My Vegetable/Rice Stir-Fry

{{a healthier version of fried rice}}

• 2 cups Cooked Rice, cooled slightly (leftover rice works perfect too!)
• 2 cups Broccoli Florets
• 2 cups Zucchini, cut it small wedges
• 1 cup Carrots, shredded (or cut baby carrots in 1/2” slices)
• 1 cup Snow Peas, halved
• 1 cup Peas, frozen
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 eggs, fried and scrambled
• 1 cup Turkey Ham (or Chicken Breast), diced
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Classic Stir-Fry Sauce (by House of Tsang)
• 1 tbsp. Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

In a large wok or saucepan, steam all veggies in 1/4 cup water with lid over the pan for 5 minutes on med-high heat. Remove lid, and push all veggies to the outer edges of the pan. Add olive oil and minced garlic to the center of the pan and let cook for one minute. Stir around to coat veggies. Add turkey ham and stir fry until heated through. Add rice, stir-fry sauce and soy sauce. Stir around to coat. Add scrambled egg and gently stir. Serve hot.

1-1/2 cup serving = about 240 calories
This recipe serves 6, 1-1/2 cup servings (approx.)

Chocolate Cobbler

(aka: Molten Fudge Cake)

Make this tonight! It is soooo yummy! It’s a bit richer than I thought
it was going to be, but the vanilla ice cream balanced it out quite nicely.
I think this is one of my new favorite desserts!

• 1 cup Flour
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 7 tbsp. Cocoa Baking Powder, divided
• 1-1/4 cup Sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/3 cup Melted Butter
• 2 tsp. Vanilla
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1-1/2 cups Hot Tap Water

Preheat oven to 350*.
Stir flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tbsp. of cocoa, and 3/4 cup of white sugar together in mixing bowl. Reserve the remaining cocoa and sugar.
Add the milk, melted butter and vanilla to the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.
Pour the mixture into an UNgreased 8x8 pan.
In a separate small bowl, mix the remaining white sugar (1/2 cup), the brown sugar, and the remaining 4 tbsp. of cocoa. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the batter.
Pour the hot water over the mixture in the pan. DO NOT STIR.
Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream. DELISH! {store any leftovers in the refrigerator!}

Cheesy Chicken and Veggie Casserole

This casserole is super easy to throw together and it has a ton of flavor!
I love the cheesy-ness with the veggies and the green chiles in the tomatoes are delish!
This is a great one dish meal for a busy weeknight!

• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 (14 oz) pkg frozen broccoli florets
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 1-1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cheese soup
• 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (opt.)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup crushed ritz crackers

Preheat oven to 350*. Place chicken in the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 baking pan. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cooked rice and peas. Spread mixture over chicken.
In a medium bowl, combine chicken soup, cheese soup, tomatoes, milk and red pepper flakes (if desired). Stir in 1/4 cup of each of the cheeses. Pour mixture over broccoli. Sprinkle with crushed crackers and the remaining cheeses.
Bake, uncovered, for 40-50 minutes or until heated through. (if the cheese starts to get too browned, cover with foil for remaining cook time)
{got a smaller family, or don't want so much leftover? use two 8x8 pans, and freeze one for later! bake for 30-35 minutes.}

Potato Salad

(the only potato salad recipe i willingly eat…)

• 5 lbs. Red Potatoes, cubed
• 1-1/2 cups Real Mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp. Yellow Mustard
• 1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
• 6 Green Onions, sliced
• 8 Baby Dill Pickles, diced
• 1 tsp. Salt, more to taste
• 1/2 tsp. Paprika
• 3/4 tsp. Black Pepper
• 1 tsp. dill
• 8 Eggs, hard-boiled

Boil the potatoes in salted water, until they are fork tender. Drain water and add mayo, mustards, green onion, pickles and seasonings. Mix well. Rough chop 5 eggs and fold them into the salad mixture. Slice remaining eggs and display on top. Sprinkle salad with a little dill, if desired before serving. Best if served at room temp.

