Mom's Country Cookin

Jalapeno Poppers

2011-08-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

12-15 jalapeno peppers - cut in half, seeded and remove membrane

8 oz. softened cream cheese
3 oz. fresh grated parmesan cheese
5 strips bacon - cooked then cut in half lengthwise and then cut into thirds (6 pieces per strip) Combine cheeses, stuff pepper halves, top with bacon, grill 7-10 minutes. Add a thin strip of pepper jack cheese to the top for extra goodness

additional alternatives
cream cheese/parmesan cheese topped with imitation crab
cream cheese/coconut topped with imitation crab
cream cheese/coconut topped with cinnamon carmelized almond bits and drizzled with chocolate sauce - This is oh oh so good even though it doesn't sound good.

Taco Salad

2011-04-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

Taco Salad

1 lb ground beef

1/2 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 diced onion
1 can kidney beans
1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 diced tomato
1/2 head lettuce
1/2 pkg. Doritos (some spicy kind of flavor)
1/2 bottle Catalina salad dressing

Brown the ground beef. Add taco seasoning according to pkg instructions, cool. Drain and rinse kidney beans. Dice onion and tomato. Grate cheese. Mix all above ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve. Chop lettuce. Right before serving, crunch up the chips and add along with the chopped lettuce and dressing. Mix and serve immediately. We don’t like it the next day because the chips and lettuce get soggy.

Salsa

2011-02-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

I know there aren't any measurements on this recipe, but that is because I have no idea how much of everything is in it. I just keep chopping and adding and tasting until it tastes right. Sorry!

1 can petite diced tomatoes

chopped onion

chopped jalapenos

chopped fresh cilantro

minced garlic

salt

black pepper

corn tortilla chips for dipping

Officer Howell's French Fries

2011-01-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

Nothing puts a smile on my boy’s faces faster than telling them we are going to have Officer Howell’s French Fries along with our hamburgers. He made them all the time for them at Scout Camp and Youth Conference, so they made me find out his “secret” ingredient so I could make them at home. We usually go through 10-15 potatoes whenever we make them because they love them so much.

Wash potatoes, peel (if desired), slice into fries with my fancy schmancy fry maker Sean got me for Christmas last year, deep fry in Canola oil, drain and sprinkle with the SECRET Cavendar’s Greek Seasoning. YUM!
NOTE: They also love baked potatoes rubbed with butter mixed with Cavendar’s seasoning and baked in the oven without foil.
Yummy, crispy peelings are the best!

Party Mix

2011-01-09T07:47:00.000-08:00

4 c. each wheat, rice and corn Chex
4 c. Cheerios
3/4 c. butter
2 1/2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 1/2 c. mixed nuts
2 1/2 c. pretzels
In saucepan, melt butter. Mix in Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic & onion powder. In large bowl, measure out cereals & add nuts. Pour butter mixture over & stir to coat evenly. Preheat oven to 250. Spread mixture on cookie sheets. Bake 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. Add pretzels after baked. Store in airtight container.

Sweet Styrofoam

2011-01-09T06:39:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 c. butter

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. white Karo syrup
1 1/2 T water
15 oz. pkg Corn Pops
In a medium saucepan, bring everything but the corn puffs to a boil for 2-3 minutes. If you like it crunchier, boil for 3-4 minutes. Pour Corn Pops into a large bowl. Pour cooked mixture over and stir well with rubber scraper. Cool and break apart.

My kids call these Styrofoam, the person I got the recipe from calls them Corn Puff Treats, my sister calls them Ghost Farts. You can call them whatever you want.

Italian Pasta Salad

2011-01-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

Italian Pasta Salad

- 16 oz pkg pasta (any kind)

- 1 head fresh broccoli - chopped
- 1 c. chopped pepperoni slices
- 1 c. chopped Canadian bacon slices or chopped ham
- 1 c. chopped cheddar cheese
- 16 oz bottle Italian dressing
- 1/2 bottle Salad Supreme
- 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
- Chopped tomatoes, red onion and green peppers if desired

Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse with cool water and drain. Chop up broccoli flowerettes. Chop pepperoni and Canadian bacon slices into fourths. Chop cheese into small cubes. Mix everything together in a large bowl. Cover and refirgerate 3-4 hours or overnight before serving. This is still yummy the 2nd day. Makes a HUGE salad.

