Hershey's Hot Cocoa

This recipe is on the Hershey's cocoa container but it seems like I always forget it if I have another brand. It is my very favorite hot cocoa, Swiss Miss just doesn't cut it after drinking this. You can substitute Splenda for the sugar with no problems (and it saves lots of calories). I usually use skim milk because that is what I keep on hand but any type of milk would work. Break out the marshmallows!

1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. hot water
dash of salt
4 c. milk
3/4 t. vanilla or peppermint extract (if you use the peppermint, just start with 1/4 t. and go up to taste from there because it is so strong)

Mix the cocoa, sugar, and hot water together in a sauce pan with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes, stirring the whole time. Add milk and heat but do not boil. Remove from heat when it is the desired temperature and add extract. I like to use a whisk because it makes it sort of foamy. Mmm.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know that everyone has a recipe for these. This is my favorite though. I adapted it from The Peanuts Cookbook (circa 1969). Enjoy :).

1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. soft butter
2 eggs
1 15 oz. can pumpkin or 1/2 of a large can
2 3/4 c. flour, sifted
1 T. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
a few shakes of cloves
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ginger
1 c. chocolate chips (sometimes, I feel like I need a little more)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add pumpkin and eggs and mix thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients together and add to pumpkin mixture. Add chocolate chips. Drop batter by tablespoons or teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake large cookies about 14 minutes, small cookies about 9 or until lightly browned.

Easy Bread Sticks

I got this idea from my friend Sherill and they are super yummy!

Rhodes Texas rolls
1/2 stick butter per 12 rolls
Salad Supreme

Thaw out the number of rolls you want overnight in the fridge. About two hours before you want to eat them, take the rolls out of the fridge. Melt the butter and spread it on your pan. Sprinkle Salad Supreme on the butter. Roll each roll into a breadstick shape. Place on pan. When all the rolls are on the pan, roll around in the butter/seasoning mixture. Let rise until double in size (one hour to 1 1/2 hrs.). I covered them with plastic wrap that had been sprayed with Pam. Bake at 350 degree for 20 minutes. Yum!!

Becky's Pumpkin Pie Squares

This recipe is from my friend, Becky Noel. I think they are so good that I like them better than pumpkin pie :).

1.
Yellow cake mix (minus 1 c. set aside for part 3)
1/2 c. melted butter
1 egg

Mix and pat into the bottom a 9 x 13 inch greased pan.

2.
3 c. pumpkin pie mix with seasoning (1 large Libby's brown can)
2/3 c. evaporated milk (1 sm. can)
2 eggs

Mix and pour this filling over above crust.

3.
Cut the following like pie crust and sprinkle over filling:
1 c. cake mix (reserved from part 1)
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. cold butter
1 t. cinnamon

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Note: I like to make whipped cream and instead of using powdered sugar and vanilla, I use a little bit of instant vanilla pudding mix. You just need a little and it will flavor the cream and make it very stable.

Chili

This is the chili that I usually make. I keep to the recipe with all of these ingredients but it seems like each time I make it, I usually end up adding a little more of this or that. So, feel free to experiment. This chili is not spicy so if you like heat, feel free to add more :).

2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. Worcestershire sauce (I think I usually add a little more of this.)
3 T. chili powder
1 15 oz. can pinto beans
1 15 oz. can small red beans
1 15 oz. can pork and beans
1 - 2 T. sugar (only add one at the beginning and then more to taste)
1 qt. or 30 oz. crushed tomatoes (I have also used diced tomatoes for this but I like crushed.)
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 t. salt (I always add more salt.)
1/2 t. pepper
2 packets regular (not buttermilk) ranch dressing mix

Brown ground beef with onion. Add all remaining ingredients. Do not drain beans. Heat to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for at least 2 hours but up to 4 hours.

I know the ranch dressing sounds weird, but trust me, it makes it fabulous :).

Weeknight Spaghetti

Okay, mainly I am writing this so I can remember what I did. I always make this but I think that I make it different every time. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can have dinner on the table, start to finish, in about 25 minutes (20 minutes if you don't drop lettuce all over the floor for your salad like I did).