Creamy Lemon Squares

ok, so i totally slacked… i said i’d post these on wednesday and now it’s friday! oops. what can i say… life is busy. :) i have a picture i’ll post soon, but i just wanted to get the recipe posted for the weekend. they’d be perfect on mother’s day for dessert!

• 20 Nilla Wafer, finely crushed
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) Butter, cold
• 1 pkg. Cream Cheese
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 3 tbsp. Flour
• 1 heaping tbsp. Grated Lemon Peel
• 1/4 cup Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
• Powdered Sugar, to sprinkle on before serving

Preheat oven to 350*. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, with the ends of foil extending over the sides of the pan; set aside. Combine wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup flour and the brown sugar in a medium bowl.Cut in butter with two knives (or a pastry blender if you have one) until mixture is course crumbs; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.Add eggs and 2 tbsp. flour; mix well. Blend in lemon peel, lemon juice and baking powder; pour over crust.

Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until center is set. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Italian Angel Chicken

• 4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 can (10.75oz) Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 cup Italian Salad Dressing/Marinade (from the bottle)
• 1-1/2 lbs. Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into bite size pieces (you could also use chicken breast if you preferred)
• 1/2 lb. Angel Hair Pasta, uncooked
• 2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Parsley

Beat cream cheese, soup and salad dressing with a whisk until blended; pour over chicken in a crock pot. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours.

Cook pasta as directed on package about 15 minutes before chicken is done; drain. Serve topped with chicken mixture and fresh parsley.

Kristy's Cowboy Caviar (Bean Salad)

I got this awesome recipe from my sister-in-law, Kristy... It's definitely a keeper.

Just looking at this picture makes my mouth water!

Perfect for summer get-togethers, or any meal, really. :)

And the best part - it's so healthy!

• 1 can black beans
• 1 can black-eyed peas (or any beans you want to use)
• 1 can white shoepeg corn
• 2 avocados, cubed
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped (optional)
• Garlic salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
• 1 package Italian dressing mix, prepared according to directions but without the oil 

Combine all ingredients.  Let sit for about an hour to let flavors blend well.  Serve with tortilla chips, or just as a salad.  So delicious!

Buck-Eyes

Mmmmm!

* 1 stick butter

* 1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter (almost a full 18 oz. jar)

* 4 c. powdered sugar

* 1 tsp. vanilla

* Bag of your favorite melting chocolate

Mix all ingredients well, except the chocolate.  Dough will be crumbly.  Mold into 1 inch balls, and place in fridge for a few hours.

Melt bag of chocolate chips, or chocolate flavored candy coating (Western Family Almond Bark works very well). 

Use any wooden skewer/tooth pick to poke peanut butter balls and dip into the melted chocolate.  Dip one side, and then the other, to make them look like "eyes," if you want to!  :)

Let cool on parchment paper.

Cafe Rio Style Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing

 

Thanks to my friend, Heather, I have this fun recipe! 

Click here for the original recipe and more detailed instructions.

It was so much fun to make, and now we can enjoy some scrumptious salad dressing!

• Ranch Dressing packet, prepared (Hidden Valley Ranch buttermilk mix works great)
• 1 small bunch cilantro, large stems removed (about 1/2 cup chopped cilantro)
• 2 large or 4 small tomatillos
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 T fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. Green Tabasco sauce or 1 diced jalapeno pepper 

Prepare Ranch dressing according to directions on the package or recipe you're following and set aside.

Remove large cilantro stems, then wash leaves and spin dry or dry with paper towels. Add cilantro to food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until finely chopped.

Add tomatillos, garlic, lime juice, and Green Tabasco or chopped jalapeno to the food processor and pulse until ingredients are finely pureed. Add the 2 cups of prepared dressing and pulse just a few times, until ingredients are well combined. Chill dressing for an hour or two and serve.

Variations:
~To make a roasted tomatillo dressing, dice tomatillos, place on a baking sheet, and roast at 400F for 15-20 minutes before adding them to the food processor.
~If you'd like even more tomatillo flavor, use 4-5 large tomatillos and decrease the buttermilk or milk in the Ranch dressing by about 1/4 cup.

