Chicken and Dumplings

I went to Trader Joe's for the first time ever, today. My sister took me there. I have to say, I love that store! I had always thought it was a real specialty, very expensive store, but I discovered that the prices are really not bad at all! They have some great-looking stuff there. I haven't had a chance to try most of what I bought yet, but my sister vouches for all of it. This story doesn't have too much to do with this recipe, other than I bought the broth there and the chicken, as well. While this recipe is a little putzy to make, it is delicious and well worth the trouble! I think the key is in using organic chicken and organic chicken broth. For ease, use canned biscuits for the dumplings. In my opinion, Chicken and Dumplings is the very definition of good, old-fashioned comfort food!

Printable Recipe

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (as I said, I think using organic is better)
small amount of canola oil
4 cups chicken broth (this is the brand I used - normally, I'd use Swanson's low-sodium brand, but I like the Pacific brand, better)
2 cups water
1 carrot, peeled and cut in thirds
1 rib celery, washed and cut in thirds
a small chunk of onion
5 tbsp butter
5 tbsp flour
1/2 to 1 full can Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup, optional
rubbed sage, to taste
poultry seasoning, to taste
1 can Pillsbury buttermilk Grand's biscuits (you won't need the entire can)

In a non-stick skillet, lightly sear the chicken breasts in the oil. In a pot, bring the chicken broth and water to a boil. Add the chicken, carrot, celery, and onion. Bring back to a boil and the cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and place in a bowl and cover. After they have briefly cooled, cut into chunks and set aside. Discard the vegetables. Bring the broth back to a boil and allow to reduce to 4 -5 cups.

Meanwhile, make a roux of the butter and flour. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and stir to mix thoroughly. Continue to stir over low to medium heat, for about 5 minutes or until it is a deep golden brown color. You want the flour to thoroughly cook through. It may not be easy to tell by the photo, but it should be about this color:

It will take a while to begin to brown, but once it starts, it will brown very quickly, so stir constantly and keep a close eye on it. When it has sufficiently browned, gradually stir in the broth. The roux may seize up as you add the broth, but it will smooth out as you bring it back to a boil. Season with sage and poultry seasoning. Add salt and pepper, if desired. If you want a thicker gravy, add a couple of heaping tbsp of the Cream of Chicken soup - up to an entire can. You do not need to add milk or water to the soup, just add the soup to the gravy. Season again, if needed.

Open the can of biscuits and cut into quarters, eighths, or even smaller is you want. The key is in not overcrowding the pan. You might only need a little more than half the can. The biscuits will puff up a lot as the cook and if you overcrowd the pan, they will not cook all the way through. If that does happen though, you may pop the pan in the oven at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes or so, to help cook them through and lightly brown them.  Otherwise, simmer dumplings in the gravy, uncovered for 10 minutes, then cover pan and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Then, if needed, pop in the oven for about 5 minutes, if desired, to finish cooking them or to brown them.

To serve, place some of the chicken in a bowl and cover with the dumplings and gravy. You could also add the chicken to the gravy just before adding the biscuits, but you don't want to dry out the chicken while the biscuits (dumplings) cook.

Frankly, I have never had much success in cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts, without drying them out. That's why I think the organic chicken helps. If any of you have any advice on how to cook them so that they are tender and juicy, please let me know!

Breakfast Pizza

Printable Recipe

 I started making this about 23 years ago, and I made it quite often when my kids were younger. I haven't made it in years ... it was just one of those recipes you sort of forget about, but I'm not sure why. It is very quick and easy to make and it's very good. I know the bacon on the side is a little overkill, and this would be a perfect combination served with blueberry muffins - I just didn't have enough time to make the muffins when I made this. Served with orange juice, and coffee and you have the perfect breakfast or brunch. I probably overcooked this a little bit, so the cheese doesn't have to look as golden brown as it does in the picture when you make it! :]

1 (8-oz) container Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 (10-oz) pkg sausage links (I use Banquet's Brown 'N Serve, Original flavor), cooked according to pkg directions and sliced*
4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded or sliced
4 oz Cheddar or Colby (I used a whole 8-oz pkg of shredded Co-Jack cheese - original recipe calls for all Monterey Jack cheese. I  have always done half Monterey Jack and half Cheddar or Colby)

4 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Generously grease a 9 x 13" pan and lay the crescent rolls flat, pressing the seams together. Layer on the sausages, and then the cheese. Beat together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over all and bake 425 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, or until cooked through and cheese is melted and browned. Do not overbake.

