Grandma Ruth's Au Gratin Potatoes

No we do not save these just for funerals. We love them too much! Chris was thumbing through my Grandma Ruth's recipes one Sunday and decided to make these (what can I say, he's an Idaho boy and loves potatoes). I let him have at it in the kitchen and they turned out quite well.

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium onion
1/2 square of butter
1 pt sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 c grated cheese
1 lb pkg Southern-style shredded hash browns or you can cook your own potatoes and grate them if you wish it!
1 1/2 c crushed cornflakes
1 T butter

DIRECTIONS:
Chop onion and microwave with 1/2 square butter for about 3 minutes.

In a large bowl mix together sour cream, soups, the onion and butter mixture, and grated cheese.

Stir the bowl mixture in with the hash browns in 9x13 pan.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes in 350 degree oven.

Remove from oven.

Mix cornflakes with tablespoon of butter.

Top potatoes with corn flake mixture, then bake for another 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

Gator Bites

We love Gator Jacks. We like to get Da Mudder'n'Law and then we share these Gator Bites. I love that they give you a free cookie, too. I've just always had a great experience at that restaurant. Well, a few months ago, potatoes were the only food item that sounded good to me (oh the joys of pregnancy!) so off we went to Safeway to get the ingredients to make these. They look simple enough and you can probably guess the ingredients, but what makes these fantastic is the sauce you dip them in! We had someone on the inside reveal the secret ingredients (Chris's sister worked there for a little while). Anyway, these are sure to satisfy anyone who loves potatoes!

INGREDIENTS:
Bacon bits
Cheese
Bag of Small 2-bite-size potatoes*
Sriracha sauce
Mayo

DIRECTIONS:
Boil the potatoes. How? Add enough water to a saucepan to cover the potatoes. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt to the water and bring to boiling over high heat.

Add the potatoes and return to boiling. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover the pan with a lid. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes for cubed potatoes or new potatoes and 20 to 25 minutes for quartered potatoes.

Drain the potatoes in a colander.

Remove potatoes from colander and put them on a big plate.

Sprinkle with lots of cheese and bacon bits.

Microwave until the cheese has melted.

Make the sauce by mixing mayo and Sriracha to the degree of hotness you can tolerate.

Dip potatoes in the sauce and enjoy!

It is embarrassing that I am from Idaho and I just had to Google what potatoes you should buy for this dish (it didn't help me much). Just pick smallish yellow-looking ones like in the picture! Sorry!

Goulash

I love my Aunt Melanie. She is pretty much my second mother. She made this recipe for me a handful times while I was growing up so I have fond memories of eating this dish with their family.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 pckage of egg wide noodles
1 lb hamburger (browned with 1/2 an onion, 2 stalks of diced celery, and salt and pepper)
1 can of petite diced tomatoes (don't drain the can)
1 qt Del Monte Tomato Juice

DIRECTIONS:
Cook the noodles in salted water until they're done.
Drain noodles.
Add one large bottle/can of tomato juice.
Add 1 can of petite diced tomatoes.
Add 1/4 cube of butter.
Let it simmer.
Then add hamburger/vegetable mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with grated cheese on top.

Ham Sammich!

We like to watch Duck Dynasty. Although Miss Kay's foods gross me out, I do like that they eat as a family. My favorite food reference they have made thus far has been Godwin's "Ham Sammich". The workers went on strike and I think Godwin was mad because Willie threw away his ham sandwich.

To me, there is a right way to make a sandwich. It doesn't involve Miracle Whip, mayo, mustard, pickles, cucumbers, radishes, etc. Those are just wrong. They bring a flavor in that is just vile (to my taste buds). No, a simple sandwich really only needs good meat and cheese and bread like John Montagu, the Earl of Sandwich, ordered his.

We consider ourselves experts when it comes to preparing these because they basically sustained us through two semesters of college. Oh, we tried Subway, Gator Jacks, Quiznos, Mill Hollow, Big Bites, and the expensive campus sandwiches, but it seemed like the best sandwiches we enjoyed were homemade. So maybe our version doesn't suit your fancy, but we are big fans.

