Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry

1 T cornstarch
1/4 c. cold water
1 (8oz) can of pineapple chunks, drained and juices saved
3 T ketchup
1 T soy sauce
1 t. rice vinegar
2 T brown sugar
3-4 t. vegetable oil, divided
1 lb chicken diced into bite sized pieces (also could use pork tenderloin.. or sliced pork chops)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 T minced fresh ginger (or just a little of powder if you don't have fresh ginger)
3 c. broccoli florets
1/2 medium bell pepper seeded and stemmed and cut into squares (1/2 inch) (i like red pepper)
1/2 diced onion
hot cooked rice

First off start your rice cooking so it will be ready at the same time.  Combine your corn starch and water in a medium sized bowl and stir it until it is dissolved. Stir in your pineapple juice, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar. Stir.

Heat 2-3 t. of the oil in a wok or a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked and not pink any more, 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm (cover.)

Add the remaining 1-2 t. oil to the pan and add the broccoli, bell pepper, and onion. Stir-fry over medium high heat until the vegetables are tender but "crisp" and the broccoli has turned a bright green color (roughly 3-5 min)

Return the chicken to the pan and add the pineapple chunks and the sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until everythign is heated through and the sauce has thickened (about 1-2 minutes). Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve over hot cooked rice. Also good topped with sesame seeds.

Serves roughly 4.

BEST Italian Chicken and Rice

BEST chicken rice I have ever had! I've made this for dinner parties and there have never been leftovers, even picky children request it! Very creamy!

4 chicken breasts
1 block of cream cheese
1 dry packet of Good Seasons Italian dressing
1 can chicken broth (or 1 3/4 c. water + 2 chicken bouillon cubes)

In a crock pot place the chicken broth, whole thawed chicken breasts, and Italian dressing mix. Cook on low for 4 hours. Remove the chicken and shred. Place the chicken back in the crock pot, and mix the room temperature cream cheese into the crock pot. Stir until thoroughly mixed in with the chicken broth and chicken.

Serve over top of rice, noodles, or potatoes--all are incredibly delicious!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have to start out by saying Oh. My. Gosh. I was not a chocolate chip cookie fan. And then I discovered this cookie, and I have to admit that I am SO glad I did. It combines the perfect amount of crunchiness edge of cookie along with staying incredibly chewy in the middle (although it is cooked completely.) I even forgot and left them out overnight once... and they were still as if I'd made them 10 minutes before. No change in texture or chewiness.(They havent been tried at lower altitudes)

(adapted from Cooks Illustrated) 

2 C plus 2 T flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
12 T. butter (1 1/2 sticks) melted and cooled until warm
1 C. brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
Mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients;mix until just combined. Stir in chips.
*If for some reason your dough is too soft to form balls at this point, DON'T add more flour.  Just cover and place bowl in the fridge until dough firms. I promise. The less flour keeps the cookies light and moist, adding more flour... you will regret. Possibly for the rest of your life.
Take about 1/4 C dough and form into a ball.  Break ball in half and place dough on cookie sheet with broken edge facing up (tearing the cookies like this gives the top that store bough "textured" look. Or just use a standard sized cookie scoop if you don't care or don't have the time.) Bake until cookies are set around outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 10-13 minutes.  I cook them JUST until I barely see any golden brown start to form around the edges. These cookies finish cooking as they cool on the pan. And they are also incredibly forgiving, so if they aren't to your desired "doneness" after they cool you can pop them back in the warm oven for another minute or two. Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store inairtight container.

Italian Bread Bowls

 I have to say I absolutely love these. I use them for everything. They're great to put soup in... or dip in soup... or just throw out there with a marinara pasta, they go with everything!

Makes 6-8 bread bowls
1 1/2 T active dry yeast
2 1/2 c.warm water
2 t. salt
2 T. vegetable oil
7 c. flour (due to altitude and humidity differences this amt may fluctuate slightly, in Idaho altitude I only use about 6 c. of flour, so just judge accordingly. With bread bowls you WANT the dough to be soft, but not sticky)
1 T. cornmeal

In a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition until a soft but not sticky dough is formed (you may not need to use all 7 cups). This bread bowl needs to be a bit firmer than a roll/bread dough.

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes (or let knead in an electric mixer). Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Punch dough down, and divide into 6-8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball/cylinder (you want the dough to rise more up than out). Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal (or use silpat liners or parchment paper). If desired, slash the top surface of the bread bowl several times with a sharp knife or razor. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes until golden brown and baked through.

