Turkey soup

I made this to use up the leftover turkey meat. I'd never made a turkey carcass soup before but it was easy and since I had yet another cold it was the perfect time for it!

Tyson Pork Roast Kit

We have a new oven coming tomorrow and gave our old one away on freecycle already so I needed something I didn't need to bake. This fit the bill. I paid just under $10 and it was actually quite good! You throw everything in the crockpot with a cup of water and cook for 6 hours on high(or 11 on low). The veggies are all precut, the meat is trimmed and it comes with a seasoning packet.

Heavenly Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I made these cookies for neighbor gifts this year. They are good with a definite coffee taste! I doubled this and it worked well in one bowl but trying to fold in all the walnuts and chocolate chips evenly was a job!
Justin LOVED them. I was trying to get a picture of the inside detail and he climbed onto the table to get a piece.

Heavenly Chocolate Chunk Cookies

3/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons instant coffee
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons self rising flour
(I used all purpose flour and added 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt)
1 pkg semisweet choc.mega morsels(I used milk chocolate chips)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk

Combine butter & coffee in small saucepan. Cook over low heat until butter and coffee melt. Remove from heat and let cool to room temp. Combine butter mixture, sugar, egg, yolk, in a large bowl. Beat at med. speed until blended. Gradually add flour, beating at lowspeed. Stir in choc chips and walnuts. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake 14min at 325

Ham and Cheddar in a Loaf

I thought this would go over well so I made two. Good thing I did=) These taste just like a hearty hot ham and cheese sandwich. I got this recipe from the Kraft magazine and then used refrigerated pizza dough instead of the frozen loaf.

Ham and Cheddar in a Loaf

1 roll refridgerated pizza dough

9 oz shaved deli ham

1 Cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 Cup Miracle Whip

1 egg, beaten

Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350.

Unroll pizza dough on floured foil. Lay ham evenly on dough leaving 1/2" around the sides not covered. Mix cheese and Miracle Whip then spread evenly over ham. With water moisten the 1/2" dough edges.

Roll on long side of dough 1/3 of the way over the top then other long side and pinch seams together. Place loaf, seam side down, on foiled cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg, sprinkle on parmesan then bake for 35-40 minutes.

Mexi Mini Meatloaf Muffins

These were fantastic! We didn't go all out with toppings but they'd be great with tomatoes and lettuce etc! Yum!

The recipe is here.

Sweet and sour meatballs with corn latkes

I was looking for a theme for my recipe week and picked Jewish since this week was the beginning of Hanukkah.

The meatballs were absolutely fabulous and this recipe is going in the family book. I couldn't find the matzo meal at Walmart so I subbed oatmeal and it worked great.
The latkes were good but I don't think I'd make them again. They just tasted like corn=)

Jewish sweet and sour meatballs
1 lb ground beef
garlic powder
onion powder
1 egg
1/4 cup matzo meal
12 ounces chili sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Mix together beef, garlic powder, onion powder, egg, and matzo meal.
Form into small balls and set aside.
Pour chili sauce into medium saucepan.
Refill bottle with water, shake well, and add to pot.
Add the brown sugar and lemon juice, and mix.
Bring sauce to a boil.
Taste and adjust amounts of lemon juice and brown sugar to taste.
Drop in meatballs.
Return to boil, cover, and simmer for at least 20 minutes (but you can leave it on for much longer if you forget).
VARIATION #1:For chili sauce, you can substitute either tomato sauce or tomato juice or diced canned tomatoes, and adjust the sweeteners and water accordingly. You just want it to be a saucy consistency, not too thick or thin. If you use plain tomato juice or sauce, you can add in some garlic powder or other seasoning. The sky is the limit. But, do NOT use spaghetti sauce!
VARIATION #2:For matzo meal you can substitute bread crumbs, oatmeal, a little flour, or any other binding agent.
VARIATION #3:For brown sugar you can substitute real maple syrup, sugar, honey, grape jelly, or any other real sweetener. (Do not use nutrisweet or any other artificial sweetener!).

