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.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

This was great! When I make it again I'm going to cut down the chocolate just a bit because the inside of the center was just pure chocolate. I can't say that's a bad thing for taste but it made it difficult to keep it all in a nice slice=) I used Ghiradelli 60% cacao chocolate chips in this and even with that strong of a chocolate it was super good...but definitely needed a tall glass of milk!

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour,

plus 4 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat butter and sugars together.

Add eggs and vanilla.

Mix flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar.

Add dry ingredients to the batter and mix until well blended.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread dough into a 15 1/2 inch round pan.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees

Frijoles Borrachitos-Beans with beer

I am always browsing for new things to do with dry beans. We aren't drinkers but I had bought beer as a natural garden helper and so when I saw this recipe I was happy to be able to get clear out the fridge of the beer!

I make beans a lot because they are inexpensive and we all like them. Corrine loves beans. However these beans just didn't do it for us. Corrine made it through one small bowl and then wasn't going to even try for a second. Wouldn't make them again...

In case someone else normally loves beans with beer it had great reviews on recipezaar so here is the recipe:

1 1/4 cups dry pinto beans
1 (12 ounce) can beer
1/2 cup chopped onions
4 bacon, slices
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon snipped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Soak beans in 4 cups water at least 5 hours.
Place in large stockpot.
Add beer and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours.
Cook bacon until crisp, drain and crumble.
Add bacon to beans along with onion, tomatoes, cilantro, salt and red pepper.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Easy Beef Enchiladas

Got this one off recipezaar last night when I was looking for a quick meal. I really had my doubts and it had no ratings but I gave it a whirl and it was good! I'll be making this again for sure. We all gave it five stars except Hunter and he didn't like the salsa.

1 lb ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning
3 cups salsa (your favorite)
16 ounces shredded cheddar
10 or so corn tortillas

Brown Beef in skillet.

Add taco seasoning and about 1 cup of salsa(more or less to taste) to beef and heat until salsa is warm.
Remove from heat.
Spoon meat mixture and cheese into totillas, making sure not to over fill.
Roll up and place in 13x9 baking dish.
The enchiladas will pack together tightly.
Spread remaining salsa over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and edges of tortillas start to brown and crisp.(aprox. 10-15 mins.).

Strawberry stuffed crepes

These were SO good. I can't wait to make them again but it will have to be at least a double batch! There were plenty of crepes leftover but we ran out of strawberry filling(and didn't have any more cream cheese to make more). We had these as "breakfast for dinner" along with sausage, bacon, hashbrowns and scrambled eggs. If it didn't take so long I'd happily have that every night=)

The whole family agreed these were awesome.

Filling

Strawberry Cream
2 cups sliced strawberries

1/4 cup sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar

To make strawberry cream: Combine the strawberries and sugar and chill, anywhere from an hour to overnight.
Drain excess water from strawberries and sugar.
In mixing bowl blend cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.
Stir in strawberries.

Crepes(we used the recipe that came with the crepe pan)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoond vegetable oil

Put all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

We used a crepe pan but another recipe using a skillet is here.

Iced coffee

This was really easy and pretty good. I can't quite get over the milk...but I'm not sure why it bothers me? It's definitely no Mocha BK Joe.

6 cups brewed coffee

1 can sweetened condensed milk.

Italian Sausage Stromboli

We have our usual pizza night every week still. I finally signed up at recipezaar so I wanted to use a recipe from there. Our changes were that we used homemade dough, red bell pepper and cooked it on the pizza oven. We served it with a side of sauce and if we made it again we'd use lots more sauce in it(sauce is optional).

Ratings:

Sabrina 9

Hunter 8

Corrine 10

and Justin enjoyed some cheese=)

Recipe: http://www.recipezaar.com/193995

Crispy Zucchini Spears

I made this after Shar's family gave it rave reviews here. It is so good!! Very much like at a restaurant without all the fat from being fried. Another family book recipe. We didn't cut it into spears but will next time.