Baked Potato Soup

Courtesy of Our Best Bites

2 T butter
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
4 1/2 c. milk
1 (14oz) chicken broth
4 med baking potatoes (baked----375* for 60 minutes)
2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c. light sour cream
1/2 c. chopped green onions

Melt butter in stock pot over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 30-60 seconds. Add flour. Slowly add in milk while whisking constantly. Whisk until smooth. Add chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and heat until thick--about 5 minutes. Once the soup is thickened turn heat to med-low. Cut potatoes in half and use spoon to scoop out potato flesh into the pot. Use a wooden spoon to smash potatoes, breaking up the large clumps. Add 1 1/2 c. cheese and salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted. Remove pan from heat and stir in 3/4 c. sour cream, 1/4 c. green onions and 4 pieces of crumbled bacon. Add additional S & P to taste. Top with remaining onion, cheese, bacon and sour cream.

Ginger Crinkles

2 1/4 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. ginger
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves
1/4 t. salt
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. shortening
1/4 c. molasses
1 egg

Mix together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. In a separate bowl cream the brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Roll the dough into 1" (or slightly bigger) balls. Roll the balls in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Quick and easy! 20 minute recipe start to finish
5 c. water
5 chicken bouillon cubes
1 stalk celery diced
1 large carrot
1 can chicken
1/2 bag egg noodles (wheat)
rosemary
garlic powder
salt and pepper

Dissolve bouillon in water (boiling.) When dissolved add in carrots (sliced thin); diced celery, and noodles. Cook on medium high heat and boil until veggies and noodles are soft. Mix in the canned chicken (drained.) Mix in a few dashes of rosemary, 2 dashes of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.

Rosemary Focaccia loaves

Adapted from Our Best Bites.

1 c. warm water
1 T yeast
1 T sugar
1/4 t. dried oregano
1 t. kosher salt
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 T rosemary
1/4 t. garlic powder
2 1/4- 2 1/2 c. flour

In a large mixing bowl combine water, yeast, and sugar. Let it stand for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl combine 2 c. flour, salt, 1 T rosemary, oregano and garlic powder. Add flour mixture to yeast mixture along with 1 T olive oil. Mix well. Slowly add remaining flour to make a soft dough (DONT ADD TOO MUCH HERE!) You want a soft and wet dough. Cover and rise 1 hour or until doubled. Lightly flour your surgace. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a round and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover and rise 45 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use remaining olive oil to brush tops of loaves. Bake 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately. Really good dipped in balsamic vinegar and oil. 

Crock Pot Italian Beef for Sandwiches

1 1/2 c. beef broth
1 c. water
1 t. salt
1 t. ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. basil
1 t. onion salt
1 t. parsley
1 t. garlic powder
1 (5 lb) chuck roast
1 (.7 oz) pkg dry Italian style dressing mix (Good Seasons)

Mix all ingredients with a whisk. Place the roast in the crock pot and pour mixture on top. Low 10-12 hours; High 4-5 hours. When meat is done remove the bay leaf and shred the meat with a fork. (I do it about 45 minutes before serving so that the meat can soak up the extra juice. Serve on crusty hard rolls with mozzarella cheese.

Chili Enchiladas

1 c. cooked rice
3 cans hormel chili
10 tortilla shells
cheese

Mix the rice, chili, and some cheddar cheese together and roll out into the tortilla shells. Spray a 13 x 9 pan and place tortillas side by side in pan. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Lemon Slush

12 oz can frozen lemon concentrate
Add water on directions
add 3 more cups of water and 3 c. sugar

Freeze and serve with sprite. Serves 30.

Purple Cow Punch

1 c. grape juice
1/2 pint vanilla ice cream
1 T. sugar
Lemon Lime Soda

Put ice cream, grape juice and sugar into blender. Blend until ice cream chunks are dissolved. Pour even amounts into 2 glasses. Finish filling the glasses by pouring lemon lime soda into them. Place a straw in each glass and serve.

Lime Slush

2 pkg. lime jello
5 c. sugar
48 oz pineapple juice
1 quart lemon lime soda

Dissolve jello in 1 c. boiling water. Add sugar and 7 c. warm water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add pineapple juice and 5 c. cold water. Freeze. Add soda and mash. Serves 23

Great White Punch

1 (6 oz) can frozen limeade concentrate
11 c. water
3 c. sugar
2 quarts lemon lime soda

Combine limeade, water and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Freeze until solid (for 2 hours) prior to serving. Thaw in a punch bowl for 1 hour prior to drinking. Add soda. Mash with a potato masher. Makes 1 1/2 gallons.