Corn latkes
3 cups frozen corn kernels

salt
1 teaspoon sugar or Splenda sugar substitute
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons canola oil
Place two non-stick baking sheets in the oven and preheat to 450°F.
Cook the corn in a medium saucepan with a cup of boiling water ‘until tender, about 2 mintes. Drain the corn in a colander and let cool. Press the corn lightly to squeeze out excess water. No wringing.
Puree 1 cup of the corn kernels in a food processor. Add salt to taste, sugar and egg whites and process until just mixed. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the flour, then the remaining corn kernels.
Brush 2 teaspoons of oil on the now hot baking sheets. Spoon small mounds of the latke mixture on the sheets forming 2 to 2 ½ inch pancakes. The sheet should sizzle a bit when the batter hits it. Leave one inch between each latke.
Bake the latkes in the oven until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes per side,turning once with a spatula. (When you turn the latkes, try to flip them onto spots on the baking sheet that still have oil.).
Serving suggestions: If you are in a sweet mood serve latkes with sour cream and strawberiy or raspberry preserves. Savroy more your style, then try sour cream alone or with some chopped scallions

Pepperoni Pizza Quiche

This recipe is off the nestle website.
Corrine kept asking if it had eggs in it and only ate her small piece so she could have dessert. I thought it was okay but Justin and Hunter really loved it. Hunter said it is his new favorite over hot pot pie even!

'Tis the Season Macaroons

I made these for the cub scout Christmas party. They were SO simple to make.
I can't really review the taste because I don't like coconut but they went over really well at the party and looked super festive!
This recipe is from nestle.

Simple brownies

These were really good! We doubled the recipe, used up the last of the huge bag of Ghiradelli chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of pecans since I couldn't remember why I bought them. I used a 9X13 baking dish and added 5 minutes to the baking time.

The kids and I made these and then drank lots of milk because they were so rich!

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips, nuts or whatever you'd like

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8 inch square baking dish.

Combine melted butter and cocoa and stir until the cocoa is dissolved.

Add sugar and mix. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix.

Add vanilla, flour and salt. Stir until you don't see flour but don't overmix.

Fold in chocolate chips(or your choice).

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Cool and cut.

Mushroom Bacon Swiss Meatloaf

This is another recipe I've saved forever to make. Laurie(where is Laurie??) originally made it. Mine didn't look anything like hers as her pictures were awesome so I worried I had messed up but it tasted fantastic! Hunter gave it a 9 and everyone else gave it a 10. I'll definitely make this again!

Mushroom Bacon Swiss Meatloaf

1 lb ground turkey

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup crushed crackers

1/2 medium onion, chopped

4 button mushrooms, chopped

1/3 cup cooked and chopped bacon

1/3 cup shredded swiss cheese

A few squirts of ketchup

If you have just cooked the bacon, remove the grease from the pan, reserving 1 tablespoon. If not, then add one tablespoon of oil to the pan. Saute the onions and mushrooms for about 2 minutes. Combine all ingredients except ketchup. Mix thouroughly. Pat into loaf pan. Top with ketchup, and spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour

Pizza Nachos

Shar made these from the ragu site. If she hadn't I don't think I ever would have tried them because they sound so strange but they are really quite good! 

The kids nibbled on a few and then wandered off but I think that's partly my fault because I have been buying more snacks for them...

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 jar ragu pasta sauce
1 pkg pepperoni (1 cup)
1 bag tortilla chips
2 cups shredded cheese (marble, cheddar or mozzarella)
*YOUR favorite toppings*
(I used fresh mushrooms browned with the ground beef)
(sour cream for dipping)
-------------------
DIRECTIONS:
In skillet, brown the ground beef (and fresh mushroom if desired), once browned, add ragu and heat for about 5 more minutes.
PREHEAT oven at 350*
On pizza platter OR cookie sheet, spread the bag of tortilla chips. pour the sauce evenly over the chips, sprinkle with desired toppings (pepperoni etc).. and sprinkle cheese.
BAKE at 350* for 5 minutes.

Calico Beans

This was Melissa's grandma's recipe and I've saved it for about 18 months to try. Everyone gave it a 10. Delicious!

Calico Beans

6 slices of bacon
1/2 lb ground beef
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 c ketchup
1/2 t salt OR garlic powder
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. dry mustard
2 t. vinegar
1 (16 oz) can pork n beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can lima, or butter beans

Cook bacon and set aside
Cook beef in bacon fat add onion and saute till tender. Mix the ketchup, mustard, salt/garlic powder, vinegar, and brown sugar together. Put the beef mixture in a 3 qt casserole dish and add the liquid mixture. mix together. Partially drain the beans. Add to casserole dish and stir well. Crumble the bacon and sprinkle on top.
Bake for 40 mins at 350*

Chicken Cha-Han

I got this recipe from Kris over a year ago. I love Chinese food and with all the leftover turkey I decided to finally try it! It was really easy to make and so good!