Cherry Bars

2011-01-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

Cherry Bars - recipe from my friend Kara Cook

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar maraschino cherry juice
Cream sugar and butter. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt, then cherries. Chill for at least 1 hour. Pat dough into a lightly greased 15″ x 10″ jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 15- 18 minutes. Cool completely and drizzle with glaze. To make glaze, combine powdered sugar and enough cherry juice till you get the right consistency.–Make sure you chill the dough, or you will make a sticky mess trying to spread it in the pan.

Chicken Ranch Pasta Salad

2010-12-31T15:51:00.000-08:00

1 chicken breast - boiled, cooled and shredded

16 oz pkg pasta - cook according to package directions
1/2 c. craisins
2-3 oz. cheddar cheese - cut in small cubes
2 green onions - chopped
1 stalk celery - finely chopped
equal parts of mayonnaise and ranch dressing (approx 1/2 c. each)
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients, stir in equal parts of the dressings until the consistency you like your salad. Chill. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Grandma's Hot Christmas Punch

2010-12-31T13:34:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from Sean's mom. SO yummy for Christmas morning or any cold day when you need a hot yummy drink.

Grandma's Hot Christmas Punch

22 c. water

2 1/2 c. sugar
12 oz frozen orange juice concentrate
2 c. pineapple juice
1/3 c. lemon juice
12 cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
Combine in large pan. Simmer on low for a few hours before serving. Serve hot.

Join the party http://www.creationsbykara.com/2011/01/look-what-i-made-1-5-2011.html

Potato Cheese Soup

2010-12-30T20:49:00.000-08:00

Peel 6-8 potatoes and chop into 1” pieces. Place in large soup pan and cover with water. Chop 1/2 onion and add to potatoes. Boil until potatoes are tender. Drain. In your pan, melt 1/2 stick butter. Add 1/3 c. flour and stir to make rue over medium heat. Add 1 pint of cream. Put your potatoes and onions back in pan and add enough milk to cover. Add 1 tsp chicken bullion, 1 tsp parsley flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low heat until thickened. Top with bacon bits, chopped green onions and grated cheese.

Blueberry Muffins

2010-12-06T08:45:00.000-08:00

1/2 c. milk (warmed)

1/4 c. butter (melted)

2 eggs
1 c. sugar
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. frozen or fresh blueberries

Mix all ingredients except blueberries with a fork until blended. Carefully fold in blueberries.
Bake in a greased muffin tin or paper lined muffin tin
at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until don.
Makes 12 muffins.
Recipe from Becky Nielson

He-Man Chili

2010-12-06T08:43:00.000-08:00

Simmer 2 lbs of stew meat in your crock pot on high for 2-3 hours. (salt and pepper to taste)

Add:
3 lg. cans Hunts chili beans
1 diced onion
2 cans diced green chiles
1 can tomato juice
1 tsp. garlic powder
1-2 T. chili powder
Stir together and let simmer for another 4-5 hours. Serve with grated cheese.

Fresh Peach Pie - or uncooked Cheesecake!

2010-10-12T17:53:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from my friend Anne

graham cracker pie crust

8 oz cool whip
8 oz cream cheese - softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c. sugar
sliced fresh peaches
peach glaze
Mix Cool Whip, cream cheese, vanilla and sugar with mixer. Pour into crust. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 3-4 hours minimum. You can also use sliced strawberries and strawberry glaze or any canned pie filling. My boys like it without fruit, drizzled with chocolate or caramel sauce.

French Dipt Sandwiches

2010-10-04T16:29:00.000-07:00

French Dipt Sandwiches

1 sirloin or cross rib roast

1 (10 3/4 oz) can beef consomme soup

1 pkg au jus mix

1 pkg dry italian dressing mix

1 soup can of water

Mix ingredients and pour over roast in a crock pot. Cook all day. Shred the meat and put on buns. Use the juice for the au jus. We like to add provolone cheese to our sandwiches.

Pudding Cookies

2010-09-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from one of my friends Judy

Pudding Cookies

2 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. softened butter

1/4 c. white sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 sm pkg instant vanilla pudding

1 pkg chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients. Cream butter, sugars, pudding mix, vanilla and eggs until smooth and creamy. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 375.

Variations - vanilla pudding and chocolate chips, chocolate pudding and chocolate chips, chocolate pudding and white chips, chocolae pudding and peanut butter chips, butterscotch pudding and peanut butter chips, lemon pudding and white chips, pistacio pudding and white chips, and any other combination you want to try.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispies

2010-09-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter Rice Krispies

1 1/4 c. white Karo syrup

1 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
5 c. rice cereal
Heat syrup and sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat and mix in peanut butter and vainlla. Pour over cereal, Mix well. Pour into a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Pour 12 oz bag of chocolate chips on top and cover with aluminum foil for 5-10 minutes. Chips will soften. Spread over top with
rubber spatula. Let cool. Cut into
SMALL squares.