INGREDIENTS:
French Bread or Grandma Sycamore's White Bread
Pepperjack Cheese (or your favorite cheese)
Hillshire Farm Honey Ham slices
Hidden Valley Ranch
Lettuce or Spinach
Tomatoes
Avocados
Green Peppers

DIRECTIONS:
1) Find yourself a toaster and get those bread slices toasted! My family owns a toaster oven so I would toast the bread with the meat and cheese on top but if you just have a regular toaster, you can melt the meat and cheese on top of the bread in the microwave afterwards.

2) After the bread, meat and cheese are warm and toasty, prepare your desired vegetables. These tend to make your sandwich tall so please take that into account.

3) Spread ranch on the slice of bread that doesn't have meat and cheese on it.

4) Add your vegetables and put the sandwich together.

This dish pairs nicely with baby carrots, chips, chocolate milk, and a chocolate chip cookie :)

These get awfully tall haha

Our Double Decker lol

Easy Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes

I love Funnfetti Cupcakes. If I had it my way, I would make these for everyone's birthdays; despite what their preference. They're just so fun. I was delighted to come across this homemade version. Thank you so much, Sally!

INGREDIENTS:
1 and 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1/4 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla; or greek yogurt; or sour cream)
3/4 cup milk (cow's milk; or soy milk; or almond milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Stir in sugar - mixture will be gritty.

Chill in the refrigerator for 1 minute.

Stir in egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick. Slowly stir in sprinkles, but do not overmix because the sprinkles will bleed their color.

Divide batter among 12 cupcake liners (or 24 mini) and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Bake for 8-9 minutes if making mini cupcakes.

Allow to cool.

Frost cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles. There may be leftover frosting depending how much you use on each cupcake.

Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator up to 7.

YIELDS: 12 cupcakes

Remember when I said I make them despite your preference? Did that to my poor Christopher. He was a good sport though :)

Michelle's Christmas Caramels

I have no experience when it comes to preparing Christmas goodies. My friend was taught by her mother-in-law and she wanted to keep up the tradition so we decided to make caramels together. I had so much fun, but I don't know if I would ever attempt this recipe without her.

Salted Chocolate Caramels
Adapted from Gourmet December 2006
Makes about 64 caramels

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups heavy cream
10 1/2 oz chocolate
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
2 teaspoons flaky sea salt
Vegetable oil for greasing
Special equipment: parchment paper; a candy thermometer

DIRECTIONS:
Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch straight-sided square metal baking pan with 2 long sheets of crisscrossed parchment.

Bring cream just to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, then reduce heat to low and add chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then stir until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat.

Bring sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt to a boil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, uncovered, without stirring but gently swirling pan occasionally, until sugar is deep golden, about 10 minutes. Tilt pan and carefully pour in chocolate mixture (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously). Continue to boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until mixture registers 255°F on thermometer, about 15 minutes. Add butter, stirring until completely melted, then immediately pour into lined baking pan (do not scrape any caramel clinging to bottom or side of saucepan). Let caramel stand 10 minutes, then sprinkle evenly with sea salt. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours.

Carefully invert caramel onto a clean, dry cutting board, then peel off parchment. Turn caramel salt side up. Lightly oil blade of a large heavy knife and cut into 1-inch squares. (If desired, additional sea salt can be pressed onto caramels after cutting.)

Caramels keep, layered between sheets of parchment or wax paper, in an airtight container at cool room temperature 2 weeks. To package them up pretty, the caramels can be wrapped in 4-inch squares of wax paper; twist ends to close.

*We omitted the chocolate!
**We didn't salt them either!

Easy Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

I came across this recipe on Pinterest. It's fast and easy and we love it!

INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
additional herbs and spices, as desired

DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 450°F Line a baking dish or cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray or lightly brush with oil.

2) In small sauté pan, sauté garlic with the oil until tender.

3) Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Add additional herbs and spices as desired.

4) Place chicken breasts in a prepared baking dish and cover with the garlic and brown sugar mixture.

5) Add salt and pepper to taste.

6) Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes, or until juices run clear. Cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of your chicken.

YIELDS: 4 Servings

Not my pic but this is what it looks like 

This is how my third time making it turned out. Turns out my oven likes to change up temperatures whenever it feels like it:) I thought this glass dish was doomed but then I discovered an awesome way to scrape off the burnt-ness. With alumminum foil! I have also found success soaking it with a dryer sheet :) Hopefully you never find yourself in this position haha

Easy French Toast

Like I have mentioned before, we LOVE breakfast. Anyway, this recipe is simple enough for us to put together and we think it's a keeper.