Ratings:

Me 9

Hunter 8

Corrine 10

Chicken Cha Han

1/2 pound bacon, cut up

1 cup minute rice

1 cup water

8 ounces frozen peas

Soy sauce

1/2 head cabbage, cut up

Chicken or turkey(I used a large turkey breast), cooked and cut up

In a large skillet fry bacon. Add rice to the bacon/grease and cook on medium heat about 3 minutes until rice is slightly browned. Add water, peas and soy sauce(to taste). Cook until the rice is no longer crunchy. Add cabbage and chicken, heat through.

Pumpkin Squares

These are really good! They have just the right amount of spice. I used fresh pumpkin but then I didn't check them when I pulled them out so the middle wasn't done. I'll be making these again!

Pumpkin Squares
4 eggs, beaten
15 oz can of pumpkin
1 1/3c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
2 c flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger

for frosting:
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c butter, softened
3/4 t vanilla
2 c powdered sugar

Beat first four ingredients together. Add next 6 and beat till smooth.

Pour into an ungreased 10x15 or 9x13 ungreased pan.

Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes until toothpick in center comes out clean. COOL completely.
Mix the four ingredients together for frosting until smooth and spread on squares, then cut.

Chocolate muffins

This is a Weight Watchers recipe that Kris shared. It sounded so different I wanted to try it. These are great for a low fat muffin!!! I made a whole batch of 24 and froze a lot of them for future.

The recipe is super simple. One box of german cake mix and a can of pumpkin. Not pumpkin pie mix. You stir the two together without adding eggs or oil etc like you normally would and bake like normal. Makes 24=)

Halloween Leftovers Cake

Shar chose "different" recipes this week and this sounded fantastic for using up some of that candy that was piling up in the kitchen! I noticed the kids weren't touching the Reeces pb cups so I used those for the full two cups...I think I should have gone for variety.

It isn't a super sweet cake...I'm guessing the candy is supposed to make up for that but pb cups really didn't. Shar added a glaze to hers and that is a great idea! I used vanilla yogurt instead of plain because the organic was on sale and I couldn't find "ww pastry flour" so I used whole wheat regular flour.

Halloween leftovers cake

Ingredients

2 cups coarsely chopped chocolate or candy

1 cup flour

1 3/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup plain yogurt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a tube pan (10-12 cup capacity) and dust with flour. Sift together flours and baking soda; set aside. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until soft. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one. On low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients with yogurt, scraping bowl as necessary. Add candy and fold in gently. Bake 1 hour or until tests done. Cool 15 minutes. Cover pan with rack and invert.

Dorito Casserole

Alright I couldn't wait to take a bite of the bread...sue me LOL It's cheesy garlic bread...what can I say.
But what I'm posting about it Dorito casserole and it was SO good! I added sour cream after this and it was like having nachos but sooo much easier and the leftovers are great too. Corrine didn't really like it(gave it a ten but didn't eat much) but she's fairly picky. Hunter absolutely loved it. I could definitely make this again.

Dorito Casserole
Ingredients
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning
1 small onion; chopped (optional)
1 can diced green chiles; drained
1 can Campbell's Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup
1 bag of Doritos; crushed
1 bag of shredded cheese
1 can cream of celery soup
Sour cream and salsa for topping
Directions
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.*1. Brown ground beef and onion; drain.2. Add Taco Seasoning and use following directions on package.3. In a large casserole dish, layer bottom of pan with 1/2 bag of doritos. Set the other half aside.4. In a large bowl combine, taco seasoned beef and onion, can of drained green chiles, can of nacho cheese soup & cream of celery soup. Mix well. 5. Top layer of doritos with beef mixture.6. Layer beef mixture with remaining half of doritos.7. Top with whole bag of shredded cheese.8. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until cheese is melted or slightly browned.9. Top portions with sour cream and salsa as desired.

Beef and Cabbage Wraps

Ever since trying the bierox casserole and Shar's buns(hee) I love beef and cabbage! I went looking through my new Pink Plaid Better Home and Gardens cookbooks and when I saw this knew it was on the menu for the week. It was very easy and fast even with Justin's "help".

Hunter and Corrine loved it. Hunter ate three! I just wasn't impressed with the barbecue flavor. If the barbecue was replaced with velveeta I think I would absolutely love it and may try that soon!

