Apple Pie

This pie was AMAZING! It was my first time doing a lattice pie crust top, but you pour the sauce over the top and it soaks in. It was really easy to make  and the best apple pie ever.

Apple Pie
1 pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8-10 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
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Preheat oven to 425°. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350°. Continue baking for 35 - 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Recipe from AllRecipes.com

Cranberry Cherry Nut Pie

Cranberry Nut Pie

Pie pastry for double crust pie (9 inches)

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

2 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. 2% milk

1 Tbsp. coarse sugar

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Line a 9-inch pie plate with bottom pastry; trim to 1 in. beyond edge of plate. In a large bowl, combine the pie filling, cranberries, sugar, walnuts, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon and all spice. Spoon into crust. dot with butter.

Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Cut vents. Place pastry over filling; trim, seal and flute edges. Brush with milk; sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. cover edges with foil during the last 30 minutes to prevent over browning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack.



Valentine's Chex Mix

 

Valentine's Chex Mix

4-1/2 cups Rice Chex Cereal

1/2 cup white vanilla baking chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 Tbsp. butter

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup red, pink & white M&M's

2 Tbsp. red or pink sprinkles

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Microwave vanilla chips, peanut butter and butter, until melted. Be sure to stir every 30 seconds. This will take 1 to 1-1/2 minutes.

 

Pour cereal into a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal and stir until evenly coated. Remove half of the cereal mixture to a large, resealable bag. Pour in powdered sugar. Close bag and shake until cereal is evenly coated. Spread onto tinfoil or wax paper until cooled, about 15 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread out on tinfoil or wax paper until cooled, about 15 minutes.

 

After both mixtures are cooled, stir all back together in a large serving bowl.

Chicken Parmesan Wraps

These are a little bit of work, but they are so worth it. The first time I made them, I made them a week later because I wanted more. Then I made them again a week after that. :)

Chicken Parmesan Wraps

2 lbs. raw chicken breast

1-1/2 cups marinara sauce, plus more for serving
1 pkg. egg roll wrappers
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
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Place the chicken breast in a small pot and fill with enough water just to cover. Bring to a boil on your stove top, reduce the heat slightly, then simmer for about 12 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain and let cool before shredding with two forks, pulling against the grain of the meat. Mix the meat with the marinara sauce in a small bowl.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Lay the egg roll wrappers on a clean work surface. Layer each with a few leaves of spinach, then chicken, followed by mozzarella and Parmesan.

Lightly brush two adjacent sides of the wrapper with water and fold the upper left corner downward, covering the filling, and press to seal on the bottom right corner. Press to seal each of the sides. Repeat with remaining wraps.

Place all filled wraps on a greased wire rack set over a cookie sheet, coat each in cooking spray or a light brushing of olive oil, and bake for about 12 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn a golden brown.

Serve with warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Recipe taken from Can You Stay For Dinner?

Hot Chocolate Cookies

When I saw these cookies on Pinterest, I knew I had to try them. But I was afraid that once I made them, I would eat the entire batch. So I decided to wait until I had an excuse to make a dessert. At work, we are HUGE foodies. Any excuse is a good enough excuse to bring treats. Each employees work anniversary and birthday are listed on the monthly calendar. When everyone sees your name, they expect you to bring treats. I decided my birthday would be the perfect time to try out these cookies. I made them the night before and I was worried they wouldn't make it to work, they were so yummy! And since it was my birthday yesterday, anytime I went in the break room, I would grab another cookie. I haven't pigged out on cookies like that since starting my diet last March. But they were so worth it! My only complaint (and its MY fault for not fully reading the directions) is that the dough has to refrigerate for a little bit.

Hot Chocolate Cookies

1 stick butter, unsalted

12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips
7.0 oz. Hersey's bar (broke into sections then cut in half, save any broken pieces and shavings)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (packed) light brown sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
25-30 marshmallows
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In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate chips, stirring frequently, over medium heat. Let cool for 15 minutes.


In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla at low speed until smooth, 2 minutes. Mix in the cooled chocolate mixture just until blended. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing on low speed until just combined. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour. (If making the dough a day ahead, let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping.)

