5 minutes.
3. Mix in the salt, and gradually stir in the flour until you have a soft dough. (I had to knead
briefly.)
4. Divide into 24 pieces, and form into balls. Place on baking sheets so they are 2 to 3 inches
apart. Let rise for 20 minutes.
5. Now instead of baking them, I rolled them to a 5-inch circle.
6. Put ½ slice cheese down on the dough, then top with 2-3 spoonfuls of the cooked ground
beef.
7. Pull the edges of the dough together and pinch under to seal.
8. Place seam side down on a baking sheet (greased or with parchment paper) and let rise until
doubled (maybe 20 minutes.)
9. Bake at 400 degrees 8-12 minutes.

The Taste of Home recipe was supposed to yield 16 sandwiches. I got 12 and then had 12 buns left over. These I baked at 375 for 10-15 minutes. They taste pretty good the next day too.

--Denise

Amazingly easy bagels

2011-01-25T06:49:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from kingarthurflour.com. It yeilds 12 yummie bagels that are amazingly easy to make!!! It is also a lot of fun for the kids to help with this one...as your bagels don't have to be perfect! :)

These simple flour-water-salt-yeast bagels, made with an overnight starter for extra flavor, are a tasty introduction to bagel-making. P.S. Step-by-step photos illustrating how to make these bagels are available at Baker's Banter ,King Arthur blog.

Starter
1/2 cup (2 1/8 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1/4 cup (2 ounces) cool water
pinch of yeast

Dough
4 cups (17 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) cool water
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Water bath
water to fill a 10"-diameter pan about 1" deep
1 tablespoon non-diastatic malt powder or brown sugar

Combine the starter ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight.

Next day, combine the puffy starter with all of the dough ingredients and knead—by hand, electric mixer, or bread machine—to form a stiff but not dry dough. Since we're using a high-protein bread flour here, you might notice it takes a bit more effort and time to develop the gluten. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or large (at least 8-cup) measuring cup, cover, and set it aside to rise for 1 hour. Gently deflate the dough, and let it rise for another 30 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a work surface, and divide it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth, round ball. Cover the balls with plastic wrap, and let them rest for 30 minutes. They'll puff up very slightly.

While the dough is resting, prepare the water bath by heating the water and malt (or sugar) to a very gentle boil in a wide-diameter (about 10") pan. A 10" electric frying pan works well here. Preheat your oven to 425°F.

Use your index finger to poke a hole through the center of each ball, then twirl the dough on your finger to stretch the hole till it's about 2 inches in diameter (the entire bagel will be about 3 ½" across). Place each bagel on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Transfer the bagels, four at a time if possible, to the simmering water. Increase the heat under the pan to bring the water back up to a gently simmering boil, if necessary. Cook the bagels for 2 minutes, flip them over, and cook 1 minute more. Using a skimmer or strainer, or the end of a wooden spoon, remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bagels.

Bake the bagels for about 25 minutes, or until they're as deep brown as you like. To top with seeds, remove them from the oven after about 15 minutes, spray with water or Quick Shine, and sprinkle with seeds. Return to the oven to finish baking. Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool completely on a rack.
Yield: 1 dozen chewy bagels.

Clam Spaghetti

2011-01-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

My cousin just ate this tonight and Brody had 3 helpings, Regan 2, and Alexander 2. (Those are 3 kids under the age of 8!!!) Easy, cheap, and yummy! She found it on a website that was like meals under $10?

Ingredients:

2 - 3.5 oz pouches of baby clams (we use the cans because can't find the pouches, we likethe clams so we use chopped and whole but you could also used minced)

2 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs butter

3 or 4 cloves minced garlic

1/2 lb dry spaghetti (we use 1 lb and there is plenty of liquid...it doesn't soak in)

1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:

Follow directions for making your dry pasta. Once you have placed the pasta in the boiling water begin to melt butter in the olive oil in a skillet on medium.

Add garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

Drain clam juice from clams and add along with chicken stock in with the garlic. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes

Add clams to the skillet. Don't cook this for too long.

Drain your spaghetti and add into the sauce.

Snow-Cream

2011-01-13T06:09:00.000-08:00

My cousin in Spartanburg has had around 6 inches of snow fall this week and she sent me this recipe! We didn't get any snow, so we didn't get to make this, but it looked like so much fun I had to share!!! Would you send a photo if you make this? mummiesyummies@gmail.com I would love to see what fun it is to make this!!! :)

Ingredients:

Fresh snow (probably 4 big handfuls)

1 or 2 cups of whole or evaporated milk (I used 1 cup of whole and 1/2 cup of heavy cream because I ran out of whole)

1 or 2 tsp of vanilla extract (I used 1)

1/2 to 1 cup of sugar (I used 1/2)

Directions:

Place the snow in a mixing bowl. Quickly stir in enough milk to get the consistency of ice cream. (start with a little and if you add to much it's not a big deal...go get some more snow).

When you get the consistency that you like, stir in the vanilla and sugar.

You should make it right before you will eat it....you can freeze but the consistency won't be the same and not quite as fun as when you just made it!

You can always experiment and add maple extract, peppermint, or root beer which we had not tried.

Easy Oats

2011-01-10T05:52:00.000-08:00

Just a simple yummy oatmeal breakfast!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole rolled oats
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup fresh fruit (I used strawberries)
a drizzle of agave nectar

Directions:
Put oats and milk in microwave safe container and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove from microwave, stir and let rest for 5 minutes to thicken. Put fresh fruit on top and drizzle with agave nectar. Enjoy!

Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa

2011-01-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

We are starting a 21 day Daniel Fast tonight at sundown, so I will be posting some recipes that are good for those who are fasting.

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk or coconut milk
1 cup water
1 cup organic quinoa, (note: rinse quinoa)
2 cups fresh blackberries, organic preferred
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted*

Directions:

Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in blackberries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with pecans.

Serves 4.