Beef and Cabbage Wraps

Makes: 4 servings

8 8 inch flour tortillas

12 ounces lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion(1 medium)

2 cups packaged shredded cabbage with carrot(coleslaw mix)

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Bottled barbecue sauce(optional)

1. Wrap tortillas tightly in foil. Heat in a 350 F oven about 10 minutes or until heated through.

2. Meanwhile, for filling, in a large skillet cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir cabbage mix and corn into meat mixture in skillet. Cover and cook about 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring once. Stir in the barbecue sauce. Cook and stir until heated through.

3. To serve, spoon about 1/3 cup of the filling below center of each tortilla. Roll up from bottom. If desired, serve with additional barbecue sauce.

Per 2 wraps: 380 cal, 13 g total fat, 54 mg cholesterol 408 mg sodium, 44 g carb, 3 g fiber, 21 g protein

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Kris' week was weight watchers recipe themed. I picked the mexican stuffed peppers and they were surprisingly good! I really liked them and would like to have them again. The kids...well they ate half of one each but only because there was trick or treat candy waiting=)

The picture...well it's hard to get good pictures anymore. I usually take food outside but now when I head for the door Justin wants to go and if I don't let him go he screams at the door. Does not make for a fun picture experience. I took a better picture but wiped the card clean and it was deleted...so this is a "leftover" pepper. Oh the humiliation. Okay I'm over it.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers (6 points)
6 large green peppers

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 medium onion, sliced

2 cups Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal OR Kellogg's Corn Flakes cereal

1/8 teaspoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup sliced, pitted ripe olives

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1 (16 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1. Wash peppers. Cut off tops and remove seedy portions. Precook in large amount of boiling water about 5 minutes. Drain well. Place peppers, cut side up, in greased shallow baking pan. Set aside.
2. In large frypan, cook ground beef and onion until meat is browned, stirring frequently. Drain off excess drippings. Add remaining ingredients except cheese. Stir to combine, cutting tomatoes into pieces with spoon. Remove from heat. Spoon into peppers, dividing evenly.
3. Bake at 350ºF. about 25 minutes or until filling is thoroughly heated. Remove from oven. Sprinkle tops with cheese. Return to oven. Bake about 5 minutes longer or until cheese melts.
MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:
Wash peppers. Cut off tops and remove seedy portions. Lightly saltinside of each pepper. Place peppers, cut side up, in 12x7 1/2x2-in. glass baking dish. Set aside.
Place gr ound beef and onion in 8x8x2-in. glass baking dish. Stir to crumble.
Microwave on HIGH 6 to 7 minutes or until beef is cooked, stirring occasionally. Drain off excess drippings.
Add remaining ingredients except cheese. Stir to combine, cutting tomatoes into pieces with spoon.
Spoon filling into peppers, dividing evenly. Cover stuffed pepper with plastic wrap. Poke several holes in plastic wrap to allow steam to escape.
Microwave on HIGH about 15 minutes or until filling is thoroughly heated and peppers are tender. Sprinkle tops with cheese. Microwave on HIGH until cheese melts.
Yield: 6 servingsServing Size: 1 pepper

Angel Lemon Creme Dessert

I made this to take with me to a Halloween dinner. It was good! Reminded me of something I've had before with pineapple...if you love lemon this one is better! Hunter tried it too and said it was really good=)

Angel Lemon Creme Dessert
1 Angel food cake
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3-4 lemons)
1/2 cup sugar
1 large container Cool Whip

Break cake into small pieces and place half of them into a buttered 9x13 glass pan.(do not use metal) Blend the sugar and lemon juice gradually into the sweetened condensed milk, fold in Cool Whip. Spread half of lemon mixture over the cake pieces, add rest of the cake pieces and top with the remaining lemon mixture. Sprinkle with coconut or sliced almonds. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight

Taco Soup(crockpot)

I love this time of year where it's cold and I can cook soup all day. We don't have a long fall/winter so I enjoy it while I can!

I made this with a pound of beef and a pound of ground turkey. I also did not add the green olives or cheese.

Taco Soup

2 pounds ground beef

2 cups diced onions

2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans

1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles

2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles

1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional

1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional

1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix

1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

Corn chips, for serving Sour cream, for garnish Grated cheese, for garnish Chopped green onions, for garnish Pickled jalapenos, for garnish

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos.