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat to 325°. Using a tablespoon, scoop the dough and roll between your palms to form 1-inch balls. Arrange about 2 inches apart on each cookie sheet, flattening slightly. Bake until the tops of the cookies crack, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, snip marshmallows in half crosswise and stick 1 square of chocolate onto each of the cut sides.

Remove the cookie sheets from the oven; gently press a marshmallow half, chocolate side down, into each cookie. Bake until the marshmallows are just softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer the pans to racks to cool for 5 minutes; sprinkle the remaining chocolate over the hot cookies. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to the racks; let cool. Repeat the process with the remaining dough, marshmallows and chocolate. Bake each batch on a clean sheet of parchment.


Recipes says it makes 60 cookies but I only got 34. I used my medium sized Pampered Chef scoop, next time I'll use the smaller sized one to get more cookies.

Recipe taken from Forkful of Comfort.

Baked Mac 'n Cheese

I LOVE Mac 'n Cheese. Always have and I probably always will.

Baked Mac 'n Cheese
2 cups dried elbow macaroni (4 cups cooked)
1/3 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
1/3 cup grated Swiss Cheese
1/3 cup grated Jack Cheese
1/3 cup grated Colby Cheese
1/3 cup grated Muenster Cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
Nonstick spray

Topping:
1 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
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Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large pot, bring water to boil. Season water with salt and cook macaroni until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta and place in a large bowl and while pasta is still hot add all the cheese. In a separate medium bowl, using a whisk, combine the sour cream, butter, eggs, salt, pepper, and milk and add to the macaroni mixture. Spray casserole dish with nonstick and pour macaroni mixture into the dish.

For the topping, in a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs with the paprika, butter, and the Parmesan. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the macaroni and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30-45 minutes
Top with additional cheese, if desired

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

Its not quite as good as the Olive Garden, but this is the best recipe for Alfredo sauce that I have been able to find. In my small town grocery store, I can't always find Romano cheese. If that is the case, I just double the Parmesan cheese. The only time I have found Romano is in the spaghetti section where they keep the Parmesan cheese that can be sprinkled over spaghetti. I bought all 5 containers and I'm glad I did because they haven't had any since.

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
1-1/2 cups milk
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated
6 egg yolks
salt and pepper to taste
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Heat milk and cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it begins to simmer. Turn off heat. Slowly whip in cheese, then remove from heat.

Place egg yolks in a separate bowl and slowly whip in a portion of the hot milk and cream mixture. Slowly add egg yolk mixture back into remaining cream mixture. Place back on very low heat and continually stir until simmering. Take sauce off heat so it thickens.

Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Raspberry Delight Fluffy Salad

Raspberry Delight Fluffy Salad
1 large yogurt
1 large instant pudding
1 large (10 oz.) cool whip
1 pkg. frozen raspberries
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Mix together yogurt and pudding. Fold in cool whip and raspberries. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

*This is a fun recipe to play around with. My favorite it (so far) is to use vanilla yogurt and vanilla pudding. But I've tried it with banana pudding. You could also used White Chocolate pudding or any other flavor. I want to try it using frozen strawberries and strawberry yogurt, pudding and cool whip.

Hershey's Great American Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've tried a few different Chocolate Chip Cookies over the years, but I think this recipe is my favorite.

Hershey's Great American Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups (12 oz.) Hershey's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
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Heat oven to 375°. Beat butter, granulate sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs; beat well.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly. Remove form cookie sheet to wire rack; cool completely.

This is how we do pizza

When I don't feel like cooking (or don't have the time) I use one of the old reliable out of the food section: Frozen pizza. I love pizza! And yet, there is always a problem...there isn't enough sauce. Everything else is fine, but I can never have enough sauce. So last week I fixed the problem.

You start with this:

Then add some of your favorite pizza toppings. Make sure you have a can of sauce! Our favorites our mushrooms, peppers, olives, pepperoni, Canadian Bacon, more cheese (sorry forgot to put that in the picture, use your imagination), and my personal favorite, pineapple.

Then you just make a pizza on top of your pizza! I start with sauce and cheese and then just pile things on.

I always have to make 2 pizza's; one with pineapple and one without. 