Ratings:

Sabrina 10

Hunter 10

Corrine 10

Crispy Zucchini Spears

2 medium Zucchini

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1/2 - 3/4 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp oregano powder

1 egg, beaten

Slice Zucchini lengthwise to make spears. Combine cornmeal, flour, parmesan, garlic salt, paprika, oregano together.Dip Zucchini spears in egg, and then into the mixture. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes at 450 Degrees

Hunter's Hot Pot Pie

Thanks to Lissa for this one=)) This recipe was originally named Hearty Chicken Casserole and I renamed it because Hunter absolutely LOVES pot pies and he said this one is the best.

Ratings:

Me 10

Hunter 10

Corrine 8

Hunter's Hot Pot Pie

1/2 c butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 c all purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
16 oz frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
2 c cubed, cooked chicken or turkey
1 10 3/4oz can cream of mushroom soup, UNdiluted
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c shredded cheddar

In small bowl, cream the butter and sour cream. Add egg; beat well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and add to creamed mixture. Spread into a greased 3 qt casserole dish.
In a large bowl, combine the veggies, chicken , soup and onion. Pour over crust, sprinkly with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400* for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.

Carrot Souffle

I got this recipe off Recipezaar and finally found a recipe from there that we'd make again! I would love to try brown sugar in it next time.
My variations on the recipe--I chose to use 5 eggs in it and instead of a bit of the various spices I used 3 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice .
Ratings

Me 9
Hunter 10(I served this as a side dish and he told me it tastes more like a dessert)
Corrine 10 1/2

Carrot souffle
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen carrots (or - 1 large, 1 pound bag, peeled and sliced)
salt
1 cup milk or light cream
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup sugar
3-5 eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 dash ginger
1 dash allspice
1/4 lb butter
Cook carrots till 'very' tender in salted water.
Drain and mash.
Combine all ingredients and mix with an electric mixer till smooth.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until set.
If cooked a day ahead: Warm at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

Ho Ho Cake

This tastes just like a ho ho if not better. We all gave this a ten and it will be in our family book but I'm switching the shortening to butter.

Ingredients:
***Bottom:***
1 (18.25 oz.) box Chocolate Cake Mix
***Topping One:***
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup solid Crisco vegetable shortening
5 ounces can Evaporated milk
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
***Topping Two:***
1 can Fudge frosting (16 oz.)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 15-1/2" x 10-1/2" baking dish. Bake chocolate cake in baking dish, according to the directions on the box for 20-30 minutes or until cake bounces back when you touch it lightly on the top, or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, except for a few crumbs. Allow to cool.
Mix sugar, butter, Crisco, evaporated milk and vanilla extract together until creamy with an electric mixer, about 10 minutes. Spread over cooled chocolate cake.
Heat opened can of fudge frosting in the microwave 30 seconds to 1 minute till pourable. Pour over white topping. Refrigerate over night.

Kristine's Beans

This is going into our family book! Delicious!!! We all gave this a ten and got seconds.

Kristine's Beans


1# hamburger (I doubled the meat in the pot pictured)
1 small onion or 1/2 large onion
1/2# bacon cut in pieces
Brown above ingredients together.



1 can dark kidney beans - drained(I only half drained all these)
1 can light kidney beans - drained
1 cans butter or lima beans - drained
1 humungo can pork 'n beans - do not drain
Mix all ingredients together in a dutch oven.



Add:
1/2 cup ketchup
3/4 cup brown sugar
squeeze of mustard
Cook on stove until heated through.

Seven Layer Magic Cookie Bars

I saved this recipe from a group ages ago and finally got around to making it. I used walnuts and I didn't think it looked all that great but it tasted really good=)

Ratings:

Me 9

Hunter 10

Corrine 10 1/2

Seven Layer Magic Cookie Bars
Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 14-ounce can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 c. butterscotch flavored chips
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 c. sweetened coconut flakes
1 c. chopped nuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter in a 13x9-inch baking pan.
Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over melted butter, then pour condensed milk over crumbs.
Top with remaining ingredients in order listed.
Press cookie mixture down firmly into pan.
Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting into bars.
Can be stored in airtight container at room temperature.
Makes 24-36 bars

Shar's Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I made this after Shar did and it was really good! I used special dark chocolate chips and didn't have any walnuts. I think I would have liked it more with the walnuts so if I make it again I need to be sure to have them.