INGREDIENTS:
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 slices dry white or whole wheat bread
1 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
Maple syrup

DIRECTIONS:
1.In a shallow bowl, beat together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Dip bread slices into egg mixture, coating both sides.

2.In a very large skillet or on a griddle, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add half of the bread slices and cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until golden, turning once. Repeat with remaining bread slices and the remaining butter. Serve with maple syrup.

YIELD: 4 servings

This is how one of the the French Toasts turned out: it's heart-shaped! I was quite pleased :)

Fast & Easy Pizza Dough

We are big fans of pizza at this house. At first, I was disgusted every time I would ask Chris what he would want to eat (fast food) and he would automatically reply, "Little Caesars!" Then it started growing on me and now that blasted $5 pizza is basically the only thing I trust when it comes to fast food these days.

Of course, the healthiest option is to just make your own (or go without haha), but I've always been a little intimidated by all things revolving around dough. My family has a bread machine and each time I have used it, it has resulted in some serious saltiness. I follow the instructions to a 'T' but I don't trust that machine anymore because it has led me to failures time and time again.

Anyway, I decided to give dough one more try when I came across this recipe. It seemed easy enough and difficult for even me to mess up and it worked out beautifully!

DOUGH INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast (1 packet)
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

PIZZA INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning (if you don’t have this, use 1/8 teaspoon basil, 1/8 teaspoon oregano, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Mozzarella cheese
Pizza sauce
Toppings

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine water and yeast and stir until the yeast is dissolved.

Add in flour, honey, salt, and olive oil and use a wooden spoon to combine. Once the ingredients are well combined with the spoon, use your hands to knead the dough for a few minutes.

Form the dough into a ball, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees and spray a 16 inch pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray

Roll the dough out into a 16 inch circle. Roll the edges of the dough.

Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil with Italian seasoning and brush the entire crust with this mixture.

Place the crust in the oven for 8 minutes.

Remove from the oven and add sauce, cheese, and toppings.

Return the pizza to the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is crispy and the cheese is melted.

Cut into slices and enjoy!

Mummy Pizza: this is as Halloween as I get :)

We still go to Little Caesars every now and again. This was one of the last meals we enjoyed together before we got married. Grapes, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, sparkling cider, strawberry cheesecake, Crazy Bread and of course that $5 pizza topped with green peppers. Don't you love our fake fireplace?

Grandma Ruth's Macaroni and Cheese

The people who tolerate Easy Mac disgust me. Bleh. I don't know how anyone could possibly live on that stuff! I mean cheese powder? That is just so wrong. Anyway, rant over: it just disgusts me because I have enjoyed the good stuff, the real deal. This recipe comes from my beloved grandmother.

INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 c macaroni
1 small onion
1/4 c butter
2 c cubed cheese
1 can evaporated milk
salt & pepper, to taste
1 c breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS:
1) Cook macaroni until tender in salted water.

2) Drain and rinse and put in 2 qt casserole dish.

3) Microwave onion in butter.

4) Cube cheese.

5) Mix in onion/butter mixture and cheese into casserole dish with evaporated milk.

6) Salt and pepper to taste.

7) Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and bake for 45 minutes in 350 degree oven.

(Adopted from Family Favorites. Recipe by Ruth Clark)

Grandma Ruth's Chicken Pillows

I have awesome grandmas. You can be jealous if you want. Grandma Ruth gave each of her granddaughters a homemade cookbook filled with her delicious recipes. This is one of our favorites :)

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 T melted butter
1 1/2 c cooked and cut up chicken breasts
1 1/2 c chopped onion
1 stalk of celery
1 small can of mushrooms
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t salt
2 cans of crescent rolls
2 T melted butter
3/4 c breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS:
1) Mix together cream cheese, butter, chicken, onions, celery, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and salt.

2) Open can of crescents and spread each one as big as you can without making holes in the dough.

3) Divide the above mixture evenly and place by spoonfuls into the center of each crescent.

4) Bring up the edges of crescent and envelop the mixture, taking care to seal as well as possible.

5) Dip each crescent in melted butter and then breadcrumbs.

6) Place on greased baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes in 350 degree oven.

(Adopted from Family Favorites. Recipe by Ruth Clark).