I love my electric skillet

The kids and I love grilled cheese and tomato soup...I hadn't realized how awesome the electric skillet would be for making them quickly!

Not really a recipe post just sharing a fun thing for today=)

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I picked this out of Marey's week. It was really good BUT I should have trusted my instinct to use two loaf pans. Instead it rose high and took forever to cook through. Then the top was burnt. We still ate a good amount of it.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
3 C all purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs
2 C sugar
2 C cooked or canned pumpkin1 1/4 C vegetable oil
1 1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt & baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin & oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into regular sized loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near th center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan onto wire rack

Shar's Mom's Roast

This is my second time making this. I bought stew meat to be lazy and it actually worked out really well! There was a piece or two that was tough but overall the meat was the same as cutting up a roast. We'll definitely make this again in future and I love knowing it came from my friend's family=)

"Breaded Roast"

1 Roasting beef (med size, to feed your family)
1-2 packages of salted soda crackers
approx 1/2 - 1 cup butter/margarine
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup water

1. Cut roast beef in pieces, not too thick, but not too thin.. a little over 1/2 an inch.
2. Heat up a skillet, coating the bottom of it, with butter as needed, keep a good layer of melted butter going,to fry the roast.
3. Dip each piece of roast beef in this order..
into the flour (placed on a plate or bowl)
into the eggs (in a bowl)
into the crushed crackers (on a dinner plate)

4. Fry each piece until golden brown on each side. Salt and pepper to taste

5. In a casserole dish, add the water, and 3 tbsp of butter. Pile the pieces of roast into the casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees for approx 1 hour in "covered" casserole.
In the last 10 minutes, take the lid off, to crisp the roast up slightly. It's ready, when you can cut nicely into the roast

Three Cheese Mostaccioli Bolognese

This recipe was my choice for Tee's week. I've been on a pasta kick so this was perfect. I wish it called for more zucchini because that was my favorite part! The whole family enjoyed this meal. I served it with garlic toast and edamame.

I also learned that zucchini is the swollen ovary of the zucchini plant. I do believe I could have gone without knowing that...so I decided to share.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) Prego® Traditional Italian Sauce or 1 jar (1 lb. 9 oz.) Prego® Organic Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce

1 pkg. (16 oz.) mostaccioli or tube-shaped pasta (ziti) pasta, cooked and drained

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Cook beef and garlic in 12" skillet until beef is browned, stirring to break up meat. Pour off fat. Add zucchini and cook until tender. Stir in sauce.
Stir beef mixture, pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese in 3-qt. shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 400°F. for 20 min. or until hot.

Creme Caramel with fresh whipped cream

With the season I wanted to try something new with pumpkin so I printed this recipe from Good Housekeeping. The ingredients are pricey and it takes at least overnight to be able to eat it. Hunter said it's missing something and I have to agree. It's not very sweet so I added some whipped cream(freshly made just for this) and I just ended up eating the whipped cream. Flan would have been much cheaper and loved by all.

New York Pumpkin Creme Caramel
6 strip(s) (about 3" by 1" each) orange peel
1 1/4 cup(s)sugar
1 can(s)(12-ounce) evaporated milk
1 cup(s) heavy or whipping cream
1 cup(s) (solid-pack) pumpkin (not pumpkin-pie mix)
6 large eggs
1/4 cup(s) orange-flavored liqueur
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1 pinch(s) nutmeg
1 pinch(s) salt
DIRECTIONS
In 1-quart saucepan, heat orange peel, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup water to boiling over high heat. Cover and cook 10 minutes. With fork, remove orange-peel strips and discard. Continue cooking sugar mixture, uncovered, until it turns amber in color, about 3 minutes longer. Pour caramel into 9" by 5" loaf pan, swirling to coat bottom. (Hold pan with pot holders to protect hands from heat of caramel.) Set aside.
In heavy 2-quart saucepan, heat evaporated milk, heavy cream, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar just to boiling over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, with wire whisk, mix pumpkin, eggs, orange liqueur, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until blended.
Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into pumpkin mixture until blended. Pour pumpkin mixture through strainer into 8-cup glass measuring cup, then into caramel-coated loaf pan. Place loaf pan in roasting pan; place on oven rack. Pour boiling water into roasting pan to come three-quarters of the way up side of loaf pan. Bake 55 minutes or until knife comes out clean when inserted 1 inch from edge of custard (center will jiggle slightly).
Carefully remove loaf pan from water. Allow crème caramel to cool 1 hour in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate crème caramel overnight. To unmold, run small spatula around sides of loaf pan; invert crème caramel onto serving plate, allowing caramel syrup to drip down from pan (some caramel may remain in pan).