*While the quinoa cooks, roast the pecans in a 350F degree toaster oven for 5 to 6

Salad Dressing

2011-01-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from a book I purchased at a library book sale for 25 cents -- for this recipe alone, it was definitely worth the price. (Optimum Nutrition for Babies and Young Children). The author, Lucy Burney, said "This dressing got my youngest interested in salad." Note -- it is a British book, so if you find it, just be prepared for some cultural differences in wording -- which can be fun to read. This is a nice recipe because you know what's going into your salad dressing -- it got kind of distressing to read some salad dressing labels.
--Denise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I didn't have any and used regular mustard)
1 tablespoon honey
1 small clove of garlic, peeled, crushed, and minced
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil or flaxseed oil or sunflower oil (I used olive oil)

Mix together mustard, honey, and garlic to form a smooth paste. Slowly add the cicer vinegar, mixing until you get a smooth sauce. Add the oil, mixing thoroughly. Keep in the fridge, where it will thicken further. Use flaxseed oil or cold-pressed sunflower oil if you are going to use the dressing straight away. Makes 10 tablespoons.

My New Years Menu

2011-01-01T11:21:00.000-08:00

Below you will find 4 recipes that compose my New Year's Day menu!
I hope you find some of these recipes enjoyable.

The best cinnamon rolls EVER!

2011-01-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

These are quite possibly the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had. They take quite some time, but are totally worth it!!!

Ingredients :

Dough

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

2 eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup margarine, melted

4 1/2 cups bread flour (I use King Arthur All Purpose)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Filling

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, softened

Frosting

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Mix all dough ingredients in KitchenAid mixer until thoroughly mixed/kneaded. Turn out into greased (nonstick spray) bowl. Allow to rise 1 hour.

Mix all filling ingredients together.

On floured surface, roll out dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread filling with fingers or spatula on every inch of rolled out dough. Once covered, roll dough from long side into a pinwheel.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Use unflavored dental floss to cut rolls into 2 inch pieces. Put floss under roll, cross over top and pull to cut off a piece without squishing the dough.

Place rolls into a greased 13x9 inch pan. Allow rolls to rise one more time for 1 hour. Brush with melted butter if desired.

Place in oven for 15 minutes. Top with icing while still warm.

ENJOY!!! These are a real treat!!!

*adapted from Clone of a Cinnabon recipe from allrecipes.com

Sauerkraut and Pork

2011-01-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

Up North, Pork and Sauerkraut are the New Year's staple! Since we are from the North, but live in the South we decided to eat both! :)

Ingredients:
1 pork loin or pork roast
20 oz sauerkraut with liquid
1 large apple chopped in large pieces (I used Fuji)

Directions:
Put pork in bottom of slow cooker, place apples around and top with sauerkraut and liquid. Cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. Enjoy!

Black Eyed Pea Gumbo

2011-01-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

Down South, Hoppin John is a staple on New Years...this is our version to try this year! :)

Ingredients:
1 t liquid smoke
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped (we left this out)
2 bouillon cubes
4 (15 ounce) cans black-eyed peas with liquid
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Directions:
Put all ingredients in a slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours or high 4-6 hours.
Serve with cornbread.

5 cup fruit salad

2011-01-01T10:56:00.000-08:00

Just a simple yummy fruit salad to serve at anytime of the year!

Ingredients:
1 cup light sour cream
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup crushed pineapple or tidbits (drained)
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup mandarin oranges (drained)

Directions:
Gently fold all ingredients together and chill for 2 hours. Serve and Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes/Whimpies

2010-12-29T14:15:00.000-08:00

This is a great homemade alternative to sloppy joe mixes like Manwich -- it is my grandmother Genevieve Dennis' recipe -- she called them Whimpies --
--Denise

Sloppy Joes/Whimpies

Mix --

1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. regular mustard
2 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

You can also add peppers and onions.

Add to 1 pound of ground beef that has been browned and drained of any grease and simmer for a few minutes.

Chai Gingerbread Bars

2010-12-16T06:34:00.000-08:00

To me, these weren’t quite spicy enough, but my two boys told me they want this for their birthday cake, so I guess it passed muster.
--Denise

Chai Gingerbread Bars

2 cups whole wheat Flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice*
1 teaspoon chai tea leaves (I used 2 tsp. vanilla Big Train Chai mix)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 whole large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (I used 1 tsp. ground ginger)

Preheat oven 350F. Spray a 9×13 baking pan.

In a bowl, put flour, all the spices, chai tea and baking soda. Mix together.

With a mixer, beat the butter with the sugars until soft.

One at a time, add the eggs and beat until they are combined.

Mix in the vanilla and grated ginger.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture. Blend until the flour is blended in.

Scoop the batter into the pan. Spread it around evenly over the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle the top with white sugar (totally optional).

Bake for about 25 minutes.

You are supposed to let these cool or even to chill them in the refrigerator, but we couldn’t wait.
We have a gingerbread man cookie cutter and had fun cutting these into that shape.

*I did not have allspice and so found this recipe for homemade allspice: 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. of nutmeg, 1 tsp. of ground cloves – and so I mixed this and used 1 tsp. However, I also saw another note that you can’t “make” allspice, that it comes from a certain kind of berry, so . . . but this worked in a pinch.

Adapted from: http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/chai-gingerbread-bars-2/

Russian Tea #1

2010-12-15T07:14:00.000-08:00

Hi --

Here is the first of the Russian Tea recipes that does not use Tang. I thought my husband's comment said it all: "This tastes just like the Russian Tea I remember drinking!"

--Denise

Russian Tea/Spiced Tea #1

8 bags black tea bags or 8 teaspoons loose black tea
4 cups boiling water
½ cup water
¾ cup sugar
6 whole cloves
1 whole cinnamon stick
¼ cup orange juice, strained
½ cup lemon juice, strained

Place the tea bags or loose tea in a heatproof measuring cup or other container. Pour the 4 cups of boiling water over the tea bags and let steep while preparing the rest of the recipe.

In a medium saucepan, prepare an infusion by bringing 1/2 cup water, sugar, cloves and cinnamon stick to a boil. Boil for one minute.

Add the orange juice and lemon juice into the spiced infusion. Stir well to combine.
Remove the tea bags (or strain the loose tea) and combine with above.

I kept this mixture warm in a small slow cooker until ready to serve.

Strain cloves and cinnamon stick before serving.

Hot Chicken Salad

2010-12-14T08:34:00.001-08:00

I know this has a potato chip topping, but . . .

2 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 cups celery, chopped
1/2 - 1 cup pecans
1 cup mayo
3 tbsp. onion
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup potato chips

Bake 20-25 minutes at 350.

--Denise

Scandinavian Julglogg

2010-12-14T06:47:00.000-08:00

6 cups grape juice
4 oz. grapes or raisins
2 oz. honey
2 tsp. cardamom (or 2 tbsp. cardamom seeds)
4 cloves (or I used 1 tsp. ground cloves)
1 cinnamon stick
Grated rind of 1 whole lemon and 1 whole lime (I didn't have a lime so I just did the lemon)

Combine all ingredients except the grated rind(s) and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add in the rind(s). Reheat gently.