Easy Cheesy Lasagna

I have two Grandma Ruths. One is actually my grandmother and the other is adopted. They have both shared wonderful wisdom with me and they both have been excellent role models. Both have also given me cookbooks to help me prepare for my role as a wife and mother. I love these cookbooks and I have enjoyed the recipes I have discovered. Cooking for Chris really has been a joy. There have definitely been some flops and bad decisions made on my part, but it's fun to experiment, you know?

Anyway, this recipe comes from the cookbook, A Taste of Heaven . It is basically a collection of recipes from the Sugar City 3rd Ward put together by a sweet girl. This recipe is her mother's. We appreciate the efforts of these two and we're so glad Grandma Ruth decided to give this book to us as a wedding present. This recipe is tried and true; it's one of those pages that has stains on it because it's so well loved :)

INGREDIENTS:
9 lasagna noodles
1 lb ground beef
1/2 chopped onion or 2 T dried onion flakes
26 oz your favorite spaghetti sauce
16 oz cottage cheese
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 T chopped basil (optional)
3-4 c shredded mozzarella cheese (can do part cheddar)

DIRECTIONS:
1) Cook lasagna according to package directions.

2)Brown ground beef with onion. Drain fat.

3) Stir in spaghetti sauce and set aside.

4) In separate bowl, mix together cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, and basil.

5) In a greased 9x13 pan, layer 3 lasagna noodles and top with 1/3 each of the ground beef and spaghetti sauce mixture, cottage cheese mixture, and shredded cheese.

6) Repeat layering two more times.

7) In a 350 degree oven bake covered for about 30 minutes.

8) Remove cover and bake for 10-15 minutes more.

9) Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

(Adopted from A Taste of Heaven. Recipe by Jennifer Taylor)

Lemon Water

This may be one of my favorite drinks of all time! My mom got this recipe from another lady in our ward.

INGREDIENTS:
1 gallon water
2 c sugar
1 T lemon extract
1 T citric acid (Jubilee available from pharmacy)
1/2 bag of ice

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients together in large container.

TIP:
You can float lemon rings around the top of a punch bowl. Some mix it in a five gallon container and then put it in a punch bowl.

(Adopted from Karie Christensen)

Cake Mix Cookies

My aunt gave me the book 101 Things to Do with a Cake Mix and I use this recipe often :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 box (any flavor) cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil

DIRECTIONS:
1) Add 1/2 cup oil and two eggs to one box of cake mix. Add chips, nuts, and flavorings if desired.

2) Drop by teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

(Adopted from 101 Things to Do with a Cake Mix)

Brownie Cake

This is always a hit at parties. This recipe has also been stolen from my mother. It makes a lovely Sunday treat, too.

INGREDIENTS:
BROWNIES
2 c flour
2 c sugar
1 t baking soda
1 c water
1 cube butter
1/4 c cocoa
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c buttermilk
1 t vanilla

FROSTING
1/3 c milk
1 t vanilla
1/4 c cocoa
1/2 c butter
4 1/4 c powdered sugar
1 c marshmallows (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1) Sift flour, sugar and baking soda.

2) Bring to a boil in a big pan: water, butter and cocoa.

3) Add flour mixture to big pan.

4) Mix in eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.

5) Grease 10x13 cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

6) Bring first 4 frosting ingredients to a boil.

7) Add powdered sugar and marshmallows.

8) Pour over cake while still warm.

Ultimate Chicken Fingers (Using Bisquick)

Pretty great recipe from Betty Crocker :)

INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup Original Bisquick mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt or garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 450ºFahrenheit. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.

Mix Bisquick mix, cheese, salt and paprika in 1-gallon resealable plastic food-storage bag.

Dip half the chicken strips into egg; place in bag of Bisquick mixture.

Seal bag; shake to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Drizzle butter over chicken.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes with pancake turner, until no longer pink in center.

Homemade Oreos

My sister always makes an excellent batch. Love these!

COOKIES
2 boxes devil's food cake mix
4 eggs
1 1/4 c shortening
1 t vanilla

FILLING
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 c powdered sugar
1 cube butter, softened
1 t vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
1) Blend cookie ingredients together and roll into one inch balls.

2) Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

3) While the cookies are cooling, mix all of the filling ingredients together.

4) Frost a cookie and give it a top. Enjoy!

(Adopted from The Standard Journal. Recipe by Heather Miller)

JELL-O Jigglers

My mom used to make these for me when I was little and now I like to make them for my littles :) This recipe yields about 12 servings.