Citric Refresher

5 Quarts water
3 c. sugar
1 T lemon extract
1 T. Citric Acid (tablets or crystals--can be found in most pharmacies)

Mix together. Add ICE and lemon slices. Serves 32

Josh's BEST easy smoothie!

I have a brilliant husband. No I'm telling you, he's really amazing. And I found out that he can invent recipes also, this was his 3 ingredient smoothie recipe he came up with one day from things we had "laying around." Its so good I used it in a presentation... and my entire class wanted the recipe.

2 c. Frozen strawberries
1 banana
1 c. apple juice.
Blend until smooth, makes about 25 oz.

Strawberry Health Shake

1 c. orange juice
3 T non-fat powdered dry milk
1/4 fresh banana
3/4 c. strawberries
1/2 c. crushed ice

Blend. Chill in freezer for 5-10 minutes before drinking.

Strawberry Breakfast Shake

1/2 c. cooked oatmeal, chilled
1/2 c. fresh or frozen strawberries
2-4 T sugar
2 c. milk
1/2 t. vanilla

Place all ingredients in blender. Blend for 1 minute. Serve cold.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake

3/4 c. cold milk
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
3 T cocoa
1 T marshmallow creme
2 c. vanilla ice cream

In blender place milk, peanut butter, cocoa and marshmallow cream. Cover. Blend. Add ice cream and blend until smooth. Makes about 3 (6oz) servings. Garnish with whipped topping or chocolate/reeses chunks.

Strawberry Jam Tarts

For the Pastry:
 5 c. flour
2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
3 T brown sugar
1 lb crisco (if you have a 3 lb can just use 1/3 of the can)
1 egg
2 T white vinegar
1 c. COLD water

Your favorite jam----I use my moms homemade strawberry jam on these and it's delicious

For the Cream Topping
1 (8 oz) block soft cream cheese
1/4 c. soft butter
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

Pastry directions:
Measure the flour, salt, baking powder, and brown sugar, and mix together. Add the crisco and cut it into the mixture until it looks like crumbs. Add the well beaten egg and the vinegar, and then slowly add the cold water into it while mixing with your hands. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. (Each part makes 2 full pie crusts.) Wrap the extra dough in plastic wrap. (It will last for 2 weeks in the fridge, or you can just freeze the dough balls and use them again whenever, they last for a LONG time.) Roll out the dough that you are going to use and cut into flower shapes (or whichever type of cookie cutter you want) and place the dough pieces into cupcake tins. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Cool.

While the tarts are baking whip all of the cream frosting ingredients together (minus the jam.)

Once the tarts are partially cooled spoon a generous amount of jelly onto the warm tart, and then add a dollop of the cream frosting on top This recipe makes a LOT of tarts, I normally split the recipe in 1/2 or in 1/4's instead of freezing the dough (for lack of freezer space.) (However I do still use the same amount of cream frosting on the recipe...) Enjoy!   

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

1/4 c. butter
1 c. onion
1/4 c. flour
2 1/2 c. chicken broth
8 oz. sour cream
3 c. chopped chicken
1 can green chiles
1/2 t. chili powder
2 c. cheese (white, yellow, or both)
8-10 small tortilla shells

For the sauce:
Cook the butter and onion together in a saucepan. Add the flour and stir until thick. Add the chicken brother and take off of the heat. Add the sour cream and stir.

For the filling:
In a bowl mix 1 c. of the sauce, the chicken, chiles, chili powder, 1 c. of cheese together. Spoon the filling inside of the tortilla shells and roll up. Place rolled tortillas into a sprayed 9 x 13 pan. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese onto the top of the enchiladas. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-25 minutes. (Remove the tin foil for the last 5 minutes of baking)

Candy Bar Smoothie

Ok, so this is one of those recipes that comes in handy after Halloween, when theres SO Much extra chocolate you dont know what to do with it :) (or.. you just want to borrow your kids candy).

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 c. chocolate ice cream
2 (2-3 ounces EACH) candy bars (of whatever kind you have) broken into pieces
2 c. ice cubes
In a blender combine the ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately. But being the "food having to be visually attractive" person that I am... I always squirt some whipped cream and put shredded chocolate on top :) If you're like us.. you'll have to double the recipe too :) adpt. from mrfood.com

Deep Dish Pizza...Casserole?