You can use smooth peanut butter instead of crunchy

Breakfast Burritos

2010-09-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Burritos

Brown :1 lb. sausage or bacon. Remove from pan. Drain grease.

Saute onions, peppers and/or green chiles.

Break 18 eggs in bowl, add a little milk, whisk together.

Cook eggs scrambled style. Add veggies and cooked meat..

Wrap in warmed tortillas adding grated cheese and salsa if desired.
I make up all the extras and wrap individually in plastic wrap and put in freezer. Put in microwave for one minute to re-warm for a quick breakfast.

Pumpkin Pie

2010-09-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Pie

1 (29 oz.) can unseasoned pumpkin

2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
4 eggs
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 425. In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Pour into uncooked pastry shell. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperatore to 350 and bake for 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. I cover the edges of crust with foil until the last 10 minutes so they don’t get overdone. Makes 2 pies.

Pie Crust
Crust (makes 1 double crust or 2 single crust pies) - recipe from Lucia Newman

1 c. Crisco
1 c. butter flavored Crisco
dash of salt
4 c. flour
2-3 T. sugar
6 T. ice cold water

Cheesy Zucchini

2010-09-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

Slice zucchini and/or yellow squash

saute in olive oil with salt and pepper until tender

when almost done throw in some diced garden tomatoes

place on serving dish and sprinkle with grated cheese

Apple Cream Pie

2010-09-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

APPLE CREAM PIE

2 c. grated apples
3/4 c. sugar
2 T. flour
1 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine everything but apples. Beat until smooth. Add apples and mix thoroughly. Pour into pastry lined pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven.

Combine
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. softened butter
Mix with pastry blender or fork and sprinkle on top of pie. Return to oven at 325 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Fresh Apple Cookies

2010-09-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

Fresh Apple Cookies

1/2 c. shortening

1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 apple, peeled and grated
Cream sugars, shortening and vanilla. Mix in sifted dryingredients. Add apple. Mix Well. Form into small balls and roll in mixture of
2 T sugar
1/8 tsp nutmeg 1/8 tsp cinnamon.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-13 minutes.

Lemon Love Notes

2010-08-31T12:08:00.000-07:00

1 c. softened butter

1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 c. flour

Mix well and press into a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

5-6 T lemon juice
4 beaten eggs
1 tsp baking powder
2 c. sugar
7 tsp. flour

Mix together and pour over crust. Bake 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Sprinkle top with powdered sugar.
Cut into squares and serve when cooled.

Lake Powell Dip

2010-07-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp rum flavoring
16 oz cream cheese
13 oz marshmallow creme
8 oz. Cool Whip
Boil butter, sugar, and milk for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add flavorings and let cool. Beat in cream cheese and marshmallow creme. Fold in Cool Whip. Add pink food coloring if desired. Use with assorted fruit.

Easy Sheet Brownies

2010-04-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

Bring to a boil:
1 stick butter
1/2 c. shortening
4 T. Cocoa c. cold water

Pour over:
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar

Add:
1/2 c. sour milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
Mix well
Pour into greased 11 x 17 inch cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 20 minutes

Icing:
Bring to a boil:
5 T. milk
4 T. cocoa
1 c. butter

add:
1 tsp vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar
chopped nuts if desired

Mix and pour over HOT brownies. Sets quickly. Serve with ice cream if desired.

Chicken Parmesan

2010-03-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

3 T. Canola Oil
1/2 c. Dixie Fry (original)
3 T. parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar (26 oz) meatless spaghetti sauce
3/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese
3 c. cooked pasta (we like angel hair)

In shallow bowl, combine Dixie Fry, 3 T parmesan cheese and spices. In another bowl, beat the egg. Cut chicken breasts in butterfly fashion but cut all the way through so you end up with double portions of breast. Dip chicken in egg, then roll in other mixture. Fry until juices run clear. In saucepan, warm up sauce. Cook noodles according to package directions. Put noodles on plate, top with chicken, sauce and cheeses.

Parmesan Rolls (Magleby's)

2010-03-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe off my friend Kara's cooking blog. They are so yummy! They are the favorite of my boys.