1 lb. ground beef
1 - 2 T. olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
1/2 t. chopped/minced garlic (I keep a jar of the already chopped kind in the fridge.)
1 14.5 oz. can tomato sauce
2 14.5 oz. cans petite diced tomatoes**see note**
Italian spices that you like (I use dried basil, thyme, oregano, and sometimes savory.)
1 lg. T. of sugar or more to taste

Brown the ground beef in a large saute pan. Season with salt and pepper while browning. Bring a large pot of water to boil (if you start with hot tap water, it will be that much faster). When the beef is brown, add the garlic. Saute about 30 seconds then add the tomato products, spices, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then season with salt and pepper to taste. You may need more sugar too. By this time, your noodles might be cooked and they might not. Just let the sauce simmer, covered, until the noodles are ready. Drain the noodles, add them to the pan. Mix with the sauce and serve with Parmesan cheese.

**If you like a more saucy sauce, add 2 cans of tomato sauce and only one can of tomatoes. Or use all sauce. Just adjust it to your taste and what you have on hand. I think this spaghetti is even better the next day. Mmm.**

This is either the worst or best breakfast idea ever

Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

If anyone feels brave enough to make these, let me know how it turns out!!!

What I've Been Cooking This Weekend

This weekend I made 3 lasagna's and some carrot raisin bread. If anyone would like the recipes, reply to this and I will email them to you. The bread recipe is from a cookbook and it is a clone of the Mimi's Cafe carrot raisin bread. The other recipe is from Robin Miller on the Food Network and it's great because you can either make 3 lasagna's or 1 lasagna, 1 batch of sloppy joe's, and 1 batch of taco's with the filling. So cool!

Lion House Inspired Chicken Bake

I have one of the Lion House cookbooks and usually I'm kind of scared to try some of the stuff in it because I'm afraid of new things. But, I tried a chicken bake and I changed a few things so here is what I did and it turned out super good. I would totally make this again. I made egg noodles and broccoli to go with in and the sauce goes great on the noodles.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast, mine were still a little frozen and they were huge
Kosher salt
garlic salt
paprika
2 cans cream of chicken soup (it calls for one can of cream of mushroom)
1 large can evaporated milk (it calls for 1/2 c. of this but I like extra sauce)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9 x 13 inch pan, sprinkle some Kosher salt, garlic salt, and paprika evenly all over the bottom. Then place the chicken on top (this way you don't have to bother with touching the chicken a lot by turning it over to season both sides). Sprinkle Kosher salt, garlic salt, and paprika evenly over the tops of the chicken. Mix soup and milk. Pour over chicken. Bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes but check for doneness after one hour or if you have thin chicken, sooner. Yum. This is way good!

Roast Beef

Last week I purchased a 5 lb. rump roast from Macy's grocery store. They were on sale for 1.99 a lb. which is fantastic. I sprinkled it very liberally with kosher salt and fresh, cracked pepper. I put it fat side up in a 9 x 13 inch pan and browned it in a 475 degree oven for about 30 or 35 minutes. Then I turned the oven down to 250 and roasted it until it was done. I think that it took a total of about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. It was so nice because the first day we had the roast w/ mashed potatoes, gravy, and broccoli. The next two days we used the thin slices and made French dip sandwiches. So yummy!

Here's how I make gravy:

If you follow the recipe above, you will have lots of dark bits and juice in the pan after the roast is finished. Remove the roast to a cutting board and cover with foil for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, put your pan over two burners. I use the water from cooking the potatoes and add about 2 cups or until it is right color and a good amount of gravy. I put the burners on med. high and bring everything to a boil as I scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. Once the liquid is bubbling, I add some cornstarch that has been mixed with cold water. I just add enough so that the consistency is how I like it. Just be sure to stir while you add the cornstarch water or you will have lumps and be sure to have the liquid boiling. Cornstarch doesn't reach it's full thickening power until it reaches the boiling point. Then season if you need to with salt and pepper.

Recipe Contest

Zanna got me addicted to the Pioneer Woman's website. She is having a recipe contest and it has a great prize. There are already over a thousand entries but I think it's fun to try. I entered three recipes, Mac & Cheese, Chicken Enchiladas, and Turkey Burgers. The contest is looking for recipes that contain lots of dairy, either cheese, milk, or yogurt (or all three). Anyway, here is the link so you all can enter too!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

Secret Cafe' Rio Pork Recipe

Ok so here is the recipe I have for the cafe' rio pork. The recipe says to cook for 10 hours, add the sauce and cook for an additional 2 or more hours. I usually only cook it for 5 hours in the water and add the sauce and let it cook in it for at least 8 hours. It takes on more of the flavor and color, we think it is just as good as the real thing.