*This would be good with a bulk Italian sausage, browned. You can use any sausage you want, really.

Pumpkin Bars

Printable Recipe

This is the perfect time of year for these moist and delicious bars! 

4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1 (15 - oz) can pumpkin puree
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking pwd
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, oil and sugar. Mix well. Beat in the pumpkin. In another large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, stirring to mix well. Gradually beat into pumpkin mixture in 3 or 4 batches. Pour into a greased jelly roll pan. Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
6 tbsp butter, softened
4 cups pwd sugar
1 tbsp milk, or more if needed to make into a spreading consistency
1 tsp vanilla

Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter, beating again until smooth. Gradually add the pwd sugar and milk, beating until you reach the desired consistency. Add the vanilla and mix well. Spread on cooled bars. Store in the refrigerator.

Nut Goodie Bars

These are the bars that gave me the nickname of "The Sugar Queen". After reading the recipe you'll probably be able to tell why. However, in my defense: I only make them once or twice a year, they make a huge amount since I cut them very small, and I make them at Christmas-time to give away as gifts. They're always appreciated ... or at least I'm told so! They taste pretty close to the real thing, too! Just in case you're thinking "No way, could I use that much pwd sugar in the filling!" ~ you can use less, and I have; it will be softer, is all. So feel free to adapt this recipe as you see fit. Oh, and you can easily make these without the nuts, too, as seen in the bars pictured on the right.

 

Printable Recipe

1 (12-oz) pkg milk chocolate chips ... I use 2 pkgs of chocolate chips

1 (12-oz) pkg butterscotch chips ... I use 2 pkgs of butterscotch chips

1/2 cup peanut butter ... I use up to 1 cup since I'm using more chocolate and butterscotch chips

2 cups salted peanuts

Filling

1 cup butter

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 (3-oz) pkg Cook & Serve vanilla pudding mix, NOT instant

2 lbs (7 1/2 cups) pwd sugar (may use less - in fact, I always use much less and prefer it that way- I'd say I use a good 2 cups less - use your judgement)

1 tsp vanilla (I use maple flavoring, and often will double the amount)

Butter a jelly roll pan. (Note: I line the pan with parchment paper, cutting it down to size, but leaving it long enough on the short sides, so that the bars can be lifted out of the pan. This will make for much easier cutting and removal from the pan.)

In a saucepan, melt together the chocolate and butterscotch chips, over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add the peanut butter, stirring until it is melted and mixture is smooth. Spread half of the chocolate mixture into the bottom of the prepared jelly roll pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling. Stir the peanuts into the remaining chocolate mixture and set aside, but keep warm.

In another saucepan, melt the butter. Slowly add the evaporated milk. Stir in the pudding mix. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened. Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in the pwd sugar and vanilla. (This step can be done with an electric mixer, to make nice and smooth.) Cool slightly.

Carefully spread the Filling over the chilled chocolate layer. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Warm up the remaining chocolate mixture and drop by spoonfuls onto the Filling layer. Spread to cover. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.

Remove the bars from the pan by lifting out by the overhanging parchment paper. If you do not do this, the bars have a tendency to separate when you try to remove them. You can use waxed paper if you don't have parchment paper. Cut into small bars and store in a tightly covered container.

Muddy Buddies

I think most everyone has made these. They're very good. I hear that they are better if you use the Cinnamon-flavored Chex cereal. I haven't tried those for making these, yet. I know they are good all by themselves, though.