Peppered Balsamic Chicken

Ratings:

Me 8

Hunter 8

Corrine 5

Peppered Balsamic Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons lemon-pepper seasoning

1-1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 teaspoons butter

parsley sprigs

cherry tomatoes

On hard surface with meat mallet or similar flattening utensil, lightly pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.

Press lemon-pepper seasoning evenly on both sides of chicken.

In large frypan, place oil and heat to medium temperature. Add chicken and cook, turning once, about 7 minutes or until fork can be inserted in chicken with ease. Remove chicken to warm serving platter; keep warm.

In medium bowl, mix together vinegar, broth and garlic; add to frypan. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping up brown meat bits, about 2 minutes or until mixture is reduced and syrupy. (The original recipe cautions breathing the vinegar when it hits the heat)

Add butter; stir to melt. Place chicken on serving dish and spoon sauce over chicken.

Garnish with parsley sprigs and cherry tomatoes.

Makes 4 servings.

Shredded Parmesan Brussel Sprouts

This won't be going in our book and my quest for easy delicious brussel sprouts will continue. I wish I had time to make Cheesy Gratin of Brussel Sprouts often but I rarely have hours for a side dish. This was definitely different but there was nothing to cover the natural bitterness of the sprouts.

1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
directions
Preheat the oven to 425°. In a food processor fitted with a slicing blade, coarsely shred the brussels sprouts.
In 9X12 casserole dish, toss the brussels sprouts with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and spread in an even layer.
Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, until the brussels sprouts are tender and browned in spots; rotate the pan and stir the brussels sprouts halfway through roasting.
Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese, toss and bake for 1 more minute, or until the cheese is melted. Transfer the brussels sprouts to a bowl and serve.
MAKE AHEAD The brussels sprouts can be baked up to 2 hours ahead; rewarm them before serving.

Berries and Stars

We made this to take for the Fourth of July. It's from Kris' recipe week and it was good! I think we'd all prefer just the berries and Cool Whip...it was very festive though!

Skillet Fried Mozzarella Sticks

We all gave these a ten. They aren't exactly the same as store bought but they're very good!

12 slices white bread, crusts removed
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
6 super-long (6 3/4") mozzarella string cheese, such as Plly-O's
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup marinara sauce

1. Using hands, press bread to flatten, remove 1 cheese stick from egg mixture; place on bread slice.
Roll tightly, pinching seam if necessary to seal. On ends of each, press bread over cheese, repeat with remaining bread and string cheese.
2. Lightly beat egg with Milk, seasoning and salt. Place mozzarella sticks in egg mixture.
3. Heat oil in large skillet over med high heat. Add wrapped mozzarella. Cook in batches, until golden, 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
4. Heat marinara sauce; if desired, sprinkle with parsley. Serve sauce with mozzarella sticks.

1 Dish Taco Bake

This is also from Shar's week. I wanted to put a little sour cream on top but when I dug it out it was expired.

Ratings:

Me 10

Hunter 10

Corrine 10.5

1 Dish Taco Bake

taco meat mixture
1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning

1-dish bake & rise batter
cooking spray
1/2 cup corn flour OR corn meal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 envelopes rapid rise yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk (very warm 120* to 130* F)
3 Tbsp oil
1 egg

TOPPINGS
1 cup chunky salsa
1 - 2 cup shredded mexican style or cheddar cheese
1 cup corn chips, partially crushed

1. Brown Ground beef in a skillet and drain fat. Add taco seasoning and mix well.

2. MIX batter ingredients together in pre-sprayed 8X8 inch baking pan.

3. TOP batter with taco meat mixture. Pour salsa evenly over meat; sprinkle with shredded cheese and corn chips.

4. BAKE by placing in a cold oven; THEN set temperature to 350*F. Bake for 30 minutes or until done

Chicken with Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce

This is something Lissa makes a lot so I wanted to try it. I served it with angel hair pesto.