18-24 frozen Rhodes rolls
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Garlic salt
Dried parsley

Combine the mayo and the melted butter. Dip the tops of the rolls in the butter mixture, then in the parmesan cheese. Place in greased muffin tins, cheese side up. Let rise according to package directions (usually about 5 hours). Sprinkle rolls with garlic salt and parsley. Bake at 350° for about 18 minutes.
Notes:
-You can dip the rolls while they are still frozen, or after they have thawed. Just make sure they end up doubled in size before you bake them.

Ramen chicken salad

2010-03-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you have all had variations of this salad, but every time I make this one for others, they say it is the best variation they have every had. It is Tyrel's favorite. It is pretty too because it has green and purple cabbage in it. I'm so glad it is almost Spring and we can have salads more often now.

42 oz. chopped chicken - broiled or BBQ’d
1/2 head purple cabbage - shredded
1/2 head green cabbage - shredded
2 bunches green onions - chopped
3 pkgs oriental or chicken ramen noodles
Dressing
1 1/2 c. oil (i usually use only 1 c.)
9 T. rice vinegar
6 T sugar
1 T pepper
Mix dressing. Mix everything else together while dressing is dissolving. Break up the noodles. Pour dressing over salad. Add 1 pkg sliced almonds. Refrigerate overnight. Right before serving add 4 T toasted sesame seeds.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

2010-03-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite spring time salads, we have it a ton, some of us that is. Travis thinks it is wrong to combine fruit with vegetables.

Fresh Spinach leaves
mandarin oranges - drained
fresh strawbeerries - sliced
sunflower seeds
feta cheese
raspberry vinagrette

Grandma's Homemade Bread

2010-02-24T08:08:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from Sean's mom. My kids love it. Good thing it makes 5 loaves because 2 of them always disappear immediately out of the oven.

1/2 c. warm water
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 T yeast
Soften yeast in warm water. Sprinkle sugar on top.
2/3 c. sugar
5 c. hot water
1 c. dry milk
2/3 c. oil
5 tsp salt
14-16 c. flour
Mix water, salt, sugar, oil and millk. Add 8 c. flour. Mix well. Add yeast mixture. Mix well. Let set 10 minutes. Add remaining flour and knead until not sticky and sides of bowl are clean. Let rise for 1 hour. Form into 5 loaves. Spray pans with cooking spray. Let rise in pans for 20 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Remove from pans and rub tops with butter.

Spaghetti Sauce

2010-02-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

1/2 medium chopped onion
2 lbs ground beef
6 links italian sausage
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp sage
1 tsp garlic powder
3 whole bay leaves
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 T parsley flakes
1 gallon tomato sauce

Cut sausage into 1 “ pieces. Brown in large pan along with onion and ground beef. Drain. Add all other ingredients. Stir. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for at least 3 hours. The longer it simmers, the better it tastes. Stir occasionally. Serve over your favorite pasta or use for lasagna. Freezes well. Makes a large batch.

Chocolate Trifle

2010-01-18T19:18:00.000-08:00

I had to take dessert to a meeting the other night. This is what I made and it was DIVINE!

Chocolate Trifle

1 chocolate cake mix
1 small pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 c. water
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 (8 oz.) containers of Cool Whip
1 bar chocolate candy
Prepare cake mix according to package directions and bake in a sheet cake pan. Cool completely and cut into 1 inch squares.In a large bowl combine pudding mix, water, and sweetened condensed milk, mix until smooth then fold in 4 oz whipped until no streaks remain.In a trifle bowl or glass serving dish, place half of the cake cubes, half of the pudding mixture and 1/2 of the remaining Cool Whip. Repeat layers. Shave chocolate onto top layer for garnish. Refrigerate a couple hours before serving. You can use brownies instad of cake also.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2010-01-18T15:17:00.001-08:00

Sweet and Sour Chicken

from Pualani Graham
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 egg - beaten

1 c. flour

pinch of salt and pepper
Mix flour with salt and pepper. Cut chicken into chunks. Dredge in egg and then in flour mixture. Heat oil in Wok. Fry chicken pieces.

Sweet & Sour Sauce

1 C brown sugar

1 C pineapple juice

2 T ketchup

2T soy sauce

1/2 C white vinegar

pineapple tidbits

julienned carrots

diced green pepper

diced onion

or whatever vegetables you want to add to it

Bring the first 5 ingredients to a boil and then thicken with corn starch diluted with water. Add the veggies and the pineapple to that mixture for only about 2 minutes, then add the cooked chicken. We like our veggies still crisp. If you leave them in very long, they get soggy.

I leave the chicken out of the sauce so it stays crispy, then just put down the rice, then the chicken, then put the sauce over the top.