Recipe from Chex cereal

9 cups Rice Chex cereal
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla

1  1/2 cups pwd sugar

Pour the cereal in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter,  and butter. Microwave until the chocolate chips and butter are almost melted. Stir until completely melted. Stir in the vanilla, blend well. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal and stir until completely coated. Mix in the pwd sugar, stirring until completely coated. Store in an airtight container.

Salisbury Steak II

This Salisbury Steak is delicious. It has a nice, beefy flavor.

Printable Recipe

1 lb hamburger
1 egg
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs, or more
  (I use soft bread crumbs - 3 slices bread torn into small pieces)
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1 pkg brown gravy mix
  (Knorr brand is very good. Sometimes I use 2 pkgs gravy mix.)
1 cup water

Combine the hamburger, egg, bread crumbs, tomato juice, salt and pepper. Form into oblong patties and brown in a skillet in a bit of oil. The meat mixture is very soft, so they might break apart somewhat. Let them brown completely on the bottom before flipping them. This will help them to hold their shape. Place patties in a greased 9 x 13" pan.

In a saucepan, combine the gravy mix and water, and bring to a boil. reduce heat a little and cook until thickened, about 2 - 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over the patties. Bake 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, until no longer pink in the center. You can cover the pan with foil if you'd like, but it is not necessary.

Serve with mashed potatoes, or cooked egg noodles.

Vegetable Beef Soup

The change in temperatures, for me,  has been a such welcome relief! Could be even cooler, in my opinion ~  Now ... I should state that the soup in this photo, is not from the recipe I am posting here. The recipe I used to make this soup is one I had not made in a very, very long time. I recently came upon it in my move and I wanted to try it again. While it is very good, it is not as good as the one I am about to post. Since I don't have a picture of that soup and since it will look basically the same (only better), I will post the recipe for the soup I prefer .... Get it? :)

I am not completely pleased with this picture ... for some reason they all came out fuzzy. (I suppose it is because I took it, rather than my daughter. She was not home today so I had to do it on my own. So just remember that if you make this recipe, it will look even better than the soup in this photo.) Ok, so on with it.

Oh ... I actually posted this on my blog about a year ago, but I'll bring it to the top again. Soup is perfect for those cool  fall evenings, and even better on a cold winter's night. Serve it with hot, crusty bread slathered with butter and you have a fabulous meal! 

This soup is wonderful! When my son tried it for the first time, he declared it to be "extraordinary"! You can easily double the ingredients, and stretch the soup to go farther. It can be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth in place of the beef broth, and of course, omitting the meat. It can be made in the crock pot, or on top of the stove. I will include instructions at the end for making it in the crock pot. This soup really hits the spot on those cold winter nights. This is very good served with a nice, crusty bread.


Note: I recently made this and doubled the batch. Of course, I added a 2nd can of tomato sauce, but it made it too tomatoey, in my opinion, there wasn't enough of a beefy flavor to the soup. I didn't have any more Swanson Beef Broth, so I kept adding beef bouillon granules, until it tasted beefy enough to me. Bouillon has so much sodium in it, I wish I hadn't added that 2nd can of tomato sauce. So, if you're going to double the batch, wait until the very end to add that 2nd can, to see if you really want it or not, or maybe don't add the entire can.

Printable Recipe

For the Meat
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, sprinkled generously with paprika (I use a chuck roast that I trim of fat, and cut into small chunks)
a little vegetable oil, for browning the meat
2-4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1-2 tsp beef bouillon granules, optional

For the Soup
2 (14-oz) cans Swanson Beef Broth (I use the sodium-reduced broth)
1 1/2 additional cups water
3-4 potatoes, cut into chunks (you can leave the skins on if you'd like)
3/4 cup onion, chpd
3/4 cup peeled carrots, cut into small chunks
1 small green bell pepper, membrane and seeds removed, and cut into fourths (not totally necessary, and you will remove this at the end, but it lends a real nice flavor to the broth if you include it)
2 cans (14 1/2 - oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8-oz) tomato sauce
dried thyme leaves, to taste (these seasonings, I don't measure - I just sprinkle them in until it tastes right, but if I had to guess on the amounts, it is probably 1 tsp or so, for each)
dried oregano leaves, to taste
dried basil leaves, to taste
additional salt and pepper, if needed
At the end, I also add the following (I don't exactly measure the amounts, but just dump them in):
3/4 cup frozen green beans
3/4 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup frozen corn