This is a nice alternative to mulled cider, although we love that too! I read that it was often made in Scandinavian countries to celebrate St. Lucy's Day, which was December 13th.

If anyone has a Russian Tea recipe that doesn't use Tang or Kool-Aid or anything like that, I wonder if you could you post it? I'm looking for one too, and if I find it, I'll post it.

--Denise

Move over Bisquick...Mama's got a new biscuit in town!

2010-11-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and tweaked it just a bit. They were definitely the most delicious biscuits I’ve had in a loooooooooong time!

Ingredients:

2 all-purpose flour (King Arthur is a MUST)

4 t baking powder

3 t white sugar

½ t salt plus a pinch

½ c butter flavored shortening

1 egg

2/3 c milk

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg with milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Turn onto a well-floured surface; knead 20 times*. Roll to ¾ in thickness; cut with a floured 2 ½ in biscuit cutter (or a cup). Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Serve warm.

*Do not over knead or add too much extra flour. The dough will be sticky after mixing. Simply turn onto a heavily floured surface and knead just until the dough is no longer sticky, but still a bit lumpy.

I know what is in my Hot Cocoa

2010-11-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

Our family is trying our very best not to eat processed foods. So, when my kids asked me for Hot Cocoa today, I decided to make my own instead of buying the packets of who knows what is in there! It was delicious and the kids drank it up not knowing any different!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup unsweetened 100% cocoa powder
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
heavy cream (optional)

Directions:

Put cocoa powder in a sauce pot. In a separate pot, boil water with salt. After water reaches boiling pour over cocoa powder and whisk together. Again bring to a boil making sure not to scald the cocoa. Whisk in agave nectar and milk and heat. (DO NOT BOIL at this point). Finally remove from burner and add vanilla extract.

If desired, add heavy cream or whipped cream before serving. Enjoy! Serves 4.

Italian Seasoned Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes

2010-10-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

Hi folks! I know it has been a loooooong time since I've posted anything. Please forgive me! :)
It has been super busy as my oldest started kindergarten and I started baking and decorating cakes!
I've been having a lot of fun though!
So, on to the recipe...this is one of my new favorites and it is super duper easy!!! Everyone in the family gobbles it up, which is GREAT!

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I put them in frozen)
1/2 C Italian salad dressing (I use homemade, with grapeseed oil)
1 t Italian seasoning
1/2 C grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
4-6 medium red potatoes, quartered

Directions:
Place chicken in the bottom of crockpot. Sprinkle with half of dressing, seasoning and grated cheese. Place the potatoes on top and sprinkle with remaining ingredients. Cook on high 6 hours or low 10 hours until chicken is done and potatoes are tender. Serve with your favorite vegetable and ENJOY!

Iced Coffee

2010-07-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

When we were at the beach, we stopped at a coffee shop called Latte Litchfield. It was too hot for regular coffee, so we had iced coffee. They said they just brewed coffee and chilled it. When we mixed the sugar in, though, it didn't melt, so we we thought we'd do a sugar syrup instead. It's also good with a flavored syrup (like Torani Hazelnut).

So, all you do is just to brew coffee, regular strength. (Another recipe said to brew it double strength and then pour it over ice cubes, but we just brew it regular strength and put it in the refrigerator for later.)

Then pour in sugar syrup or Torani syrup to taste, then add half and half to taste (or however you like your regular coffee.)

The only problem with this recipe is that I could drink way more coffee than I should!

Sugar syrup recipe:

2 cups water
2 cups suar

Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Store in refrigerator.

You can use this also for iced tea, lemonade, etc.

~Denise

Cracker Jack

2010-06-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

In trying to find a way to celebrate the University of South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team's winning the College World Series, the children and I thought about making some "cracker jack" (a la "Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack), and I found this recipe on cdkitchen.com.

2 sticks butter
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 cups brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup peanuts
5 quarts popped corn

Boil butter, corn syrup, vinegar, and brown sugar for 5 minutes. (I stirred fairly constantly.)

Remove from heat and add the baking soda and vanilla and peanuts.

Pour over popcorn and stir.

Bake for 1 hour at 250 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes.

*I did not know how much 5 quarts of popcorn would be, so I just made 1 batch of popcorn in my popcorn maker (1/2 cup unpopped corn). This turned out to be too little, since all the "sauce" did not soak in, so I ended up just pouring the mix out onto parchment paper after the hour's baking time and letting it "dry." I also sprinkled it with salt and sugar after I poured it out onto the parchment. This is really buttery. It is not healthy, I'm sure, but it's fun to celebrate the baseball team's victory!

Bread & Butter Freezer Pickles

2010-06-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

Bread & Butter Freezer Pickles

Seeing the other pickle recipe inspired me to find a bread and butter pickle (sweet pickle) recipe that didn't require any canning (since I don't know how to do that . . . yet). Here's one that I adapted from recipezaar.com.

7 cups cucumbers, sliced
2 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup onion, sliced
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon turmeric (this gives it that b&b “look”)
1 tablespoon mustard seed

Mix vinegar and sugar until sugar dissolves. (I had to bring it to a boiling point and boil for about 2 minutes to get it to dissolve.)

Then I added the spices to the pan and let it cool just a bit.

Place cucumbers and onions in a large bowl and pour the liquid over them. Refrigerate overnight.

Pack into freezer-safe canning jars (or other suitable containers) and freeze.

Not sure how long these last in the freezer, but I can’t imagine ours going bad before we eat them all!

I got 7 pints from this recipe.

Dill Pickles

2010-06-24T05:22:00.000-07:00

This is from Gramma Genevieve from my family...and I'm told it is really yummy and refreshing in the summer! I'll be trying this one very soon, because my kids love pickles and I really enjoy them too!!

Ingredients:

2 quarts of water

1 cup vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup salt (we use less!)

pickling cucumbers

garlic cloves

dill

Directions:

Boil water, vinegar,sugar and salt until they are dissolved (does not take too long).

Place pickling cucumbers in mason/canning jar. (I have a container garden and have used 3 or 4 pickling cucumber..they're about 4 inches long). Slice, or quarter, them how you would like. Add 3 garlic cloves (more if you would like) into the jar along with 3 sprigs of dill (we added more as well...probably 6 to 8).