Portobello Pork Chops

2010-01-06T10:17:00.000-08:00

4 pork chops
1 ½ c. chunky salsa
1 c. chopped mushrooms
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 T. maple syrup
Parsley

Heat over to 375, trim fat from chops. Spoon salsa into a baking dish. Arrange chops on top of salsa. Combine mushrooms, cheese and maple syrup in a bowl and spoon over shops. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Haylee's Jello Salad

2010-01-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

Here is another one I haven't got a picture of but I've lost a couple times, so putting it here for safe keeping and I will take a picture someday and add it. My sister in law makes this for family gatherings a lot. I've made it for a few church functions and everyone always wants the recipe

2 – 8 oz pkgs frozen raspberries
1 – 3 oz pkg raspberry jello
1 – 3 oz pkg instant vanilla pudding
3 T tapioca
3 C. water
8 oz cool whip
Boil water, jello, pudding and tapioca for five minutes (stir often). Cool or soft set. Add raspberries and cool whip, Mix well and pour in serving bowl or 9 x 13 pan. Refrigerate. Is good with mandarin oranges and orange jello also.

Cheesy Fondue

2010-01-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

I've lost the recipe twice, so I'm putting it on here before I lose it again. I thought the garlic was a litle strong, but everyone at the New Year's Eve party loved it so maybe it was ok after all. This recipe is from Sherie Clark

1 1/2 c. milk
2 - 8 oz pkgs cream cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 c. parmesan cheese (not the kind in the green can)

Put everything but parmesan in fondue pot and melt together. Add parmesan cheese at the end right before serving.

I made mine in the microwave and then just dumped it in the fondue pot. I served with french bread cut up into 2 inch cubes to dip in it.

Maraschino Cherry Cookies

2009-12-21T15:18:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from a guy I knew in college. It is one of our favorites around the holidays

1 1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 1/2 c. flour
1 c. maraschino cherries (drained and chopped)
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. almond flavoring
2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. coconut
Cream shortening and sugar. Add salt, almond flavoring and eggs. Beat well.Add dry ingredients. Mix well.Blend in cherries and coconut.Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet.Bake at 375 for 8 minutes

Sweet Potato Casserole

2009-11-29T18:53:00.000-08:00

Taco Soup

2009-11-17T13:32:00.000-08:00

I love making this soup because I always seem to have the ingredients on hand in my food storage. It is great to make when unexpected people show up because it is fast, easy, and you can make it for large groups really easy. If more people show up, just add a couple more cans of something.

1 lb. ground beef
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can whole kernel corn
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 can water
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
Fritos
shredded cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning mix and prepare according to package instructions. Open all the beans and rinse and drain. Add beans, corn and crushed tomatoes to the ground beef mixture. Fill one of the empty cans with water and add that to the soup. Heat through. Serve topped with shredded cheese, Fritos or corn chips and sour cream if desired.

If you don't have all of those kinds of beans, you can do 3 cans of one of them or mix and match in any way you like. I've even had it with Garbanzo beans too.

Mandarin Chicken and Fried Rice

2009-11-17T13:18:00.001-08:00

This chicken is like the kind you get at Panda Express

MANDARIN CHICKEN

boneless skinless chicken thighs
2/3 c sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp canola oil
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp. garlic
1/4 c. water
4 tsp flour

Put sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, oil, garlic and ginger in a saucepan and stir together. Place on stove on low heat. In a separate bowl, mix flour with water. When the sauce warms up, add flour mixture a little at a time to thicken.

Grill the chicken on your BBQer until done. Slice into bitesize pieces and drizzle with sauce until all pieces are covered. Serve immediately with extra sauce on the side in case someone wants more. I figure 2-3 thighs per person. This sauce is enough for 15-20 thighs and it keeps for quite a while in the fridge too. When I cut my chicken up, I use a fork and knife holding the chicken down with the fork and slicing through the tines with the knife to cut into strips.

HAM FRIED RICE

3-4 c. prepared rice (I use regular or instant, my kids like the instant better but I like the real rice better)
diced ham
1-2 eggs
frozen peas
2-3 green onions , diced
soy sauce
butter

Melt 1 T butter in skillet or wok. Brown onions and ham in the butter. Mix the eggs in a bowl and cook in the skillet or wok (scramble) along with the peas. Take onions, peas, ham and eggs out of pan. Melt 1/4-1/2 c. butter in the pan. Add rice and cook over high heat so that it fries the rice. After it is fried, add the rest of the ingredients back in and stir together. Warm through and add 1-2 T soy sauce. Serve with soy sauce in case anyone likes to add more.