1 pork tenderloin
20 oz. Coke (not diet)
1 Cup brown sugar
1 bottle red taco sauce
1T cumin


Cook pork with 1/2 a cup of water with garlic, salt and pepper for 10 hours on low. (Again I usually just put it in the crock pot before I go to bed and add the sauce in the morning.)
Then in a sauce pan bring to a boil the rest of the ingredients.
Take sauce and add to pork in pot and cook on low for an additional 2 or more hours. (We have done it this way and it still tastes good but it is better the longer you can leave it cooking.)

Update on Chicken Enchiladas

I made chicken enchiladas again last night but instead of rolling them into individual burritos, I just layered all the ingredients in the 9 x 13 pan. I tore the tortillas so they would fit in the pan and I used the Mexican Blend cheese from Target, the Target brand. It was really good, I think they add chili powder to it. Anyway, it turned out really good and I think that it feeds more people this way too because you end up using more tortillas and each piece is really filling.

I also used the same recipe and cooked it in a dutch oven. I used a recipe book to figure out how many coals it would take to equal about 350 degrees and then just went for it. I layered it in the dutch oven which was easy because I had a 10 inch dutch oven and I used 10 inch tortillas.

Also, I steamed some summer squash (zucchini, yellow crookneck, and Mexican) in a dutch oven as well. I used 24 coals on the bottom to get it going and then too a few away to maintain the steam and just steamed until done. I liberally salted and peppered the squash before and then added a stick of butter once they were done. (How could they be bad with a stick of butter?) They seemed to go over really well and it's nice to have a healthier dutch oven meal among all the heavy dishes that seem to go with that type of cooking.

Flour Tortillas

Does anyone have a good recipe for flour tortillas? I found one the other day, and it tastes good, but it is so hard to roll out. They end up being pretty thick (which is tasty, but not great for most things I'd use them for).

Thanks!

Lemonade Salad

1 6 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 tubes of Ritz crackers, crushed
1 T. sugar
1 stick of butter, melted
1 12 oz. tub of Cool Whip
1 14 oz. can sweetened, condensed milk

Combine crackers, melted butter, and sugar. Reserve about 1/2 c. for the top. Press remaining crumbs into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until it smells good. Cool. Mix lemonade concentrate and condensed milk. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour over crust and top with remaining crumbs. Freeze for 3 hours and serve straight from the freezer. It will still be easy to cut and very yummy.

Chicken Crescents

1 package of refrigerated crescent rolls
2 c. shredded, cooked chicken
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, (I use sharp)
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 t. dry ranch dressing mix

Unroll crescents from package and lay flat. Mix cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and dressing mix. Add chicken. Spoon chicken mixture onto crescent rolls, about 1 or 2 T. each. Roll up rolls and place onto cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown and hot throughout. Serve with 1 can of chicken soup that has been mixed with about 2/3 c. sour cream and heated through. Yum.

Taco Salad from Jane Stagg

I am making this for Brady's birthday party.

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained of fat
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 avocado
2 tomatoes
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, any flavor that you like
1 bag of crunchy lettuce
1 can of kidney beans, drained
1 sm. can sliced olives
1 1/2 c. crushed tortilla chips
1 1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 1/2 c. salsa
1/2 lime

Mix browned beef and taco seasoning. Layer ingredients in a salad bowl, in this order:

Lettuce, beans, olives, chips, cheese, beef, tomatoes, avocadoes. Mix the mayonnaise, salsa, and the juice of half a lime together and serve as the dressing. Yummy!!! This makes 4 large servings, maybe 6.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

1 box Red Velvet cake mix
1 small box white chocolate instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. water
1 t. vanilla

Place all ingredients into mixer. Mix on low speed for one minute. Scrape down sides and bottom of mixer. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape sides as needed. Place into pans or cupcake pans or whatever you are using. I bake cupcakes at 350 degrees for 24 minutes. I am going to frost them with cream cheese frosting:

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 t. vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar

Bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until combined. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. It's easier to add the sugar gradually so it doesn't puff up out of your machine and get all over the kitchen. Be sure not to over mix because it can get runny. This frosting is easier to work with if you chill it a bit too.

Another Good Cupcake Place

Here's another fancy cupcake place:

Cakes de Fleur
3340 S 300 W, Ste. 6
(801) 474-CAKE

They also sell cakes at Emigration Market, The Store, and Pirate O's in Draper.