When water, vinegar, sugar, salt mixture is luke warm, pour over cucumbers/dill/garlic and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Mom used to make this and would get about 8 pints of pickles!

Chicken Dressing Casserole

2010-06-22T05:22:00.000-07:00

My husband's cousin just had this last night and all of her kids ate it and loved it!! She said, "that's a big deal in our house"! This is also one that she and her sister used for the once a month cooking because it does freeze well!

Ingredients:

1 chicken cooked and deboned, or about 4 cooked chicken breasts chopped, or a can of chicken

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup chicken broth (divided)

8 oz Pepperidge Farm Stuffing (any brand will do)

1 cup sour cream

1 can cream of celery soup (i didn't have crm celery tonight but used cream of mushroom and it was really good)

Directions:

Mix together stuffing and butter. Place 1/2 of it in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Next spread chicken over. Pour 1/2 cup chicken broth over chicken. Mix soup and sour cream and spread over chicken. Spread remaining stuffing over and pour other 1/2 cup of chicken broth over. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Panko Breaded Fish Sticks

2010-06-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

My friend Keli gave me this recipe a few years ago and I just rediscovered it. It is really easy, SO much tastier and much healthier than store bought, minced fish sticks!

Ingredients:

2 cups panko (coarse Japanese breadcrumbs)

1 cup all – purpose flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 pound sole fillet, cut into 1- by – 3 – inch pieces (wild haddock from Costco)

Directions:

Place panko, flour, and eggs in three separate shallow dishes; season flour with salt and pepper.

Fill a large skillet with enough oil to reach a depth of ¼ inch; heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, dredge fish in flour, shaking off any excess; dip into egg. Transfer fish to panko, covering fish completely and pressing lightly to adhere. Arrange fish in the pan in a single layer without crowding; fry until golden and cooked through, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; season with salt. Serve immediately.

French Toast Casserole

2010-06-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and made it several months ago. It was definitely yummie! I used a loaf of french bread that was a few days old and prepared it the night before. That way I was able to get up, pop the casserole right in the oven and have a good breakfast in 45 minutes.

Ingredients:
5 C bread cubes (or slices)
4 eggs
1 1/2 C milk
1/4 C sugar, divided
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla extract
1 T butter/margarine, divided
1-3 t cinnamon (I use 3t...which equals 1T, I think french toast needs a good amount of cinnamon :))

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly butter an 8x8 inch baking pan.
2. Line bottom of pan with bread cubes. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and vanilla. pour egg mixture over bread. Dot with margarine; let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake in preheated oven about 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden.

Shredded Beef Burritos

2010-05-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

This recipe came with great reviews from yet another friend!

Ingredients:
1 Chuck Roast
2 cups beef broth (2 beef bouillon cubes + 2 cups water)
1 tsp oregano (If fresh oregano - add more)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
garlic salt
2 cans diced Green chilis
2 cans - Ranch Style Texas Beans (drained) - optional - [you can also add black beans to burrito when building it instead which I prefer]

Directions:
In crock pot mix broth, oregano, chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, and then add Chuck Roast...cook approximately 10 hours on low (until Roast falls apart and shreds easily)
Remove roast from crock pot & shred with fork. Pour broth into separate container, add shredded meat back to crock pot (on warm), Add green chilis, beans if desired, and enough broth to keep it moistened.
Serve with whole wheat tortillas, rice (spanish or regular), black beans (if desired), lettuce, salsa, guac, jalapeno's, or any toppings you like!

Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

2010-05-19T05:42:00.000-07:00

Here is another recipe from Carrie's friend. This one sure looks easy! Let me know what you think by checking one of the boxes below if you try it! Happy cooking! :)

Ingredients:
3 large chicken breasts
1 pkg cut up brocolli (you can one steam bag for this)
1 pkg shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of brocolli soup
2 cups milk

Directions:

Boil chicken breasts until no longer pink. Chop breasts into bite size pieces. Place chicken in bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Add the rest of the ingredients into a bowl and them add all of it to a casserole dish (save a little cheese to sprinkle on top). Bake for 40 min at 425 degrees.

Cook rice while casserole is baking.

Serve atop white or brown rice! :)

Yummy Spaghetti Sauce

2010-05-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

My friend Carrie has a friend that enjoys this recipe with her family, so I asked her if I could share it and she gladly said yes! :) I hope you are able to enjoy this recipe with your family too!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 chopped onion
fresh garlic (season to your own taste, i use 3-5 cloves)
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
28 oz of tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
1/2 teaspoon of parsley
1/2 teaspoon of basil

Directions:
Brown ground turkey with onion and garlic in pan. While it's browning, mix rest of ingredients in a pan. Once the turkey, onion and garlic has been browned, drain grease and add it to the rest of your ingredients. Let simmer for one hour! Yummy...or Yummie!! :)

Shrimp and Grits

2010-05-03T04:49:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my friend Linnea. This is NOT a recipe for a night that you don't have a lot of time. It is more for a day that you want to spend cooking. You can prepare some of the recipe the night before to save you on the day you plan to serve this meal. This one will really impress dinner guests. It rivals some of the best southern shrimp and grits that you can find at a restaurant.

Grits:

8 servings - I actually count this as more like 6 servings if I'm making them for dinner

Ingredients:
*1 cup of rinsed stone-ground grits (to rinse grits - pour your measured grits into a bowl, fill with lots of water and stir it up, skim off or pour off the dirty stuff that floats to the top when all the good stuff sinks)
* 1 c water
*7 cups of whole milk and half and half (I use about 2 cups half and half, 5 cups of whole milk, but you could do whatever you want)
*half a stick of butter
*a lot of garlic pepper (more than a tablespoon- but you'll have to do it to your own taste)
* salt to taste (takes a lot more than you want to add)

Directions:
cook on medium low, covered, stirring every 4 minutes until it starts boiling, then turn to low, keep stirring every 4 minutes, keep covered between stirrings unless you feel like it needs to thicken up quickly. Generally I cook these for about 2 hours. Be careful, you can easily end up with a pot that needs to soak for a whole week if you don't stir often!

Shrimp and sauce:

serves about 6. can be stretched to serve more with more shrimp.