Banana Bread w/ oatmeal

I would have made my favorite banana bread but we're out of sour cream so I went searching for something new. I wasn't really fond of this one but the kids finished off both loaves in one afternoon and raved the whole time so I guess it was still a hit here!

Banana Bread

1 cup raisins

6 bananas (large ripe mashed)

1/2 cup oil

1 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup quick oats

Topping
2 tablespoons quick oats
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Place the raisins in a coffee mug and add hot water to plump them.
In a mixing bowl mash the bananas and them cream oil and sugar.
Add the egg, beating well.
Mix in the extract.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture.
Add the quick oats.
Drain the water off the raisins and add them to the cake mix.
Pour into a greased 9 by 5 by 4 loaf pan.
Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over the batter.
Bake at 350° for 23-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack

Pasta E Fagioli

This was sooo good and I would definitely make it again on a cold winter day! Corrine rated it high but then picked at it so I'm not sure how much she really liked it. It was a hit with the rest of us.

Ratings

Sabrina: 10

Hunter: 10

Corrine: 9

Pasta E Fagioli (like Olive Garden)
1 lb ground beef
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrot, sliced

1 cup celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) can V8 vegetable juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 lb ditali pasta, cooked and drained

Brown ground beef in large saucepan or soup pot. Drain.
Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.
Simmer 10 minutes, then add remaining ingredients except pasta.
Simmer 1 hour.
Add cooked pasta.
Simmer 5 minutes, then serve!

Reeses Peanut Butter Squares

The kids wanted to cook and I had a few odd and end things around the kitchen(trying to use up before grocery shopping again). Found this and am so glad we tried it! I've never had anything as close to a Reeses pb cup! We had the 60% cacao chips so I used those and natural peanut butter also worked just fine. I'm sending most for the cub scout bake sale but we will definitely be making these again!
Corrine showed Justin how to get it out of the bowl.
Justin showed Corrine a MUCH better way of eating from the bowl.


Reeses PB Bars
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 lb confectioners' sugar(3 to 3 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup butter, melted
1 (12 ounce) bag milk chocolate chips
Combine graham crumbs, sugar and peanut butter and mix well. Blend in melted butter until well combined. Press mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 inch pan.
Melt chocolate chips in microwave or in double boiler. Spread over peanut butter mixture. Chill until just set and cut into bars (these are very hard to cut if the chocolate gets "rock hard".

Hamburger Potato Casserole

This was something Teresa tried then Shar tried...they both liked it so we gave it a try too. Very tasty! I made cream soup substitute so there wouldn't be msg but that was the only change I made. It was very good!

Ratings

Me 9

Hunter 7

Corrine 9

Hamburger Potato Casserole INGREDIENTS
1 pound lean ground beef
3 cups peeled and thinly sliced potatoes
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup milk
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef; drain fat.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream of mushroom soup, onion, milk, salt and pepper to taste.
Alternately layer the potatoes, soup mixture and meat in a 11x7 inch (2 quart) baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until potatoes are tender. Top with Cheddar cheese, and continue baking until cheese is melted

Pork chop yum yum

This recipe was from Mandi's blog and they are really really good!! I will be making them again and I think I'll turn them over halfway through so they stay really moist on both sides. These remind me of my favorite ribs at the chinese buffets! It said to serve with mashed potatoes and green beans but I think the Veggie Bacon Rice would be perfect!

Ratings:

Me 10

Hunter 10

Corrine 10

Pork Chop Yum Yum

2-4 pork chops, 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup honey
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
Brown chops on both sides. Place in greased casserole dish. Mix all remaining ingredients and pour over pork chops. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for one hour.Sides: Make with Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes

Almond Macaroon Cupcakes

I made these tonight because Kris made me want ice cream... It is a very good thing we don't have a Dairy Queen nearby.