Cornbread Muffins

2009-11-17T13:12:00.000-08:00

I hate dry crumbly corn bread with a passion! When I found this recipe, I fell in love with cornbread again. They are moist and not crumbly and they are delicious!

Corn Muffins

1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
3 T sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 c. sour cream

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl beat egg and sour cream; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes. Makes 8-10 muffins

Homemade Pizza

2009-10-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

It has been a standing tradition at our house on Friday nights for the last few years to have pizza for dinner. It started because that was date night for Sean and I so it was easy for the boys to just do frozen pizza. Then we were unemployed and poor, so we started having our date for lunch because the lunch menu is cheaper than the dinner menu and we also started making pizza from scratch to save money also. My nephew Tyler doesn't like pizza, but he thinks that Aunt Lori's pizza is ok, so Tyler, this recipe is for you!

Crust (makes two 12 pizzas)
2 T. rapid yeast
1 1/4 c. warm water
1 T. sugar
2 T. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
3 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Put 1/4 c. warm water in large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top and then sprinkle with the sugar. Let sit until it is foamy. Add the rest of the water (1c.), olive oil, salt, and garlic powder. Stir just a little to mix. Add all of the flour and knead by hand until mixed well. If it is sticking to your hands, add a little more flour. Cover and let rise until double. I use a Tupperware bowl and let it rise until the lid pops off.

Sprinkle a little flour on your counter. Split dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll out into a 12" circle and place on pizza pan sprayed with non-stick cooking oil. Poke holes in dough with a fork.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put dough into oven and cook for 5 minutes. Take out and spread pizza sauce (I like the Contadina pizza sauce you can buy in a can) on top followed by grated cheese and any other toppings you wish. Put back in oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until crust starts to brown and cheese is melted.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza
Make dough according to directions above.
Cut 2 chicken breasts into bite size pieces and brown in olive oil sprinkled with garlic powder.
Once you cook the dough for the 5 minutes, spread with alfredo sauce, sprinkle with cheese, spread chicken around the top and sprinkle with a little more cheese. Bake. YUMMY!

Pancakes from Scratch

2009-10-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

These are so yummy! I can't eat pancakes from a mix anymore. The recipe calls for Buttermilk, but you can use regular milk if you want. BUTTERMILK makes them so much better though! I also sometimes mix in fresh or frozen blueberries when I want to give Trevin a treat because he loves them with blueberries.

Pancakes

1 1/2 c. buttermilk
3 eggs
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baing soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. canola oil (or vegetable oil)
1 3/4 c. flour

I put all the ingredients in my blender and mix up then you can just pour it out on your griddle easily.

Heidi, I doubled this when you guys were here.

Pumpkin Cookies

2009-10-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

I can never find this recipe when I need it and I should be able to remember it since it is so easy, but I always second guess myself wondering if there is anything else that needs added, so I'm adding the recipe here so I don't have to search for it every time. I always think it needs eggs or something added and it doesn't. I made these for our YM/YW activity treats last night and they were a hit!

Pumpkin Cookies

1 can pumpkin (29 oz)

3 spice cake mixes

2 bags chocolate chips (you can just put 1 bag in if you want but we like lots of chocolate chips)

Mix pumpkin and cake mix with mixer until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop on cookie sheets sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool. I piped on some cream cheese frosting for these and it made them so much yummier!

Makes 8 dozen or so.

Banana Cream Layered Dessert

2009-08-09T17:53:00.001-07:00

This is such a yummy and quick dessert to make. I usually make it in a 9x13 cake pan but you make individual ones like in the photo.

1 pkg cream cheese
1 T. vanilla
1 can sweet & condensed milk
12 oz. whipped cream (kool whip is great)
3 c. milk
1 lg pkg vanilla pudding
1 box vanilla wafer cookies
5-6 banana

Mix softened cream cheese, vanilla, sweet & condensed milk, 1/2 of the whipped cream, 3 c. milk and vanilla pudding in a large mixing bowl. Slice bananas. In a 9x13 cake pan, put one layer of sliced bananas, repeat this step then add the remaining whipped cream and crumble the remaining cookies on top.

Ice Cream in a bag

2009-04-22T11:05:00.001-07:00

We did this the other night for Family Home Evening and to also fill one of Derick's class requirements. I think it turned out pretty good.

Recipe:
You will need two seperate bags for each serving, one for the salt and ice and one for the ingredients.