Ingredients:

fresh peeled and deveined shrimp - about 3 pounds
one pack bacon
one pack of kielbasa
one large white or sweet onion
one pack of sliced mushrooms
one red bell pepper
one bunch of green onions
garlic
5 lemons
fresh basil (a few leaves)
one bunch of fresh parsley
parmesan cheese to garnish
Tony Chachere's seasoning

Directions:

I'm going to estimate, because I don't REALLY use a recipe when I do this. There is a TON of chopping to do the night before if you want it to be really much easier the day of, but either way, it's going to take the full two hours that the grits cook. Peel and de-vein shrimp before you start.

In your biggest skillet or frying pan, cook one package (prob one pound or less) of bacon. As it gets really crispy, remove it from the pan and cool on paper towels. Leave half or so of the grease in the pan. Add one chopped sweet or white onion and about five or six cloves of diced garlic while on medium to low heat. stir a few minutes. add one chopped red pepper. stir for a couple of minutes. Add one package of sliced mushrooms (these can be omitted if you don't like mushrooms, but I think they add a lot) stir and let cook for a while, allow the grease to soak into the mushrooms a little and when they start to get softer, add one sliced polish kielbasa (or more if you really like a lot of sausage in your shrimp and grits) and then the crumbled bacon. add the juice of one full lemon, really squeeze it out. after this cooks for a few minutes, add about one small bunch of green onions, chopped. add the juice from another lemon. After this concoction simmers, covered, for about 15 minutes (all the while, stirring every few minutes), add about four or five large leaves of fresh basil, cut into pieces. When you are getting to the point where you are ALMOST ready to eat, add the shrimp (probably 3 pounds is good ? You will have to decide based on how many people and how big the shrimp are. I like people to have several shrumps on their plate with the sausage and grits and sauce. yummy! Then I pretty much cover it on and off, stirring, until the shrimp is cooked. Maybe ten minutes, depending on a lot of things. You will probably want to add the juice from about two more lemons while the shrimp are cooking. Generously sprinkle with cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chachere's) which gives a good kick - unless your audience is spice-shy. Be careful with the Tony's if they don't like a little kick. Add salt and pepper to taste, but I usually don't feel I need to add any. Last thing: throw a couple of handfuls of chopped fresh parsley into the skillet and stir it in.

On each plate: Grits, some shrimps and sauce, another little handful of chopped parsley, and garnish each plate with some fresh shredded parm cheese. Yum yum!

Walnut Green Beans

2010-05-02T04:34:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! I just looked at the blog and realized that I had not posted one new recipe for the entire month of April!! Please forgive me! I will do much better in the month of May. YEESH! Anyhow, this recipe came from the cooking light cookbook and my husband loved it!!! He ate more green beans in one sitting than I've ever seen him eat in his life! The best part was it was really easy to make!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

2 t butter

2 T finely crushed walnuts

1/2 t salt

1/4 t freshly ground whole nutmeg or 1/2 t ground nutmeg (from a jar)

Directions:

1. Place beans in a large pot of boiling water, cook 5 minutes. Drain.

2. Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet (or use cooking spray in a regular skillet) over medium-high heat. Add crushed walnuts, sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add beans, salt and nutmeg; cook 1 minute. Yields 6 (2/3 cup) servings.

French Bread Roll

2010-03-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

My friend Alecia gave me this recipe and it was a HUGE hit tonight!!! All members of the family devoured it...including my 2 1/2 and 5 year olds!!! That makes it a huge winner in my book!
I hope it will be a winner with your family too!

Ingredients:
1 tube of french bread loaf (Pillsbury)
lunch meat (I used turkey and ham)
cheese (I used swiss and chipotle cheddar)
other options - bacon, salami, pepperoni, the possibilities are endless...etc etc

Directions:
Open tube of bread dough. Either unroll (mine was easy to unroll) or smush into a large rectangle.
Layer meat and cheese, then roll. Put the seam down on a cookie sheet (it is nice too cook it on parchment paper as the roll will not stick at all) and press together the ends of the roll to seal everything inside. Finally make a few slits in the top of the roll. It is NOT advised to put sauce inside the roll as it will most likely seep out or make the dough inside a bit soggy. Instead serve sauce on the side for dipping...mustard, ranch dressing, italian dressing etc.

*NOTE*you could make this into a pizza roll by using a tube of pizza dough (or your own homemade) and filling it with pepperoni and mozzarella. Then, serve with pizza sauce for dipping.
Bake 350 degrees 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Petra’s Tortilla’s

2010-03-26T07:40:00.000-07:00

Here are tortilla's that Tina makes to go with Elena's burrito recipe. I think these would be a lot of fun to make...but then again, that's probably just because I like to cook.

1 cup Jiffy baking mix
1 and 1/4 cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp Crisco
1 cup of warm water
½ tsp salt

Before beginning, place iron skillet over low heat warming it
While preparing mix.
Also, you want to have a floured surface ready to work on and
A rolling pin.
Tip: I flour the pin as I work. I also flatten the ball into a disc
Before I roll. Once I’ve rolled a couple of times, I pick the
Tortilla up and turn it, then roll again. Helps keep a circular shape.

Mix dry ingredients first, then cut in Crisco.
Slowly add water. (you want a consistency that you can knead.
If mixture is too sticky lightly sprinkle with flour ).
After kneading, let mixture sit for 5-10 minutes.
Pinch off golf size balls and again, let them sit for 5-10 minutes.
Flatten into disc and roll.

Once you have a tortilla rolled, place it in skillet (no oil needed).
Turn with spatula when small bubbles form on surface. There should be
Light brown spots on the tortilla, that is normal.
Tip: while tortilla is cooking, you can roll the next one.

Enjoy!

Elena’s Burritto’s

2010-03-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend Tina passed this recipe on and she knows her Mexican food!! I trust that anything she would prepare would be awesome! I hope you like it! :)

1 lb ground beef (I use low fat)
1 lb sausage (I use Jimmy Dean HOT)
2 cans refried beans (I use fat free)
½ block of Monterey Jack with jalapenos sliced
1 heaping tsp of ground cumin
1 Tbs minced garlic.
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt (optional)

Brown beef and sausage, add seasonings.
Add refried beans and mix with meat.
Add cheese slices and stir mixture often
until cheese is melted and incorporated.
(sometimes I add a little water if it appears too thick)

Spoon into a tortilla and it’s a wrap!

Breakfast Loaf

2010-03-22T05:15:00.000-07:00

This recipe came from allrecipes.com and slightly adapted from my friend Stephanie. She thought this recipe sounded outstanding, but didn't think her husband would like it. But, he's already asking her when she is going to make it again. She added sauteed mushrooms and smeared avocado (after cooking). She said that this thing was sooooo good and they just added fruit on the side for a great meal.