We have done this several times now, but always have the same two problems. The pizza is soggy and doesn't seem to cook all the way through. So we have decided that next time we do this we will cook the pizza according to package directions and then add all our extras and cook for another 5 - 10 minutes. I did try letting one pizza thaw while I cooked the first one, but I only have one pizza pan and when I went to put the thawed pizza on, it folded in half and I lost the toppings.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

This is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE meal of all. If I was told to choose my last meal before dying, this would be it.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs
2 lbs. hamburger
1 lb. sausage
1 lg. onion, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 canister bread crumbs
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
SAUCE:
4 cups chunked pineapple, drained and reserve the juice
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 cups browns sugar
1 cup reserved pineapple juice
4 Tbs. soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
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For the meatballs: mix ingredients. Form into meatballs. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes.
For the sauce: Combine all ingredients. Heat to a boil. Simmer. Thicken with cornstarch.
Serve meatballs over rice and cover with sauce.

Just a few random things about when I make this recipe.
*Last time we made them we put the peppers into the meatballs instead of the sauce, but next time we will put it back in the sauce.
*I also get lazy and don't measure the pineapple and juice. I just buy a large can and pour it in.
*I always double the meatballs and then freeze half of them for later.
*A few days later I make spaghetti with and either have the meatballs on the side, or chunk the meatballs up and mix them in the sauce.
*These are also great sliced up for sandwiches.

Chili

This is one of my favorite things to make!
It's not secret when we first got married, I was a horrible cook. Case in point - my first attempt at chili...tasted like refried beans. It was NOT what I wanted and it did NOT taste good on Navajo Tacos. After a few attempts, I just gave up.

UNTIL...

My mother in-law made Navajo Taco's for dinner while we were there and I helped make the chili. This is fail proof!
*I forgot to take a picture and since it's SO GOOD I don't have any left. Next time I make this I will take a picture and insert it here!

One Pot Chili
1 lb. hamburger
1 can red kidney beans with liquid
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can (14 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
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Brown hamburger in a pot; drain. Mix together all the ingredients and cook until heated through.

I usually make this when we want Navajo Tacos. I use my bread recipe for the scones. I will post that later.

Yogurt Cake

I was having a nice relaxing evening when I suddenly remembered...I have to bake a cake for a funeral tomorrow! We are leaving for St. George in the morning to go see my grandpa for Easter, so I needed to bake this cake now. These thoughts flew through my mind at 8:30.

When I started my cookbooks last October this recipe was the first one on my list. I LOVE THIS CAKE! It is so moist.

Yogurt Cake
1 pkg. white cake mix
1-1/4 cups water
1/3 cup oil
4 egg whites
3 yogurts (6 oz. each of the same flavor)
1 carton (8 oz.) whipped topping, thawed
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In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, egg whites and oil; beat on low speed for 3 minutes. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in 1-1/2 cartons of yogurt.
Pour into a 13-in.x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Place remaining yogurt in a small bowl, fold in whipped topping. Spread over cake. Store in the refrigerator.

A few notes:
*We use lemon yogurt
*In the cookbook I made a typo on this recipe. Just beat the batter on low for 3 minutes, not 30.

Two Lasagna Recipes

I love lasagna, and yet it is the one thing I have never mastered. I have tried a dozen different recipes and I always end up with the same thing: Lasagna Soup. I won't even eat it because it looks so gross.

Last year I found a Lasagna Recipe that I really like. It's a little different because instead of a marinara sauce, it has a white sauce. It is really good, and I have yet to screw it up!

Three-Cheese Sausage Lasagna 1-1/2 pounds bulk Italian sausage
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups milk
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
6 oz. slice mozzarella cheese
4 oz. sliced provolone cheese
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese
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In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove form the heat.
In a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish, layer a fourth of the sauce, three noodles, half of the sausage and a third of the mozzarella and provolone slices. Repeat layers once. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top. Layer with remaining noodles, sauce and sliced cheeses; sprinkle with Romano cheese.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

A few weeks ago, I decided to once again try a traditional lasagna. I found a recipe on www.tasteofhome.com, but just used it as a guide line. That pan of lasagna didn't last 24 hours, and this time I helped eat it! So I made it again on Sunday to see if it was a fluke, but it worked again!