Ice cream mix:

2 T. Sugar (For Kirk, Derick and I we used Splenda and for some reason the ones with the splenda set up quicker than the regular sugar.)
1 cup half & half
1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a seperate bag put 3/4 cup rock salt and some ice. Make sure that your bags are zipped really good and put the ice cream mixture into the salt and ice mixture. Then you just flip your bag around and around until the ice cream mixture is how you like it, anywhere from 10-15 minutes. Wipe off the ice cream bag and then squeeze into a bowl or just eat out of the bag.

Chicken bow-tie pasta salad

2009-04-14T19:56:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite salads at our house.
Ingredients:

1 box bow tie pasta cooked until tender
1 can crushed pineapple
2 cans cooked chicken or 2-3 cooked & shredded chicken breast
salt and pepper to taste
grapes
cashews

Dressing:

1 bottle coleslaw dressing or homemade coleslaw dressing
1 c. mayo.

Combine the pasta, pineapple, chicken, salt & pepper, grapes and dressing in a large bowl. Add cashews as you like on your individual servings. Enjoy.

Bernies Enchiladas

2009-03-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

Yummy Enchiladas!

This is the easiest enchilada casserole that I've ever made. I got this recipe from a friend named Bernie that I worked with. Bernie won several bar-b-que cook offs in Texas and many of her recipe's are featured at the Texas Roadhouse Restaurant's..... The best part with this recipe is it's flexibility - I like to change it up by adding black beans to my layers so enjoy and try experimenting.

1 LB of Hamburger (or shredded chicken)

1- Medium Onion

1/2 of a Green Pepper

1 - Package of Chile Flavored Doritos

1-2 LBS of Grated cheddar cheese

1 - Small can chili peppers diced

1- Small can of diced black olives

1- Can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1- Cup Chicken Broth

Saute onion, green peppers and chopped chili peppers in butter. Crumble and fry out hamburger (if you substitute shredded chicken it should be cooked first)
Combine soup and chicken broth together and set aside.

Assemble ingredients in layers. Bottom layer of crushed Doritos, next layer hamburger , sauteed onions and cheese and repeat.

Pour soup mixture over top of layers and add additional cheese to top it off

Bake in a 9x12 dish at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. - Delicious!!

Non-Cooked Cheesecake

2009-03-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Anne Gockley, one of my friends. It is a favorite and is really quick and easy to make. Everyone always raves over it.

1 prepared graham cracker crust (buy one or make your own)
8 oz cream cheese, softened (I've used the fat free kind and it works fine)
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz Cool Whip

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth; blend in vanilla. Stir in Cool Whip and pour into crust. Chill for at least 4 hours.

You must chill for 4 hours, if you only chill for 2 or 3 hours, the sugar will still taste grainy. It takes that long to fully dissolve.

Top with your choice of toppings, canned pie filling works great. I love it with fresh strawberries in strawberry glaze or fresh peaches in peach glaze that you can buy usually in the produce section. My boys love it drizzled with chocolate syrup ice cream topping.

Great for summertime.

Styrofoam

2009-03-22T08:34:00.001-07:00

Sounds appetizing doesn't it? That is what my kids call it, but the recipe I got from my friend actually calls it Corn Puff Treats. This is one of our favorite camping snacks and I take it occasionally to big parties because everyone always loves it. It takes quite a while to cool though, so be sure to make it plenty of time in advance.

1 1/2 c. butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. Karo Syrup, light

1 1/2 T water

1 bag of Corn Puffs

In a medium saucepan, bring the first 4 ingedients to a boil stirring constantly. Boil for 3-4 minutes. Pour a large bag of Corn Puffs into a large bowl. Pour cooked mixture over and stir well to coat cereal. Let cool. Break up if needed. Yummy!

I tried to Google a picture of the bag you need to look for but didn't find anything online. They are not in all stores and sometimes they are by the cereal but most often I find them with the chips. The bag is large like the big cereal you buy in a bag, but I'm not sure how many ounces are in it. I'll look next time I'm at the store and fix my post. The bag is red and yellow I think.

Five Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

2009-01-11T23:05:00.000-08:00

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).
And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world ?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night

Grandma Buss' Breakfast Cake

2009-01-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

George Evers, Grandma Buss,
Grandma Evers and
Little Bob and Ron Evers abt 1946-1947

According to Cousin Charles Buss, Grandma Buss would always have this nice hot breakfast cake baked and ready for hungry farm boys to fill their tummies with. It is a favorite of his - it is good
quick and easy.