Ingredients:

6 eggs, beaten

1/4 t salt

1/8 t pepper

1 T butter

1 (1pound) loaf French bread

6 oz thinkly sliced deli ham, divided

3/4 c shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided

3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 medium tomato, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine eggs, salt and pepper. Melt butter in a skillet; add eggs. Cook and stir until set; set aside. Cut the top fourth off loaf of bread. Carefully hollow out top and bottom, leaving a 1/2-in. shell. (Discard removed bread or save for another use.) Set top aside.

2. In bottom of bread, place a fourth of the ham. Layer with half of the Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, red pepper, scrambled eggs and tomato slices. Top with the remaining cheese and ham. Gently press the layers together. Replace bread top and wrap tightly in foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

*Image from Ivy on allrecipes.com

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2010-03-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the children may not like these, but I made these for a church luncheon last Sunday and every last one got eaten, three people asked me for the recipe, and even people who said they "hated brussels sprouts" said they ate some, so I figured maybe it was ok to post here for at least maybe the mummies and daddies.

Halve brussels sprouts if they are large or leave whole. Put in a casserole dish and add some olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 450 until nicely browned. That's it!

Fastest Yeast Bread

2010-03-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

This is a really easy and quick bread with virtually no kneading. It is a dense bread, not fluffy like a regular loaf of white bread -- kind of a rustic-looking bread.

3 cups bread or all-purpose flour (or you can do 1 1/2 cups white and 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour)
1 package yeast (or 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water (or 1 1/2 cups if you omit the olive oil)
1/4 cup olive oil
Coarse salt to taste (optional)

Mix flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl.
Add the water all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Add the olive oil. Mix 1-2 minutes, until a ball forms.
Shape by hand into a flat round or long loaf (I knead it just a couple of times here).
Place on baking sheet. Let rise in the warmest part of your kitchen, covered, while you preheat the oven to 425.
Brush with water, sprinkle with salt if you like, and bake for 15 minutes.
Then lower the heat to 350 and bake about 30-45 minutes.

You can add 1 tablespoon fresh herbs too (I've done rosemary).

Source: Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (1998 edition -- I can't find this recipe in his updated edition).

Roasted Chickpeas

2010-03-09T08:54:00.000-08:00

My toddler & 7 year old gobble these up as soon as they are cool enough to eat. My 5 year old won't touch them, but 2 out of 3 works. Easy, healthy, and cheap!

2 cups cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans (I cook in a crockpot -- see below*.)
3 tbsp. olive oil
Salt, pepper, lemon juice, any spice mix you want.

Preheat oven to 400.
Put oil in casserole dish.
Spread chickpeas in a single layer in casserole dish.
Roast until brown/to desired consistency. ("How to Cook Everything says to roast 15-20 minutes, but it took us 30-45 minutes. Hope it's not my oven!)
Sprinkle w/ salt, pepper, spices.

*I just soak 1 lb. dried chickpeas overnight in 6 c. water, then drain and refresh the water & cook on low 'til done -- can't remember how long, but just try occasionally to the consistency you like.

Did you know???

2010-03-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

Did you know that EVERY recipe I post I have either personally prepared, tasted or know someone who has. I will never post a recipe that has not been tried and approved by the people eating it! I intend for most of the recipes to be family friendly,and I am even trying to include more healthy options. There is a special category on the right side of the page called "Healthier Options". You can click on it and all of the healthy"ish" recipes will appear.

I would love to know some of your family's favorite recipes, so that I can add them to the blog and hopefully to my and many other family's weekly menus! :) Please email me at mummiesyummies@gmail.com with your own favorite recipe.

Thank you!!!
The Mummie

Lemon Feta Chicken

2010-03-07T05:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my friend Carrie, I can post a new recipe! Sorry it has been so long! Anyhow, she made this one up on her own and her whole family enjoyed it...including the kids! She said that it is even good using tilapia or salmon as a substitute for the chicken. I like the fact that this is a simple recipe. I'm looking forward to trying it myself!

Ingredients:
thin sliced chicken breasts
butter (optional)
salt & pepper
garlic powder
Feta cheese
1-2 lemons

Directions:
Place chicken breasts in a sprayed 9x13 glass dish. I like to slice each chicken breast down the middle so they are thinner(like butterflying), but that's just my preference. (So they're wide, but thin. Hope that makes sense!) I cover each breast with a little butter. (This is optional!) Then sprinkle each piece with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle with feta. Take a lemon and cut in half. With one half, squeeze over the chicken. Slice the other half and lay slices over each piece of chicken. Cook at 350 for about 20 minutes. I broil it for the last 5-7 minutes so the chicken and feta are browned slightly. Voila! Enjoy!

Shortbread Cookies

2010-02-15T08:21:00.000-08:00

It is always fun to tie reading and cooking together! In the book Courageous Kate: A Daughter of the American Revolution, by Sheila Ingle, Kate Barry makes Shortbread Cookies. It is an easy recipe and uses no eggs, so it's nice to use with small children without any worries about them putting an eggy batter in their little mouths.

1 cup sugar
2 cups butter
3 cups flour

Blend all ingredients and bake until golden brown in a moderate oven.

We baked them in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes, but our oven is running a little slow, so you may want to watch the time.

We found it best not to chill these and to roll them out with our hands (pat them) instead of with a rolling pin. We used heart-shaped cookie cutters and then rolled the scraps and patted them out again. Very easy, very rich.

--Denise

Guacamole

2010-02-07T06:42:00.000-08:00

Last night I had my first attempt at homemade guacamole. It was surprisingly easy and really yummie! In fact, I didn't take a picture before hand so all I have is a photo of an empty pyrex container! Anyhow, I combined several recipes that were either given to me or I found on allrecipes.com and ended up with what I am posting here. I will no doubt be making this again!
*Note: the second time I made it was today for a Super Bowl party...So, I'm re-posting this one with a pic of my guac field!