These were really good! They are soft and cakey like angel food cake but with just a bit of coconut. I didn't have maple extract so I used almond extract and changed the name. The original recipe is below=)

Maple Macaroon Cupcakes
3/4 cup flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon maple extract (not syrup)
1 cup flaked coconut

Mix flour with 1 cup sugar, baking powder and salt and set aside. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and 1/3 cup sugar until soft peaks form, then add vanilla and maple extracts and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold flour mixture into egg whites. Fold coconut into egg whites.
Fill paper cupcake liners 2/3 full (do not grease) and bake in cupcake pan at 300 degrees for about 40 minutes or until just golden. Let cool completely. For a real treat, top these with fresh strawberries and whipped cream

Mexi Tortilla Casserole

This is my choice for Mandi's week on Recipe Challenge.
The cilantro in this is a must! I rarely buy it but it made the dish! We finished the whole pan for dinner=O

Sabrina 9

Hunter 9

Corrine 9

Mexi-Tortilla Casserole

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 Small Onion, Chopped
1 lb ground pork (or ground beef)
1 Can (14oz) diced Tomatoes
1 Teaspoon dried Oregano
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cuminnnn
1/4 Teaspon black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack or taco-flavored cheese
2 Cups Tortilla Chips
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 can diced green chili's, drained
2 Tablespoons minced Cilantro

1. Preheat Over to 350

2. Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion, cook and sstir 5 minutes or until tender. Add meat and cook until browned. drain fat. stir in tomatoes, oregano, salt, cumin and pepper. spoon into 11x7 dish. sprinkle with cheese. arrange tortilla's chips over cheese. bake 10-15 minutes until cheese melts.

3. Combine Sour creama nd chiles in small bowl, mix well, dropped by spoonfuls over baked casserole, sprinkle with cilantro.

Simple Salisbury Steaks

This was a Campbell's soup recipe I printed from somewhere years ago. The patties didn't hold together well but they were so tasty that I will be making them again anyways! Next time I want to add more salt.


I used a big can of soup and added milk at the end to make a gravy to go over mashed potatoes.




Ratings:

Sabrina 10
Hunter 8
Corrine 8



Simple Salisbury Steaks


1 can mushroom soup
1 pound of ground beef
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms.


In a bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of the soup, beef, bread crumbs, egg and onion. Shape firmly into 6 patties.


In a skillet over medium heat, cook patties, a few at a time, until browned on both sides, spoon off fat, set aside.


Stir in remaining soup and mushrooms, return the patties to the skillet, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until done, turning patties occasionally.

Italian Hamburger Casserole

This was from the recipe challenge list. I made a ton of changes so I wouldn't have to buy all the ingredients. I don't think it needed a full 45 minutes but I think my oven is hotter than normal(and I haven't picked the oven thermometer off the bottom yet lol).

Ratings:

Sabrina--9
Hunter--8
Corrine--9
Justin--wouldn't eat it

Substitutions: spaghetti noodles, diced tomatoes for sauce and cheddar cheese because I didn't realize it called for mozz.

Quick, Easy -N- Fast Italian Hamburger Casserole Recipe
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 t. garlic salt

1 t. basil

1/2 t. oregano

10 - 12 oz. package fine egg noodles

8 oz. cream cheese

2 C. sour cream

12 green onions chopped

8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet, brown ground beef and drain. Stir in the spices and tomato sauce. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.In boiling water, cook noodles as directed on package. Rinse and drain well.Blend together sour cream and cream cheese. Stir in green onions.In a 9 x 13 pan, layer cooked noodles, cream cheese mixture, meat sauce and cheese. Bake for 45 minutes at 375°F.Serves 8 - 10

Cheesy Zucchini

This was so good! Corrine tried one and said she'd give it a 5 but the kids have never been big on zucchini as a side dish. I really liked it=) I'll definitely make it again!

Cheesy Zucchini
5-6 medium zucchini, sliced
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (or so)

Preheat broiler.
In a large saucepan,bring water, boullion and salt to a boil.
Add zucchini.
Cover and boil for 3 to 5 minutes until just tender-crisp;drain well.
Arrange half of zucchini in the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate;sprinkle with half the cheddar cheese and half the Parmesan.
Layer the remaining zucchini and cheeses.
Broil for 1 or 2 minutes until cheese melts and bubbles

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Time for zucchini bread! I've done butterscotch, plain, chocolate chip and others so I decided to try this one this time. Corrine asked how cocoa tastes so I gave her a little try...poor kid ;o)

This recipe came from Sandie on the recipe group and it was really good! Corrine is my picky eater and she ate half of the first loaf all by herself! Justin wasn't feeling well and wouldn't eat anything(except a few chocolate chips) all day and he ate some of this...it was a relief for him to get something nutritious!