Ratings:

Sabrina 10

Hunter 8

Corrine 10 1/2

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 pounds), pounded
3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping or heavy cream
2 tablespoons loosely packed fresh basil leaves, cut in thin strips


Season chicken, if desired, with salt and ground black pepper.
In 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat and cook chicken 8 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked, turning once. Remove chicken and set aside.
In same skillet, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter and cook tomatoes, onion and salt, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are tender. Stir in broth and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in cream. Reduce heat to low and return chicken to skillet. Simmer uncovered 4 minutes or until sauce is thickened and chicken is heated through. Garnish with basil.

Scalloped Corn and Broccoli

This doesn't really *look* appetizing and I was sure I'd messed something up. I used white cheddar and I think that didn't help it's appearance. However it was really quite good!

Ratings:

Sabrina 9

Hunter 8

Corrine 8

SCALLOPED CORN AND BROCCOLI

1 (15oz) can cream corn
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 pkg frozen chopped broccoli

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together corn, eggs, sugar, flour, and salt. Add the cheese and broccoli and mix well.
Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish and bake for one hour

Rouladen

I'd never heard of this before Shar made it but I knew sooner or later we were going to try it. Oh it is GOOD!!! Going in the family book and I hope to try other versions soon.

Ratings:

Me 10

Corrine 10 1/2

Hunter 10

4 slices flank steak, ½" thick slices

2 small onion, minced

1 small onion, quartered

4 slices bacon

½ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 packet brown gravy

1 dill pickle, cut into quarters

Pound beef with edge of saucer to tenderize meat tissue.
Spread mustard thinly over meat.
Sprinkle with pepper and salt.
Place ½ onion and 1 strip of bacon on meat.
Roll up tightly and tie with thread or hold together using toothpicks.Place meat in a skillet with a small amount of fat and brown slowly on all sides to a rich color.
Transfer to baking dish. Add 1 onion, cut in quarters while meat is browning.
When brown add Rouladen Mix, cover tightly and bake at 300 degrees until tender, about 45 minutes.
Pour gravy over meat.
Place ¼ dill pickle on the side.

Green Tortilla Chili

Another from Sandie's week.

We all rated this a 9. I wanted cheese(white cheddar) just because we love cheese and it was a great addition! We would definitely make this again!

Green Tortilla Chili
Ingredients
3/4 of a rotisserie chicken, stripped and shredded

or1 to 2 cups leftover roast turkey meat, shredded

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 to 2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 of a 16-ounce jar tomatillo salsa (or green salsa)

1/2 bottle of beer, any brand you like

1/2 quart chicken stock (2 cups)

2 large handfuls tortilla chips (crushed into small peices)

1 small handful cilantro leaves (chopped)

Juice of 1 lime
preparation
Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Cook onions, garlic, and jalapeño until soft, about 4 minutes.
Add chili powder and cumin, and cook for another minute. Add the tomatillo salsa, beer and stock. Bring up to a bubble and add in the shredded chicken. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Add tortilla chips and cilantro leaves into the chili and continue cooking until it thickens, about 8-10 minutes.Right before spooning into bowls, add in the lime juice and serve with some whole corn tortilla chips alongside.

Jalapeno Poppers

 They were great...when we could still taste them.
*edited* I made them again and seeded the peppers when they were fresh then left them in the fridge in water overnight and there was NO heat left. I'd like to do this again next time but maybe not leave them quite as long so there's just a little heat left.


Jalapeño Poppers

8-12 large Jalapeño chiles
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
3/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the chiles on a baking sheet and roast, flipping once, until just softened, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chiles to a plate to cool. Cut a slit down one side of each from top to bottom. Using a spoon, scrape out and discard the ribs and seeds, being careful not to tear the flesh. Set aside.2. Fill a medium, heavy-bottomed pot with enough oil to reach a depth of 1 1/2 inches and heat the oil to 325° on a deep-fry thermometer. Combine the cream cheese, monterey jack cheese and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and mash well with a fork. Spoon the cheese mixture into a resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off to make an opening about 1/2 inch wide. Carefully pipe about 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each chile, then squeeze back together.3. Place the eggs in one wide, shallow bowl and the bread crumbs in another. Roll each chile in the eggs, then transfer to the bread crumbs and press gently to coat, shaking off any excess. Repeat the egg- and bread-crumb-coating process to double-coat the chiles.4. Working in batches, fry the chiles until deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chiles to paper towels to drain. Season to taste with salt.