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
1/2 lime, juiced
2 T finely chopped sweet white onion
1 small tomato, chopped (I used a small campari tomato)
1 t extra virgin olive oil
1/4 t fresh ground pepper
1/2 t garlic salt

Directions:
Slice avocado lengthwise. Carefully hit the long edge of a knife blade into the pit, so that the blade sticks. Then, gently rotate knife, while holding the bottom of the avocado firmly to remove pit. Finally, remove the pit from the knife blade and discard.
Next, scoop out avocado "meat" with a spoon into a medium sized bowl.
Roll the uncut lime on the cutting board to get the juices flowing, then cut in half and squeeze the juice from 1/2 of the lime over the avocado.
Mash the avocado and lime juice together thoroughly. The addition of the lime will prevent browning and add a nice zing to the guac!
Add chopped tomato, onion, EVOO, pepper and garlic salt and mix together.
Serve with tortilla chips and ENJOY!

Chocolate Dessert Waffles

2010-02-03T06:19:00.000-08:00

I made these yummy waffles for breakfast the other day with fresh whipped cream. It was a major treat and definitely more like cake than breakfast, but I guess it is fun to do that every now and then. The recipe came from the Bisquick website.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Heart Smart Bisquick® mix
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
3/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together until blended well, but don't over mix.
Pour batter into waffle iron and cook as your iron directs.
Top with fresh whipped cream, strawberries or bananas.

*Image from foodnetwork.com

Healthyish Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2010-02-01T06:12:00.000-08:00

I majorly changed this recipe I found on allrecipes.com to attempt to make it healthy. So, I halved the butter and subbed applesauce for the other half. Then I added flax meal and wheat germ. And subbed part of the white flour for whole wheat flour. I thought about lowering the sugar, but I thought with all of those other changes that I better keep the sugar amount the same. They came out really good and the kids loved them. I think next time I will try to lower the sugar a bit.

Ingredients:
1 C golden raisins (or regular raisins)
3 C rolled oats
1/2 C butter (1 stick)
1/2 C applesauce (natural, unsweetened)
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C white sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 C all purpose flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/4 C wheat germ
1/4 C flax meal
1 t baking soda
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t salt

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine; all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, flax meal, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter, applesauce and sugar together. It will be a little lumpy. Then, beat in eggs and vanilla. Finally stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture. After thoroughly mixed, add in oats and raisins and stir until mixed throughout. Finally, drop 1 T of cookie dough onto cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-12 minutes at 350 degrees. If you like chewy cookies, bake for a shorter time...for more cake like cookies bake longer.
After completely cooled you may store in a tightly sealed container for about 1 week.
ENJOY!

Cream Chipped Beef

2010-01-20T06:30:00.000-08:00

My cousin in-law (boy that sounds funny), sent me this recipe. Their family enjoys it on a cold winter day. We have made this for dinner and we've also had it for breakfast with fried eggs. My kids like it too.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 dash pepper
2 cups milk
2 1/2 oz dried beef
(I like to add a dash of hot sauce and Worcestershire, just enough to add flavor not to make it hot)

Directions:
Melt butter
Blend flour and pepper
Stir in milk, with a whisk
Cook over medium heat until boils and thickens.
Reduce heat
Add sliced beef to cream sauce and heat.
Serve over toasted bread or biscuits and fried eggs (if you wish).

*Image by ehow.com

Healing Cabbage Soup

2010-01-19T13:32:00.001-08:00

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and thought I was just in for a healthy dinner with not much excitement, but I was pleasantly surprised. I actually really enjoyed this one! I think I'm going to make it tonight for dinner! (If you are doing the Daniel Fast to a "t" then use vegetable bouillon. I like the better than bouillon brand that you find in a jar and actually spoon out) I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients:

* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 2 quarts water
* 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon (I use Better than Bouillon) SUB veggie broth if desired
* 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
* 1/2 head cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, drained and diced (I used a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes and just added a dash of Italian seasoning)
*sliced carrots (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook until onion is transparent, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in water, bouillon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then stir in cabbage. Simmer until cabbage wilts, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes. Return to a boil, then simmer 15 to 30 minutes, stirring often. (I found it was even better the longer it simmered. I would simmer at least 45 minutes)

*Image by Kady-June on allrecipes.com

Alabama Pulled Pork

2010-01-19T13:20:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and made it for New Years Eve. It was absolutely delicious. I don't have a smoker, so I just used my crockpot. I made the marinade (it is a thin liquid,just to add flavor) exactly as directed, then poured half of it over the roast in my crockpot. Also, I started it the night before on low for 10 hours, then let it stay on warm for the remainder of the next day. In the morning, I pulled the roast out, removed the fat, emptied the old marinade , shredded the pork and placed it back in the crockpot and poured the remaining marinade over top. Then, I served them on rolls with Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce on top.

Ingredients

* 3 cups apple cider vinegar
* 1/4 cup salt
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 4 tablespoons ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
* 1/4 pound butter
* 1 quart water
* 5 pounds Boston butt roast

Directions

1. In a non-reactive saucepan, combine the cider vinegar, salt, brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and butter. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Mix in the water, and return to boil. Sauce the pork before smoking, and then every hour or so while it cooks. (FOLLOW MY DIRECTIONS IN THE PARAGRAPH ABOVE IF YOU PLAN TO USE YOUR CROCKPOT or continue with the following directions)
2. Start the pork butt on a slow smoker using hardwood coals or charcoal briquettes and mesquite or apple wood chips. Smoke the pork for at least 6 hours and up to 10. The longer the smoke time, the deeper the 'smoke ring', a red ring of flavor, will penetrate.
3. After the meat has smoked for 6 to 10 hours, use aluminum foil to wrap the meat. Fold the edges of two sheets together to form a watertight seal. Place the meat in the center and bring the edges up to the top, cupping the meat. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the meat and then seal the foil tightly around the roast.
4. Place the meat package back on the smoker, or in a 350 degree oven (175 degrees C). If it is on the smoker, increase the heat. Cook the package until the meat pulls easily from the bone. This can be checked easily by pushing on the top of the foil package with an oven-mitted hand to test for softness. It will take up to 2 hours.
5. Once the meat is done, remove it from the smoker or oven and let it cool. Pull the pork from the bone and discard the fat and gristle. Pull the meat apart in large chunks about 1 inch wide by 4 inches long.
6. Place the meat chunks in a pan and pour about one cup of sauce for every 4 pounds of meat, or to taste. Heat until simmering. Serve immediately or let marinate for several days. The meat can also be pulled into smaller pieces using 2 forks, this is locally known as 'shredded pork'.

Sweet, but sugar free oats

2010-01-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

I just made this up, because I needed to eat some breakfast that was sugar free. So I started adding things until I thought it tasted good. You could definitely add other dried fruits or nuts if you'd like.