Ingredients:

(1) cup sugar (1/2) cup margarine
(1) teaspoon vanilla flavoring (2) large eggs
(1-1/4) cups flour (1/4) teaspoon baking powder
(1/2) cup milk (1) teaspoon cinnamon
(1/4) teaspoon salt

Directions:
Cream together the margarine, sugar, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and slowly add to creamed mixture along with the milk
Bake in an 8x8 (greased and floured) pan at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until done - Serve Warm

Raspberry Honey Butter

2008-12-27T15:28:00.000-08:00

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. honey

8 oz. raspberries (fresh or frozen*)

Whip softened butter and honey together until smooth and then add berries and mix well. Serve on rolls or homemade bread. Will keep for a week or so. You can use any berry you want to but we like raspberries or triple berries the best.

*if using frozen berries thaw at room temperature, not in microwave as it makes them too juicy

Mom (Kenalou) gave this as neighbor gifts this year for Christmas along with a loaf of warm homemade bread.

S.W.A.T Team Chicken

2008-12-24T06:59:00.000-08:00

This is actually Sean's recipe. He got it from his good friend Officer Howell when he went with him to SWAT team training one night up the canyon as they had fun setting off bombs and explosives (boys). It is so yummy!!!!!

SWAT team chicken

12 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Grill on the BBQ grill after sprinkling with paprika, salt and pepper. Just sear them, you don't have to cook all the way through.
Put a layer of chicken in the bottom of your dutch oven or crock pot.

Mr. Yoshida's Teriyaki flavor sauce

Chunked Pineapple (drain juice off)

Drizzle chicken with Mr. Yoshida's sauce and put 1/2 the can of pineapple chunks on top. Then put another layer of chicken and drizzle more sauce, then put more pineapple chunks on top. Put crockpot on low and cook for 2-3 hours. Three hours is almost too much. We used about 1/3 bottle of the sauce total.
When we made it for the family party, we did 36 thighs, 1 bottle of sauce, and 2 cans of pineapple. We just kept layering it in the dutch oven until it was full to the top and cooked it over coals for 1 hour. We served it with rice and a stir fry vegetable.
So, you can use the crock pot, or a dutch oven.

Blonde brownies

2008-12-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

2/3 cup melted margarine/butter
2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together margarine, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle top with 1 cup of chocolate chips if you wish. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2008-12-18T06:04:00.000-08:00

I know we are out of season kind of for this recipe, but it is one of my kids favorites and I did have a picture also, so here you go. Thanks for making this blog. It will be fun! This cake tastes better on day 2!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Glaze
2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. canola oil (or 3/4 c. oil and 3/4 c. applesauce)
3 c. grated zucchini
3/4 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with non stick cooking spray. Stir together all dry ingredients. Add eggs, oil (applesauce) and zucchini. Mix well. Stir in nuts if desired. Pour into pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Drizzle with glaze while still hot. I didn't put the nuts in because my kids don't like them. I ended up just throwing chunks of the zucchini in my blender and mushing it up that way.

Chocolate Glaze
3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
3 T. butter
1 T. light corn syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla.
Put everything but vanilla in a glass microwave safe bowl. Cook for 30 -60 seconds, stirring every 20 seconds. When all melted and smooth, add vanilla and stir well. Drizzle over top of warm cake.

Fudge

2008-12-17T22:25:00.000-08:00

Shortly before Christmas 2007 my husband and I were cleaning out the attic when I ran across an old Christmas present from 1977. I couldn't resist re-gifting it to the original recipient. It was a present made by my step-daughter, Beth for her sister Renee. They all got a big kick out of it and Beth remembered painting it all those years ago. My family all enjoy chocolate and fudge is a favorite at Christmas time. This recipe is easy and always good. Don't be fooled by the ingredients - it's delicious!

"Best Ever Fudge"

Ingredients:

(2) cups butter

(1#) pasteurized processed cheese (like Velveeta)

(4#'s) confectioners sugar

(1 cup) cocoa

(1T) vanilla extract

add nuts to your taste or leave out if you don't like nuts

Directions:

1 Melt together butter and cheese

2 Mix in confectioners sugar and cocoa into the butter mixture.

Stir in vanilla and nuts. Spread on two big cookie sheets.

Cool, cut and store in refrigerator

(makes 8 dozen pieces)

Here's the deal!

2008-12-17T17:59:00.000-08:00

I wanted to start this blog as a place where we can share recipes with each other, and have a Family Cookbook. Please feel free to add your recipes and if you have a picture of it put that on too! I hope that we can all have fun with this and start something that we can have generations of recipes.

Make sure to put labels on it down in the bottom right corner of where you post. For example: Appetizer, cheese, Heidi