For the Stove-Top
Trim the meat of fat, and cut into even sized chunks. Sprinkle generously with paprika. Brown in batches, in a hot skillet in a little oil. Don't brown all of the meat all at once, or it will just steam it, and you won't get a nicely browned crust. Once all the meat is browned, place in a large skillet with a cover and add about 2-4 cups of water, about 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. You can add about 1 -2 tsp beef bouillon granules, if desired. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until tender.

After the meat is tender, I set it aside in the broth and add it all back to the soup at the very end. (I do this because otherwise, if you continue to cook the meat along with the vegetables, it will dry out and get tough, as the vegetables cook. So just put it all in a separate saucepan and cover the pan). In another large soup pot, combine the beef broth, the additional water, potatoes, onion, carrots, green bell pepper, tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme leaves, oregano leaves and basil leaves. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 20 minutes. Add the frozen vegetables, and cook for another 20 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Remove the green pepper and add the meat with its broth. Cook a few more minutes, until the meat is heated through.

For the Crock Pot
Add all of the ingredients (except for the frozen vegetables), in a 6-quart crock pot, reducing the amount of water to just 1 1/2 cups. You do not need to brown the meat first, but you certainly can if you wish to. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-9 hours, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. About 30 minutes before the end of cooking time, cook all of the frozen vegetables on top of the stove, according to package directions, until tender, then add them to the crock pot. The original recipe calls for adding the frozen vegetables at the very beginning, but every time I've made this in the crock pot, they never seem to get tender enough. You might even find that the same thing happens to the carrots, so you might want to precook those too and just add at the very end. You will find that you really do need a large crock pot, as this makes a lot of soup.

If you want to see the actual recipe I used to make the soup in this photo, yo can find it here: Oven-Made Vegetable Beef Soup

Shredded Turkey in Gravy Sandwiches (Crock Pot)

Printable Recipe

This is my sister's recipe, and it is delicious! She has served it for a bridal shower and has even served it at Christmas time, in place of your standard turkey dinner. She has been making it for a couple of years, and I finally asked for the recipe. You start with a frozen boneless turkey breast, and add just a couple extra ingredients after the initial cooking. It is so simple to make and is absolutely fork-tender and delicious; you must give it a try! You can serve this as sandwiches, or over mashed potatoes.You could make Hot Open-Faced Turkey Sandwiches: a slice of bread, topped with mashed potatoes and then topped with this Shredded Turkey in Gravy.  Yum!


1 (2.75-lb) Jennie-O Oven Ready Home Style Boneless Turkey Breast, frozen (no need to thaw it, first)
1 (15-oz) can Swanson's Chicken broth
1 (1-oz) packet Lipton Onion Soup mix
packet of gravy from turkey breast

Follow the directions on the back of the bag, for cooking in the crock pot: Remove frozen turkey from outer bag and place the packet of gravy in the refrigerator while the turkey cooks. Cut three 1/2-inch slits in the top of the bag, and place in the crock pot, making sure the pop-up timer is upright, on the top of the turkey. Cover the crock pot and cook on HIGH for 4 to 4  1/2 hours. Then remove the turkey from the bag and put back in the crock pot. Combine the chicken broth, Lipton Onion Soup mix, and the gravy packet and pour over the turkey. Cover the crock pot and now cook it on LOW, for 7-8 hours, or overnight. Check it after 6 - 6 1/2 hours. It should be tender enough, but if not, cook another hour. You don't want to dry it out, though. When done cooking, remove the turkey to a cutting board or platter and shred the meat. Stir the gravy well, and return meat to the gravy. At this point, you can refrigerate the meat until ready to serve. Just reheat the meat and serve on sandwich buns.