I would totally make this again! 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup cocoa
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Beat eggs, add sugar and oil. Next add vanilla and zucchini.
Mix dry ingredients into wet. Stir until mixed.
Grease 2 loaf tins and bake 50-60 minutes at 350.

SOS

Not my favorite meal ever but Hunter and Corrine loved it. I doubled the recipe and day 2 I put it over the spanish rice. It was fab that way!
And yes the picture fits the name=p


Creamed ground beef sos
1 lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
3/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
cayenne powder, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 1/4 cups milk

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef and onion.
Stir in the flour, granulated bouillon, salt, pepper, and garlic and onion powders (and cayenne, if using).
Saute all together until flour is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
Gradually stir in the Worcestershire sauce and milk.
Bring it all to a simmer, stirring, and cook until thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve over toast, biscuits, noodles, rice, or potatoes

Burrito Pie and Spanish Rice

These are both from Mandi's blog. The burrito pie is here and the spanish rice is here. Both of these took some time to prepare but were really yummy!

Ratings

Me burrito 10 rice 10

Hunter burrito 10 rice 9

Corrine burrito 9 rice 9

and Justin ate a good sized portion himself=)

Mandi's Burrito Pie

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 (2 ounce) can black olives, sliced

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chili peppers

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green Chile peppers

1 (16 ounce) jar taco sauce(made this from scratch)

2 (16 ounce) cans refried beans

12 (8 inch) flour tortillas(I used corn)

9 ounces shredded Colby cheese(I used cheddar)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large skillet overmedium heat, saute the ground beef for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for 5 more minutes. Drain any excess fat, if desired.

Mix in the olives, green Chile peppers, tomatoes with green chile peppers,taco sauce and refried beans. Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low,and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 4 quart casseroledish. Cover with a layer of tortillas followed by more meat mixture, then alayer of cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, cheese pattern until all the tortillas areused, topping off with a layer of meat mixture and cheese.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is slightlybrown and bubbly.

Mandi's Mom's Spanish Rice

2 Cups long grain Rice

1 bell pepper diced (I didn't have any on hand)

1 small onion diced

2 cloves of Garlic Minced

1 stick butter

2 Cans of Diced Tomatoes

4 Cups of Chicken Broth

Salt, Pepper to taste

1 tsp. Cumin or more to taste...

Melt lots of butter and sautee' Bell Peppers, Onion and Garlic together... cook until done to your likeness.. add Rice and brown... add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer until rice is cooked...

Peach Cobbler

I tried two recipes for peach cobbler yesterday. They were very similar with the only big difference being that the first had cinnamon in it.
The second is Tee's and I loved hers! I prefer it without cinnamon for sure as did everyone else! I'm putting the recipe for Tee's below and pictures of both.

Teresa's peach cobbler

2 cups peaches---diced
1 cup sugar
1 cup self rising flour (I added 2 teaspoons baking powder to all purpose flour)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter

Put butter in a casserole dish and put in oven on 375 til melted. Put peaches in a bowl with one cup of the sugar and set aside. In a mixing bowl, mix together the other cup of sugar, milk, and flour. After the butter has melted, pour in the batter and DO NOT stir after you pour it in. Then spoon the peaches on top of that and do not stir. Bake for one hour. (Mine only took 40 minutes to get this brown)

Hamburger Nacho Dip

I got this off recipezaar. It was good but I'd try another recipe rather than make it again or stick with 7 layer dip. This is very meaty!

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

This was really good! I added mushrooms this time and they were good but Hunter really doesn't like mushrooms so I won't do it next time. I cooked it the amount of time called for but other reviewers from recipezaar that used boneless skinless chicken breasts said that makes it dry(I say...DUH! lol).

Also after the chicken cooked it was way too soupy and next time I want to drain some of that out before adding the cream cheese mixture. I definitely will make this again!

I don't keep italian salad dressing mix on hand so I made my own from another recipezaar recipe. I didn't measure but it was parmesan cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, sesame seeds, celery seeds and some paprika. Worked great=)

3 lbs chicken pieces
1 (2/3 ounce) package Italian salad dressing mix
4 tablespoons melted butter (divided)
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth

Place chicken pieces in crock pot and sprinkle Italian seasoning over chicken. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan and saute onion and garlic. Add Cream of Chicken Soup, cream cheese, and chicken broth. Stir until smooth.
Add this mixture to crock pot and cook on low for an additional hour.