Ingredients:
3/4 C rolled oats
1 C skim milk or water
1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
1/4 C unsweetened golden raisins
dash of cinnamon or apple pie spice

Directions:
Mix milk, oats and raisins in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 3-5 minutes until creamy (it will be rather thick). Mix in applesauce and cinnamon (or apple pie spice). Stir and eat!

Crockpot Lasagna

2010-01-04T10:41:00.000-08:00

This recipe was given to me from my friend Keli years ago and I finally tried it for the first time 2 days ago. I thought it was really good, my children enjoyed it and it was pretty easy.

Serves 6-8

1 pound extra lean ground beef
8oz of sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
Oregano, parsley, basil and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 (32 ounce) jar/can spaghetti sauce (your favorite)
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese (softened)
4 ounces low-fat sour cream
1 (12 ounce) package lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown meat, mushrooms, and onion. Add garlic and spices towards the end.

In a large mixing bowl, combine spaghetti sauce, cream cheese and sour cream. I used a whisk to eliminate chunks of cream cheese. Blend thoroughly.

In another bowl, combine mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.

Grease the inside of your slow cooker.

Break lasagna noodles in halves or thirds to fit into your slow cooker pot.

Layer in the following order: Sauce, noodles, meat mixture,
mozzarella/cheddar mixture. Repeat layers, ending with
mozzarella/cheddar on top.

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours (if you have a crockpot like mine...you have to put it on low for 8 or 10 hours, but you can just turn it off by yourself after 6 hours).

Guilt-free Pie

2009-12-31T04:47:00.000-08:00

My friend Chara made this a looooooong time ago and I've had fun making all sorts of varieties of this guilt free pie. And best of all it is incredibly easy and delicious!

Ingredients:
1 6 oz pre-made graham cracker or shortbread pie shell
1 8 oz container of "free" cool whip, thawed
1 6 oz container of fat free or light key lime pie yogurt

Directions:
Thaw cool whip in the refrigerator the night before preparing.
Fold cool whip with yogurt and spoon into pie shell. Place into freezer for a few hours until thoroughly frozen. Remove,slice and enjoy!!!

You can make your own creations with this one...use cherry yogurt and a chocolate pie crust for a chocolate covered cherry pie. The possibilities are endless! :)

GREEK CHOPPED MEAT STUFFING

2009-12-25T11:46:00.000-08:00

This recipe came from my friend Hallsy, whose family used to make this during the holidays. He brought back leftovers one time to my boyfriend's (now husband) house and I got a taste. It was the strangest sounding thing, but actually quite delicious. Now, this is the second year that I have made it!

Ingredients:
2 small onions -- chopped

1 Stalk celery -- chopped
2 Tb Butter
1 lb Ground beef
1/2 c Dry red wine
1/4 lb Pignoli nuts
1/2 c White raisins
1/4 c White rice
1 box crushed zweiback cookies or 5oz ginger snaps --crushed
1 C Water

2 Tb tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste or Greek seasoning (preferred)

Directions:

Brown onions and celery in butter. Add beef and cook until brown.
Add wine and tomato paste, and simmer until meat is tender.
Add nuts, raisins, and rice. Stir in water and cook,
covered, until the rice is done. Mix in cookies crumbs
and season to taste. Stuff loosely into the turkey. Or leave out and serve in bowl.

If made ahead (not in turkey), you could bake in 325 oven for 20 minutes to reheat before serving. Stuffs a 10-12 pound turkey.

Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings

2009-12-24T11:52:00.000-08:00

My friend Chara got this recipe from her friend Mandy. She says it is better than chocolate!! Which means a lot coming from her! I'm trying it tomorrow for Christmas dinner! :)
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Ingredients
2 (8-count) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
3 to 4 tart apples, peeled and slice into 16 wedges
1/2 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) can Mountain Dew soda

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13×9-inch dish with cooking spray. Separate dough into 16 triangles. Place apple quarter on shortest side of each triangle. Roll up each, starting at shortest side, and rolling to opposite point. Place point side down in prepared pan.
In small bowl, stir together melted butter, sugar and cinnamon; spoon evenly over crescent-wrapped apples. Pour Mountain Dew over all.
Bake at 350°F. for 35 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm with sauce. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired. Makes 16 dumplings.

Thumbprint cookies

2009-12-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and it was super duper yummie! :) I filled mine with icing and put sprinkles on top, but you can do it many different ways...rolled in nuts, filled with jelly, or rolled in colored sugar. I also found the icing recipe on recipezaar.com and it was SO good! I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 egg (separated)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Separate the eggs.
Cream the butter or margarine with the sugar. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Stir in the flour and the salt.
Shape the dough into small balls and roll in the slightly beaten egg whites (if covering in nuts or sugar) then in the chopped nuts or sugar (if you want to leave them plain don't in egg whites). Press thumb in center of cookie to make an indentation. If you are filling with jelly, some like to add it before baking, which I think comes out really nicely.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12-15 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool then fill with your favorite frosting or jam (if you chose not to add it BEFORE baking.)

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons Crisco
1-4 teaspoon water, just enough to make it spreadable
1 teaspoon vanilla
food coloring (optional)

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.

Potato Beef Soup with a Kick

2009-12-05T17:58:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com tonight. Basically, i was looking for something that included ground beef and tomatoes because that is what i had on hand...not to mention the bag of potatoes that was close to being on it's way out. Anyhow, I thought i'd give this a try and it was incredible!!! Not spicy at all, although if you like spice, you could increase the hot sauce to give it more "kick".
It's a keeper!!!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

6 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 onion, chopped

1 (16 ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes,

with liquid

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

3 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
chicken broth (if necessary)

Directions:

1.	In a skillet, brown ground beef and onion. Drain
2.	In a large saucepan, combine hamburger mixture, tomatoes (in juice), potatoes, and tomato sauce. Mix well. Stir in water, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. (I added some chicken broth towards the end because it was a little thick for my liking and it turned out beautifully!!)

Turkey recipes

2009-11-20T19:11:00.001-08:00

Here are a few interesting recipes you might like to try:
Alton Brown's
Basic Turkey
Simple
Deep Fried
The Pioneer Woman (with photos)

Turkey Time

2009-11-20T19:03:00.000-08:00

Here is a helpful chart you can reference on how long to cook your turkey and what temperature you should set your oven. Click HERE.