12/6/11 Update: The last time I made this, I started it around 6:00 AM and cooked on high for about 4 3/4 hours on HIGH, and then for about 6 - 6 1/2 hours on LOW.  It was done by about 5:30.  I couldn't believe how tender this was!  Also, it seems the last couple of times I've made it, the turkey did not have the red pop-up timer.  I don't know if they've stopped putting them in, or I just happened to get a couple that didn't have them.  It's ok though, because the timing is long enough that it cooks all the way through. 

Double Chocolate-Cherry Torte

Photo courtesy of BettyCrocker.com

Printable Recipe

Still too hot to bake, but I thought I'd post this anyhow. I have been wanting to make this recipe for months! It looks so good! The recipe comes from BettyCrocker.com . One of these days, I will actually make it and when I do, I will post the photos.

2 pkgs (8-oz each) semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup butter
6 eggs
1  1/2 cups white chocolate chunks (from a 12-oz bag) (You can use 1  1/2 cups coarsely chopped white chocolate baking bars instead of the chunks)

1  1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
4 oz cream cheese (from 8-oz pkg), softened
1 (21-oz) can cherry pie filling, divided
1/4 tsp almond extract

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray the bottom of a 9" springform pan with cooking spray. In a 3-quart saucepan, melt the semisweet chocolate and butter over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Cool 30 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until about triple in volume. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour into the springform pan. Bake 400 degrees, 15 - 20 minutes or until edge is set but center is still soft and jiggles slightly when moved. Cool completely in pan, about 1  1/2 hours. then cover and refrigerate 1  1/2 hours.

3. In medium microwavable bowl, mix the white chocolate and 2 tbsp of the whipping cream. Microwave uncovered on High for 20 - 40 seconds, stirring once, until chocolate is melted. Stir until well blended. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add white chocolate mixture, beating until smooth. Add 1 cup of the pie filling; beat until well blended and cherries are broken up.

4. In another chilled, medium bowl, beat remaining whipping cream and almond extract on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold in cherry-chocolate mixture until well blended. Spread over dark chocolate layer. Refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 48 hours.

5. Remove sides from springform pan and serve torte topped with the remaining cherry pie filling.

Gourmet Mint Brownies

Printable Recipe

It has been far too hot lately, to do a much baking. Plus, I'm in the middle of moving, and I'm busy packing, packing, packing! That's why I haven't been posting any new recipes. So for the time being, if I post anything at all, there won't be any photos along with them until I can get back into the kitchen and get baking again. (I am so looking forward to fall!)

These bars come from the Pillsbury Best Cookies cookbook. They are oh so good!

Filling
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp mint extract (I don't see why you wouldn't be able to use peppermint extract, if you desire)
4 drops green food color

Brownies
1 cup butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chpd
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup flour

Frosting
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp corn syrup
2 tbsp water
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pwd sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13" pan. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar; beat until smooth. Add 1 egg, mint extract, and food color; mix well and set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt 1 cup butter and 4 oz chocolate over very low heat, stirring constantly. remove from heat; cool 15 minutes or until slightly cooled. Stir in 2 cups sugar and 2 tsp vanilla. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in flour ; mix well. Spread in prepared pan. Carefully spoon filling over brownie mixture. Lightly swirl filling into brownie mixture.

Bake 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until set. Let cool completely.

In a medium saucepan, combine 2 tbsp butter, corn syrup and water; bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat. Add 2 oz chocolate; stir until melted. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla and pwd sugar; beat until smooth. Frost cooled brownies. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator.

Fudge-Filled Oatmeal M&M Bars

I recently ran across this recipe from years ago. I used to make them frequently, but then over the years sort of forgot about them. I've made them a couple of times since finding it again. They're easy to make, and very good too!