INGREDIENTS:
2-1/2 cups boiling water (Do not add cold water.)
2 pkg. (8-serving size each) JELL-O Gelatin, any flavor

DIRECTIONS:
1) STIR boiling water into dry gelatin mix in large bowl at least 3 min. until completely dissolved. Pour into 13x9-inch pan.

2) REFRIGERATE at least 3 hours or until firm.

3) DIP bottom of pan in warm water 15 sec. Cut into 24 decorative shapes using 2-inch cookie cutters, being careful to cut all the way through gelatin to bottom of pan. Lift JIGGLERS® from pan. Reserve scraps for snacking. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Bisquick Bread Sticks

I'm not ashamed to use Bisquick. It's so versatile!

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 c butter or margarine
2 c Original Bisquick mix
1/2 c cold water

DIRECTIONS:
1) Heat oven to 425°F. In 13x9-inch pan, melt butter in oven.

2) Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir baking mix and water until soft dough forms. Place dough on surface generously dusted with Bisquick mix; gently roll in Bisquick mix to coat. Shape into a ball; knead 5 times. Roll dough into 10x6-inch rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise. Cut each half crosswise into 12 sticks, about 3/4 inch wide. Roll each stick in butter in pan.

3) Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.

TIP:
For tender breadsticks, knead in just enough Bisquick mix so the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Too much will toughen the biscuits.

Bisquick Biscuits

Bisquick does it again :)

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 c Original Bisquick mix
2/3 c milk

DIRECTIONS:
1) Heat oven to 450ºF. Stir ingredients until soft dough forms.

2) Turn onto surface dusted with Bisquick mix. Knead 10 times. Roll dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut with 2 1/2-inch cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

3) Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

TIP:
Count to ten; kneading biscuit dough too much can make biscuits tough.

Seven Layer Fiesta Dip

We basically spent the Fall of 2011 watching football. It was an embarrassing season for Texas A&M (the team we were cheering on), but it was fun just the same. It's hard not to love football when you live in Texas. Anyway, I made this dish once, and it was a huge hit with my husband. He keeps requesting it, but I think it's strictly for parties so I haven't made it since then. Just know that it is a trustworthy recipe :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 can (16 0z) refried beans
i pint (16 oz) sour cream
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
2 c shredded cheese
1 c guacamole
1 c chopped tomatoes
1/2 c sliced green onions
1/2 c black olives
tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS:
1) Spread refried beans in shallow serving dish.

2) Mix sour cream and taco seasoning. Spread over beans.

3) Layer with cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, green onions, and black olives. Serve with tortilla chips.

(Adopted from the McCormick Taco Seasoning package)

German Pancakes

I think the first time I enjoyed this dish I was in 5th grade and my teacher, Mrs. Stewart referred to them as Swedish pancakes. I just tried to look up the differences between German pancakes and Swedish pancakes, Ebelskivers and Crepes, etc but to no avail. It just seems like worldwide, everyone likes pancakes and they each have their own unique versions and toppings, etc. Anyway, these are a huge hit at our house and they're easy enough to prepare. This recipe is one of our favorites :)

INGREDIENTS:
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 T butter

DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place butter in a 9x13 pan and let it melt in oven while it's preheating.

2) Then blend the eggs, milk, flour, and salt in a blender; cover and process until smooth.

3) Pour the batter in the pan and bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

4) Serve with powdered sugar sprinkled on top or fruit and whip cream or with plain old syrup :)

This was taken 1/13/13 when we lived in Cali and our oven was crazy unpredictable :)

And this was taken with our more predictable oven in our new place :)

Stuffing

Stuffing has always weirded me out. I mean, what is in there? And the consistency is pretty interesting. I never understood what it was. It doesn't look pretty, and I don't understand why people think it is necessary to a Thanksgiving dinner. I think before the fateful day of Thanksgiving 2011, I had only sampled stuffing once and decided it wasn't for me. I refute all the bad thoughts I've had concerning stuffing; it CAN be good!

The first Thanksgiving we shared together as a married couple, we were unable to be with our families, but we decided to throw a big dinner together anyway. It was a great experience and helped me understand how difficult it is to time everything. You really need all hands on deck; like someone needs to be in charge of mashing the potatoes, someone needs to be carving the turkey, etc. Well, since we were going all out, I decided to give stuffing one more try. It was a success! No I didn't put it inside the turkey so maybe it wasn't authentic but it worked out great!