PW’s Chicken Spaghetti

(with a few of my changes… you can view the original recipe here.)

**pardon this yucky picture… i couldn’t find my real camera so i used my cell phone’s… :)

• 2 cups Cooked Chicken
• 3 cups Dry Whole Grain Thin Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces (my pasta box contained 13.25 oz. i didn’t use the whole box)
• 1can Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• 1 can Cream Of Chicken Soup
• 2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 cup Finely Diced Red Pepper
• 1/2 cup Finely Diced Onion
• 1 cup Asparagus, chopped into 1 inch lengths
• 2 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Cook chicken (i used 3 small breasts) and shred or cube. Cook spaghetti in same chicken water until very al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

Peanut Butter Blossoms

These were a favorite when I was a kid! They’re easy to make and fun to eat. My boys love to lick the gooey chocolate first. So yummy!

• Hershey’s Kisses (milk chocolate) (about 40-48)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup + 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375*. Beat butter and peanut butter in a large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Put the leftover 3 tbsp. sugar in a shallow bowl; roll each cookie in the sugar and place on a cookie sheet(do NOT spray or grease). Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie; cookies will crack around the edges. Move to a wire rack and cool completely before serving. Store in an air tight container.

Creamy Chicken with Bacon & Penne

I got this recipe from a friend (Thanks, Sheena!) and finally tried it out.  Everyone loved it!  The flavors all blend together really well.  I will definitely make this one again!

4 slices of bacon

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved

2 cups penne pasta

1 cup chive and onion cream cheese spread

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup grape/cherry tomatoes, halved

2 green onions, chopped

Wrap 1 bacon slice around each chicken breast.  Heat large nonstick skillet on medium heat.  (I also lightly coated the bottom of skillet with olive oil.)  Add chicken; cover.  Cook 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until chicken is done.  Remove from skillet; cover to keep warm.  Discard any drippings remaining in skillet.

Cook pasta according to directions.  Cook cream cheese and broth in skillet until cream cheese is melted and sauce is thickened and well blended, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Stir in tomatoes and onions.  Cook 2 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta; return to pan.  Add sauce; mix lightly.  Serve topped with chicken.

* Sheena's recipe called for only 1/2 cup chive and onion cream cheese, and 3/4 cup chicken broth, but I added more since we like it saucy!

* Very tasty with a tossed spinach salad.  Yum!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

* 1/2 cup butter

* 1/4 cup flour

* 1 tsp. salt

* 1 tsp. paprika

* 2 Tbsp. minced onion

* 4 cups milk

* Pepper to taste

* 1 tsp. wortcheshire sauce

* 1 cup (about 1/4 lb) velveeta cheese

* 1 package frozen broccoli, cooked and drained

Melt butter in sauce pan over low heat.  Add onion and cook slowly until tender.  Blend in milk and flour, stirring constantly and cook until smooth and thickened, over med heat.  You may have to add more flour for desired thickness, or more milk for thinner results.  Add salt, pepper, paprika, wort. sauce, and cheese and stir until cheese is melted.  Fold in broccoli.  I always blend in the broccoli with a hand mixer so the broccoli is finely chopped.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Snickerdoodles

Our Favorite Party Cookie!

Dough:
1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture:
About 2 Tbsp. sugar and 1 Tbsp. Cinnamon (I like a little more cinnamon, though:)

Cream together butter, sugar and eggs. Add cream of tartar, soda and salt. Mix well.  Slowly add flour and mix well. (Do not add too much flour or the dough will be too crumbly.)

Place dough in refrigerator for one hour to chill. (note: this step is optional, but I think they turn out better when I do this)
Mold into 1-inch balls.  Mix together cinnamon and sugar mixture in a shallow bowl, to your liking. Roll the dough in the mixture until well coated. Place on cookie sheet (use a light colored cookie sheet, if you have one).
Bake at 400* for 7 to 8 minutes, or until they are a light, golden brown.

Important: Do not overbake!! They should appear as if they are not yet done.

YUM!!! ;)

Happy baking!