Printable Recipe

2 cups quick oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

1 cup butter, melted

2 tbsp shortening
2 1/2 cups plain M & Ms, divided
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, soda and salt and mix well. Add the melted butter and mix thoroughly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture and set aside. Press the remaining mixture into a greased 9 x 13" pan and bake 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the shortening over low heat. Add 1 1/2 cups of the M & Ms and continue cooking over low heat, breaking the M & Ms with the back of a spoon as they melt. Remove from heat and add the sweetened condensed milk, stirring until well combined.

When the crust is partially baked, remove from oven and pour chocolate mixture evenly over the crust, leaving a 1/2" edge. Add the remaining 1 cup of the M & Ms to the remaining crumb mixture and sprinkle on top of the chocolate layer, pressing down lightly. It's ok if it doesn't cover it completely. Return to oven and bake an additional 20 - 25 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Do not overbake. Cool and cut into bars.

Iced Lemon Drop Candy Cookies

Printable Recipe

I found this recipe over at Barbara Bakes, and knew right away that I just had to try it. They are so very good! You can find the recipe from her site, right here. I took it up a little notch, and rolled them in granulated sugar before baking, to counter-balance the tartness of the icing. I think it gave them that little extra boost to make them even better. Edited to add that the next time I make these, I'd probably bake them a little longer, to make them a little more crisp.

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
1  1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 (4 oz) pkg Lemon Drop candies, crushed

Glaze
1  1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice (use real lemon juice, not the bottled kind)

Place the candies in a heavy-duty plastic bag and finely crush them with a hammer or meat mallet. Set aside. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt, mix well and set aside. In another large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest and mix with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the butter and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, ab out 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon extracts and beat until well combined. Beat in the four mixture, in thirds, beating only until combined. When you are ready to beat in the last third of the flour mixture, stir the crushed Lemon Drops into it, mixing until evenly disbursed. Beat this into the cookie dough, only until combined. Do not over mix.

Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and roll the dough into small balls (I would say they were about the size of a quarter) and quickly roll in granulated sugar. Place on cookie sheets. With the size I made mine, I fit 12 on a sheet, but the cookies do spread out as they bake so if you are making them larger, place fewer on the cookie sheets. Bake 350 degrees, 7-8 minutes, or if making them larger, probably 9-10 minutes, OR just until they are lightly browned around the edges.

Meanwhile, mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice and spread thinly on the warm cookies. allow icing to completely set before storing in a plastic container.

Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies with M&Ms

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Printable Recipe

3/4 cup (1  1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp vanilla (yes, 1 tbsp!)
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
plain M&Ms, optional

Cream the melted and cooled butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well. Add the vanilla and beat well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda  and salt. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheets and bake 325 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Cool on cookie sheets a few minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack.

I like to top these with plain M&Ms before baking. I also will form some dough into a log and wrap it in parchment paper, and then freeze it for up to a month. When ready to bake, simply cut the log into slices, about 1/2" thick and bake. You don't really even need to thaw out the dough first.

Salted Nut Roll Bars

Sometimes I add the peanuts and sometimes I don't. Either way, they are very good!

Printable Recipe

Crust

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking pwd

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Middle  

3 cups mini marshmallows

Topping   

1/4 cup butter

12 oz pkg peanut butter chips

2/3 cup corn syrup

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups Rice Krispies

2 cups salted peanuts

Cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat well. Stir in the flour, baking pwd, soda and salt. Press into a greased 9 x 13" pan and bake 350 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle on the mini marshmallows. Return to the oven for 2 minutes, and then remove and spread the marshmallows over the crust. Cool slightly.

In a saucepan, combine the butter, peanut butter chips, and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat, until butter and peanut butter chips are melted and mixture has come to a boil. Stir constantly. When mixture has come to a boil, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and mix well. Stir in the Rice Krispies and peanuts until evenly combined. Using a fork or spoon, carefully spread over the marshmallow layer. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Breakfast Cake or "That Yellow Cake"

Printable Recipe

When I was little, my mother would read a story to me about a little girl whose mother would, once in a while, allow her to eat a big bowl of ice cream for breakfast (and that's all I remember about the story). For a 5 year old, that was a wonderful concept! Oh how I envied that little girl! Now I know this is a regular cake and not so much a coffee cake, and it's probably more along the lines of something you'd prepare for dessert; but ... every now and then, it is good to have something sweet for breakfast. Sort of like in the storybook. :) Let's just say the ham and eggs cancel out the cake - especially if you drink orange juice with it!