Disclaimer: I don't know about you, but I don't love mushy bread, so I toasted it twice. I also used slightly bigger pieces of bread because I like to know that bread is indeed a part of this dish. I know I'm weird but I think it makes all the difference.

INGREDIENTS:
15 slices white bread, lightly toasted
1 T butter
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 c chicken broth
1 t rubbed sage
1/2 t garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1) Allow the toasted bread to sit approximately 24 hours, until hard.

2) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

3) Break the bread apart and toast again, then place in a large bowl.

4) Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery and slowly cook until soft. Remove from heat and drain.

5) Mix the egg and chicken broth with the bread. The mixture should be moist, but not mushy. Use water, if necessary, to attain desired consistency. Mix in the onion, celery, rubbed sage, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

6) Press the mixture into the baking dish. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top is brown and crisp.

Thanksgiving 2011: Chris's First Time Carving a Turkey!

Our Lovely Spread :)

Dr. Pepper Pork

Yet another recipe my mother has found and we have stolen: Dr. Pepper Pork. She made this for a group of people and they asked her if she was of Mexican descent. It tastes pretty authentic if you ask me :)

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs pork tenderloin
2 cans Dr. Pepper
1/4 c brown sugar
Dash of garlic salt
1/4 c water
1 can diced green chilies
1 small can green enchilada sauce
1 c brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1) Marinate pork in 1/4 c brown sugar and soda in a ziplock bag overnight.

2) Place all marinated meat in slow cooker with water and garlic salt.

3) Cook on high for 3-4 hours.

4) Now that there's a lot of liquid in that crockpot, let's drain the majority of it so we can make room for some more awesome ingredients, but don't drain all of it! Leave about 1/2-1/4 cup liquid in there.

5) Add chilies, enchilada sauce, and brown sugar.

6) Shred the meat and enjoy the taste of good Mexican food!

Easy Egg Nog

A lot of people are afraid of egg nog. I am not. I think it's delicious! My mom cuts out recipes from the local paper and she found this little gem. We're big fans of this recipe so we stole it from her. It's definitely a keeper.

INGREDIENTS:
3 eggs
3/4 c sugar
1 t vanilla
1/4 t cinnamon
1/8 t ground nutmeg
1 1/2 c milk
3 large scoops of vanilla ice cream
1/3 c Sprite or ginger ale

DIRECTIONS:
1) Mix all ingredients together until well blended and creamy.

2) Serve immediately!

Taco Salad/Chili

We eat an awful lot of Mexican food because it's usually pretty simple and easy to throw together. We use this recipe a lot so I'm digitizing it for my own reference.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground beef
1 c chopped onion
2 T chili powder
2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t garlic salt
1/2 t oregano
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

DIRECTIONS:
1) Cook ground beef and onion in large skillet on medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.

2) Drain fat.

3) Stir in spices and remaining ingredients.

4) Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5) Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and whatever toppings you like.

Creamy Crockpot Italian Chicken

I love my slow cooker. I use it all the time. This is one of my favorite slow cooker recipes. I'm not sure where my mom found it, but she was nice enough to share this awesome recipe with me.

INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless breasts
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1/3 c water
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup
1 can (4 oz) mushrooms
Hot noodles or rice

DIRECTIONS:
1) Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot.

2) Combine salad dressing and water; pour over chicken.

3) Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.

4) In a small mixing bowl, whisk together cream cheese and soup until well blended.

5) Stir in mushrooms.

6) Pour cream cheese mixture over chicken.

7) Cook for 3 more hours.

8) Serve over noodles or rice. (I like Rainbow Rotini)

Note:
I have used a homemade Zesty Italian mix and I have to say . . . it didn't quite work out like I had hoped. I'm going to give it another go soon though because those packets can get expensive and I use them in a lot of recipes. HOWEVER, I do make my own Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Chicken soup mixes and I LOVE them much more than the canned soup. Bleh. Something about those feels so wrong to me . . . . especially the chicken one lol Anyway, for those recipes head on over to this link :)

Grandma Ruth's Twice Baked Potatoes

Story-time: my mom teaches piano and one summer, my grandma, aunt, and cousins visited us for a week so they could do "Piano Camp". I have a few special memories of this time but some of my favorites are spending time with Grandma Ruth in the kitchen. She taught me how to make these potatoes as well as homemade bread, meatloaf, and a few treats. She pretty much knows every recipe by heart and is used to cooking for many while under pressure. Someday I hope I can be just like her :) This is her recipe :)

INGREDIENTS:
4 potatoes
bacon slices or bacon bits
1 c sour cream
1/2 c milk
4 T butter
1/2 t salt
1/2 pepper
1 c shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Bake potatoes for an hour.