1 lb ground beef
1 (15 oz) can chunky Italian style tomato sauce
mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. parmesan cheese (grated)
Pepperoni
Pizza dough recipe (here) or (10 oz) store bought refrigerated pizza dough

(Its best to have your pizza dough done first, I like to make it a day or two before and leave it in the refrigerator... they're just better that way) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Cook the ground beef in a skillet until the meat crumbles. Drain. Add the tomato sauce into the ground beef and cook until heated through. Find a 13 x 9 pan and lightly spray it with cooking spray. Unroll your dough into the 13 x 9 pan and press into the bottom, as well as halfway up the sides of the pan. (If you dont press it up the sides when it cooks it will spill its contents over the side of the dough.. and we dont want that). RIGHT on top of the pizza dough put half of the cheese (yes on the bottom) and then pour your meat/sauce mixture on top and spread evenly. Bake LIKE THIS uncovered for about 12 minutes. Place the last half of the cheese on top of the pizza and add your pepperoni to the top of the cheese. Then sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Bake for about 5 more minutes, or until the cheese melts and the crust is browned. Adapted from mrfood.com

Roasted Pecans

2 T butter
1/2 c. honey
sugar in the raw
pecans

On the stove bring the butter, and honey to a rolling boil (stirring frequently so it doesnt burn.) on a cookie sheet (preferable one with a rim on it) place your pecans (I normally use about a whole bag for this... enough to fill up the cookie sheet with minimal space between nuts.) on the cookie sheet and cook at 225 Degrees for about 10-15 minutes. (Check at 10 minutes, you want them to have that "I've been  baked taste." When the pecans are done in the oven pour the whole batch of nuts INTO the pot on the stove with the warm butter and honey (make sure you turn the heat off) and stir until fully coated. On your cookie sheet sprinkle some raw sugar. Spread the nuts/honey/butter mixture back onto the cookie sheet and coat with more raw sugar. You want there to be enough nuts to honey ratio that they are coated but not TOO coated with the honey. Sugar to taste.

Easy Fish Tacos

6-7 tortillas (corn or flour)
8-10 fish fillets, battered and fully cooked (frozen store bought kind work if you don't know how to make them)
1 c. shredded cabbage
pico de gallo (below)
sauce (below)
feta cheese to taste
cilantro to taste


Sauce:
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. diced jalapeno
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cayenne
1 Tbsp. lime juice
salt & pepper to taste


Pico de gallo:
2 plum tomatoes, diced
2 Tbsp. FRESH cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, diced
dash salt
dash pepper
1 Tbsp. lime juice


For pico de gallo: Toss all ingredients together and let sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
For sauce: Mix all ingredients together until blended well.


Place a piece of fish into each tortilla shell and top with cabbage, sauce, pico de gallo, feta and cilantro.

Pecan Crusted Salmon

1 large salmon fillet (cut into sections)
2 c. milk
1 c. pecans (finely chopped)
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. Lawry's seasoning salt
1 t. pepper
vegetable oil

In a large ziploc bag place the salmon and milk together to soak for 10 minutes. Take the salmon out and get rid of the milk. Combine all of the dry ingredients into a bowl. Coat the salmon completely in the dry mixture. At medium-high heat brown both sides of the salmon in a small amount of vegetable oil. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and then bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Wraps

2 lb chicken
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. buffalo wing sauce
3/4 c. ranch dressing
8 flour tortillas
3 c. shredded lettuce

In a 1 1/2 quart crock pot place the chicken, and sprinkle with salt. Cover. Cook 6-7 hours on low. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker onto a cutting board. Dump juices out of crock pot. Mix the buffalo wing sauce and 1/4 c. ranch dressing and pour it into the crock pot. Shred the chicken (I use 2 forks to do this.) Return the chicken to the crock pot and stir. Spread each tortilla with remaining ranch dressing. Place chicken onto tortillas and lettuce. Secure with toothpicks. (Cheese is also good in here :) )

Caramel Dip

2 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 c. Karo syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 T vanilla

Bring brown sugar, butter, and karo syrup to a boil. Boil just until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and then add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Serve with anything! Ice cream, apples, cheesecake etc.