Print

1(18.25 oz) pkg Yellow or White cake mix (here, I used white cake mix because that is all I had - I usually use a yellow cake mix)
1 (3-oz) pkg butterscotch or vanilla instant pudding mix (here, I used butterscotch)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.


Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the cake mix, pudding mix, vegetable oil, water, eggs and vanilla for 1 minute on low speed; then for 2 minutes on medium speed. Pour one-third of the batter in a greased 9 x 13" pan, and sprinkle one-half of the sugar-cinnamon mixture over that. Pour the next third of batter over the sugar-cinnamon, sprinkle the remaining half of the sugar-cinnamon mixture over the batter; then top with the remaining batter. You don't necessarily have to pour the cake batter evenly, it will spread out as it bakes. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Cool slightly, then spread with the Glaze.


Glaze
1 cup pwd sugar
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla


Mix together until smooth.

Grinder Sandwich

Printable Recipe

You can make as many of these sandwiches as desired. To spice them up a bit, you can add some pepperoni, or browned hot Italian sausage. Maybe add some chpd jalepenos, or use pepper-jack cheese. Really, the sky is the limit. The recipe calls for sliced tomatoes, but I never add those.

olive oil
onion, sliced
green pepper, sliced
salt and pepper

thinly sliced deli ham
thinly sliced Provalone cheese
additional olive oil for drizzling
dried oregano leaves
hoagie buns, split almost all the way through

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and green pepper and saute until tender-crisp. Drain the oil and season with salt and pepper.

Layer the ham, cheese and sauteed vegetables on the hoagie buns. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with oregano leaves. Wrap each sandwich in foil and bake 350 degrees for about 25 - 35 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Ho-Ho Cake

Printable Recipe

This is one of my kids' favorite cakes. It is surprisingly light and moist.

Bake a German Chocolate Cake Mix according to pkg directions in two greased 8" cake pans. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, split the cakes in half, using thread or a serrated knife, so that you have 4 rounds.

Filling  
Because my kids like the filling so much, I make 1  1/2 times the recipe. Amounts are in parentheses.

3 tbsp flour      (4  1/2 tbsp)
1 cup milk      (1  1/2 cups)
1 cup shortening      (1  1/2 cups)
1 cup granulated sugar      (1  1/2 cups)
1 tsp vanilla      (1  1/2 tsp)

Add flour to a saucepan and gradually whisk in the milk. Cook over low-medium heat until thick. This will only take a few minutes. Cool.

When the milk mixture has cooled, in another bowl, cream the shortening, sugar and vanilla. Add the milk mixture and with an electric mixer, cream until thoroughly combined. It should be thick, and smooth. Cream for about 5 minutes. (You will see a difference, the longer you beat the mixture.)

Place one cake round on a platter. Spread with the one-third of the filling. Top with the another cake round and spread with another one-third of the filling. Top with another cake round and spread with the last of the filling. Top with the last cake round and if desired, frost just the top of the cake. (I actually make just half a recipe of the frosting when making a layer cake. When I bake this in a 9x13" cake pan, I will make a full recipe.)


Silky Chocolate Glaze

3 (1-oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
4 tbsp light corn syrup
2 cups pwd sugar
4 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix the above until smooth.

Store cake in the refrigerator.

Note: Sometimes I bake this in a 9 x 13" pan. After it has cooled thoroughly, I split the cake in half, lengthwise. I return one cake half back into the pan. I spread with the filling, and top with the other cake half. Sometimes I use the glaze, but most times I don't.

Oatmeal Caramelitas

Printable Recipe

These are one of my all-time favorite bars.
 
Crust
2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal (use quick-cooking, not instant)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1  1/2 cups butter, melted (may use a little less, if desired)
1  1/2 cups brown sugar

Mix together the above until crumbly, and set aside.