P.S. Thanks for the tips on free & $0.31 ice cream this week! I enjoyed both! Now where for free ice cream today???

Made-up Island Chicken

I made up a new chicken recipe today w/ stuff I had around the house:

Ingredients:
Chicken breast
10 oz. can of guava juice
Ginger
Garlic
Bay leaves
Salt & pepper
Cilantro

Marinate chicken breast in 1 can of guava juice w/ ginger & garlic to taste, plus 2-3 bay leaves. (I used 1/2 chicken breast, marinated for the next day - this probably makes enough marinade for a whole breast).

Salt & pepper the chicken & brown each side for a couple of minutes at medium heat. Remove chicken from heat. Turn up the burner to medium high or high. Pour in the marinade, add fresh cilantro & bring to a simmer. Add the chicken back in (I slowly turned the heat down to medium to keep the juice at a simmer). Cook about 5 minutes on each side or until done.

We ate it w/ rice but didn't have any exotic veges to add.

Here are some things I might try mixing in next time:
sauteed onions/scallions (something sour to go w/ the sweet flavor)
pineapple
rum extract

I'll gladly take any suggestions of what else to eat with made-up island chicken.

Mini's Cupcakes

Okay, this is not really a recipe. But I wanted you all to know about this cutest new cupcake shop on 800 South, a block or two west of State Street in SLC. It's called Mini's. The owner makes little tiny cupcakes with all these creative different toppings, homemade marshmallows, and rice krispie treats that are really just homemade marshmallows rolled in rice krispies (reaaally good if you really like marshmallow). I tried a coffee flavored cupcake and it was tasty! They are a little spendy (I paid about $10 for half a dozen) but the presentation is really nice so they make a fancy fun little gift.

Here's the contact info:

800 S 14 E
Salt Lake City, UT 84111

(801) 363-0608

www.mini-cupcakes.com

Basic Buttercream Frosting

I used this recipe to top Alicia's DELISH sugar cookies below. It can be thick or thin- just change the amount of milk until you have the desired consistency. I also used almond extract in the cookies, so I put a dash in the frosting too.

1/2 c. Butter
3 c. Powdered Sugar
3 tbsp. Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla

Cream butter until smooth and slowly add in the sugar, milk and vanilla alternatively until well blended.

Strawberry Salad

1 bag of spring salad mix (I used one head of leaf lettuce and one head of romaine lettuce)
4 slices bacon, cooked till crisp, then crumbled
1/4 c. cashew or almond pieces (roasted and salted)
1/4 c. dried cranberries
2 T. chopped, red onion
8 oz. fresh strawberries, sliced
1 large avocado, diced
1 large can mandarin oranges, drained

Place all ingredients into a salad bowl. Pour dressing over the top and toss. Serve.

Dressing:

1 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. milk (I used a little more milk so the consistency was thinner)
1/8 c. balsamic vinegar
1/8 c. sugar
3 T. strawberry jam or preserves

Mix all ingredients in blender or in a shaker and shake well. You can add more jam to taste and you can make the dressing ahead of time. Also, this makes more dressing than you will need for the salad. Refrigerate and save the rest.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

1 corned beef brisket, 3-5 pounds
4 potatoes (more if you have more people)
6-8 carrots
1 onion (more if you like onion)


Peel and cut potatoes and carrots into 1" chunks. Place into crock pot. Peel onion and cut into quarters, place into crock pot. Place brisket, the liquid from the package, and the spice packet into the crock pot. Pour about 6 cups of water into the crock pot and turn pot to high. Cook for 6 hours or until done.

Judy's Chicken

This is a chicken that my mother-in-law Judy always makes. I think that she got the recipe from a cookbook called, Mormon Essentials, or something like that. She always makes it in the oven, I usually make it in the slow-cooker. It is delicious with rice.

6 - 8 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 cup apricot preserves
1 cup or 8 oz Russian dressing (Judy recommends Wishbone brand)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix soup mix, preserves, and dressing. Place chicken in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Pour other ingredients over the top of the chicken. Bake for one hour or until chicken is done. I cook this in the slow-cooker for 3 hours on low or until the chicken is done.