Baja Style Fish Tacos

Mom gave us a lot of fish so I'm trying different things to find something we love. I love the beer breading on this fish and the whole "taco" thing was good but nothing for the family book.

Ratings

Me: 8

Hunter: 7.5

Corrine 10.5

Ingredients:
1/2 lb fish fillets, cut lengthwise into strips
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 ounces beer
2 eggs, separated
oil, necessary (for frying)
flour tortillas, warmed to soften

For the garnish
shredded cabbage, lightly dressed with Marie's cole slaw dressing

Pat the fish filet strips dry with paper towels.
Mix the flour, salt, pepper, vegetable oil and egg yolks and beer to form a batter.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, and fold into the mixture.
In a large skillet, heat oil with a depth of no more than 1 inch.
Dip each fish strip in the batter, fry quickly on one side, turning to fry the other until golden brown. This should only take a couple of minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.
Arrange pieces of fish in softened tortillas and serve at once accompanied by the shredded cabbage.

Chicken Yum Yum

This was adapted from a pork chop recipe from Mandi. I changed it to chicken thighs and cooked it in the crockpot.

Ratings:

Me: 8.5

Hunter: 9

Corrine: 8

3 pounds skinless chicken thighs

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup honey

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Place chicken thighs in the bottom of crockpot, mix all other ingredients and pour over. Cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. Serve over rice with extra sauce.

Okra and Tomatoes

I love okra cooked every way I've ever tried it and this was no exception! Even the kids didn't complain for once!

Ratings:

Me: 9

Corrine: 10

Hunter: 10

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon
2 pounds frozen okra, thawed and sliced
1 small onion, chopped
3 medium tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste
Directions:

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Crumble and add okra and onion. Saute until tender. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook until well blended.
Garnish with crumbled bacon, if desired.

Pepsi Summer Mix

I can't help myself at the checkout when I see a new drink. I don't even *like* Pepsi...but I bought this. I don't like it...and I don't hate it. My first thought was that it was much more refreshing like a 7 up or Sprite and I had to look at it again to be sure it was indeed a dark cola.

This is supposed to be a "tropical fruit flavored cola" but the ingredient list just says "natural and artificial flavors". I'm guessing more artificial than natural and can't place which tropical fruit it's supposed to most resemble.

Out of five stars I give it one. And no, of course I wasn't driving.

Taste Test: Mac N Cheese

I usually only buy Kraft Macaroni and Cheese but I like most Market Pantry(Target) brand things so decided to give it a head to head with Kraft.

I was actually really surprised to do the "blind" taste test and have Corrine vote for Target. I knew which was which but there was no comparison. Target brand was flavorful and delicious. In comparison Kraft was bland! Hunter did prefer Kraft.

Asparagus Roll Ups

I really wanted to like these... The good things are that they looked neat and we finally did something with phyllo dough.

Ratings:

Sabrina 5

Hunter 0(see below for a visual of his thoughts)

Corrine 5

Chocolate cake

I always want to make the cakes for the kid's birthdays but I never actually serve them at a party. We have fun eating cake for days though!
I made two chocolate cakes this time then called and ordered the one for Justin's party. The cake on the left is the sheet cake and the cake on the right is the dark chocolate cake. Hunter's favorite was the sheet cake while Corrine's was the dark chocolate.
With a good chocolate icing they'd both be perfect for a birthday cake!

Sheet cake
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
powder
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 11x17 inch sheet cake pan.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar and baking soda. Stir in the eggs, vanilla and buttermilk. Set aside. In a saucepan combine butter, oil, cocoa and water. Bring to a boil and stir until smooth. Slowly blend into the flour mixture. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Dark chocolate cake
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup cold brewed coffee
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vinegar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, coffee, milk, oil and vinegar. Mix until smooth, batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Fresh Broccoli Salad

From Lissa's week. I'd definitely make this again! It's similar to cole slaw but with broccoli.

Ratings:

Sabrina 8

Corrine 9

Hunter 7