Filling
1 (14-oz) pkg caramels (Kraft), unwrapped
5 tbsp evaporated milk

Melt together the caramels and evaporated milk over low heat, until smooth.

Additional ingredients
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Press half of the oatmeal mixture into a greased 9 x 13" pan. Bake 350 degrees for about 8 - 10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Sprinkle with the milk chocolate chips. Let sit until chocolate is melted, and spread evenly over bars. Pour caramel mixture over the chocolate and drop remaining oatmeal mixture over the caramel. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes, or until set and golden brown. Do not over bake. Cool and cut into bars.



Caramel

Meatball Subs

Printable Recipe

These sandwiches are fantastic, and very easy to make! This time around, I substituted jarred Ragu Spaghetti Sauce that I doctored up, for the homemade sauce below because I was in a hurry, but the homemade sauce is awfully good, too.

Sauce
chpd onion
minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 (28-oz) can tomatoes, undrained
1/2 of a (6-oz) can tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, Remove bay leaf and set sauce aside.

Meatballs
4 slices white bread, crusts removed and bread cubed
2 tbsp water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 pound hamburger
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp minced parsley, optional
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp salt
dash black pepper

In a large bowl, toss bread cubes with eggs mixed with water. Add the hamburger, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper. Lightly mix together and form into 1 1/2" meatballs. Place on a cookie sheet lined with foil, and bake 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. Add to the sauce and simmer for another 20 minutes. This time around, I baked the meatballs at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, put them in a pan, added some of the sauce and then proceeded with the rest of the recipe.
 
For the Sandwiches
5 - 6 Italian rolls or Hoagie buns
sliced Provolone or Mozzarella cheese (In the photo above, I used Sargento shredded Mozzarella and Provolone Artisan Blend)

Spoon desired amount of meatballs and sauce on the buns and, if desired, top with cheese. Loosely wrap each sandwich in foil and bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Banana Cream Pie

This is the second time I've made this pie now. I found the recipe at Lick the Bowl Good. Monica's photos are so much better than mine, though. My pie may not have looked pretty, but it sure tasted good! The first time I made it, my kids chowed it down in one night, after I went to bed! I left strict instructions this time though, not to touch the pie until I said they could. The original source of the recipe can be found right here.

Note: Allow enough time for proper chilling of the pudding, then once put together, time for the pie to set up and for the inside layer of vanilla wafers to soften up. I prepared the pudding the morning before I served it, and that evening, I assembled it. I let the pie chill overnight and served it the following day.

Printable Recipe

You will want extra vanilla wafers for the inside layer. Additional cookies can be set up on the outside of the pie, if desired. You'll also need at least 2 ripe bananas.

Vanilla Wafer Crust

2  1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs, this will take almost an entire box

1/2 cup butter, melted

Mix until well blended and press into a 9" pie pan. Bake 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Cool completely.

Vanilla Pudding

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

2 large whole eggs

4 large egg yolks

2 cups milk

2 tsp vanilla

Whisk together and cook over medium-low heat until thick and beginning to bubble. It should be the consistency of cooled pudding. It will take about 8 - 10 minutes. (On Monica's site, she says to cook it for 10 - 12 minutes, but both times I've made it, it didn't need that long.) Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and place a sheet of waxed paper over the pudding, so as it cools, it does not form a skin. Refrigerate until it is thoroughly chilled. It can be made the day before.

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup pwd sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat the cream until thick and soft peaks form. Stir in the pwd sugar and vanilla.

To Assemble the Pie

Slice a banana to cover the bottom of the pie crust. Spread one-third of the pudding over the bananas and then place more vanilla wafers over the pudding, side by side in a single layer. Spread another third of the pudding over the vanilla wafers and then slice another banana over that layer of pudding. Then spread the last third of the pudding over the bananas and then cover with the whipped cream. Chill for a good 8 hours or more, so the vanilla wafers have a chance to soften up. It will taste better if you allow time for this.