Easy Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu

6 chicken breast halves pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
6 string cheese sticks (or other cheese)
6 slices of ham
1/2 cup butter melted
1 c. seasoned dry bread crumbs
toothpicks

Sauce:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. sour cream
1 T lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees. Lay the pounded chicken breasts out. Place a slice of ham on each piece and then the cheese on top as well. Roll the chicken up around the.. innards and secure with toothpicks. (Should be all rolled up like a cinnamon roll.) (If you dont want to roll them up you can also slice a little pocket into the chicken and put the ham and cheese inside the pocket, and then secure that with a toothpick.) Dip each roll or pocket into melted butter, and then directly roll in the bread crumbs. Place in a baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes in the oven, or until the chicken is browned and the juices are clear.
For the sauce: In a small sauce pan mix together the soup, sour cream and lemon juice. Heat over low hear stirring occasionally until hot, and then pour over the (already baked) chicken rolls. Makes roughly 2 cups of sauce.

Garlic Ranch Chicken

4 chicken breast halves
garlic
1 1/2 T. butter
Ranch salad dressing mix (the powder)
1 T. olive oil

Thaw the chicken breasts. Spray the bottom of an 8 x 8 glass baking dish. Place the chicken in the pan. Drizzle the chicken with the olive oil, and then evenly spread the ranch dressing mix and garlic (both to taste- I loaded both on mine and it was great). Take the butter and cut it into several pieces and then layer evenly across the top of the chicken. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes until finished. Can serve it on top of vegetables, salad or pasta..... but I just generously dipped those babies into REAL ranch salad dressing :)

York Peppermint Pattie Brownies

1 1/2 c. butter (3 sticks) melted
3 c. sugar
1 T vanilla
5 eggs
2 c. flour
1 c. Hersheys Cocoa
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
24 York Small Peppermint Patties

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir together butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add the eggs. Stir until blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt- blend well. Set 2 c. batter aside. Spread the batter into a 13x9 GREASED pan. Unwrap the patties. Arrange in a single layer over the batter at 1/2 an inch apart. Spread the remaining batter over the top. Bake 50-55 minutes, or until the brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely.

Almond Roca

1/2 c. butter
2 c. sugar
3 T. water
2 large Hershey Almond Bars

Lightly spray a cookie sheet. Grate one Almond Hershey bar and place the rinds on the cookie sheet. Melt the butter in a pan on the stove. Add the sugar and water to the butter and bring to a rolling boil- stir frequently until it turns the color of a dark caramel. (Can stir in small chopped almond pieces here if desired right before you take it off the burner.) Spread on top of the grated chocolate on the cookie sheet. Top with another grated Hershey Almond Bar and cool in the freezer for 1/2 an hour. Break into pieces.

Snickerdoodles

1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 2/3 c. sifted flour
2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt

Mix all ingredients together. Roll into small balls and roll in a cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Lemon Bars

Crust:
1 c. soft butter
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 c. flour

Filling:
4 eggs
6 T lemon juice
2 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour

To make the crust, cream the butter, sugar, and flour. Spread and press into a 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
To make the filling, beat the eggs, and add the lemon juice. Mix the sugar and flour together, and then add them to the egg mixture. Pour the filling over slightly cooled crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until set. Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. chocolate chips
1 egg
1/3 c. peanut butter (I like crunchy pb for this part, but either works)
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. flour
1 c. oatmeal

Icing:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T creamy peanut butter
2 T milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugars together. Add the egg and peanut butter and mix well. Stir in the dry ingredients. Press into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. While that is cooking mix up the icing. Remove bars from the oven and drizzle with the icing. Cool completely.

Peanut Butter Bars

picture courtesy of www.stylishcuisine.com

First off... these are SO good. I used to make these when I had roommates... and then had to refrain, because I would put them in the fridge to cool off and come  back 20 minutes later to find out that my roommates had eaten them ALL without leaving me any haha. They tend to disappear quickly!!

1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. dried oats
4 c. powdered sugar
1 c. softened margarine
1 (12 oz) bag semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix and press the ingredients into a sprayed 9x13 inch pan. Melt the bag of chocolate chips and spread the chocolate on top of the peanut butter mixture in the pan. Refrigerate for 1/2 of an hour. Cut the bars. Replace back in the refrigerator and cool for 1 hour.