Chicken Enchiladas

4 c. cooked, shredded chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 small can, diced, green chili's
1 c. sour cream (I usually use the low-fat kind)
1 can green enchilada sauce
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
8 - 12 flour tortillas, soft taco size

Mix chicken, soup, chili's, and sour cream. You can add diced onion or any other ingredient that sounds good to you to this. Place some of this mixture into a tortilla, sprinkle on a little cheese, and roll up, place into a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Make as many enchiladas as you would like. You can make them smaller or larger depending on your taste. Pour sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes at 400 degrees until hot and bubbly. I make these different every time I make them but this is my basic recipe. They are very comforting and creamy.

French Toast Bake

4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 a package)
any flavor of jam or preserves that you like
12 slices of thick, white bread (can be day old)
8 eggs
1 c. milk, warmed
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
3 T. melted butter

Spread cream cheese onto 6 pieces of the bread. Spread jam on the other 6 pieces. Put them together like sandwiches and place into a 9 x 13 inch pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Whip eggs, milk, sugar, salt, and melted butter together. Pour this over the sandwiches. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with syrup and fresh fruit.

I made this last weekend for breakfast and forgot to post it. I actually made it with only 4 eggs but that wasn't nearly enough. I think that 8 eggs will be perfect.

Bacon & Cheese Strata

6 slices good white bread, can be day old
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked till crisp and crumbled
8 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1/2 t. salt
fresh ground pepper
a little hot sauce
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
a bit of dried parsley

Place bread into a 9 x 13 inch pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle bacon over the top. Whip eggs, milk, salt, ground pepper, and hot sauce together. Pour over bread and bacon. Sprinkle cheese and parsley on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Let stand for 5 or 10 minutes and serve.

Rozanne's Pretzel Salad

From Rozanne Huff, my neighbor

First Layer:

2 c. crushed pretzels
3 T. sugar
3/4 c. melted butter

Mix ingredients and press into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Cool.

Second Layer:

8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sugar
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
1 8 oz. tub Cool Whip

Mix cream cheese & sugar; add pineapple and fold in Cool Whip. Spread onto cooled crust.

Third Layer:

2 small pkgs. raspberry gelatin
2 c. boiling water
20 oz. frozen raspberries

Mix gelatin and water until dissolved. Add frozen raspberries. This will set up really quickly. When it is thickened, pour over cream cheese layer in pan. Refrigerate until set.

I made this today for a baby shower that is tomorrow. It looks really, really yummy and it is a quick jello salad to prepare because the jello part sets up so quickly from the frozen berries.

Banana Pudding Cake

Use a white cake mix but use one stick of melted butter for the oil, use milk instead of water for the liquid and use whole eggs. Bake in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Make a large box of vanilla pudding, regular. Add 4 T. butter and a capful of vanilla to the pudding and let the pudding cool a bit. When the cake is out of the oven, poke holes in the cake with a drinking straw. Add 3 or 4 sliced bananas to the pudding and pour over the cake. Place in fridge and chill. Top with one regular package of whipped topping or 2 c. of cream, whipped until stiff.

Sugar Cookies

2 c. sugar
1 c. butter
3 eggs
1 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
1 t. lemon extract
6 1/2 c. flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
3 1/2 t. baking powder

Spray cookie sheet with Pam. In a large mixer bowl, cream sugar, butter, and eggs. Add milk, vanilla, lemon extract; mix at low speed. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to sugar mixture until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for about 30 minutes. Roll out between 1/8" and 1/4" thick, depending on your taste and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes, being careful not to overbake. Cookies should be light, golden brown around the edges. Frost with butter cream icing.

Lemon Chiffon Cake with Lemon Curd Filling

Lemon Chiffon Cake

1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
7 lg. eggs, 2 whole, 5 separated, at room temperature
2/3 c. water
1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon extract
2 lg. lemons, zested and juiced
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 c. heavy whipping cream
powdered sugar
vanilla & lemon extract

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325°. Whisk the sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk in the 2 whole eggs, 5 egg yolks, water, oil, extracts, lemon zest, and 2 T. lemon juice. Pour the reserved egg whites into the bowl of a standing mixer; beat at low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Add the cream of tartar, gradually increase the speed to medium-high, and beat the whites until very thick and stiff, just short of dry (about 7 or 8 minutes). With a large rubber spatula, stir about 1 cup of whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it. Then fold the rest of the whites into the yolk mixture. Pour the batter into an ungreased large tube pan. Rap the pan on the counter 5 times to rupture any air pockets. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Immediately turn the cake upside down to cool. Let the cake cool completely, 2 to 3 hours. Carefully, unmold the cake and split into 4 or 5 horizontal layers with a serrated knife. Divide the lemon curd between each of the layers. Whip the cream with powdered sugar and vanilla and lemon extract to taste until stiff. Frost the cake with the whipped cream and place in fridge until ready to serve.