3) Crumble bacon if you aren't using bacon bits.

4) When potatoes are done, allow them to cool for 10 minutes.

5) Slice potatoes in half lengthwise (hot dog style) and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save the skins!

6) Add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup cheese to flesh. Mix well.

7) Spoon mixture into skins.

8) Top each with remaining cheese and bacon.

9) Bake for another 15 minutes.

Chris's Banana Bread Recipe

I think every family has a special cookbook that has stains and flour dusted on its pages. Often, it is a cherished, well-used cookbook. Well, this recipe comes from my husband's family's well-loved cookbook. He has made it for me several times and it seems quite reliable for a Banana Bread recipe (they can be tricky).

INGREDIENTS:
1 c sugar or honey
1/3 c vegetable oil or soft butter
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 c milk
2 c flour, wheat or white
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 c chopped nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1) Beat sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and mashed bananas until light and fluffy.

2) Add milk, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

3) Mix until well-blended. Stir in nuts (if desired).

4) Pour into greased and floured loaf pan or pans.

5) Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Yields: 1 4x8" loaf or 3 3x5 3/4" loaves

For Apple Bread: prepare as directed, replacing bananas with 2 medium apples, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup).

Cody Cakes

We love these pancakes. This recipe hails from Cody, Wyoming and has been passed down in my Aunt Bonnie's family. She was gracious enough to share it with us.

INGREDIENTS:
1 c buttermilk
2 eggs
2 T oil
2/3 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
shake of salt

DIRECTIONS:
1) Beat the first three ingredients together briskly.

2) Then add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder to the mixture.

3) Beat briskly again to dissolve flour lumps.

4) Use very large spoon to make dollar size cake on griddle.

5) Cook slowly at 300 degrees or just under.

6) Wait for the bubbles to pop, then flip.

Pink Raspberry Salad

I've been to a lot of gatherings, sampled a lot of Jell-O salads, but this is my all-time favorite recipe. I could probably eat a whole batch of this by myself. Sounds gross, but it's totally true.

INGREDIENTS:
1 large pkg Vanilla Cook&Serve Pudding
1 large pkg Raspberry JELL-O
3 1/4 c water
12 oz tub Cool Whip
Frozen or Fresh Raspberries

DIRECTIONS:
1) Dissolve pudding in water in sauce pan.

2) Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

3) Stir in JELL-O and put in refrigerator overnight or until set.

4) Whip with beaters and add Cool Whip, mixing well.

5) Fold in raspberries (thawed) with a little juice.

Oreo Brownies

You can't go wrong with brownies or Oreos :) These are delectable!

INGREDIENTS:
1 box fudge brownie mix (water, vegetable oil, and eggs called for on box)
1 c crumbled Oreos
1/2 container vanilla frosting
2/3 c Oreo crumbs

DIRECTIONS:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Make brownies as directed for 13x9 inch pan--except stir 1 cup cookie crumbs into batter. Cool completely.

3) Frost with frosting. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup cookie crumbs.

Crepe Expectations

I adore my Grandma Ruth, but I especially adore her cooking. I often request she make me Ebelskivers (Danish Pancakes)/Crepes for breakfast. They go really well with her homemade jam and a little sprinkle of powdered sugar.

She gave me the recipe in her home-made cookbook, but she only did proportions for one person! Chris and I eat these like there's no tomorrow so I went and found a similar recipe where I wouldn't have to do math every time I looked at it. This recipe came with us on our honeymoon :)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups milk
1 cup flour
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted butter, plus extra for greasing

DIRECTIONS:
1) Combine all ingredients in a mixer or blender and blend until smooth.

2) In a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat, melt 1/2 t butter; ladle in 1/4 c crepe batter. Swirl the skillet until you have a thin layer of batter covering the entire bottom.

3) Cook until the underside is golden brown, about 1 minute.