Savannah's Lasagna
1-1/2 pounds bulk sausage
1 can spaghetti sauce
2 small cans of tomato paste
1 tablespoon Sage
1 tablespoon Basil
1 tablespoon Parsley
1 large container of cottage-cheese
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
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Brown sausage and drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomato paste. In a mixing bowl combine cottage-cheese, eggs, seasoning, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well. Cover the bottom of the pan with a little bit of the spaghetti sauce mixture. Layer 3 noodles, a third of the sauce, a third of the cottage cheese, and a third of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake for 10-15 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Banana Nut Bread

This was my first attempt at Banana Nut Bread and it was PERFECT! I got the recipe from a friend and it was so good that it will be the only one I will ever need to use.

Banana Nut Bread
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup mashed bananas (2 or 3 bananas)
1 cup buttermilk
3 cups flour
1 cup chopped nuts
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Cream sugars & shortening. Add eggs, salt, vanilla and soda and mix well. Add bananas and buttermilk and mix well. Add flour, mixing well. Add nuts last. Grease and flour bread pans. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Makes 2 large loves.

Did you know you can make buttermilk by just adding vinegar to regular milk? Works like a charm. For every cup of milk add a tablespoon of vinegar. I had no idea! And it works well since our local store only carries a 1 quart size container of buttermilk and I only needed a cup.

Turkey Enchiladas

Every time I go to make these I look for a different recipe, but this one is so good that I always end up using it. It is also a great meal to use up the leftover Thanksgiving turkey on. When ever we cook a turkey I get all the meat off the bones and then freeze it in 2 cup portions. Then I can just pull out what I need when I want it for meals like this.Turkey Enchiladas
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups cubed or shredded turkey
1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
6 flour tortillas, warmed
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In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender; remove form the heat. Stir in the turkey, 1/2 cup of cheese and chilies; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the sour cream, soup, coriander and cumin. Cook and stir over low heat until warm; stir 1/2 cup into the turkey mixture.
Spoon about 1/3 cup turkey filling down the center of each tortilla; roll up tightly. Place seam side down in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Spoon remaining soup mixture down center of tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

I do a few things different than what the recipe calls for. I don't like green peppers, but I love orange and red peppers so I use those instead, and I probably use more than 1/3 cup.

Bacon Apple Cheese Sandwiches

I love love love these cheese sandwiches. I saw them on a TV show I used to watch all the time Real Simple. I love that show. I really need to find out when it is on these days so I can start watching it again. I found the directions for this sandwich on their website, but really I just use them as a general guideline. Here is how I make them.

Bacon Apple Cheese Sandwiches
French Bread
Cooked bacon
Green apple, peeled and thinly sliced
Provolone or cheddar cheese
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Slice and butter bread. On a grill lay the bread butter side down then a piece of cheese, bacon, apple, and another slice of cheese. Having cheese on both sides really helps to hold everything together. When the bottom is a nice golden brown, carefully flip the sandwich and cook on the other side.

The tricky part is flipping the sandwich so they don't fall apart. I use two spatulas. I put one under the sandwich and then the other on the top and then just maneuver until it is flipped.

The key thing I have learned is to make these sandwiches as thin as possible, because they kind of tear on the roof of your mouth. So when you slice the bread and the apples do it as small as you can, but still good enough to make a good sandwich.

How do you eat your spaghetti?

You know, the normal way. Noodles, spaghetti sauce with saugage and corn. Don't forget the garlic bread!
Yes, that is really how I like my spaghetti.

Cranberry Cake

I love this cake! I recently talked about it on my other blog. Click here to see that story.
Cranberry Cake
3 Tbs. butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup milk
2 cups fresh cranberries
2 Tbs. grated orange or lemon peel
SAUCE:
1-1/3 cups sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup butter
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Cream butter & sugar. Beat in egg. Combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg. Add to creamed mixture alternately w/ milk. Stir in cranberries and orange/lemon peel. Batter will be thick. Pour into a greased 11x7x2 pan. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. SAUCE: Combine ingredients. Cook & stir over medium heat until heated. Serve over individual servings of cake. Reheat sauce as needed.

My mother in-law cooks this in a square 9-inch pan, but I cook it in a regular pan so it will go further. I love the sauce. To get maximum coverage I usually cut my cake in half and layer the butter between the slices. The butter sauce will harden as it cools. I just refrigerate it and warm it for the leftovers. This cake is best when served warm. ENJOY!