Russian Tea Cakes (Nut Butter Balls)

1 c. butter
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. almond extract or 2 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 c. finely chopped walnuts

Mix all ingredients together well. Roll into balls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cookies until light brown (about 15 minutes.) When slightly cooled, roll in powdered sugar.  Then promptly stuff your face :)

Chalupa Supreme (Taco Bell Copy Cat)

Chalupa Indian Fry Bread
2 1/2 c. flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 T vegetable shortening
1 c. milk
canola oil for frying

Supreme Filling
1 lb ground beef
1/4 c. flour
1 T chili powder
1 t paprika
1 t salt
1 T dried onion flakes
1/2 c. water
cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes

To make the Indian fry bread mix the dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening. Add the milk and stir. Shape the dough into a cylinder and cut into 8 equal sized pieces. Flour hands, and then work the pieces into 6 inch rounds. With a fork poke the dough (keeps large bubbles from forming while frying.) Heat your oil on the stove between med and med-high heat until for about 15 minutes until it is warm enough to fry. Fry in oil until golden brown. Place on a paper towel lined sheet to drain off excess oil. Keep warm in oven.

For filling: Mix the dry onion with the water and let stand for 5 minutes. In a small bowl combine the chili powder, paprika, salt, flour, and onion after its sat. Brown the ground beef. Once browned, add the chili powder mixture and simmer for 2 minutes until flavors combine.

Top your Indian Fry Bread as follows: beef mixture, sour cream, lettuce, shredded cheese, and then tomato. Fold in half like a taco and enjoy.

Lemon Drop Cookies (Cream Cheese Cookies)

1/4 c. butter
1/4 t. vanilla
1 (8 oz) cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1 box cake mix (LEMON)

This can be done with several different kinds of cake mix (devils food, chocolate, lemon, rainbow chip, etc.) However, lemon stands to be my favorite! Cream the butter, cream cheese, egg yolk, and vanilla together. Add cake mix and mix together. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Form the dough into tsp sized balls, and then roll in granulated sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet (if it is an old pan grease it really lightly.) Press down on cookies lightly. Bake cookies 10 minutes---DO NOT OVERBAKE. These are also fun to make several different flavors at a time!

Wendy's Frosty

4 c. vanilla ice cream
8 t. nesquik chocolate
1 c. milk

combine all of the ingredients in the blender. blend on medium stopping to stir several times with a long spoon. Makes about 2 servings technically, however.... its easy to consume it entirely by yourself, so you best double or triple the recipe if anyone else is present :) Adjust nesquik chocolate to own personal preference

Girl Scout Samoa Cookies

Cookies:
1 c. butter softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Topping:
3 oz sweetened shredded coconut
12 oz bag of caramels
3 T milk
1/4 t salt
12 oz bag semisweet chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar together and then add the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well with mixer. (I split this part into 2 or 3 batches--->) Roll the dough into between wax paper until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies using 1 1/2 inch cookie cutter (or just the top from one of your spice bottles). Use the end of a straw to punch holes in the center of cookies. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until bottoms are light brown.

Make topping by spreading coconut evenly on a baking sheet. Toast the coconut at 300 degrees for 5 minutes and then stir it. Put it in for 5 minutes again and then stir. Repeat 2 more times until the coconut has been in for roughly a total of 20 minutes until it is light brown. Let it cool.

Unwrap caramels and add them to a bowl with the milk and salt. Microwave high 3-4 minutes until smooth, stirring each minute. Stir in toasted coconut. Use a spatula to spread caramel coconut on each of the baked cookies.
When the topping sets up, then melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds. Dip the bottom side of each cookie into the chocolate and place it on wax paper with chocolate coated side down. Add remaining chocolate into a bag with the corner snipped off, or a pastry bag if you have one. Drizzle the chocolate over top of the cookies. Let cookies set. Enjoy :)

Snicker Salad

6 apples
6-7 snickers bars
1 jar whipped topping

Cut the apples up into small pieces and place in a bowl. (While I'm cutting them up I normally throw some of the whipped topping into the bowl as well and mix it, it keeps the apples from turning brown.) Cut the snickers into small pieces and place in the bowl. Mix in the whipped topping and refrigerate.

Fruit Dip

Plain Yogurt
Whipped Topping
Instant Vanilla Pudding Powder

Equal Amounts of Plain Yogurt and Whipped Topping mixed well together. Then mix in vanilla pudding powder to taste. Refrigerate and serve with fruit (Or just dip your finger into it like me :) )

Another good rendition of this recipe is to use Strawberry or Raspberry yogurt mixed with the whipped topping. No pudding powder needed for this one.

Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies

I don't know about you... but I used to be a girl scout so long ago. I have to admit... my favorite thing about it was the cookies. So, I've found a way to make a girl scout cookie thin mint (oh yes) recipe :) And I'm so excited about it that I had to put it on here. Yum Yum Yum. These are awesome broken up in ice cream by the way!

Chocolate Cookie Wafers:
1 (18.25 oz) Pkg Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
3 T shortening, melted
1/2 c. cake flour, measured then sifted
1 egg
3 T water
Non stick cooking spray

Coating:
3 (12 oz) bags of semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 t. peppermint extract
6 T shortening

Combine the cookie ingredients in a large bowl, adding the water a little bit at a time. When mixed and dough forms cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough to just under 1/16 of an inch thick (you know how thick they are :) )To cut, use the top of a spice shaker, or another top with a 1 1/2 inch diameter cutout. Put the cookie dough rounds on a lightly coated with cooking spray cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the wafers from the oven and cool completely.
Combine the chocolate chips with the peppermint extract and shortening and heat in the microwave, stir gently in 30 second intervals until smooth. Use a fork to dip each wafer in the chocolate, tap the fork on the edge of the bowl so extra chocolate drips off, then place the cookies side by side on a wax paper lined sheet. Refrigerate until firm. Makes roughly 100 cookies

Baked Steak Burritos

1/2 c. butter
1 pkg (1 oz) taco seasoning mix
1 1/2 lb beef boneless sirloin tip steak cut into bite size strips
1 can (16 oz) refried beans
12 (6 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 med. green onions thinly sliced
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
1 c. shredded mexican cheese blend

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a 10 inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the taco seasoning mix. Add beef strips and cook 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally until desired doneness; drain. Place the refried beans in a microwaveable dish and microwave for 2 minutes stirring once or twice.Spread each tortilla with beans. Top each with beef, cheese, and onions. Roll up, folding in the sides. In an ungreased 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish, place the burritos with the seam side down. Pour enchilada sauce over the burritos. Sprinkle with mexican cheese blend. Bake uncovered 7-12 minutes until burritos are heated and cheese is melted.

Cheesy Bread Sticks

1 1/2 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

Parmesan Cheese

Cheddar Cheese

Garlic Salt

Italian Seasoning

In a large bowl  combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes until the yeast is bubbly.Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger Spray a glass or metal bowl (retains heat better) with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. (if using this for pizza popper dough.... stop here.) Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter. Sprinkle cheddar on top of each strip and press lightly to stick. Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes. Before placing in the oven, drizzle melted butter across the top, and then sprinkle garlic salt, grated parmesan cheese, and italian seasoning across the tops of the breadsticks. Preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

These can also be sprinkled with just butter and cinnamon/sugar :) 

Pizza Poppers

 (picture courtesy of ourbestbites.com)

1 Recipe for Pizza Dough/Breadsticks (found here)
Marinara Sauce
grated parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil
garlic powder
italian seasoning
mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out your pizza dough onto a floured surface, roughly 12 x 6 inches. Using a pizza cutter (roller) slice the pizza dough into about 20 squares. Put your pizza toppings on each square, NOT WITH THE MARINARA. Take for example if I was making normal pepperoni poppers. I would put JUST the pepperoni and monterey jack cheese into the dough. Capeesh? Capeesh. When all of your dough squares have the toppings you want on them, take each corner and pinch together, you want to wrap the dough around the toppings without any holes, so the toppings are encased in its own little pizza dough ball. Spray a pie pan with non stick cooking spray. Then place each of the dough balls with the seam side down into the pie pan. Brush the tops of the balls with melted butter, and then sprinkle parmesan cheese,garlic powder, and italian seasoning on the top. Cook at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until the top is light brown. I think I only cooked mine for 10 because our oven is hotter than normal. Then when they are done and hot you DIP them into warm marinara sauce :)

Restaurant Style Salsa

1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes with juice
2 cans (10 oz) Rotel- diced tomatoes and green chiles
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 whole jalapeno quartered and sliced thin (oh yes, with the seeds and all)
1/4 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/2 c. cilantro
1/2 of a lime juiced, or 1 T bottled lime juice

Combine the whole tomatoes, rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get salsa to the consistency you like- 10-15 pulses. Test the seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or with cheese nachos.

Cilantro-Lime Rice (Cafe Rio Copy Cat)

1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Black Beans (Cafe Rio Copy Cat)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.