4) Add a filling, if desired, right after flipping. Place ingredients down the center of the crepe so you can fold in the sides like an envelope. If you aren't using a filling, cook all the crepes, then put them on a plate in the middle of the table alongside bowls of various fillings--jams, Nutella, whipped cream, sauteed fruit, etc--so everyone can choose their own.

5) Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

TIPS:
If you have time, let the batter rest for half an hour before frying the crepes. And you can keep any unused batter covered in the fridge for one day.

A secret ingredient is eau de fleur d'oranger (orange-blossom water, available in specialty food stores). Put in only one or two drops because it is very, very strong.

(photo taken from here)

One of the many ways I like to enjoy my Danish Pancakes :)

Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake

Remember in My Big Fat Greek Wedding when her confused mom says, "There's a hole in this cake!"? :) This is a recipe my mom makes. People are always asking her for it and it's definitely popular at parties. Meet our "Bunk" cake :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 chocolate cake mix
1 small package of instant chocolate pudding
1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c sour cream
3/4 c water
3/4 c vegetable oil
4 eggs

DIRECTIONS:
1) Blend everything except chocolate chips together with mixer until mixed.

2) Stir in chocolate chips with a spoon.

3) Bake in a greased bundt cake pan for one hour at 325 degrees. Don't test with toothpick because of all of the chocolate chips will make it look less done.

4) Let it cool an hour before turning out of pan.

5) Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

O'Henry Bars

Out of all the treats my mom makes, these are my absolute favorite! They go really fast and they are fun to serve at parties :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 c Karo syrup
1 c sugar
1 1/3 c crunchy peanut butter
4 c Special K
1 c butterscotch chips
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
1) In a large pan bring syrup and sugar to a boil.

2) Turn off heat and mix in peanut butter.

3) Add cereal and mix in quickly (it sets up fast).

4) Press into cookie sheet.

5) Melt scotch chips and spread over bars.

6) Melt chocolate chips and spread over the top.

Bisquick Pancakes

My dad loves to hate on Bisquick but I think it's because he has never experienced a great pancake made using such a mix. I love his Cody Cakes (made-from-scratch pancakes), but I have no shame when it comes to using Bisquick.

Chris usually prepares them according to the package, but he seems to miss out on the little secrets they give away at the bottom of the recipe. He is always amazed when I make them since I heed the recommendations at the bottom so I think they do make a difference which is why I'm sharing these secrets with you. Also doing this just in case you accidentally discarded the box (this totally has happened to me).

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Original Bisquick Mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs

DIRECTIONS:
1) Stir ingredients until well blended.
2) Pour slightly less than 1/4 cupfuls onto hot greased griddle.
3) Cook until edges are dry. Turn; cook until golden.

Yields 14 pancakes

TIPS
For thinner pancakes, increase milk to 1 1/3 cups.

Blueberry Pancakes: stir in 1 cup blueberries.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes: stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Classic Pancakes: Stir in 1 T sugar, 2 t baking powder, and 2 T lemon juice.

Supreme Pancakes: Stir in 2 T sugar, 2 t baking powder, and 1 t vanilla.

I typically choose Supreme. We were watching Jimmy Fallon once and he was talking about some Vegans who were suing Safeway over a mislabeled salad. The Vegans "accidentally" consumed chicken. In response to their case, Jimmy said, "That's why the salad was so delicious!" Chris usually doesn't like when I add sugar to things so I find myself talking back to him in my brain when I make the Supreme recipe (since he is a fan of this recipe although he doesn't know that I add sugar) saying, "That's why it's so delicious!" :)

Oreo Pudding Pie

It is no secret that I adore Oreos. I even have an entire Pinterest board dedicated solely to the Oreo recipes I find. This pie is amazing. Even my husband (who's not really big on Oreos) went back for more. I brought it over when we had dinner with another couple and it must have stuck in their minds because they brought it up several times during the weeks that followed that fateful dinner. It's easy enough to put together and it's sure to be a hit at any party. It is my philosophy that you can't go wrong with Oreos!

INGREDIENTS:
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O OREO Flavor Instant Pudding
2-1/2 cups cold milk
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 OREO Pie Crust (6 oz.)
5 OREO Cookies, cut in half

DIRECTIONS:
1) BEAT pudding mixes and milk with whisk 2 min. Stir in half the Cool Whip.

2) POUR into crust.

3) REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until firm. Top with remaining Cool Whip and cookies just before serving.