Lemon Curd

2 lg. lemons
3/4 c. sugar

2 lg. eggs
6 T. butter, melted and cooled

Scrub the lemons well with soap and water, then dry them. Grate the zest; you should have about 1 tablespoon. Cut the lemons in half and juice them, removing the seeds; you should have about 1/4 c. juice. Place the juice in a medium-size mixing bowl. Whisk in the sugar and eggs, and beat until well combined, 2 minutes. Strain this mixture into a medium sized saucepan. Whisk in the melted butter and zest until incorporated. Over medium heat, whisk the mixture constantly until it gradually thickens and comes to a boil, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Continue to whisk the lemon curd off the heat until it cools down, 4 to 5 minutes. This lemon curd will keep up to one week in the fridge if not using for the cake.

Asian Chicken Salad

(adapted from the Dinner Doctor)

Asian Chicken Salad

1 bag broccoli slaw

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

¾ c. canola oil

5 T. red wine vinegar

4 ½ T. sugar

1 package Oriental flavor ramen noodles, broken up

½ c. sliced almonds

2 T. sliced green onions

1 T. chopped cilantro

Combine canola oil, vinegar, sugar, and the seasoning packet from the ramen noodles. Pour mixture over broccoli slaw, green onions, and cilantro. Toast almonds and noodles in a 350 degree oven for 6 minutes or until golden brown. Top salad with noodle/almond mixture and serve.

I also added 2 shredded, peeled cucumbers and 2 shredded, peeled carrots. I also doubled the amount of Top Ramen and made double the dressing but I don't think that I needed that much dressing, even with the extra ingredients.

Oven Fried Chicken

Coating from cooks.com

8 chicken breasts, bone-in
1 c. sugar
1 c. table salt
4 qts. cold water

Dissolve salt & sugar in a large pot with the cold water. Add chicken. Cover and place in fridge for one hour. Remove chicken and dry with a paper towel. Discard brine.

2 c. flour
2 t. Lawry's seasoned salt
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. celery salt
1 t. dried parsley
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. dried thyme

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with vegetable oil (enough to cover the bottom of the entire pan). Shake the chicken pieces with the flour mixture. Place skin side down in the pan (you can also remove the skin before coating). Bake for 35 minutes. Turn chicken pieces and bake for 15 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

I baked some small potatoes along with the chicken and they came out just right. The chicken is seasoned all the way through when you use a brine and it is really moist. My mom always used Oven Fry for oven baked chicken but I like the flavor of this coating better. We had broccoli with this dinner but corn would probably go better (I've just been trying to eat more fresh vegi's).

Quick Chicken Marbella from the Dinner Doctor cookbook

1/2 c. balsamic or red wine vinaigrette (see note)
1/4 c. olive salad or 1/4 c. green olives w/ pimento & 1 T. capers
2 cloves crushed garlic (or the equivalent in garlic powder)
1 t. oregano
3 bay leaves
1/2 c. pitted prunes
1 1/4 lbs. chicken tenders or chicken breasts that have been sliced into tender sized pieces
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. dry white wine (see note)

Note: I made my own vinaigrette by combining 3 T. balsamic vinegar, 5 T. olive oil, a little sugar, a little salt, and a little black pepper. I used chicken broth instead of wine because that is what I had on hand.

Mix everything except brown sugar together. Place into a 9 x 13 inch pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle sugar on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Serve with Jasmine rice.

I made this for dinner and it was so yummy! I think this would be a good dish for a dinner party because it is easy and a little fancy. It would also be a good meal to bring to someone.

Welcome to a recipe bonanza....hopefully :)

Okay, I have been thinking about doing this but with a little encouragement, I have decided to proceed with a recipe blog. There are several contributors so hopefully there will be lots of variety. If you make a post, it can be just the recipe, a recipe plus a description, a picture of something that you made with the recipe (this would be way cool), maybe just a quick tip about cooking in general or any kind of food related news that you would like to share. Be sure that if you post a recipe and it is from a regular, published cookbook that you note which cookbook it is from (just in case there could be copyright issues). I made this blog searchable on the Internet but if we start to get weird comments or something, then I will change that. If you have any ideas of how to improve this blog, just let me know. Hope you enjoy!